I think the change in his hair is part of it, along with the "lines" or stressed taughtness of his face. It helps sell the idea that life has been hard on William since he left the safety of Akiba. Hard enough to make him look more kindly on the man who tried to offer him a place back down South.
+1
I like how Naotsugu and Marielle display an authentic sort of waffling. Both of them like each other, both are pretty sure the other likes them too, both are sure that no one in their own or the other's circle of friends would object to the relationship (neither are aware of Wolf Boy's unrequited affections)... but they're both still nervous and shy about it.
But it's a shyness that doesn't result in Tsundere slapstick from either side, and FUCK is that refreshing. There isn't even angry stammering or denials or shifting any blame... all stammering and denials are blushing and cute and "Oh god did I really say that, I'm so embarassed", with any blame for their own embarrassment accepted as their own fault.
Marielle in both seasons, and Tetra in this one, also reveal that Naotsugu is actually shier than he lets on. As Vathra depicts in her Dislocation fanfic, Naotsugu's "Panty Warrior" persona is just that - a mask.
It's part of what makes Naotsugu such a great tank. He plays the clown in order to draw aggro on his own party's mood, even when it means enduring physical punishment. In the aforementioned fanfic, Akatsuki ponders how most tanks, in her experience, are total glory-hounds and attention-fiends, but Naotsugu only draws attention to himself for the good of others rather than for his own self-gratification.
I really, really love how these first two episodes flesh Naotsugu out as Best Tank. He's actually just as intelligent as Shiroe, and possibly as manipulative, but with a completely different focus while remaining just as well-intentioned. You really get the sense that Naotsugu is an experienced veteran who GETS his role and the larger picture which gives his role meaning.
It's not just because the author clearly understands MMOs from experience, but also because the author cares enough to make Naotsugu more than Shiroe's supporting character. Naotsugu is treated like a person and protagonist in his own right, with personal drama separate from Shiroe's own.
Basically, Naotsugu is everything I ever wanted from SAO's Klein, who was a terribly wasted character.
Maybe Nyanta will show us the mindset of the expert DPSer? That's not really Akatsuki's role, as her perspective seems to be "the expert solo'er adapting to guilding and raiding".
Being that this is Log Horizon, I expect future episodes to put Tetra through viewer-cathartic suffering or reveal a sympathy-building backstory.
Let's be fair and honest; at least part of Shiroe's nonchalance stems from the fact that Demikas CAN'T actually attack him there in town because it will call the Royal Guard down on his head.
If Shiroe really did let Demikas catch him outside the walls, Shiroe knows he'd be Proper Fucked. Monk versus Enchanter isn't good odds for the squishy support class, and Shiroe REALLY doesn't want to die.
It took a second reading to really catch this joke.
Demikas really does come off as pitifully pathetic in this episode. I mean, aside from his anti-social agenda and the fact that he has enough power to really ruin the day.
Just look at how thoroughly he loses confidence when William dismisses his odds of victory. Demikas knows the odds favor him in a duel or ambush (which is exactly the situation he'd try to engineer) and more raid gear is nothing to sneeze at (especially when Shiroe himself has been too busy to raid), but Demikas can't muster the confidence to truly believe that would let him win, in the face of William's confidence that Demikas would just embarrass himself. Again.
Everything about Demikas is a desperate attempt to salvage his self-worth. He's practically crying for help; help that he would just slap away. It's sad.
Really? Isn't it possible that Demikas is bitterly accepting that he can't do shit about it? Brigandia is weakened, the Silver Swords are stronger, and Demikas either has to knuckle under or leave. But moving to another Adventurer hub would just mean running into MORE combat guilds unwilling to put up with his shit, and a Lander town is less than ideal for a base of operations.
On top of that, Demikas somehow got himself married to a local noble, which further discourages him from leaving.
Full agreement.
Also, I'm curious about why Demikas wanted to know which of his wife's specialty dishes Shiroe would want more. It's not like Demikas wants to invite Shiroe to dinner, right? Much less introduce him to his wife.
Point of fact, Monks are Tank types that can spec into DPS. But that is almost certainly what Demi-Demi has done, and the rest of your point stands solidly.
Or just cause a Total Party Wipe. Remember the season intro features Demiglace apparently abandoning the fight while carrying Shiroe off, possibly to gank him. And we know Shiroe is going to die at least once in the near future.
But if Demikas DID ninja loot, WHAT loot that would be! Literally ALL THE GOLD.
Shiroe's bitter tears (EVERYONE's bitter tears) would surely be sweet. For the short amount of time it takes for Demikas' new regime to fail.
I'm sincerely confused and curious: How is that a blessing for the Tank?
It's nice to see Shiroe the Serious display some undignified LEVITY every once in a while.
But how is Tetra a turnabout compared to Akatsuki? Because Tetra teases right back and thus can (and does) retort with something other than violence? I suppose that's enough, but is there more?
Thus far, Naotsugu seems to give better than he gets with Akatsuki, in terms of teasing. But that may just be because Tetra doesn't flip over the "witty reparte" chess board with a knee to the face. But Naotusgu isn't actually provoking Tetra with the same lewd jokes that set Akatsuki off.
Which might mean Naotsugu deliberately provokes Akatsuki to violence with panty jokes, precisely because it's so easy to set her off and she doesn't have anything but violence to use in response?
A noblewoman roughing it on a long wilderness trek to a Raid Dungeon? Not implausible, but definitely unlikely, especially if she was someone Demikas chose to kidnap. Also, Landers die when killed, and he apparently doesn't want her dead.
Oooh, thanks for the insight!
This is a strength in that it allows the reader to constantly cycle between the most interesting moments of SOMEONE's life without needing to follow a character who is, for some reason, ALWAYS experiencing the most interesting moment of his life, all of the time, with no time to rest and chill.
The Naotsugu / Regan friendship is a wholy unexpected pleasure. Log Horizon does not disappoint in providing authentically organic interactions between people who do end up interacting with each other by circumstance rather than choice. Or, perhaps, in giving us a window into the lives of the secondary characters interacting with each other while far away from the Main Character?
I get so fucking sick of stories where none of the cast interact with each other outside of the MC's view. Persona 4, you are not excused for this flaw.
Log Horizon is like returning to Final Fantasy 6 after way too many Final Fantasy 7s. A single character doesn't have to struggle to carry the whole fucking game on his shoulders.
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