Assassins Pride T.V. Media Review Episode 1

Let’s live a lie!

Outside the city-state of Flandore, there is only darkness. A sky filled with stars is only told in tales of old. Lycanthrope control the world outside the lantern city, though not all of humanity made it to the final light. Kufa Vampir and his mother were a rare sight within the darkness. Until they reached Flandore, they only knew the horrors of the night. Regrettably, life inside Flandore treated them no better. Any human found outside of Flandore is said to be cursed. While the common folk had no proof of their claims, the stress of it all claimed Kufa’s mother. Left on his own, Kufa was taken in by a organization known only in hushed whispers. White Night, an unofficial guild that works in the shadows for the nobility was his new home. They put him through hell, yet raised a remarkable assassin. Kufa knew the consequences of failure, and always put his pride as an assassin on the line. However, his newest mission has caused a change. Even those living in the darkness can have a heart.

Among the remnants of humanity, a rare few are born with mana. Those blessed with mana sit at the top of the chandelier. They may live a life of privilege, but have a sworn duty to the people. Using their power, they keep the darkness at bay. Now, those with mana in their blood always pass it down to their children. This is a chain that has never been broken. However, it would seem such a case may have occurred. Among the nobles, three houses reign on top. House Angel has for generations produced paladins belonging to Flandore’s top guild, Crest Legion. Unfortunately, it’s newest heir, Melida Angel, has quite the glaring problem. After 13 years of life, she hasn’t shown a single trace of mana. Rumors have begun to surface that she’s an illegitimate child. Until the facts come to light, Melida has been forced to live in a detached home from her father. Her grandfather, Lord Mordrew, has taken matters a step further. He’s contracted White Night to deal with the problem. Consequently, another organization got to their only lead before them, and Melida’s mother, Melinoa, has been dead for 5 years. As such, the next step was pushed onto Kufa. He’s been given two missions. He’s to either raise a lady befitting of House Angel, or assassinate the illegitimate child.

Melida Angel may be young, but she carries her family name proudly. Not only that, she carries a big dream. She wishes to join Crest Legion and become the light of hope for the people. Sadly, this dream is mocked by her peers. Even though she shows talent, she lacks the thing that matters most, mana. Fortunately, the announcement of a specialist instructor has given her new hope. A prince to save her dream has arrived in the form of Kufa Vampir. He will be her full time tutor at home and attendant at school. Still, some things are impossible. After a full day of observing Melida, Kufa had seen enough. Not a trace of mana could be found from her. Believing death to be an act of mercy for her bad joke of a life, Kufa planned to end it all. However, when it came time to assassinate her, she was missing. Her grandfather had sent a pack of lycanthrope to “help” push her over the edge. In truth all he was doing was tormenting her. As Kufa watched from a distance, he wondered why she did not call out for help. A single scream would end this from the local guild on duty. Yet he knew, if she were to call for help, it would admit that her entire life was built upon a lie. A lie that would be the death of her. This act was enough for Kufa to change his mind. Though she may not ask for help, he will lend his hand out.

Slaying the lycanthrope was one thing, yet Kufa’s next act put both their lives in danger. Since White Night works in the darkness, their abilities are unknown to the public. Among their exploits was a way to plant mana within another individual. It comes with a risk, but Melida was willing to try anything. She knew that her mana may never show up naturally. Fortunately, fate has finally smiled upon her. The seed planted from Kufa’s mana tree has bore fruit. The title of Talentless Girl will soon be a thing of the past, although that’s the least of their worries. Kufa must know keep everything he’s done a secret from his guild, Lord Mordrew, and Melida. If his employers find out, then their lives will be forfeit. As for Melida, it’s best she continues to believe she’s an Angel.

It should be noted that episode 1 goes very fast. In fact, a lot of what I’ve said above isn’t covered in this episode. If you read the manga, then you’ll see they rushed through 5 chapters of content. So, quite a lot got left out, and some of this episode doesn’t make sense without it. In spite of all that, this was my favorite first episode this season. We may not be covering much this season, but this was a beautiful sight. EMT nailed the transition into the ending song perfectly. Here’s hoping they slow it down a bit and keep up an excellent showing. Anyhow, expect weekly posting each Monday until the end. Enjoy living a lie!