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Tearmoon Empire

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fillerdude Since: Jul, 2010
#1: Oct 29th 2023 at 7:43:26 AM

A rebellion overthrows the Tearmoon Empire, and its princess, Mia Luna Tearmoon, is sentenced to death. She lives a pitiful life as a prisoner until the day of her execution, and she could do nothing but wait for the guillotine to fall…

… and then Mia wakes up again, eight years in the past. She thinks she’s only had a horrible nightmare, but the bloodstained diary she’s clutching suggests otherwise. Now that she’s been given a second chance at life, can Mia find a way to escape her fate?

—————

So that’s the introductory blurb, and you’d be forgiven for thinking this is a drama. But it’s not; in fact, it’s quite the opposite. A stark difference between Tearmoon Empire and its ilk in the returner subgenre is that Mia hasn’t actually changed much. She’s still largely a selfish brat that’s mostly ignorant of the ways of the world, but through a combination of her knowledge of the future and dumb luck, her self-serving antics are somehow interpreted as acts of benevolence and wisdom. It’s the Mistaken for Badass trope done with aplomb, and it is a riot to watch.

We’re currently five episodes into the anime, and I just love how Mia ended up charming the socks off all the boys because of an unplanned wardrobe change. And of course it’s hilarious how Mia wriggling out of another dance with Prince Sion is misinterpreted as her helping Tiona get in contact with the prince. We also see Mia developing some genuine affection for Abel; it’s always nice to see that her experiences in prison is slowly, subconsciously shaping her to be a better person. Fake it til you make it, Mia.

Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#2: Oct 29th 2023 at 8:37:44 AM

The appeal of the series lies in the constant discrepancy between the "outside" and the "inside", which always end up miraculously meeting… but it’s interesting that with time, Mia starts showing some flashes of genuine brilliance and of genuine altruism, although the ulterior motives are always still there somewhere.

But what I like isn’t just the fact everyone takes her for a saint − it’s also that her mind is much more straightforward than people imagine. Things work best for her when she’s just being herself and expressing her genuine desires… that people mistake for clever calculations.

A good example of that is in volume 2 of the LN (not spoiling anything but I’m not sure the anime will get that far), when she goes back to Mujik the hunter to express her thanks for his help a few days earlier. Everyone imagines that her visit is a subtle play of political maneuvering to improve the image of the Empire and whatnot… but all she wanted was to taste that delicious rabbit stew once more. It just happened to also make everyone else happy. I really loved that scene because it tells you everything about the kind of person Mia is and how this new life changed her. Behind her egotistical shenanigans, she just really likes the simple pleasures of life and can hit it off with anyone regardless of social class, given the right circumstances.

fillerdude Since: Jul, 2010
#3: Oct 29th 2023 at 9:08:55 AM

That’s a great way of putting it. Mia has learned how to enjoy the simple things, which in turn has helped her connect with more people.

Sterok Since: Apr, 2012
#4: Oct 29th 2023 at 10:29:30 AM

This series is a big reason why I prefer regression villainess over reincarnation. Leads to some better reflection on what got them killed the first time. In particular I like how Mia doesn't hold a grudge against Tiona and Sion for getting her killed, showing how she does understand why they led the revolution. She just wants to avoid them, which is perfectly reasonable.

Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#5: Oct 29th 2023 at 10:38:48 AM

I mean, she does have some mean thoughts towards them on occasions. evil grin

Nazetrime from Some obscure French suburb Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#6: Oct 29th 2023 at 12:53:09 PM

I played Long Live the Queen last year and this anime is reminding me of it to an extent.

fillerdude Since: Jul, 2010
#7: Nov 4th 2023 at 10:26:04 AM

Episode 5: So if I’m getting this right, Chloe had little to do with Mia in her previous life and they just became friends in this loop purely because Mia wanted to show off Anne’s sister’s story? That’s adorable.

Oh god Mia’s smug laughter in her inner monlogue was too dang funny. Horses are definitely more valuable than dresses for outrunning Guillotine-kun.

Ooooh Mia’s catching feelings. And somehow sweeping Abel off his feet. While helping Tiona with Sion. Through His Stomach is a time-honored custom for a reason. And I love how Mia’s desperate lunchbox making operation is considered an intricate strategy for getting Sion a lunchbox without the annoying political entanglements. Just… just be careful about the meal, guys. Don’t let Mia’s plan B become a reality.

Sterok Since: Apr, 2012
#8: Nov 4th 2023 at 10:57:58 AM

5. Who knew there was so much politics around lunchboxes. But you can always count on the Wisdom of the Empire to have plans within plans for this great event. Love her priorities with the horses. Guillotine-kun can't chop your head off if you're faster than it.

Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#9: Nov 4th 2023 at 12:22:05 PM

"Mia and Abel are adorable", episode 2. tongue And Mia’s sheer pettiness toward Sion is always a joy to witness. [lol]

fillerdude Since: Jul, 2010
#10: Nov 4th 2023 at 12:57:32 PM

[up] Hilarious how she realizes their home ec project is a lost cause and pivots to sabotaging Sion with their poorly cooked meal haha.

HanabiraKage (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#11: Nov 5th 2023 at 3:02:55 PM

It's funny that Mia brings in to help her girls who are progressively worse at cooking. Mia may be dumb, but even she recognises that this might be a lost cause.

fillerdude Since: Jul, 2010
#12: Nov 11th 2023 at 9:31:08 AM

Episode 6: Thank you, Keithwood, for all your efforts.

My feelings were bouncing on a trampoline as I alternated between squeeing over Mia’s earnest crush on Abel and laughing over her scheming. Freaking lost it when Mia tugs on Abel’s shirt, seemingly trying to tell Abel to have the courage to face Sion head on… and it turns she just wanted him to praise her sandwiches more. Her determined expression in that scene coupled with the goofy horse-shaped sandwich slowly coming into view was comedy gold.

Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#13: Nov 11th 2023 at 10:11:25 AM

Those sandwiches did look delicious. tongue

The best part though was Mia’s doublethink when Sion and Abel trade compliments. evil grin

Sterok Since: Apr, 2012
#14: Nov 11th 2023 at 11:45:05 AM

6. Alas, Operation Poison the Princes is a flop. Keithwood is truly the mightiest character here. Petty Mia is the best Mia even if she's pretty good at not letting it show. I agree with her. Spend more time praising her masterpieces.

fillerdude Since: Jul, 2010
#15: Nov 11th 2023 at 11:50:31 AM

[up][up] Honestly the girls‘ initial efforts were better than expected. That grilled hunk of meat looked delicious too! The horse-wiches are adorable though.

[up] Yup, her masterpieces. Sorry Keithwood I don’t make the rules.

Edited by fillerdude on Nov 11th 2023 at 11:51:16 AM

fillerdude Since: Jul, 2010
#16: Nov 18th 2023 at 9:20:40 AM

Episode 7: “Due to their own misunderstandings, everything was resolved without problems.” That sums up this show about right.

You know a comedy is succeeding when just seeing a character is already priming you to laugh. Mia is a riot. We finally meet the guy who directly brings down the guillotine on her in the future, and wouldn’t you know, she impressed him too with her big-brained political maneuver of getting the entire army to retreat from the forest under the “excuse” of guarding her. Truly, the Wisdom of the Empire.

Edited by fillerdude on Nov 18th 2023 at 9:22:09 AM

Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#17: Nov 18th 2023 at 9:35:34 AM

[up] Wow wow wow, they’re already there? That’s like halfway through volume 2 if I remember…

edit: Huh, after checking again, it was the first dozen or so chapters of volume 2, so not quite halfway. Still a pretty fast-paced episode though, and the first one where I felt the adaptation was lacking. Dion is a bit too… nice? He feels more like a cynical Blood Knight in the books. And I’m unreasonably angry that they handled the horse shampoo joke a bit differently. evil grin But it still works to be fair.

Also, is it me or did the animation quality take a nosedive?

Edited by Lyendith on Nov 18th 2023 at 8:26:28 PM

Sterok Since: Apr, 2012
#18: Nov 18th 2023 at 2:07:07 PM

7. Trust the Wisdom of the Empire to be good at politics. At a certain point it's hard to tell how much Mia is planning, bluffing, making things up on the fly, or just acting on pure spoiled princess energy. I blame Abel for the horse shampoo mix-up, though if Mia likes it who am I to judge.

fillerdude Since: Jul, 2010
#19: Nov 18th 2023 at 7:11:08 PM

[up][up] I wouldn’t say it’s a nosedive, but the animation was noticeably less smooth, yeah.

[up] That’s why we love Mia haha. She’s inexplicably a tornado of whimsies that fixes things rather than destroying them. Now that I think about it, she’s a lot like Cid from Eminence in Shadow in that regard.

Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#20: Nov 18th 2023 at 7:19:12 PM

I’d say this episode shows she sometimes has unexpected flashes of brilliance. Even if she had some help from Ludwig, the plan to prevent the prices from inflating during the famine was still her idea.

The novel had a mention of that along the lines of "Despite what you might think, Mia actually does do her homework and study things."

Edited by Lyendith on Nov 18th 2023 at 4:21:22 PM

fillerdude Since: Jul, 2010
#21: Nov 18th 2023 at 7:32:41 PM

Oh definitely, it’s why I consider this anime a superb example of the Mistaken for Badass trope. Mia doesn’t simply luck into everything; she has actual input in a lot of events. For the “friend rate” thing, I imagine Mia simply thought her friend’s father would be willing to help her out.

Edited by fillerdude on Nov 18th 2023 at 7:33:57 AM

KnownUnknown Since: Jan, 2001
#22: Nov 19th 2023 at 1:18:08 AM

I'm liking the humor of this show. This is the first villainess show since All Roads Lead To Doom that picked up on that same gag of the main character being oblivious to their own character development, and changing things for the better while never actually understanding (at least, not completely understanding) how or why she's changing things.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Nov 19th 2023 at 1:18:38 AM

Sterok Since: Apr, 2012
#23: Nov 25th 2023 at 11:47:36 AM

8. The problem with being a genius is that people keep expecting you to do genius things. Must be exhausting to be a saint all hours of the day. Definitely enjoy Mia in politics more than school shenanigans. Now we've hit stuff beyond what I've read, so I have no idea what's going to happen, especially with a conspiracy entering the mix.

Lyendith Since: Mar, 2011
#24: Nov 25th 2023 at 12:25:00 PM

When the guy you’re trying very hard to humiliate sheds tears of joy before your magnificence, you’re doing something wrong… or right… it’s hard to tell with Mia. [lol]

I wish that last scene where the diary disappears and Mia realizes her head is finally safe had more gravitas like in the novel though. The anime treats it like it’s almost incidental… which shows a more general problem with its lightning-fast pacing.

fillerdude Since: Jul, 2010
#25: Nov 25th 2023 at 5:02:42 PM

Episode 8: “There’s no way this is all a coincidence.” Dion, STOP. My sides are already dead from laughing. My favorite bit has to be Mia’s thought process on identifying Cyril. She’s such a simple-minded dork. Ludwig almost realized it, but the Wisdom Charisma of the Empire is too strong!

Another thing I did like about this series that I don’t think I’ve mentioned before: Mia does have a sense for when opportunities to steer things in her favor arise. It makes her BS significantly more believable haha.

[up] I didn’t even realize it was supposed to have gravitas. Thought it was a false flag, especially with the secret kingdom-busting conspiracy running afoot.

Edited by fillerdude on Nov 25th 2023 at 5:07:29 AM


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