Since Thirteensugars has lost her writing ability trying to crack her brain for words to say, I am suddenly forced to write the entry all by myself. Sorry for the late entry, but the episode certainly isn’t too shabby!

Summary

In a dream, Lydia told Edgar that she was going to leave him because she was getting sick of all this flirting by him. Edgar woke up to see a button on his hand, a button on Lydia’s dress yesterday. Edgar realized from Raven that Raven brought Edgar to his room. Edgar said that he spent the night with his love, but he could not remember anything. Raven explained that he felt that Edgar missed Lydia. Edgar thanked Raven, but he told Raven that he should have considered her feelings. It was like sending a lamb to the wolf. Edgar asked Tomkins to prepare the carriage. Tomkins explained that sex after marriage is the norm, but spending time together would solve all the friction.

Edgar reached Lydia’s house, and tried to propose marriage. Lydia clearly cried yesterday. Edgar apologized that he was too rough, but they would marry since they already had sex. In the end, it turned out to be a misunderstanding since they did nothing that night and he dozed off. Edgar wondered why Lydia cried, and Edgar said that it would have been awkward for her. After that, Lydia chased Edgar away. Lydia started to cry after Edgar left, because Edgar was the one who called out Ermine’s name when hugging her. With some chiding, Nico managed to make Lydia laugh after he appeared like a “burglar.” Back at the mansion, Edgar asked Raven whether he mentioned any female name in his sleep. Raven asked if he wanted it in alphabetical order, and Edgar realized his folly.

Later that day, they discussed about a painting owned by Paul’s father. Edgar mentioned that he saw this picture before in a noble’s mansion, and it is likely that his father knew about the Prince’s plot. As such, that was why his father was killed. They discussed about the painting, and it felt that it was not done well. However, they found fine print mentioning the birth of the devil Prince, Gladys’ imminent death predicted by the banshee and also Gladys’ prayer for the next Earl to remove this devil. They noted that the prince was the same prince described.

Edgar took some time off alone, and realized that he hoped that someone who has the power to fight against Ulysses and the prince would appear. He said that as long as he could protect “her”, he would die happily. However, Edgar said that their relationship was clear and Lydia did not have to be a widow for him. While reminiscing, Ermine appeared to take Edgar to Ulysses. Lydia was riding a black horse (Kelpie), only for Coblynau to interrupt. It seemed that Kelpie infiltrated her dream. Coblynau explained that Lydia was Edgar’s fiance. Kelpie said the marriage was moot, since Edgar was going to die anyway. Once he is dead, the agreement will dissolve. Lydia realized Edgar removed the ring for her, and decided to go back to Edgar. Kelpie asked why she wore the ring again, and she said she wanted to know as well.

Lydia went to Edgar’s house, and she only found Paul. She examined the picture, and noted that the picture depicted a Daoine Sidhe, a fairy that looked very much like a human. Coblynau also followed Lydia, and Paul could somehow hear a voice. Coblynau commented about the beautiful model. Lydia asked if he could find the hidden amber of the banshee. Coblynau explained that the hair was pointed with the crushed amber. Paul did not recognize it because he was too poor to use such high class material. Lydia wondered if Edgar did it to fulfill his noble’s destiny. Lydia said she would have to find the banshee. Paul eventually tagged along as Lydia felt that the banshee might be persuaded by Paul.

Raven asked Nico whether he could open a path to Edgar. However, Ermine appeared to bring Raven over. Edgar was with Ulysses, and he realized that Ulysses was a fairy doctor since Ulysses could tame a devil dog. Edgar and Ulysses were exchanging insults. Edgar asked if Ulysses was the son of the original Ulysses, but Ulysses said that he was the original Ulysses. Edgar wondered why since the Ulysses he knew was a middle-aged man. Edgar said that Ulysses’s memory was planted in this being. Edgar continued to antagonize him, taunting Ulysses that he was overlooked by Prince to be the Earl. Ulysses then affirmed he was jealous, and he could not wait to kill Edgar if he could.

Impz’s thoughts

I actually laughed my head off when Edgar immediately rushed over to Lydia’s place for marriage as he thought that he had sexual intercourse with his special love. I think that his naming of Ermine before he slept was to beg for forgiveness and to move on as well. However, I just think that his frank depiction of how “he did it so roughly” is really asking to be beaten up by Lydia. Sigh, Lydia is really a poor thing to have fallen in love with such a casanova such as Edgar. It is also so ironic that Edgar actually is in love with Lydia so much.

Also, can you spell L-O-V-E faster than a train in this episode? Lydia clearly and completely loves Edgar now, and the fact that she willingly put on the ring that she kept showed that she is willing to acknowledge the marriage between her and Edgar. I guess any girl cannot resist the charm of a man who is willing to give up his life in order to protect the girl he liked. Even eccentric girls like Lydia just have to fall to that trick, especially since he never told her about it. I actually found Edgar to give up on life too easily at times that he does not fight back enough. However, his love for Lydia prevents his ability to fight back. Sigh.

Raven also made me laugh so badly. His straight face talking is an outlet filled with so much comedy that he is probably the first straight face joker in the history of anime. I mean, I just like his depiction of Edgar as a wolf and happily presenting Lydia as a sacrificial lamb for the wolf’s pleasure. Moreover, he struck the killer blow when he wanted to mention in alphabetical order the female names. Raven really got to have more lines for me to laugh at, because his unintentional speeches are comedy gold.

One confusing scene must be the scene with Ulysses. It is very perplexing how the same Ulysses (a middle aged man at Edgar’s youth) can be the same young man. I guess this current Ulysses is perhaps some body container that has the memories of the old Ulysses, since Edgar was slated to be the next container for Prince. It makes me extremely curious who this Prince guy is, and I do hope to find out more about him. The problem is that the anime is really going to end soon.

Kelpie, after so much mischief, really cared for Lydia a lot. It’s a pity that the plot is obviously going for a Lydia x Edgar pairing. He might have been an interesting choice, but …maybe not. So, who do you think should be Lydia’s eventual partner?

I have to apologize for not replying to the comments of the previous entry. Last week was extremely hectic for me. But this week’s episode of HakuSei turned out pretty delicious! Oh the smutness of it all! So please, read on and join me as I savor this episode to its last smutty detail.

Summary

Paul was looking for the banshee and asked Nico for directions. Paul was about to go when Nico stopped him. Nico asked for a gentleman’s portrait in exchange for guiding Paul to the banshee. After following the fairy steps, they found the banshee and also Ulysses, a man with the blood of the Earl’s descendant. Paul tried to convince the banshee that Edgar is the Earl instead. Ulysses told Ermine to take care of Paul. Nico tried to run away but the devil dog stared down at him. After the incident, Nico was delivered through a box to the Earl’s residence. Edgar tried to cheer Lydia up due to Nico’s unconsciousness, but he was told to shut up. Raven thought it was an order for him too, but Lydia said that Raven was fine to talk. Nico finally woke up, and found his whiskers gone. Needless to say, Nico completely flipped out.

Nico explained what happened to Paul after meeting up with Ulysses, the fairy doctor. Nico told Edgar that Ulysses professed to be the Earl. Due to the shock, Nico said that he could not remember the name of the Selkie, the woman assisting Ulysses. After looking at himself in the mirror, Nico fainted. It was apparent that Ulysses knew about fairies well. Edgar ordered Raven to scan the area with the Scarlet and he also told Lydia that the name was associated with the Prince. Edgar also asked about the prediction of the banshee’s tears. Lydia was wondering how Edgar asked, and told him that it was one week. Paul also got back, and it seemed that Ulysses wanted to find the special amber tear in order to break the seal blocking the banshee’s memories.

They also wondered if Ulysses really had the blood of the Earl. Edgar asked if there was any way to trick a fairy about it, and they concluded that Ulysses truly had the blood. They speculated that Paul probably had that amber tear around him, and decided to look for it. It seemed that learning the memories of the previous Earl through the amber would give Ulysses the similar powers of an Earl. That is also why the Prince wanted that amber so much. We also see a dialog between Ermine and Kelpie. Ermine told Kelpie to take care of her woman and bring her away from Edgar if he did not wish for her to die. Kelpie also appeared to Edgar, telling him to get rid of Lydia’s marriage proposal. Kelpie warned him that he would drag Lydia into the prophesy. Kelpie also tried to hypnotize Edgar, but disappeared after the appearance of Raven.

Raven came in and said that he saw Ermine. Edgar said a human cannot be revived, which meant that Ermine was probably a fairy. Lydia tried to console Nico with gentleman gifts after Nico hid under the bed. Nico said that Lydia should be careful of Ulysses, and he had the ability to control those dark dogs. Nico warned her to rid her hands out of Edgar’s matter. Lydia said she had to help, and dragged Nico out of the bed. Nico mentioned that Ulysses seemed to call the Selkie Ermine, and it was probably Raven’s sister. At Club Slade, Edgar checked whether the amber was there at O’Neil’s paintings. Edgar warned the man to report to him or Raven, rather than communicating through Jimmy (a little delivery boy). Edgar was worried that the spies of Prince have infiltrated the Scarlet, and did not want unnecessary lives to be lost. After the discussion, he decided to drink at the gentleman’s club.

Lydia was worried about Edgar and decided to visit him. Lydia was clearly flustered, but Raven told Lydia to see Edgar since it was rare for her to appear at this time. When Edgar opened the door, he looked very cheerful. Lydia wondered if she was worrying in vain. Edgar asked why Lydia knew how much he missed her. Lydia wanted to go because it was late. Edgar chased her but faltered. Lydia got worried and stepped back to hold his balance. It was a trick as Edgar asked her to support him as a lover. Lydia reminded him that she came as a friend. Edgar told her he wanted to spend the night with her.

Edgar told her that he could not live without her, and told her to be his woman. Lydia said she did not want to belong to anyone. Edgar told her again that he could not live if he was forsaken. Lydia was carried into the bedroom, and thrown on the bed. He said that he was an useless man. He then asked if he would be forgiven for this, before mouthing “Ermine.” Lydia seemed hurt over his last words. We also realized that Jimmy was in fact the spy, the black dog.

13sugars’ Kyaaing thoughts

I was surprised when I saw Paul looking for banshee all by himself on what I could only perceive as an ungodly hour. Perhaps, beneath his artistic and gentle attitude lurked his eccentric, risky and dashing personality. He was adorable in this episode while Ulysses was intense. Raven was cool as ever and Lydia was her usual shoujo-heroine self. Kelpie, on the other hand, was suave this time while Edgar was drunk, sweet and drop-dead charming! Oh the bishieness!

Whiskerless Nico was pretty hilarious too. And again, I was hit with more mysteries. What was Ulysses connection to the previous Blue Knight Earl, Lady Gladys? Why did he want to unravel the past of the late Blue Knight Earl using Banshee-tear pearls? What was Ermine’s involvement with him? What the heck was the banshee’s name?

But with these new questions, came new revelations as well. The black poochy was actually a young boy named Jimmy who served as a spy of Ulysses, and probably the Prince too. There were incombustible Banshee-tear pearls in Edgar’s and probably Paul’s hands, too. Ermine, Raven’s sister, was no longer human but a selkie. How she became a selkie was not mentioned though. She kept spying on Edgar a lot though, and Edgar seemed he really cared a lot about her. I mean he even went to a gentleman’s club to drink and try to forget his sorrows over her supposed death.

It was so kya-kya when he was thinking of how a portrait reminded him of Lydia and how he missed her so terribly while drinking a London dry gin. But when Lydia came over to check up on him out of worry and he tried to beg/seduce/bed Lydia, I thought all the saints of smutness had blessed a fan like me. Then they went and ruined it by making the moment bitter. Edgar was on top of Lydia on the bed, confessing his love and all, then he went, “You will forgive me, right … Ermine?” I was like, “Oh no, he didn’t!” But oh my gosh! Was it just me, or did Lydia look like she was a bit hurt in that scene? So kya-kya!

However, the most interesting scene here for me was when Kelpie and Ermine had their discussion by the fountain. The two of them seemed like they were acquainted, or at least they were no strangers to one another.

Hot chick alert! Hot Ebony chick alert!

*Insert random fangirl kyaa-ing here*

Summary

Paul woke up to find a girl sleeping with him, and he wondered what he has done. However, the girl was crying tears of amber. On the other hand, Lydia was making chamomile cookies for the fairies. Edgar asked why she did not accept her proposal, and Lydia mentioned that the agreement was merely a staged act. Moreover, Kelpie was no longer around (only to appear immediately and make his presence felt). Edgar warned Kelpie not to flirt with his fiancee. Lydia wondered alone, only for Coblynau, the fairy that took care of the moonstone right, to appear. Coblynau explained that the ring belonged to the wife of the Earl, and it initially belonged to the first wife of the Earl.

Coblynau also put on the ring for Lydia, and it could not be removed unless Edgar removed it. Edgar is happy, particularly since Lydia would be seen as being adulterous if she removed the ring in front of anyone. Lydia reminded him that it was merely an act, but Edgar said that Lydia could just accept it. In that case, there would be no issue. Coblynau asked what Lydia disliked about her husband, and Lydia insisted she is not the wife of the Earl. Coblynau said that Edgar should treat Lydia in a better way, and should do something special to beautify her. Hence, Edgar decided to have a party to introduce Lydia as her fiancee. Lydia was struggling with the tight corset when she fell. Raven rushed in, only to see her only in lingerie. His punishment: dressing as a lady while protecting Lydia in the party.

In the party, Lydia was tightly held by Edgar. Edgar said that Lydia really smelt well. Kelpie said it was a clear display to show other fairies that Lydia is his wife. Edgar told Kelpie to eat to his full, only for Lydia to warn him about repeating the same mistake. Back in a private room, Paul brought the crying girl. Paul explained he did nothing, but did not expect that Paul brought the girl into a drunken stupor. The girl mumbled that Paul did not remember anything. Edgar was surprised that Paul was so careless. He should have smartly pushed off the responsibility, and said that it was someone else. Paul asked if Edgar does that often. However, they both noticed that her tears turned into amber.

Lydia came and explained that this is a banshee. There is a legend that a banshee arises from a family member who died abruptly. A banshee is a fairy that protects her household, but starts to cry tears of amber when something bad was going to happen to the household. Paul said that she knew nothing except that her master was Gladys. Gladys was in fact the previous Earl, and she was female. After the group left, Edgar asked for Lydia to stay around since her father was off. Lydia was surprised but Edgar told her that he would do nothing indecent. Edgar asked for a kiss, and then relegated it to a hug of one minute. Lydia was hesitant but eventually relented to a hug of ten counts.

The next day, O’Neil (Paul’s father)’s works were all destroyed. The Prince’s lackeys also arrived. Due to the danger, Edgar suggested Paul to stay in and the banshee was more comfortable with Paul. Later that evening, Raven asked how the amber should be dealt with, and Edgar suggested to make a necklace. Lydia said it was bad luck to use tears of sorrow, and suggested to burn it. If it was flammable, it would be normal amber and the household would be safe. Lydia told Edgar that she would deal with the banshee, and Edgar would concentrate on protecting everyone. Edgar said that he needed to solve the mystery of the Banshee himself. Lydia said that her ability of a fairy doctor is one of his strengths.

Edgar asked Lydia whether she would continue to follow him. Lydia promised to support the Earl, as long as he did not ask her to marry him. Edgar said he could not allow that much of a burden to someone he “only hired”. If her happiness was not in his future, he did not need Lydia and Edgar took off the ring. When Lydia went out, she met Kelpie in the stairway. Kelpie hugged Lydia to comfort her, only to be interrupted by Raven. Raven told Kelpie to get lost, and Kelpie warned Lydia to stop Raven as Raven would be possessed by that spirit. Eventually, Lydia told Kelpie to get away instead. Raven told Lydia not to betray Edgar by flirting with another man since she was Edgar’s fiancee. Lydia said that the marriage was a sham, but Raven said that a marriage is a marriage. Lydia said that Edgar was the one who was a flirt, but Raven said that Edgar was no flirt. Compounded by the fact that Lydia felt that Edgar did not really need her, she asked to be left alone.

When Raven came into the room, Raven warned about Kelpie. Edgar asked Raven to protect her, and Raven said that he would do it since Lydia was his fiancee. Edgar explained that he wanted Raven to protect Lydia for a friend, even if he was no longer around. Paul and the banshee was idle chatting, and discussed about Edgar and Lydia. The banshee could tell that Paul trusted Edgar a lot. Paul suddenly suggested to draw a sketch of her, and left the room to pick his book. When he left, Ermine appeared and told the banshee that she would bring her to her real master. At the end, one amber jewel was left. He decided it was the best thing to let Lydia go… in order to keep her safe.

13’s thoughts

In this episode, we got more fanservice and kya-kya moments which more than made up for its lacking from the previous episodes lately. My fangirl soul was filled with warm-fuzzy-bubbly feelings at the sights I saw. How yummy they were. Paul’s slightly open zipper/flap of his pants (I kya-ed my heart to kingdom-come when I saw this.). Edgar’s cookie-eating moment. Raven’s trappy-fication scene, and the scandalously flirtatious way he held the fan! And of course, Kelpie and Raven’s little skirmish. Such delightful scenes that truly made me appreciate this anime more!

We found out more about the terms of Edgar and Lydia’s engagement. If she was to take off the moonstone ring, which was said to be an heirloom engagement/wedding ring passed down from generation to generation, she would be renouncing her betrothal to Edgar, thus symbolizing that she was single-and-looking. Something Kelpie would be very happy about if it happened as it was obvious that he was no near to giving-up on Lydia that easily. We also found out that Lydia was well-endowed than she let on (Lucky duck!).

It was hilarious how I realized that Raven, for his entire stoic and cool behavior, was still a man. He actually stared at Lydia wearing only her chemise and corset (Well, I think that’s what she was wearing.) before he closed his eyes. And that was only after she screamed in embarrassment. I absolutely adored, and cracked-up like crazy, Raven’s punishment for that. It was indeed awesomeness then and there.

Paul and the banshee’s scene was one of this episode’s finer points as well. Our painter seemed to have lost his wits when under the influence of alcohol, a fact which also revealed that he, too, was just a man. The whole thing became funnier when Edgar made his suggestion what with Paul being tactless with women which, again, proved that Edgar was not beneath using such underhanded methods to avoid a duty of a “gentleman.” Ah, but this was a new arc, and the banshee girl was really quite intriguing. I wondered what exactly happened to her and Ermine’s involvement with her. Would something bad really happen to our rakish Edgar? Was it Prince who caused the mess in Paul’s household?

As for the hugging-scene, it seemed to me that Lydia was about to wrap her arms around Edgar, too, right before he let go of her. Oh my! But the most shocking fact was that she even let him hold her for 10 seconds. That part almost squeezed me kya-less. Almost. This episode also proved to me more how Edgar really loved Lydia. His taking the ring off of Lydia’s finger and wait for her to put it back on by herself showed that he cared a great deal for her feelings. He wanted Lydia to want and to choose to be with. Not be forced to be with him at all. This one reminded me a lot of Ryuuki and Shuurei from Saiunkoku Monogatari. What a kya-able gesture!

The little fight between Kelpie and Raven was quite something. Not a very great battle scene, but was still appealing, especially when Raven was doing it for the sake of his master. But then again, was he really doing it only because Lydia was supposed to be Edgar’s fiancée? Maybe, just maybe, Raven liked Lydia more than he let on. Was it just me, or was Raven’s protection of Lydia lately increasing and becoming more voluntarily? Kya!!!

Thirteensugars is supposed to write the introduction of the entry, but she was a lazy piglet that refused to write anything. The honest truth was that I (Impz) procrastinated over the entry due to some unpleasant real life events during the previous week. Hence, I was not in the mood to write at all.

There is a quick recap of Episode 6. It turned that Paul Ferman was a spy for the Scarlet group. This Scarlet group is a resistance unit against Prince, and they mistook Edgar to be a lackey of the Prince. As Edgar confronted Paul about the ring, Paul tried to poison Edgar and he was unable to do it. However, it was too late as someone lurched at Edgar. The knife was poisoned, and Edgar’s life was in danger.

Summary

Lydia knew that the only way to save Edgar is Kelpie, since Kelpie’s blood has the ability to dispel poison. After Lydia promised to go to the fairy world with him, he gave a drop of blood and placed it in her mouth. He told her to give the blood to Edgar mouth-to-mouth. At the mansion, Nico knew what Lydia was going to do, and asked her whether she could leave her father. Lydia was embarrassed to give Edgar a mouth-to-mouth transmission, and realized she could kiss his hand. When there was no effect, Lydia got close to kiss Edgar. However, Edgar woke up. Edgar said that he was left behind by Lydia in his dream, and could not remember how he lost her. Eventually, in the dream, he realized that it was his forceful personality that made Lydia leave.

Edgar said that he was never troubled by the presence of Lydia, and begged Lydia to stay with him. He asked Lydia to try liking him. Lydia said that she might give it a try and told him to rest since he was weak from poison. Edgar was glad that it was the first time she did not outright reject him and went to sleep. The next day, Lydia’s father came over, and said that she chose to live among the fairies. Edgar asked if there’s a way to keep her in the human world. Lydia’s father said there was a way, but it was up to the fairy (Kelpie) who took her. He added that they could only accept it quietly.

Edgar wondered if Lydia really chose Kelpie. Raven mentioned Nico, and Edgar knew he had a source. Nico told him the story. Edgar was happy that Lydia left him in order to save him, and felt that Lydia did it for her love. Nico quickly reminded him that Lydia is very eccentric. Of course, Edgar asked if there is a way to get to Lydia, and successfully bribed Nico with some regal hood and boots to get the information he wanted. After thinking, Edgar promised Marigold to marry their queen and decided to get the ring back.

Edgar looked for Paul in the Scarlet. The Scarlet was surprised that Edgar was still alive. Edgar said that the Scarlet was an organization that protected the Earl, and asked them to support him. He said the proof of his heritage through the sword. The Scarlet group hesitated for a moment before charging forward. However, they were stopped by Paul. Paul explained that Edgar was not a lackey of Prince, and they were similar since Edgar and the Scarlet were persecuted by Prince. Edgar asked to join forces with Scarlet and get back the ring. Edgar proclaimed that he would retrieve the “white bow” and teleported into the fairy world.

Lydia was with Kelpie in the fairy world. Kelpie tried to get fresh with Lydia, only for Lydia to slap him. Lydia reminded that they were not married. Kelpie heard a distraction and left. Lydia suddenly heard Edgar’s voice, and thought it was a hallucination. It turned out that Edgar was really here, and Nico was the one causing the diversion. Edgar asked if he would do nothing after realizing Lydia did this for him. Lydia said that he already promised Kelpie to be here, and could not break any promise. However, Edgar said Lydia already broke a promise after agreeing try to love him. She denied it, saying that she might consider. Edgar said that she should not leave without giving an answer.

Lydia realized what Edgar did and told Edgar that he would have to be the husband of the fairy doctor after receiving the ring. Edgar decided to propose to Lydia, and told them that the agreement only worked if he wore the ring. He did not wear it a single time. Kelpie and the fairies finally found them. Edgar begged Lydia with a flimsy reason that an agreement with humans could be broken, and told him to accept his proposal to save him right now. He also mentioned how lonely Lydia’s father was to persuade her. Despite being reluctant, Lydia put on the moon ring. They then transported back to the human world.

The next day, Edgar thanked Lydia for saving Paul. It turned out that Edgar did not think that Paul’s drawings were great, but accepted it nonetheless (revealing his rather playful character). Edgar also asked why Lydia did not put on the ring. Lydia said that the ring was good as a prevention against playful fairies. Edgar replied that he would visit her father as a formal proposal. Lydia was shocked as she thought that the proposal was merely a human promise that could be broken. Edgar reminded her that she actually agreed to it, and he did not remember saying something like that. Lydia tried to wriggle her way out of it by saying she has work to do.

13’s thoughts

We do apologize for this much delayed entry. Impz thought it would be fun to strangle in anticipation those who were looking forward to reading THAT’s HakuSei summaries. I, of course, said that it was a terrible thing to do… Terrible!

And so, without further ado, knock yourselves out.

Okay, I was disappointed when I saw THAT kiss. I thought there would be more… but it seemed like Meirin from Kuroshitsuji saw more action than I did from HakuSei. Lydia’s act of saving Edgar in exchange for her going to the fairy world with Kelpie was something I pondered quite a lot. Did she do it because she was eccentric? Was it because she just couldn’t stand not doing anything to save someone? Or maybe, just maybe, there was something there that wasn’t there before that could mean more than just a charitable action on Lydia’s part? Had Edgar’s labors of love, if what he felt for Lydia was true love at all, finally gave fruit, even only for a tiny one? We, those who were unfamiliar to the novels, could only guess. And what a fun thing to do it was!

The whole Prince and Scarlet Moon thing became more interesting now. Why was the organization of the Scarlet Moon against whoever Prince was? I initially thought the Scarlet Moon group actually belonged to Prince. And also, it was clear to me now that being the Earl of the Blue Knights was a tougher job to take on compared to just a regular title, what with problems it entailed both in the human world and the fairy world, not to mention an eccentric sort-of-fiancée the current earl had to deal with. And of course, there was his past to consider. Who exactly was Edgar? Was he really a son of a duke who supposedly committed treason and murdered his own family?

My most enjoyable scene in this episode was when Kelpie made a scandalous advance on our heroine. I almost said, “Dude, you’re doing it wrong. Use the 90-10 rule on her!” Honestly, I thought every guy should have a book of Art of Seduction 101, or something to that effect. Then again, they would probably still make a blunder of it. It was also hilarious how Edgar tried to bribe Nico to help him get Lydia back, and how Nico almost gave in for the hat and boots he was being promised to.

Another interesting thing that piqued my curiosity was about the discussion between Professor Carlton and Edgar after the professor informed the earl that his daughter would no longer be working as the earl’s fairy-doctor advisor. I wondered how the professor made his wife fall in love with him and kept her by his side. Edgar could surely use some tips from him.

Oh, how I wish the novels get licensed here. Or if not, perhaps a kind saint would be gracious enough to translate it for poor unfortunate souls such as myself. My silly boyfriend was reluctant to indulge my request. Anyway, let us know what you think about this episode as well.

p/s: I am not silly. You are a silly piglet.

This episode was actually the story arc covered in the first drama CD of Hakushaku to Yousei. Hopefully, we would get to see some kissie-kissies between Edgar and Lydia later on. I remembered rendering Impz temporarily deaf after I listened to the drama CD even though I barely understood what exactly was going on then.

And yes, the epic Seiran vs. Sakujun seiyuus that I’ve waited for so long had finally started! Time to kya, kya, kya!

Summary

A black-haired man asked a little fairy for directions to London. After reaffirming his directions, the little fairy told him about her gift to the Earl in London. It turned out that the man swooped the ring. In London, Lydia was the official fairy doctor of Edgar for three months, and she was asked to go for a ball. Lydia was apprehensive about it since she could not dance, but Edgar already asked a dancing instructor to teach Lydia. He also warned Lydia not to accept anyone’s invitation to dance, because he would get jealous.

Lydia said she wished she could use the moon curse against his flirtatious ass. The moon curse is a challenge to fairies to get the moon for her if they want to marry her. Since no one could get the moon, suitors were feared off. Edgar realized that Lydia probably used that curse against someone else, and it turned out to be true as Lydia admits that one of those fairies probably wanted to get hold of her since she’s a rare being to capture. Edgar was surprised that someone other than him could love her so much. Edgar said that guys were silly creatures that played pranks to get attention from the girl he loves. Edgar held Lydia’s hand and he stated gladly that the guys who tried to get close to Lydia were silly creatures.

Edgar said that he felt that the queen was similar to Lydia after receiving a picture of Titania. Lydia said that she was unlike the queen, but Edgar insisted that she has similar qualities such as her cuteness and mysteriousness. Edgar was also about to kiss the painting due to its beauty, but Lydia stopped him. Edgar was perplexed why she stopped him, and asked if she was thinking about a particular kiss. Anyway, they were interrupted by the arrival of the dance instructor. After a few practices, Lydia was hardly improving and Nico said that Lydia’s dancing was more like an attempt to kill her partner. Marigold, the fairy we saw earlier, told Lydia that she was looking for Edgar under the charge of the queen’s orders. Lydia told Nico to bring Marigold to Edgar.

As they resumed their dance practice, the instructor suddenly lunged forward to attack Lydia only for Raven to fend him off. That assassin called Raven a dog of Prince, and ran off. Marigold met up with Edgar and talked about the marriage plans between Titania and Edgar. Edgar wondered whether the queen fairy was a loli because he had no interest. However, Marigold’s moon ring was stolen by the black-haired guy. Marigold was worried because she would be reprimanded seriously by the queen. Edgar told her that they would find it, and told Marigold to stay in the residence since it would take a while. The water moss on the counterfeit seemed to hint of a certain prankster…

At night, Lydia arrived to the ballroom and Edgar gave her a rose flower as the ornament for her dress. Lydia wondered if her dress was too boring. Lydia asked Raven whether her dress was strange, and Raven said that he did not know before correcting himself that she looked beautiful. Lydia knew Edgar gave Raven specific instructions. Another blond man heard Lydia’s comment and said that she was not strange. He added that he felt strange to be in a ball as it was his first time, and told Lydia that she was extremely eye-catching. It was because the rose flower was a pair, which meant that Lydia would be Edgar’s dance partner of the night.

The man introduced himself as Paul Ferman, the artist who drew that painting. Paul asked if Lydia liked fairies, and he said that fairies were beautiful to draw because it was up to his creativity and it was interesting how a selected group could see fairies through their soul. Lydia also realized that Edgar felt like a stranger, and Paul invited Lydia to dance. Just when Lydia was about to dance, Nico alerted the arrival of Kelpie. Kelpie was here to bring Lydia back to Scotland, and wondered about her strange dressing. He then flipped her skirt in curiosity, earning him a slap from Lydia. Kelpie said she was as brutal as usual. Paul appeared, and Kelpie wondered if Paul was the Earl. Kelpie also found the moon for her too, which was the ring she stole. During their struggle, the ring was slipped into Paul’s finger and Paul could not remove it. Kelpie also tried to assault Edgar, only to be stopped by Raven. Kelpie decided to flee because it was an disadvantageous battle.

Edgar asked Lydia for a dance, and wished that they could be with each together forever. Edgar was concerned about Kelpie’s proposal, but Lydia said that Edgar was not serious about her. Edgar was taken aback and started insulting Kelpie for having no taste, properties or fame. However, Edgar understood that love made no sense. Lydia said that he only did stuff to be the center of attraction. Edgar was also worried over Paul’s compatibility but warned that artists are eccentric. He said he did not expect Lydia to believe his love but he hoped that she would understand one day. Lydia replied that she had no time for his love game, and told him to stop flirting. Lydia started remembering a sad flashback and it was clear she shed some tears. When Tomkins came, Edgar said he might be hated by Lydia. Tomkins gave a letter to Edgar and it seemed that Edgar was threatened. At the end, another fairy came to find Marigold.

Thoughts

A bit of Lydia’s past was shared in this episode of how she was played the fool by a boy when she was a little girl who had yet to be Fairy M.D./PhD, thus, her disbelieving attitude towards romantic approaches of the opposite sex. Now this reminded me a bit of Sunako from The Wallflower. Such incidents were quite heartbreaking and traumatizing for a young miss as some of us would know from firsthand experience.

Luckily for our heroine, our deceitful Edgar realized he had met his match and decided to be honest about his feelings towards her. He came with an arsenal of flirty and cheesy pick-up lines. He saw to it that all pick-up lines shot the target with perfect precision. Alas, he did not conquer Lydia’s heart. What irony for our suicidal-hero! He had been a liar most of his life, yet when he decided to be true to the fairy-doctor, she did not believe him. If she made it easy for him to woo her, this series would end sooner than we would like it to.

And, oh snaps! I saw the slut from episode one dancing with Lydia’s earl, and I wondered if Lydia was jealous then because she seemed quite jealous over the Titania portrait Edgar was about to kiss before. And if she was, why didn’t Lydia go, “Whore, get yo’ hands offa ma boo! Ya ain’t got a pinky rose like I do!” We could’ve had a cat-fight scene, or not. Oh well, I guess Lydia still did okay for making Edgar jealous over Paul Ferman, the meddlesome painter whose finger got stuck with the real moon-ring, and Kelpie, the black-haired fairy/horse who seemed to be madly attracted to Lydia.

I found it very amusing how Kelpie embodied the things Edgar told Lydia; about guys who weren’t great at expressing their feelings clearly to their lady-loves and end up annoying said lady-loves more. I initially thought Kelpie was a puca, but Wiki told me a kelpie was somewhat similar to a puca but were totally different creatures. Either way, these new personalities would definitely be something to look forward to, especially Lydia’s Kelpie. Her interaction with him was the most hilarious scene in this episode.

Speaking of new characters, I was quite curious about the fairy-queen whom Marigold mentioned as a total babe. Why would she want to propose to the Blue Knight Earl with the moon-ring no less? Did the fairy-land run out of noble bishies or something?

This episode left us with a few more questions to ponder. Why was Edgar targeted by this Prince person? Who was he? How was he related to Edgar? He couldn’t possibly be the blonde bad-poochy owner because the official web site of HakuSei said the blondie’s name was Ulysses. Could Prince be one of his pseudonyms? Could the web site be deceiving us? Oh my!

And the winner is… Loli-Merrow! That’s not her on the image though.

Summary

Lydia was waylaid by a sinister dog. At the first sign of danger, Nico escaped and it was left up to Raven to save our Lydia. After a major battle, the dog returned to its realm. After that, Lydia was locked up along with her father while Edgar managed to elude Huskly. Her father asked if Edgar was serious about the marriage, and said he would not oppose Lydia. Lydia scoffed at the thought. Outside the cell, Raven (who supposedly escaped during the battle) informed Lydia to wait for their rescue and added that Edgar did not lie about needing Lydia. Lydia said that Edgar simply needed her as a fairy doctor, but Raven included more information about a key and the need for a blood sacrifice.

Huskly ordered Lydia to guide the way to the treasure at night. When Lydia brought Huskly to the area where Raven and Edgar knocked him unconscious. Edgar was about to kill Huskly but he was stopped by a distraught Lydia who was worried that her father would be harmed. Edgar said that Huskly would keep her father alive as long as the mystery was not solved. They found the clue of the cross, and Lydia said that the spirit mentioned in the clue was scared of mahogany crosses. Following the various clues engraved on the coin, they found themselves on a cliff edge.

At the cliff edge, there was an opening the size of a coin. Symbolizing the leprechaun’s liking to hide coins beneath the sea, Edgar placed the coin into the hole to create a new underground path that leads to a winery. At the sidelines, Nico warned Lydia to grab the sword and kill Edgar. Behind a door, they found a three way crossroad. Lydia told them that they should follow the direction of the banshee’s wail. After crossing a chasm, they found the slot for the silver key. Edgar was surprised how Lydia knew about the key. Raven bowed down and admitted that it was his doing. Raven did that on behalf of Ermine, who did not want Edgar to be hurt. Edgar was about to explain “Noblesse Oblige (the requirements of a noble) to explain Raven’s actions but they were interrupted by Huskly.

Huskly threatened to kill Lydia’s father but Lydia warned that he would get no benefits for doing that. Ignoring Huskly’s threats, Raven inserted the silver key and the drawbridge across the chasm collapsed. Edgar decided to push ahead and told Lydia that giving Huskly the sword would not ensure her father’s safety. They then saw a young girl, and Lydia confirmed it was Merrow. Edgar rushed forward to grab the sword, but it turned out to be a mirage. Lydia, with her eyes, was able to see the real sword.

Lydia said she knew about the sacrifice, and Edgar told her that she won. Edgar also told Raven not to do anything as he moved closer to Lydia. Edgar said he really could not lie to her, and grabbed the blade of the sword. As the blood flowed onto the sword, Edgar disappeared into thin air. Merrow could recognize that Lydia was a fairy doctor, since there were no longer any descendants of the Earl. Merrow asked Lydia to release them to fulfill the former Earl’s promise, while Lydia mentioned that the sword did not have the star sapphire. Merrow said that the descendant of the Earl had a carving of the Star Sapphire on a part of his body as evidence. Hence, Edgar did not need a blood sacrifice but needed to find the person with the mark of the Star Sapphire.

Just then, Huskly caught up and threatened Lydia again. However, Nico and other fairies impeded them. Lydia then told Raven that she would be negotiating with Merrow for his master’s return. Under the sea, Lydia found Edgar’s soul. Edgar thought he was in a dream, but realized that Lydia was really here to save a man who threatened to kill her. Lydia demanded Merrow to replace the sapphire in exchange for Lydia’s soul. However, Edgar stopped Merrow in time by noting his tongue’s sapphire mark and Merrow agreed to bestow Edgar as the next Earl. Edgar started to hug Lydia when the waves appeared, and mentioned that it was for his safety. A few days later, Edgar officially gained the rank of a Earl and invited Lydia to become the official fairy doctor.

13sugar’s Kyaaing thoughts

So in this episode, I concluded that Raven was an action hero, Edgar was the suicidal-romantic hero, and Nico was the smartest character of the lot. In the whole four episodes, Nico didn’t get into a fight. He ate and drank whatever he wanted, and the best part was that he appeared and disappeared whenever he wanted. Back in this episode, when Raven pulled his trick-or-treat demon-spirit-within on the bad dog, poochy retreated and left, which actually made me wonder what exactly did bad poochy’s master want him to do.

The blood sacrifice tidbit was part of the riddle engraved on the silver key which Edgar already kept with him. Its purpose was to mislead people who plan to abuse the earl and all that come with the title. It really served well since everyone believed there must be a blood sacrifice to fully acquire the sword.

Raven, in fear for his master doing a noblesse oblige stunt (It’s kind of like the Spider-Man quote, “With great power, comes great responsibility.), hinted to Lydia while she was locked up that as a noble, Edgar might make himself the blood sacrifice to fulfill his duty to those below his status. But Nico thought otherwise and warned Lydia to kill Edgar as soon as they get the sword of Merrow because Lydia could actually be the blood sacrifice Edgar needed to possess the sword.

When Edgar and Lydia finally found Merrow and the sword, Edgar ended up killing himself not because of Lydia or the blood sacrifice riddle but because he noticed that, just like Lydia did after he disappeared; there was no star-sapphire on the Merrow sword. His hope of becoming the earl and gaining a new noble identity completely fell apart in that instant. He got so emo about it and decided to welcome death at that point. And of course, if Lydia hadn’t rescued him, this anime series would’ve ended on this episode. As an audience, I was grateful that some typical shoujo-heroine traits were in her character. Otherwise, I would throw my b/f (Bitch-fit, boyfriend, I’ll throw them both.).

Anyway, what Merrow really wanted was the person who possessed the six-pointed-star mark on his/her body. It meant that, since the previous earl’s descendants were all deceased, anyone who possessed a six-pointed-star mark can be acknowledged by Merrow as the true Earl of the Blue Knights. Unfortunately, Edgar only had four points on his “star” mark, but Merrow probably thought that it was better to have a four-pointed star mark of a hot bishie than a fairy doctor’s soul.

Merrow in this episode was quite a mystery to me. After all, the previous earl gave his sword to her for safe keeping. Who was she? Our guess was that she was the leader of the fairies, or Merrow’s Secret’s top model. It could probably be the latter; a bishoujo mermaid who could turn into a loli-fairy found in a cave if one followed the direction of the banshee’s wail. But as far as I knew when it came to fairy tales, mermaids were usually the sirens, and banshees usually were the cursed sisters of sirens. I could be wrong on this.

The best kya-kya moment for me was when they copied Jiro and Mimiko’s water escape in Black Blood Brothers. Only, Lydia wasn’t limp from an orgasm of losing blood like Mimiko was.

Merrow Island had lots of green things like green-eyed people and green fields, and maybe that was why the black fearsome-looking poochy was at odds with Lydia’s expectations.

Sit, boy!

Summary

Three fairies were discussing whether Lydia can help them return home, and they were overheard by Nico. The three fairies told Nico that Merrow was weeping the whole time, and they hoped that Lydia can release him. Nico decided to bring the three fairies along. The group reached the hotel in the island while Lydia suffered from a bad case of sea sickness. In the hotel, they are received by a butler. Edgar asked the butler about the old castle, and he immediately realized that Edgar is trying to prove his identify as many had done earlier. He added that he was the butler for previous Earl rulers, and would be his assistant if Edgar could prove that he is the real Earl.

However, the butler warned that many before them were killed by Merrow and all islanders were descendants of Merrow. After the butler left, Lydia made a trail with the water, and she explained she was using the droplets to guide a lost Brownie. Edgar decided to try it as well, and successfully guided the brownie out of the room. Lydia thought Edgar did not believe in fairies. He admitted he did not, but added that Lydia is different from others. Lydia started stuttering when Edgar stared at her lovingly, but eventually thanked him for saving her.

Lydia also said Edgar will lie just to please her, but she shyly admitted that she was easily tricked by his charms. Edgar started holding a fistful of her caramel-colored hair, and asked if her hair would taste sweet. He kissed Lydia’s hair, rendering her motionless and open to his seduction. He was about to get closer but they were interrupted by Raven. At night, Edgar complimented Lydia’s innocence and straightforwardness. Edgar said even a bad person like him cannot resist her pureness. Edgar mentioned that Lydia’s eyes were able to pierce right through him. It scares him because everything about him was a lie.

Raven asked if Edgar would tell Lydia the truth. He said he wouldn’t, and they would resume their plan. Edgar said he cannot lose anyone anymore after losing Ermine. Raven said it was not Edgar’s fault. Edgar said he was pampered by Ermine, and did not know how to take care of himself. Edgar ended the conversation by telling Raven to escort Lydia back to her room. It was clear Lydia was eavesdropping on their discussion.

Lydia hurriedly ran off, and was terrified by Raven after remembering how he killed their pursuers. He apologized for causing her shock. Lydia said that she would do what is right, and asked if Raven would kill her. Raven said it would benefit no one if he killed her now. Lydia started to question Raven’s loyalty by implying that Raven would kill anyone under Edgar’s orders. Raven revealed that Edgar would never order him to do so and the spirit within him would instantly cause a massacre to anyone who threatened his master. However, Edgar accepted his uncontrollable murderous spirit.

Lydia said anyone could be his master. Raven asked if she was able to teach him right from wrong, or prevent him from ever killing anyone if she was to be his master. Lydia was left speechless. The next day, they discussed about “Spunky’s basket”, and searched for it. Raven went ahead to find it, and Edgar asked Lydia to join him. Lydia asked why she had to accompany him and Edgar replied that she might get lost. While they searched for Merrow, Lydia asked if Edgar was scared, and Edgar flirtatiously asked if Lydia would be sad for him. Lydia replied that Ermine would be sad for him, since she assumed that Ermine was Edgar’s previous lover.

Edgar simply teased her, but told Lydia that Ermine was Raven’s sister. Lydia then mentioned that people around Edgar would be blessed. Edgar was surprised and wondered if Lydia had wings behind her back. Lydia replied that Edgar does not seem like a bad guy. After a search, they found the grave of Merrow’s child. Edgar reaffirmed his beliefs about not believing in fairies. The next clue, “Pixie”, hinted at the creation of a fairy ring. At the far end, they found a door that was drawn, as they tried to find the entrance to the true fairy ring.

Just then, Huskly came and asked for Lydia’s release. With Raven’s distraction, Lydia and Edgar were able to escape. They were waylaid by Lydia’s father. Lydia’s father asked Edgar to release his daughter. However, Edgar explained that he was in fact proposing to Lydia, and asked Lydia’s father for her hand. Huskly caught up with them, and was about to shoot Edgar. Lydia’s father tried to stop Huskly but he was hurled aside. Edgar and Huskly were then struggling with each other, while a single gunshot echoed. While Lydia and Nico ran away, they were stopped by a vicious fairy dog.

13’s and Impz’s Little Thoughts

As 13sugars is now kyaaing her life away watching Sesshomaru (she calls him Fluffy Sesshy), I am forced to write the thought section. See, people, this is why you should never have a lazy fangirl who is more eager to kyaa at bishies than sharing the joy to others by writing an entry. The fact that I can waste my first paragraph complaining about her tells you how much I wish to kill her while she’s mumbling “Sesshy” in my ears now.

Anyway, I think that Hakushaku To Yousei has pulled out all the stops to make sure that their target audience will feel the love with every single episode. There are so many kyaa-kyaa moments in the episode that 13sugars feels like throwing herself at Edgar because he is so gorgeous. Correction, she states that Edgar is DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS! I have to admit from a guy’s point of view that this strong personality of Edgar and his strong conviction to be the Earl is total hot man territory.

I think the yin-yang combination of the two main characters make the relationship so interesting. One is a liar that cannot stop lying, while the other is so honest and sincere that you can see her mind on her heart. Moreover, the sweetest and most interesting line is when Lydia has a flutter of jealousy when they talk about Ermine. I bet all of you who likes the romantic part of this scene turned into goo.

The compelling scene for 13sugars is the talk between Raven and Lydia. Lydia, in her naivety and ignorance, automatically assumed that Raven is merely following Edgar’s orders in killing people. And to her surprise, Raven reveals that Edgar had never ordered him to kill anyone, and that Raven himself was under duress of the spirit within him trying to protect its master from any threat. This and the provoking questions Raven tossed at her that rendered her speechless made us see how innocent of worldly themes Lydia is. I think Lydia cannot imagine how humans can be enveloped into such an uncontrollable rage to kill others. A killing machine is one thing that does not exist in Lydia’s life. Maybe that’s a trait all fairy-doctors have. It may be annoying and ridiculous to many, but it may actually be the very trait that makes fairy-doctors special.

For me, it is in the flirty scene where Edgar fools with Lydia in the middle of the episode. Let me just say that I feel like I am writing a smut novel when I write the summary for 13sugars (who is supposed to fill in the gap here). I actually wondered if I should mellow it down. I like such scenes because it makes Lydia feel like a prey defenseless against the charms of a big bad wolf. In addition, it’s cute to see her blush and vulnerable. It’s the man in me that wants to play with a girl like her. Heh!

Of course, let me end off by asking you about the giant spirit dog. Will Lydia be able to pacify the dog? Where is the dog from too? Of course, what is your favorite scene in this episode?

First and foremost, just so we’re all clear here. I’m neither a pervert nor am I an otaku. Liking the ED of this anime series simply shows I appreciate art. How can anyone not appreciate such a fine piece of exquisiteness all laid out on white linen sheets? After all, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and I’m definitely beholden.

Impzie Summary

Edgar showed an ancient coin inscribed with fairy language. After magnifying the words, Lydia noticed it was English and wondered if Edgar is testing her ability. The words on the coin seemed to hint that the Noble Sword of the Merrow is hidden in one of the Earl’s territories. Lydia stated that an island in Ireland has various legends about mermaids. Since the Irish meaning of Merrow is Mermaid, that might be a location. Edgar and Lydia then had a contract, where Edgar paid Lydia 500 dollars.

Their discussion was interrupted by the captain who was searching for a dangerous man. The captain asked who Lydia was, and Edgar replied that he was escorting her to her father. The captain stated that the suspect took a girl as a hostage. Edgar asked if the suspect was the same as the mass murderer in USA (depicted as a blond with purple eyes). One of the sailors hinted that Edgar might be the suspect, and Edgar said his features must be very common to be similar to the suspect. The captain stopped the sailor immediately and left. After they left, the captain said it was impossible for them to ask the Earl to stick out his tongue to verify his identity because the criminal had a cross branded on his tongue. Moreover, the murderer in USA was said to be dead.

The next day, Nico and Lydia discussed about the cross marked on his tongue. Lydia tried to check him out when he was asleep, but he was merely faking it. Edgar said that if she wanted to kiss him, she could. She muttered “tongue” and Edgar was surprised she liked a French kiss more. At an awkward moment, Lydia asked Raven to help her against Edgar’s advances. Lydia tried to splash hot tea on Edgar, but Raven used his body to block the hot tea. Lydia went over and apologized. Raven said he would have stopped Edgar, but he was surprised a lady did that.

It turned out Raven is 18, while Lydia is 17. Lydia thought that Raven would look very cute if he only smiled. Lydia asked if Raven would not stop Edgar if Edgar killed someone. Raven said he would kill the person himself for Edgar. Lydia said she was ostracized for her green eyes as they resembled those of fairies. Raven added that he was a half devil, and only Edgar accepted him. He said that Lydia cannot detect his powers as a fairy due to the overpowering aura of other fairies. Lydia felt that he was somewhat complaining about his fate.

As they came down the ship, they were waylaid by Huskley. Huskley said Edgar is good at playing this “sir” game. Edgar said he was a lord, not a sir. Huskley said Edgar killed his father, but Edgar retorted that Huskley’s poor marksmanship was the reason why his father got shot. As Edgar was surrounded, Raven easily cleared the thugs. As Edgar and Lydia tried to escape, Lydia fell and she was taken hostage by Huskley. Huskley mocked “John”, and Edgar took a wound meant for Lydia before managing to escape.

They escaped to a shack, and they found out that Edgar was in fact that mass murderer. Nico asked Lydia to feed Edgar some sleeping pills to escape. Entering the shack, Edgar stated he was surprised Lydia was still with him after knowing his identity. He said that he was from a royal family suspected of treason. His father massacred his family before he killed himself. He luckily survived and was then sold to a slaver. After escaping from his slaver, he did everything to survive. The doctor he assaulted in the first episode experimented on human brains, and wanted to purchase Edgar.

Edgar said it is useless for him to regain a title which is marked by treason. Hence, the only way for him is to become Earl of the Blue Knights. When Lydia gave him some tea, he realized Lydia slipped in something else. Edgar said that if Lydia wanted to poison him and escape, he would rather die now. Lydia said it was only sleeping pills, and he said he would die nevertheless if Lydia left him then. When Edgar woke up, he was glad Lydia was still around. However, he could not get rid of his flirtatious habit.

13’s Musings

So in this episode, Edgar revealed a little bit about himself and his past. For someone to have his family massacred, to have his identity stripped off of him, to be turned into a slave and escape it only to be hunted down as a murderer because he was framed, no wonder he was so desperate to assert himself as the real Earl of the Blue Knights. So much so to the extent that he took a fairy doctor with him for help even though he didn’t believe in fairies himself. Of course, this was assuming he told Lydia the truth.

So if he was not the earl, then who was he? Who was John? Did his family really commit treasonous acts? How was he involved with Raven, the awesome half-demon butler? Why was Raven’s loyalty to Edgar/John absolute? Who was that girl in his dream? Where was he getting the money to finance his very expensive charade of being an earl? So many intriguing questions!

As for Raven the butler, he was more awesome than Sebastian in my humble opinion. Yes, I humbly said that so as not to offend Sebastian fanboys and fangirls. He seemed like a mix of Sebastian from Kuroshitsuji and Lin Koujo from Ghost Hunt. His loyalty to Edgar and his half-demon self are fascinating mysteries to me. Oh, and he was so darn hot! Another interesting thing was the glimpse of a man hiding in the alley with a fearsome looking beast who seemed to be spying Edgar and Lydia from afar during their escape from Huskley. According to ANN, the voice I’ve heard and the official HakuSei site, his name was Ulysses. I could spoil you of what I know about him, but I would rather not. I could definitely say he would be so darn hot too!

I found the chemistry between Edgar and Lydia very appealing. Lydia Carlton, for all her naive, child-like personality and clumsy self, did not really fall under the typical damsel-in-distress or dumb category of shoujo heroines. Heck, that girl didn’t blush or bat an eyelid when Edgar took off his shirt in the shack! I, on the other hand, stopped, stared, drooled, had a nosebleed and fainted, which really meant I kya-ed my soul out. She was more like a combination of Shuurei and Jyuusan-hime, leaning more to the latter, from Saiunkoku Monogatari. And as for Lydia’s plan of making Edgar fall asleep and escape, I was appalled! She should have taken advantage of his delectableness at that point, especially when he was so willing to do the same to her during their ride on the train.

Lord Edgar J.C. Ashenbert was a typical male protagonist of the shoujo genre which was quite forgivable. Beneath his dashing, handsome-as-hell, charismatic and angelic façade laid the heart of a manipulative, rakish, deceitful and ruthless scoundrel. However, one would be heartless not to pardon him especially with that tragic past of his. He reminded me so much of Tamaki’s appearance from Ouran High School Host Club and Seiran’s personality from Saiunkoku Monogatari. He was really made of smut just how I liked ‘em!

Hakushaku to Yousei was really the only anime series I was looking forward to watch and follow this fall. The creator of the light novels and the overall production group for the anime adaptation was of high caliber that I was beside myself with anticipation and fascination, something only a few would share the sentiment. Though the anime had a few flaws here and there, I was not disappointed at all. And because I was so captivated by the anime, His Evilness took advantage of it and forced me into blogging.

This is my first time blogging an anime series, something I was supposed to do at another blog, so please don’t be gentle. Though this first entry of mine is very mild, I promise to shock you scandalously on the next one.

Sadly, this is not Thirteensugars writing this entry. It is still Impz, due to the fact that my stupid girlfriend wriggled out like a piglet from the review of the first episode. She literally frustrated me with her inability to keep with the schedule, but she will be back with Episode 2 when it comes out. Please reject her claims that she is supposed to start only at the second episode. Which reviewer starts reviewing a series at the second episode anyway?

Lazy Thirteensugars. At least a consolation is that you know who to blame for the delay of this entry. Anyway, personal vendetta aside, Hakushaku To Yousei is the third shoujo series in this season, other than Nodame Cantabile and Skip Beat. As expected, we will be covering this series until it bores us. That said, will the first episode turn us off already?

Summary

In a dark room, a blonde man threatened a doctor with a gun, and asked for the whereabouts of the “ancient sword.” The professor said he did not know about the sword, but Lydia the fairy doctor might know. A gunshot then resounded in the night sky. In Edinbergh, Lydia received an invitation to England by her father. Huskly, a ship mate, brought Lydia on a ship to London. Nico said that the man was rude to identify Lydia just from her hair. Nico also pointed out a mass murderer suspect (blond hair and purple eyes) on the newspaper. After that, Huskly told Lydia to move to another room that is arranged for her. Describing the lush new room, Lydia wondered why her father booked such an expensive room. Not long after, she heard a knock on the cupboard.

She opened the closet and found nothing. However, a man suddenly grabbed her from behind, and she wondered if she will be killed. The man simply murmured, “Save me.” He said that Huskly is evil and he is enslaved by him. Huskly will kill him, and will deal with her after that. Despite being unsure of the threat, Lydia believed him. Lydia and the man made a plan, and they managed to escape. He asked if Lydia was worried she might be abducted by a pervert, but told her not to worry because he will save her. During their escape, her bag fell into the sea.

It turns out this man is an earl, with a dark skinned servant named Raven. He introduced himself as Edgar J.C. Ashenbert, Earl of the Blue Knights. Lydia said she had no time to deal with him, as she had an appointment in London. However, Edgar said the ship left. She realized that she is being abducted by Edgar and asked if his kidnapping is a ploy to capture her. Edgar said that it was the only way to be deliberately caught by them, so that he can get close to her. He also asked Raven to prepare an evening gown for Lydia for the ball later.

After she changed to her gown, Edgar complimented her. He added that she would be prettier if she smiled. She asked why she had to smile, and Edgar said the reason is for him. In the ball, Edgar suggested that he is interested in Lydia, but she sternly rejected his advances. They also talked about the Earl of the Fairies, with everyone thinking it is a joke. However, Lydia raised her voice, and said that it is the truth. She continued to say that it is an irony that they believe in the existence of the Earl, but not the fairy kingdom. Edgar, after being questioned by the others, said that he believed of this world as well. He said that he can only bring his bride back, so he is waiting for Lydia to accept his offer. Lydia realized he saved her from the awkward situation since she raised her voice.

At the deck, Nico was appreciating his wine and he asked what Edgar wanted. Nico said if he is the Earl, he probably wanted her help but told Lydia to stay clear. Nico added that he felt that Edgar looked pretenious but Lydia felt that Edgar was handsome. Edgar then appeared, with Lydia explaining that she was talking to Nico. Edgar simply said that fairy doctors can see things humans cannot, and asked for her help to retrieve the lost heirloom, the sword of Mellow/Merou. He also admitted he did not have the power to see fairies (the Earl should have the powers) and she said that she cannot believe or help someone like him. He told her that she does not need to believe him, but she lost all her valuables. Huskly is also hunting her down.

Thoughts

For me, one of the key things that I like about shoujo is the character chemistry between the main female and male. In this, Hakushaku to Yousei hits the right spot with two extremely likable main characters. Lydia is the strange girl who is misunderstood due to her talent. I hope she does not turn into the standard damsel in distress role in the later stages of this series, but it seems that this girl has more spunk in her than the many spineless female leads in shoujo series. Lydia possessed that quirky feel that makes her rather different. I hope it stays that way

Edgar, on the other hand, is a standard scream-at-your-face guy that is extremely mysterious and attractive at the same time. My girlfriend has many k-moments in the kyaa-o-meter, mostly due to the tension between Edgar and Lydia. I have predicted a 6th round TKO by an extremely powerful 8.7 point punch in the kyaa-o-meter for my girlfriend. I mean, these two have a chemistry that is already apparent in the first episode.

My girlfriend also noted during our shared viewing that the animation for this series is simple but effective. She added that she is surprised at the quality because there is a lot of detail put into the dresses and background in this series. I did not really take look of it until she mentions it. Surprisingly, she is right. I find that if Skip Beat (still bitter about the animation level) had the animation quality of Hakushaku To Yousei, it will be awesome.

I must admit that I am a bit confused at the start with the appearance of that man who is looking for Lydia. Is that Huskly? Is that Edgar? I am still trying to figure that out. The OP is very nice, and heads up to the wonderful seiyuu voicing the two main characters. They seem to fit the characters to a book. A quick look at ANN confirms my suspicions that it is Mizuki Nana in the main role. No wonder it is so good.

So, is it worth watching? Yes, if you are a shoujo fan. There is absolutely no reason for you to reject this. However, I cannot recommend this to any action fans. This is strictly shoujo material. Stay tuned on Saturday for a female perspective on this series by Thirteensugars.

Verdict: Good shoujo fare. Others need not apply.