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The Dawn of the Witch Episode 6 Review – Best In Show

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The Dawn of the Witch Episode 6 Review – Quick Summary

In The Dawn of the Witch episode 6, “Knowledge of Ignorance,” our heroes settled into their lives in their field studies village. Holt became a handyman, Coudeau assisted at the village clinic, and Cervil, with his ridiculously high amounts of magic, became a village recharge station. He also decided to stay in their cabin and take care of the domestic chores. Roux felt worried: would Cervil fall behind in his studies? If so, how could she get him to get out and about? Because if she can’t, he might flunk out of the academy after all!

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

Favorite Quote from The Dawn of the Witch Episode 6

The Dawn of the Witch Episode 6: Roux lost patience with Cervil's view of the world

Roux had a point – and it frustrated her she couldn’t get it across to Cervil. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

I have a problem with Cervil. Okay, the problem is less with Cervil and more with me. And that problem is this: I find his view of the world uncomfortably familiar. He’s hyper rational to a fault. He knows that, too, so when Roux tried to encourage him to get out and mingle with the villagers, he had a list of reasons why he had stayed inside.

That frustrated Roux. But what frustrated her even more (which is a lot of fun, given the high quality of her pout) was Cervil’s approach to laundry. He wanted to be thorough, of course. So much so that he said that Hort needed help with cleaning, because he found her undergarments under her bed. 

I’ll give Roux credit. She didn’t want to make assumptions, so she confirmed that a) Hort had not asked Cervil to do her laundry and b) the underwear in question had only started showing up under the bed after Cervil took on the laundry. That’s when Cervil protested that he didn’t think Hort was actually hiding her under garments.

In frustration, Roux exclaimed that of course she was hiding it and Cervil had to stop immediately. When it was clear he still didn’t understand what she meant, Roux said (04:19), “I cannot find the words to describe thy dunderheadedness!”

While I sympathize with her, I think if she just explained it a little more, Cervil would have understood! He would have been embarrassed, but he would have understood.

Best in Show Moment for The Dawn of the Witch Episode 6

The Dawn of the Witch Episode 6: Cervil did not know why Lily cooking should bother him

Shinpu’s question did not make sense to Cervil. And that’s a good thing. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Cervil’s View of the World

I said that there are times I find Cervil’s view of the world to be uncomfortably close to mine. My favorite moment this week was another example of that. But before it’ll make sense, please let explain how I see the world.

I’ve joked that I feel like I view the world from high Earth orbit. That’s a way to describe how I can clearly see strategic and large-scale interactions, but I miss the little details. But that description is incomplete. There are times when I see the smaller-scale, individual human interactions. But over the years, I’ve come to understand that I see them from a completely different perspective than other people.

The Dawn of the Witch Episode 6: It's sad to think that Lily has been treated poorly because of how she looks

What did Cervil see when he looked at Lily? Did he see a generic Beastfallen? Or did he see Lily as Lily first? Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Let’s say you walk into a house that’s for sale. You might see a kitchen with a gas range, an electric refrigerator, and a sink with a nice faucet. You might appreciate the colors or the style of the appliances.

But that’s not how I see the kitchen. I see an endpoint for a gas line that stretches to the gas meter, and from there, under the street, to a gas main. I see an enclosure that takes advantage of condenser coils and that draw current to keep stuff cold. That current flows from wires that go to the house’s main box, then out to the overhead or underground neighborhood electrical lines. Instead of a sink, I see hot and cold supply lines that connect to the house’s water meter, then run out under the street to the water main.

Setup: How We Interact, Reduced to the Most Basic Concepts

It’s not that I think I have X-Ray vision or anything. It’s just that when I see the exterior of a thing, I can’t stop there. I trace it down to its source. In the case of philosophical ideas, I try to trace them back to their origins. It’s almost like my brain constantly tries to reduce everything to its most basic or elemental state.

It’s like that for social issues, too. If I see someone who mistreats anyone with disabilities, I don’t see that specific, repugnant act. I see a violation of basic justice. It’s the same thing with racism, or misogyny, or any of the other reprehensible acts I see on a daily basis. I trace those acts back to their roots, and when I get there, I see violations of basic principles. Violations, I might add, that almost always represent a remarkable lack of facts. 

The Dawn of the Witch Episode 6: Shinpu wanted to teach Cervil a lesson

Shinpu pointed out to Lily that Cervil was at least open-minded enough to eat the Mercenary’s bar. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Put another way: In my entire life, I have never found a valid reason for treating another human being without respect and civility. That even applies to people who are obviously violent and need to be removed from human society. And if it applies to them, it applies even more to the rest of humanity.

Cervil, in this episode, gave me a moment that perfectly dramatized this kind of thing. When he visited Shinpu, the priest asked Lily to cook lunch for them. She seemed hesitant. The reason became why when he yanked her cloak off.

Delivery: Cervil Saw Lily as Lily First

She made the reason for her hesitancy clear: she was a mouse, and she was afraid that Cervil would recoil from the idea of a rodent preparing his food. That instant spoke volumes about what Lily has had to endure, and to be honest, it felt a little too real. 

“But still,” she said. “I’m a rodent.”

Shinpu point-blank asked Cervil if that bothered him.

Cervil, who had been following the conversation, seemed perplexed as he said (12:07), “Does what bother me?” He even seemed to feel guilty, as if he had said something stupid, when Shinpu asked if he didn’t understand the question.

The Dawn of the Witch Episode 6: Lily found it hard to cheer up

Even after Cervil made it clear he had no problem with the idea, Lily still seemed reluctant to make lunch. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Cervil, like me, sees the world as a series of interconnecting facts. In his world, the fact was, there was nothing wrong with a Beastfallen cooking. Just as there was nothing wrong with a human cooking. 

I like Cervil, and I like his approach to life. I wish more people would pay closer attention to the facts. And to be perfectly honest: It’s a little sad to me that people like Cervil are considered unusual because of their perspective. Because compared to some other ways of looking at life, it’s a whole lot more healthy and a whole lot more civil.

What did you think of Lily’s reaction to the very mention of Shinpu cooking? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

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2 thoughts on “The Dawn of the Witch Episode 6 Review – Best In Show

  1. I need to watch this . I just skimmed your review so I wouldn’t be spoiled but the little mouse girl is so cute. I know I’m a big sucker for cute characters .

    1. I think you were smart to skim — my reviews do contain spoilers!

      But Lily (the mouse) is absolutely adorable!

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