The 10-Year-Old Chief Justice
- Original Airdate: June 18, 2023
Written by: Minato Takano
Directed by: Kyohei Yamaguchi
Summary
Jeramie: In the fifteen years since the Fury of the Gods, the kings have had a fateful link to Shugoddam.
Meanwhile, with Jeramie's aid, Racules attempts to arrange a peace agreement between mankind and the Bognaarok.
...Or so the story goes.
Meanwhile, with Jeramie's aid, Racules attempts to arrange a peace agreement between mankind and the Bognaarok.
...Or so the story goes.
Rita commences the 15th annual review of their first case. The alleged culprit, Siron, claims that he killed the previous king and chief justice, Karras de Haan, during the Fury of the Gods. Enlisting Hymeno's help, Siron reveals that Karras' death was not as clear-cut as Rita thought it was...
Meanwhile, the others wait for the results of Racules' peace talks with Dethnaarok. While Jeramie hopes for the best, Gira and Yanma aren't too convinced that Racules has anything good in store.
Tropes
- Call-Back: Moffun "reminds" Rita of the scalper they convicted back in #5, as the plushies he was scalping were the premium ones they were looking to buy.
- Cliffhanger: Racules suddenly calls Yanma claiming that he wants to initiate peace talks with him.
- Expository Hairstyle Change: Siron goes through three in this episode. As an aide to Karras, he sports short dark hair. After 15 years as a prisoner, his hair has significantly grown out and gained white streaks. By the end of the episode, he returns to his short hairstyle, but it retains the white streaks.
- Foreshadowing:
- Early on, the prisoners of Gokkan talk of a creature that appears to dig holes at random intervals, setting up the excavation themed Kaijim of the week appearing.
- Also, Kamejim sending Wogerajim to kill Siron.
- Honest Axe: Rita decides on returning a Moffun plushie they had wanted to claim for themselves to Ishabana. After helping Hymeno prove the existence of the conspiracy behind the Fury of the Gods, Hymeno gives Rita a premium plushie as thanks.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Jeramie believes that Racules genuinely wants to make peace with the Bognaarok. Seeing as how the Bognaarok are still attacking the kingdoms and the preview of the next episode shows Racules still up to no good, it's safe to say that things went in the complete opposite direction.
- Hypocrite: Jeramie calls Gira out for his hostility towards Racules, even resorting to threatening him if he interferes with Racules' peace talks. Later in the episode, he's immediately mistrustful of Kamejim after seeing him send a new monster off. He was right to be wary.
- Implied Answer: Kaguragi tries to glean info from Racules about the results of the peace-talks, which Racules dismisses as typical negotiations. Kaguragi tries to learn more, but Racules retorts with a rhetorical question, clearly telling him to stop prying.Kaguragi: These agreements usually mean there's something to be gained for both sides. Surely the Bognaarok must have demanded something.
Racules: (barely-veiled hostility) What would be better gained than peace?
Kaguragi: (puts on a smile) Well-said, Sir Racules! For peace is the greatest reward to obtain! - Loophole Abuse: Gokkan’s neutral stance is played with through Rita’s Not So Stoic behaviour.
- With the Premium Moffun plushies selling out, Rita initially thinks of stealing the one in the evidence locker and justifying it as “moving it to my bedroom where I can keep a closer eye on it”
- When Hymeno’s gift of a Premium Moffun is rejected, she tosses out to the ground and declares it “trash”, saying that what happens to it afterwards is entirely dependent on chance.
- Neutrality Backlash: Inverted. Gokkan's previous king went as far as to fake her own death and pursue the perpetrator of the Fury of the Gods in secret so Gokkan could avoid backlash for taking a stance.
- Neutral No Longer: The Fury of the Gods was such a severe event that Gokkan's previous king simply could not remain neutral and had Siron assist her in Faking the Dead so she could hunt the perpetrator down without compromising Gokkan's judicial integrity.
- Out of Focus: Kaguragi is the only one of the core six to not transform at all in the episode, and only appears to butter up to Racules while discussing the peace talks with the Bognaarok.
- Pet the Dog: At the end, Hymeno brings Rita a premium Moffun plushie they were looking to buy.
- Plot Parallel: Morphonia's lack of confidence around the prisoners early into the episode is juxtaposed with the child Rita's own inability to assert herself in a later flashback sequence.
- Properly Paranoid: Jeramie is suspicious of Kamejim when he sees him sending off Wogerajim. He was right to be suspicious, as the latter invades Gokkan after Siron's release.
- Threat Backfire: Upon sensing Gira's hostility to Racules, Jeramie threatens to retaliate against Gira if he interferes with the ongoing peace negotiations. Yanma interrupts him before he can finish by slamming down a camera revealing a Bognaarok infestation in N'Kosopa, threatening him if the bugs harm anyone. Jeramie has no real retort and storms off.
- The Reveal:
- Rita was Karras' retainer starting at the age of 5 and was chosen to be her heir, ascending the throne of Gokkan after Karras seemingly died.
- Karras's "death" was planned by herself and Siron, so that she could personally hunt down the culprit of the Fury of the Gods without violating Gokkan's policy of neutrality.
- The perpetrator of the Fury of the Gods was personally (and secretly) jailed by Karras, who faked her own death to do so, intent to keep them contained until her dying breath. Siron has no idea where she is and makes plans to search for her after his release.
- Kamejim has Wogerajim watching Siron, seemingly to make sure he doesn't talk about their involvement in the Fury of the Gods, only to let him live when he realizes he doesn't know anything either. Meaning, the Bognaarok aren't behind the Fury of the Gods and confirming there's another faction out there manipulating events.
- Taking the Heat: Siron took responsibility for the "death" of Karras in order to allow her to pursue the culprit of the Fury of the Gods, allowing himself to be imprisoned in Gokkan for 15 years.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: Plot A revolves around Rita's retrial of Siron, trying to understand why he would poison Gokkan's former king in the first place. Plot B revolves around the boys waiting for the results of Racules' peace talks, with Gira and Yanma unconvinced that Racules has anything good in store.
