(12ish episodes ?)
What’s it about ?
An adaptation of a shojo manga about fantasy politics, or something like that.
Characters
Nike, our female protagonist. As the fourth princess of the Rain kingdom (and the one who lost rock-paper-scissors), she’s been packed off to marry the Sun King, and thus broker peace between the two countries. She’s not very enthusiastic at the prospect, but it’s her duty so she’s damn well going to do it. She makes a point to arrive early and meet the people incognito to get a better handle of her new home. This might not have been the best-planned idea, as all the inns are full of soldiers (the Sun Kingdom has been expanding aggressively, and it shows), her Rain-money is worth next to nothing here, and port cities are full of traps for suckers.
Such as Those Two Morons, who quickly rob her in the night. Normally she’d have no problems dealing with them quickly (she’s got powerful control over winds, hence how her ship could arrive two days early), but she hasn’t eaten for a while and is out of stamina. Urgh. Well, at least it takes a while for TTM to get wind that there’s a hit on her from those sections of the Sun Kingdom who are unhappy with the marriage, so it takes them a while to get back on her trail.
She’d been rescued by the daughters of a relatively nice innkeeper, who offer her some (basic) food and (cramped) roof out of charity. When TTM show up and kidnap the elder daughter by mistake, she’s quick to find them and beat them up. (Apparently she manages to tame them enough to force them to give her a ride to the capital city, three days away.)
The Sun King, whom she eventually manages to get to, turns out to be a good-looking young man, instead of the bloodthirsty barbarian she was expecting. And he has made the kingdom a better place to live (irrigation systems, etc.) during the three years he’s been in charge. Anyway, this political marriage does have a greater purpose : it never rains over here, so could Nike please do something about it ?
Production Values
Perfectly alright.
There’s not much fanservice, mostly confined to a bizarre fourth-wall-breaking scene with Nike’s sisters.
Overall Impression
While I do have so mild interest in where the fantasy politics are going (it looks a bit too black & white so far, but let’s give it some time), the selling point here is Nike, who’s a very engaging protagonist. She carries the show here, and has the shoulders for it. She’s got agency (despite the premise), heart, and the bouts of selfishness and violence that round her out as a person. The show as a whole features some decent slapstick, although the occasional fourth-wall breaking feels a bit forced at times.
Still, there aren’t many shows featuring such a good female protagonist. That alone makes me want to stick with it at least for a while.
