Anime Best in Show

Review: Campione! Episode 10 Best in Show

Quick Summary

In Campione! episode 10, “The Turbulent Demon King, The Sun Hero,” Perseus pressed his attack against Godou Kusanagi. Godou put up a valiant fight, but without detailed knowledge of Perseus’ mythology, Perseus was able to again seal Godou’s power. The Perseus’ attack sent Godou flying hundreds of meters through the air. He crashed through a hotel’s outer wall. Liliana Kranjčar joined him in the ruined hotel room, desparate to find a way to help him. As Godou prepared to rejoin the battle, Liliana faced a difficult personal choice. Would she aid Godou — with an act that seemed far too difficult to her? Or will she watch him go back into battle — knowing that he lacked the ability to win?

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

Best Moment in the Show: Liliana Learns Godou is Not Voban

Liliana didn’t seem to know how to react to a Campione who didn’t order her to do something she wasn’t ready to do. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Wow. Karen Jankulovski really stepped up her attacks on Liliana’s psyche in this episode, didn’t she? Karen kept pressing Liliana to get very intimate with Godou, for the sake of their order. The maid was almost scary…

This episode contained a conversation between Godou and Liliana that sets this harem series apart. This exchange elevates this series above something like Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Girls, where in one episode, the women folk have to spell out to Muneakira Yagyuu that he’s the cause of all of their internal strife because he won’t chose a leading woman. Even after the explanation, he still didn’t get it. It elevates it above Haganai where Kodaka Hasegawa threw everyone’s life in turmoil because he can’t make a decision — and that’s after he finally became aware that there was a decision to make! To this day, I feel sorry for Rika Shiguma!

Godou not only is capable of making a decision. He goes one step further, which is important for a Campione — he makes decisions that are in his team’s best interested, collectively and individually. To Godou, his knights’ free wills are important to him. Which is quite a contrast to other Campione like Sasha Dejanstahl Voban.

My Best in Show moment is when Godou lays out his philosophy to Liliana. She wants to help him. She wants to give him the information to defeat Perseus. But to do so, she’d have to kiss him, and she’s a romantic young woman who wants her first kiss to be really important. I want to reproduce their conversation in its entirety, because this idea is the reason I like this series so much.

Why did Liliana serve Voban? I suspect it had something to do with instructions from her order, the Bronze Black Cross. She clearly wasn’t comfortable serving the older Campione. And here Karen was trying to convince her to do something she wasn’t ready to do. It seems like Godou might have been one of the first to recognize it should be her choice. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

They were sitting under a street lamp outside a building where earlier they’d eaten ice cream. Liliana felt desperate. She couldn’t decide to kiss him, but she knew it had to be done, or they’d lose. So, she wanted him to make the decision for her.

“Then give me the order… To transmit the divination via teaching technique,” she said (05:08).

“I won’t do that,” Godou said.

“Why not? Fighting gods is a King’s sole duty. You have the special right to compel us normal humans to yield to you.”

“Don’t make me sound special. The only reason I’ve been risking my life, fighting these gods, is because I’m the only one here to do it.”

Liliana seemed taken aback and said, “My King…”

“Please stop that.”

Keep in mind that Liliana had been in Voban’s service, and he was a very different man than Godou. Because of the tremendous difference, she couldn’t help herself from blurting out, “Huh?”

“I think someone should only be called ‘King’ after they’ve accomplished some feat to earn it. I’m not that qualified.”

Godou had clearly been giving this a lot of thought. He knew his mission and didn’t shy away from it. But he wanted to approach it in his own way, and that way didn’t include using his authority to override Liliana’s will. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Liliana said, “Because this is your belief, you will not give me orders?”

“I guess. Also, you only just escaped from that old man, Voban… I’d be pretty uncool if I acted the same way.”

This is why I like this series. Godou is a Campione, and that’s a big deal. Liliana was prepared to follow his orders and kiss him despite her feelings, but Godou didn’t want it to happen like that. He wanted her full cooperation, or he didn’t want anything from her. It’s not that he was clueless. After she made her offer later in the episode (08:05), he was more than willing to take her up on it. Godou respected Liliana’s will. He was willing to put himself in harm’s way to prove it, too (07:57).

You might argue Godou was just being realistic. A knight who followed him of her own free will would be more useful in the long run than someone who only followed orders. But I really think respect is important to Godou. And that’s why this series is one of my favorites.

What did you think Erica’s reaction to Liliana helping Godou? What was your Best in Show moment? Let me know in the comments!

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