Dantalian no Shoka 07
The end of the episode saved it for me.
The lady was healed and she suddenly ran off. I couldn’t figure it out what was about to happen, and that’s what Dantalian is all about.
Prior to that I had the uneasy feeling (and I still do) that I’m starting to figure this show out and that they’d better change gears on me or I’ll start getting bored. I enjoyed the bread talk, I liked the story but this fragrance is starting to wear off. I guess what I’m saying is that after seven episodes it’s time to start setting up a story arc of some sort. It doesn’t look like it will happen next week, though, since the preview mentioned two books and so we’ll likely get two half-episode. I’m hoping then episode 9 will be the one.
But wait!! There is an overarching plot, and we got a whiff of it in the first minute of this episode. It’s the girl trapped in the book [some form of Dalian I imagine] and Little Huey’s attempt to take her out of the mystical library. OMG no!!! This has been done 65 million times alreadyyyyyy!!! I tell you what: I was at the Harvard Natural History Museum a couple of weeks ago and they had an exhibit on T-Rex’s where they said by studying the reptilian brains they had discovered that T-Rex’s actually developed stories (dramatic plays mostly) although they were never written down because of those little hands etc. Anyway, apparently the plot of all of these tales ran along the lines of: female ankylosaur is trapped inside a mystical bog but happy to be there, then young dashing T-Rex turns her world upside down and she longs to be free (who knew T-Rex’s though ankylosaurs were sexy?!). In summation: this plotline has been around since the Cretaceous.
I knew that a ghandarva was a celestial musician (in Hindu lore) but I didn’t know that they fed on fragrances (called “gandha”) until I researched the matter after watching the episode. Great name for the phantom book!
The healing tome is more mysterious. Huey invoked Arawn, the Welsh god of the dead, so one reckons the invocation is a plea not to take the body away so soon. And of course you can’t ask the god twice or he might take you home instead.
If I had possession of this healing book, I can tell you what I would NOT do. I would not recklessly endanger my life, go parachuting or anything like that and use the book as insurance. I would NOT advertise myself as a healer and collect money for my services. Both of those paths lead to destruction…of that I’m sure. I’d keep it in a bag by my side and use it when necessary 🙂
Kritik der Animationskraft 
If they do decide to make this a save the cute girl from the library story, that’s going to be pretty painful. They really should start bringing things together somehow though…
Btw, I was in the Harvard Natural History Museum last month too, must have missed that exhibit though. 🙂 Do you read Dinosaur Comics?
Actually, I was there on 8th or the 9th this month. Maybe it was a new exhibit 😉
I’m a big fan of Dinosaur Comics.
“A person can’t be saved twice by a phantom book.”
Convenient plot device much? Damn, I didn’t expect this kind of contrivance, not from Dantalian. The explanation you gave made sense but the show never went there, and we haven’t seen any proof that Phantom books might have intentions of their own.
The ending was bittersweet and cathartic, but more so the former. I really like this format so far, and hope to god they don’t put in a story arc or anything. It’s been ages since we’ve had an honest-to-god monster of the week show that was actually any good.
As for the mythology porn, I can’t say I know much about Welsh legend, but the ghandarva were also the guardians of the fragrant Soma, the famous drink that induced trances and invoked immortal spirits.
I get what you’re saying about the monster-of-the-week…but I always prefer plots. I do like the two half-episodes format, which we might get next week. I guess I just don’t have the patience for a whole 25 minutes of episodic.
Soma, soma, good point.
Healing book usable only once, quite a nice plot device imho. 😀
It should be reusable, but with a cooldown period of 66 hours. After that, you can save the life again 🙂
I don’t think the single use per person book was single use per person. I think they just didn’t want to save her the second time. It’s hard to imagine a worse monster of the week show. Am I the only one who prefers the more realistic action over the horrible supernatural flavoring?
Ha! Well, considering the perfumer was the one who brought the rule up I don’t think it’s a lie made up by Dalian and Huey, but one never knows.
I like a mix of realism and supernaturalism. 100% real stuff i don’t enjoy, 100% supernatural stuff i don’t enjoy, but between those two there are tons of different formulas that can entertain me..