Anime Best in Show

Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table Episode 4 Review

Quick SummaryBest MomentSetupDeliveryOther Posts

Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table Episode 4 Review – Quick Summary

In Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table Episode 4, “Akiba General Election,” despite her tremendous show of support in the previous episode, Lenessia actually seemed surprised that Shiroe expected her to run in the election. But once convinced, she knew what she had to do next: Obtain the blessing of Saraliya, her mother. But what will Lenessia do when her mother withholds said blessing? Meanwhile, polling for the Round Table’s candidate fell seriously behind Ein’s numbers. Is it possible to make up such a huge deficient in just a few days — especially when Rudy explained the real problem? And the election getting so close, just where has Shiroe disappeared to?

Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.

Favorite Quote from Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table Episode 4

Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table Episode 4: Akatsuki seriously supports Shiroe

For Akatsuki, the statements “The sun will rise tomorrow” and “Shiroe will fulfill his quest” represent equivalent probabilities of success. Capture from the Funimation stream.

Fiction Sometimes Hits Close to Home

Back when I used to develop software, some companies championed the idea of a “rockstar developer.” At first glance, it sounded like something kind of cool — a person who could code their way out of any situation; someone who had knowledge and skills far beyond those or mortal developers.

But there was a problem with how that model was most often implemented. The charitable way to look at that problem was that from the rockstar developer’s perspective, it was lonely. They had no team and they had no one to talk to. They kept everyone at arm’s length. The somewhat less charitable way to look at it is that they were terrible team players who sometimes maintained their position by using derision.

The most accurate way to look at the problem was that they were, by and large, assholes.

Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table Episode 4: Shiroe is a lot like me, but he has better social skills

Of all of the anime characters I’ve met, Shiroe might be the closest to have I see myself. Though he has better social skills… Capture from the Funimation stream.

Learning from the Mistakes of Others

That’s not how I wanted to be perceived. Yes, I wanted to code amazing solutions. And I’d argue I did that — I still remember corporate central saying automating forms would be impossible, but then I showed them now to use Procomm Plus’s VT102 emulation to capture the raw data and use Lotus Notes’ Visual Basic-compatible language to create forms for processing on the web. But to me, that was only part of it. I wanted people to know they could rely on me. I wanted them to be happy that they could rely on me.

Akatsuki said something that reminded me of how I wanted people to see me. “My lord said this fight was a quest from you,” Akatsuki told Lenessia in an attempt to cheer her up (22:10). “He accepted it as a quest, so he’ll carry it out without fail. That’s how he is. So trust him, Princess.”

Those times are long gone, but quotes like this remind me of what once was. It good to reflect on past successes, sometimes.

Best in Show Moment for Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table Episode 4

Lenessia has come a long way

Lenessia’s come a long way since her greatest desire was to nap. Now, she’s selected the role she wants to play in this world’s history. Capture from the Funimation stream.

Setup: Lenessia Started as a Lazy Princess

Most series would be happy to deliver a coming of age moment where the young, plucky character declares their independence. And why not? That’s a great moment, if prepared properly! It’s one of the reasons that coming of age stories or arcs are so darned popular. But this is Log Horizon, and a “mere” coming of age moment would be too simple! So this episode had to go big.

You remember how Lenessia used to be the lazy princess, right? Oh, what am I saying? She’s still the lazy princess! But now she’s grown a bit. There are goals she wants to achieve and people she wants to help. Not only that, but there’s a “good for nothing knight” that she will force to say uncle. All of the standard stuff for a coming of age, right?

But then there’s Isaac’s conversation with Iselus, Lenessia’s younger brother. As the older knight teaches swordplay to the heir to the throne, they remind of of two critical things.

Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table Episode 4: Iselus, out of the mouth of babes...

Iselus might just be a kid, but he had an important message to give to Isaac about the People of the Land. Capture from the Funimation stream.

First, Saraliya would, from time to time, stand in her window and stare at the sky. Why? Because, as Iselus explained, “Women do not handle state affairs; they have them handled for them” (05:33).

Second, as importantly, Isaac’s reaction reminded us: The Adventurers are different. They do not think things work that way. At all.

Delivery: Now Lenessia’s Running for Office!

When Lenessia sat before mother, Saraliya, and her grandfather, Sergiatte Cowen, her mother was adamant that Lenessia was too immature to do what she proposed. In a series of heart-warming shot, first Karashin and then Elissa spoke glowingly of the responsible young woman that Lenessia had become in Akiba.

That didn’t matter to Saraliya, and rightly so. The question wasn’t how the people around her saw Lenessia. The question was how Lenessia saw herself. So Saraliya demanded that Lenessia explain why she would succeed, right then and there, in front of her and Sergiatte.

Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table Episode 4: Saraliya could easily have been a queen, in another world...

Saraliya’s mind and will could easily have handled being Queen. Convention prevented her. But such conventions do not bind Lenessia. Capture from the Funimation stream.

Explain she did. In what usually would have been my favorite moment, Lenessia let it all hang out. She admitted that there was no way she could convince them that she was right — but even so, she knew she was right. Describing the role she saw for herself as a princess in Akiba, she boldly declared that she was going to help establish the New Round Table Conference — and she didn’t need their permission to do it!

That’s worthy of a Best in Show moment all by itself. But then she pulled in Iseleus’ observation of Saraliya and Isaac’s world view as an Adventurer. My favorite moment of the episode is when Lenessia said, “Mother. I will take the path you might have been able to walk” (09:40).

In one motion, Lenessia declared her own independence, promised to adopt and fulfill her mother’s dream, and do so in the social context that the Adventurers established. That’s how you do a coming of age moment!

What did you think Minori’s campaign poster for Lenessia? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!

Log Horizon: Destruction of the Round Table Episode 4: Other Posts

Other Anime Sites

This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)

tcrow
Copyright 2022 Terrance A. Crow. All rights reserved.
https://www.crowsworldofanime.com

Please let me know what you think!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.