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The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 31 – Quick Summary
In The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 31, “Determination,” Zeta made a terrible discovery – a discovery that likely meant the end of Oriana itself. Someone, probably in the cult, had taken what looked like some kind of trigger, and Zeta feared the worst. As if that weren’t bad enough, Perv Asshat’s hold on Rose turned out to be every bit as strong as we had feared. What can Cid do to change the equation? More importantly, what will he think he’s trying to do versus what will he actually accomplish?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 31
Rose seemed shocked at what she heard. Was it his tone, his words, or both? Capture from the HIDIVE stream.
I’m not sure I heard what I think I did. I’m not sure if Rose heard it the way I heard it. But there’s a chance that Cid just let slip to her that he’s Lord Shadow.
Remember when he played Moonlight Sonata for Rose? He gave an amazing description of why he loved that song. Turns out, it embodies his philosophy of life. Rose thought he stopped by to give her a pep talk (and apparently didn’t think twice about how in the world a grand piano showed up on the balcony). Cid did come to give her a pep talk – but not in the way she expected.
He spoke of his having to divide the world into two categories: things that matter and things that didn’t. He spoke of how difficult it could become to keep your focus on the things that matter. What I thought was particularly cool is now he likened it to sunlight showing too much detail, and moonlight showing just enough.
He sat that, dressed as Cid, playing Moonlight Sonata. And he asked her (12:30), “In this world lit by the moon, what is it that you see?”
He said it in Shadow’s voice! It looked like Rose responded with the shock I’d expect from such a revelation, but in retrospect, I’m not sure. She might just have been amazed at his perspective. On the other hand, I can’t see she’d mistake that voice. I’m curious: what do you think?
Favorite Moment from The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 31
Rose listened, stunned, as her father said all the things she longed to hear. Capture from the HIDIVE stream.
Setup: Rose’s Suffering
This show is really hard on some of its characters, you know? Remember Sherry? Or Alpha this season? I’m sure you can think of others. But among all of them, I have to wonder. Have any of them suffered as much as Rose?
This episode hit her with a combination of punches that made me feel physically queasy on her behalf. I didn’t react quite the way she did upon learning that Perv Asshat was physically involved with her mom Reina Oriana – or that it was her mom who had the idea to drug her father, Raphael Oriana, into a zombie-like state.
Or that it was her mother who wanted Rose killed.
But damn, it hit me hard. I like Rose. I’m to the point in my life where I’d call her a “good kid,” but that’s showing my age. I should say she’s a responsible, courageous young woman. In either case, she also had a trait that I argue elevated her about the villainy of either the Perv or her mom. Rose did not suspect anything like that of her mother. Is that naive? Or simply a level of healthy human trust? I think there’s fertile room for debate in that question.
The truth hit her so hard that she passed out rather than face it. The animation felt very, very effective in this episode. Capture from the HIDIVE stream.
When she walked onto the balcony to hear Cid’s pep talk (you know – that pep talk where he accidentally left her the ring of power?), she talked about how everyone had abandoned her. Well, except for Cid, and he hardly counts. I think. I’m not sure, really. There’s a non-zero chance he really is there for her, and the only way he can act on it is to convince himself it’s part of some overly dramatic BS. At some point, I hope we get more information about Cid’s real powers and intentions. Though to be honest, the discussions without the final answer are a lot of fun!
Anyway, the point I’m making is that Rose’s feelings felt deserved. Even Margaret slammed her tea down. Rose had to feel utterly alone, deserted, and emotionally destitute.
Delivery: Rose Stood, Exonerated
When she picked up the ring Cid left her (was it really by accident — really?), she discovered she still had something she needed to do. Knowing she did not have to protect the mother who wanted to murder her, Rose came up with a plan for a final, desperate, ultimately futile confrontation with the Perv.
You know, I was so invested in Rose’s despair, I was so proud of her for finding some way to stand up to it, despite the gesture’s futility, that my favorite moment would still have been my favorite moment, in any other fantasy or isekai series. Independent of the spin that The Eminence in Shadow put on it. It hit me that hard.
She intended it as a last act of defiance. It turned into something more. Capture from the HIDIVE stream.
My favorite moment is when she put on the ring, and her father’s recording began to play for all the kingdom to hear. He said clearly: the Perv was to blame. His next words had to have been joyous, in a sad way, for Rose to hear. Here’s what he said (20:48): “I leave this kingdom’s future in the hands of the one I trust more than anyone: my daughter. Rose Oriana will be your new leader. No matter what may happen, I want you to believe in her. Knowing her, she will most certainly lead this country down the right path. Rose, the future of the kingdom is in your hands. Rose, my daughter… I love you.”
He not only fingered Perv Asshat as the culprit. He completely exonerated Rose. And he redeemed her in the eyes of the entire kingdom. How awesome must that have been for her to hear? It probably went beyond vindication into a realm where she felt her life once again meant something – and life meant something consistent with her hopes. I’m not going to lie – I kinda celebrated with her!
All because the chuuni dropped a ring – and supported her when she most needed it.
What did you think of Cid easily dis-arming the Black Rose’s dragon? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to share in the comments!
The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 31: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! Season 2 • The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 – Episode 11 discussion
- The Otaku Author: The Eminence in Shadow (Episode 31) – Determination
- Otaku Sinh: Getting Out of the Depths of Despair! The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 11 [Review]
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 21: The Lawless City
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 22: The Haven
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 23: The Hour of Awakening
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 24: The Mask of Falsehood
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 25: He Who Pulls the Strings
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 26: John Smith
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 27: Something Precious
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 28: The Dragon’s Tears
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 29: The Key
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 30: The Caged Bird
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 31: Determination
- The Eminence in Shadow Season 2 Episode 32: Highest
This was an intense episode! I hope that dragon grows back arms really quickly or it will stand as little chance as anyone else who has tried to oppose him.
I’m guessing that it’ll regenerate or do something to prolong the fight. I might be wrong, of course!
I loved seeing Modred’s reaction! The Cult has taken a lot of losses at the hands of Shadow!
I would love it if someone finally realized Cid and Shadow are the same, and would love it even more if Rose was the first person to realize it, and it was their little secret.
Absent any explicit in-episode follow-up about whether she did realize, I tend to agree with Merlin that perhaps Rose’s grasp on reality wasn’t best.
But that lack of clarity gets right back to what Cid/Shadow was saying about the moonlight: it doesn’t reveal all, but just what matters.
Rose is my favorite character on the show because she’s a good kid AND a responsible, courageous young woman. She also deservedly gets some of the best moments in the show, and the whole wedding was packed with such moments.
Playing Moonlight Sonata at her wedding will go down as one of my favorites. Unlike so many in the kingdom, Rose can see that Perv is wrong and needs to be cut out like a malignancy.
Yet she had also been so beaten down by all the terrible things going on in her life, she’s also a believable and sympathetic character torn between her duty (which could well lead to her death) and her more specific love for Cid.
Because she is fundamentally good, Rose deserves happiness. It’s looking like she’ll get the throne that is hers by right, blood, and the will of her father.
But I think she wants Cid a *little* bit more. Sadly, I don’t think she’ll be able to have both. And I acknowledge that making her and her alone aware that Cid and Shadow are the same person might just be to fanservice-y and neat.
I also don’t believe Cid still is “there yet” emotionally, as far as believing and/or accepting someone like Rose really loved him. He still remains very much a chuuni, and his desire to become the amorphous “Eminence” may still trump any and all personal connections.
I love your analysis of Rose! It would be great if, outside of Shadow Garden, Rose was the only one who knew.
She’s strong enough that she’ll deny herself, turning her bad on Cid, and assume the throne, if the choice comes to that. She certainly loves Cid, but she’s also shown herself to be capable of very, very difficult decisions.
I still don’t quite know how to think of or interpret Cid. Yep, dude’s a full bore chuuni. But, is that the cause or effect? Though truth be told, I’m not sure that’s even the right question.
It was somewhat amusing watching Cid have to ditch both Epsilon and the pushy maid, though of late I have been wondering how a scene like that would play if the genders were reversed.
Rose has certainly been put through it, probably more so than anyone else. I mean, Sherry saw her adoptive father (who actually murdered her mother) murdered, but that is a whole different thing than having to kill her father herself. And in Rose’s case, that’s just one part of what she’s been through. Certainly, she needed help to be anything other than, well… broken.
I imagine Rose’s view of the whole scene with Cid playing the piano, becoming Shadow, and vanishing, leaving the ring behind, must have seemed much like some sort of dream or delusion. She’d just received a shock that make her vomit and faint, only to awake again in her rooms with her love and her master in the same spot, with an unearthly air about them, and disappearing instantly. In her place, one could be forgiven for wondering what was even real anymore.
And Shadow is, of course, going to be that much more of a god to his followers after this. I mean, they had quite the situation on their hands, but then he comes in and, within days, brings Rose back into the fold as a queen with her name cleared (and with all the collateral damage, her people will see her as a savior), annihilates an ancient and terrible weapon with ease, and catches the very same enemy which Shadow Garden was pursuing.
But I think my favorite moment, purely for the value of humor, was the moment when Perv realized, right at the height of his monologue, that the ring was gone. After that, seeing everyone turn on him and seeing him lose his head were satisfying, but the way he tried finishing his monologue again, as if the ring would somehow be there again, was great!
Feminism be damned, the standards for such things have always and will always be different by gender. Two guys ganging up that way on a woman will always be viewed differently.
Good points in comparing Sherry and Rose. Rose seems like she’s had it the worst — and she’s still holding herself together remarkably well. That’s a tribute to her strength.
You might be right about the scene seeming like a hallucination. She probably didn’t hang around long enough to wonder where the piano came from; or maybe in her frame of mind, nothing made sense.
Also good point about how Cid will appear to Shadow Garden. It’s to the point where I’m wondering if he’s actually playing a game against himself — but that’s an ongoing discussion. And in this case, he’s smacking down a legendary weapon (as you said, “with ease”).
Seeing Perv realize the ring was gone was hilarious and fulfilling! What a great moment!
Rose wants to protect her kingdom bit she also wants to marry Cid.
If getting her kingdom back doesn’t work, she’ll be okay since Cid is her top priority.
She’ll have to get in line! And it’s a pretty long line at this point.