©︎Hisaya Amagishi/MF Books/DB PROJECT
When I mention the production values of this show, I’m not trying to beat a dead horse, so instead, I’m going to beat a live human being. While Dahlia’s eight-legged horse was clearly visible in previous episodes, I didn’t notice it until this one, and I’m confused. Horses are notoriously difficult to animate, so much so that even this season’s animation giants, The elusive samurai, opting to use CG horses instead of hand-drawing these ill-tempered beasts. However DahliaDue to an overburdened production, the decision was made to make animators’ lives twice as difficult for no apparent reason. Like, maybe the horse with enough legs to qualify as a spider is a key plot point later on, but as of now, I feel like we could just fudge the numbers and make it a regular, poorly articulated horse.
That poor pony aside, this episode saw some big and small improvements for Dahlia. The first is her meeting with Wolfe, where the two talk about magical tools and monster hunting. While overall it was a good time, it was also a bit boring. It’s clear that Wolfe is setting up Daria for a new love interest, and since she’s now single and technically available to date, the two have some chemistry. It’s great that Daria is hearing the fruits of her labor from someone who has no idea she makes the waterproof fabric everyone is using, but again this is hampered by the production values. The direction of this scene does its best to suggest that there’s a spark between the two, a budding attraction, even though Wolfe thinks he’s talking to a man due to Dahlia’s disguise. Unfortunately, the character animation doesn’t quite convey this feeling, so their time together feels a little too dry to really engage us with the potential romance. There’s potential here, but the script needs a little more effort in this area.
Still, a slightly awkward and ambiguous same-sex romantic interaction is better than what awaits our heroine back in town: dealing with her damn ex again. I loved this reunion and second estrangement because it was the first time Daria was angry at the guy in person. Everything about their house and engagement bothered her, but now he’s gone and messed her up Work Putting his creation under his own name. She wasn’t even angry about the underlying money issues—she was upset about being separated from the work and responsibilities that came with her craft. Dahlia takes pride not only in creating useful creations, but in taking on all the risks and rewards that come with them – they are an expression of her own skills and the legacy her father left her. So Tobias decides he can put his name in the registry because hey, they’ll be getting married soon anyway, which is a more visceral violation than his previous controlling behavior.
It’s nice to see Dalia being able to tolerate mistakes, draw a hard line in the sand and resist Tobias’ attempts at compromise. At the same time, the difference in her reaction to the patent registration versus breaking off the engagement provides a bit of humanity to this guy. Sure, he’s like your most annoying ex-boyfriend from college, but he seems to genuinely care about Daria and is hurt by how easily she can emotionally disconnect from him. He’s still an annoying goofball who brings a bunch of unwelcome drama to every interaction, but it makes him feel more like a real character and less like someone who’s easy for viewers to dislike.
What happened next was…well, I don’t know how to feel about that. On one hand, it’s great to see so many people in Dahlia’s life willing to help her. Some of it came from friendships, others from investing in her work for its own benefit, and some from her father’s enduring reputation and relationships. That’s all well and good, and very heartwarming, but it also makes Dalia feel very passive in her own story, especially when Gabriella takes our heroine under her wing. Yes she wants to help Dahlia look like a professional and that’s fine but it still feels weird to see Dahlia change her clothes and glasses at someone else’s request again but that’s a good thing because they’re doing it now For “good” reasons. Also, telling Dahlia to stop wearing glasses is objectively wrong! They are a key part of her character design, and removing them would result in a complete downgrade of the character.
It all comes together to make up an episode that feels as chaotic as its vague background. There’s still something to like about Dalia’s journey here, but it’s starting to feel like she’s just going with the flow rather than commanding her own path.
score:
Dahlias in Bloom: Using Magical Tools to Create a New Beginning Currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
