Quick Summary of Record of Grancrest War Episode 23
In Record of Grancrest War Episode 23, “Castle Walls,” Emperor Theo Cornaro, Siluca Meletes, and the Lords under his command begin their assault on Eramu. But there’s a slight problem: the Mage Academy has unleashed an ancient beast on them — a beast barely quelled in centuries past. What chance does David Lassic and his mage, Moreno Dortous, stand against such a beast? And even if they can defeat it, can Theo, Siluca, and their special force refuse a compelling invitation, knowing that the loss of Theo means the loss of the war?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
What’s In This Post
Quick Episode Summary
3 Favorite Moments
Thoughts
Related Posts
Interested in the second cour’s OP?
3 Favorite Moments from Record of Grancrest War Episode 23
First Favorite Moment from Record of Grancrest War Episode 23
What do you do if you’re faced with an Cyclops that, in ancient times, took a troop of mages to defeat? Well, if you’re David Lassic, you… Wait, he didn’t just rush in? He stopped to make a plan? See, this is one of the things I like about this show. Theo’s a great leader, and he cultivates great leaders like his King David. In many of the fantasy anime series I’ve watched, the protagonist rushes in and uses the Power of Improv ™ to destroy the monster. Not in Grancrest!
After deciding they were going to make themselves look good to their emperor by destroying the monster, David wastes no time in grilling Moreno on how the best was destroyed the last time it showed up (6:02). Together, they came up with a plan of attack that was reasonable and used what they had at their disposal. That’s solid leadership, that is!
Second Favorite Moment from Record of Grancrest War Episode 23
Speaking of good leadership, Theo has his turn to show he knows what he’s doing. When a messenger informs him of David’s plan, Siluca is aghast and strongly suggests Theo forbid it. But Theo’s smarter than that. He explains to Siluca that a) it wouldn’t do any good to forbid it, because David would do it anyway (6:56), b) the alternative would be to waste time and troops (and lots of troops at that) trying to bring the cyclops down, and finally c) doing so would demonstrate that Theo doesn’t trust David’s judgement, which would be catastrophic to his relationship to his subordinate — and his friend (7:30).
That last part really resonated with me. Sometimes, if you’re in a position of authority, you have to let those you lead take risks. For me, that’s the hardest part of being in a position of authority. I’ll never forget the time I watched my deaf son back the car out of the drive way and pull away, alone, for the first time after earning his driver’s license. And that’s nothing compared to the decision Theo just made!
Third Favorite Moment from Record of Grancrest War Episode 23
Three cheers for teamwork! Moreno and David’s one-two punch against the Cyclops was super effective! Moreno’s light blast (12:00) looked spectacular as it plow into the Cyclops’ only eye (kudos to the sound effects, too — they really added a depth and realism to the scene). And do you know one of the ways to tell a good horseman? The level of trust the horse places in its rider. With that as the measure, David must be a fantastic rider, because his horse trusted him enough to ride up the Cyclops’ leg and deliver its rider to the beast’s chest (12:34). David was then able to use his Crest-infused spear to deliver the death blow (12:46).
The scene was animated in the raw, almost feral style that we’ve seen the show use for battles before. The most effective was Siluca’s defense against Yana back in episode 14. In this episode, it was a little more rough, but in the words of Miles Lane, “I’ll allow it!” I thought it was effective in communicating the scene’s emotion and violence.
Thoughts about Record of Grancrest War Episode 23
Was I the only one who thought of the Styx song Castle Walls when I saw the title for this episode? Man, that was a good song! Doesn’t really fit the episode, though…
And now David Lassic will forever be known as the Giant Slayer. He and his team earned it, too! Glad to see that Gracq survived, too (Crunchyroll spelling). Even as Moreno was pronouncing him dead (stomped by the Cyclops), I wondered if his heart just stopped beating while he was in steel mode. Turns out I wasn’t wrong!
It’s the next to last episode, and do you know one of the things I’m going to miss about this show? Its generally realistic battle tactics. From Alexis’ use of decoy siege towers (where’d they get those so quickly? Ikea?), to camouflaged fighters, to Siluca lighting the battlefield, to a human pyramid to scale the walls without having to haul ladders across the field, I thought the show either used tactics that would work, or (as importantly), used tactics that looked like they would work. Honestly, I have no idea how battle would play out in this world, given the variables of Mages and non-human actors, but it sure looked convincing to me.
Something else I found convincing — and akin to a breath of fresh air? Remember just after Theo’s forces had secured Eramu’s outer walls? He railed against having to stand and watch, and Siluca reminded him that was his role as emperor (20:46). And did you see how he reacted? He agreed with her! He followed wise counsel! He’s come a long way from the wandering Lord who blundered into the brigands trying to assault Siluca in the first episode. It’s always great to see character development, and as rushed as Grancrest Senki can be, it took the time to show Theo grow as a leader. That’s something I think I’m going to remember about this show.
Only one more episode to go!
So what did you think of Theo’s decisions in this episode? Did you enjoy David’s tactics against the Cyclops? What were your favorite moments? Let me know in the comments!
Other Posts of Interest about Record of Grancrest War Episode 23
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit Discussion of Grancrest Senki Episode 23
- The Anime Rambler – By Benigmatica: Record of Grancrest War Episode #23
- I Drink and Watch Anime: A Record of Grancrest War Ep 23 – David and Goliath
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 1: Contract
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 2: Ambition
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 3: Battle Flag
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 4: Decision
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 5: Forest of Eternal Darkness
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 6: March
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 7: The White Prince
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 8: The Congress Dances
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 9: The Black Princess
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 10: Blade of Betrayal
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 11: The Fall of Castle Unicorn
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 11.5: Reminiscence
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 12: A Treaty Formed
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 13: To the Homeland
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 14: The Liberator of Sistina
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 15: Return
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 16: Outpost
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 17: Two Heroes
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 18: Leader
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 19: The Awakening of a Noble
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 20: Pitched Battle of the Three Forces
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 21: Purge
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 22: The Holy Grail
- Record of Grancrest War Episode 24: Grancrest
- Record of Grancrest War: Pandora’s Warning
