Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka Isogashii Desuka Sukutte Moratte Ii Desuka

The synopsis was interesting. The setting about 500 years have passed ever since humans have been extinct, wiped out by the ferocious and mysterious beasts. Survivors are all living above the ground in floating islands. A small group of young girls are the only ones who can wield ancient weapons and fight off against the beasts’ invasion. However their unstable lives means that death can be knocking on their door any moment. The last living human awakens from his long slumber and decides to become their father. Paternal instincts kicking in? Are you sure he isn’t just a lolicon? Jokes aside, this series focuses on the bond between them and what it means to be a family and protect the ones you love. If only the title of this series wasn’t freaking long enough and to make it look like some harem anime: Shuumatsu Nani Shitemasuka Isogashii Desuka Sukutte Moratte Ii Desuka. Or SukaSuka for short. Literally, why is it even asking if you are busy to save us at the end of the world? Do we have time for romance when the world is being destroyed? Maybe they’re trying to hint to us something about love will save the day…

Episode 1
Chtholly is chasing a cat who stole her badge throughout the slums. Though she catches it, she loses her balance and falls several storeys. Luckily Willem Kmetsch was passing by and catches her. However the citizens are animals and upon knowing they do not have fur or horns, they intimidate them to leave. Willem quickly takes her to a shop to buy a witch hat to conceal herself. He would gladly guide her to the port to leave this place but it seems there is a place she wants to go. They manage to get to a tower that overlooks the heart of town. Once her wish is fulfilled, she hopes he would forget him and then parts ways. Willem hangs out with his friend, Grick who tells him of an easy military job he can make lots of money with no skills or experience. Just as long as you are trustworthy. Willem rejects since he wants to live freely. But since he keeps pestering and ‘threatening’, I guess Willem accepts this military warehouse caretaker job. On the fringes of Sky Archipelago Regles Aile, Island 68, he arrives and makes his way to the base but is attacked by a petite girl, Pannibal. She is then called out by Chtholly for simply attacking. Looks like we meet again.

After getting showered and dressed at Orlandry Merchant Guild’s warehouse, Nygglatho greets him. He isn’t too fond to see his old ‘friend’ and thinks Grick set him up. But Nygglatho is just glad she gets to take care of him as she explains this warehouse is jointly run by the Guardian Wings Military and Orlandry Merchant Guild. On paper they need caretakers from both sides and Nygglatho represents the guild while Willem represents the military. She wonders if he would stay on this island because the previous 2 caretakers didn’t show up after the first day. She can arrange for accommodation away from this island but he’ll stay. He is just worried she will stab him in the back and eat him. I mean, really eat him. Don’t be fooled by this lovely maid. She is a troll (as in the beast) and Willem thinks she is trying to fatten him up and eat him someday. They cut short their conversation since several little girls are eavesdropping. Nygglatho tells them to return to their rooms are she’ll eat them. Willem better be careful… In his room, those girls again bug him but he allows them in. He meets the acquaintance of Pannibal, Tiat, Collon and Lakesh. He answers all their questions before Chtholly has them return to their rooms. After they introduce themselves, what Willem wants to know that this place doesn’t look like a military warehouse nor does it seem to store weapons, but more importantly why are little girls living in this place. Chtholly hints that both questions are related. They are the so called weapons and he is going to be their caretaker. Flashback 526 years ago when Willem was a young lad. A girl who refers to him as father is talking to him about the final war he is about to fight. She hopes he has something concrete to hold on. A reason for him to return. Or else she can’t send him off tomorrow without a smile. So how about butter cake. A super big one for his next birthday. Well, I’m sure that wasn’t the answer she was hoping for but it will do. However that wish will not be fulfilled since a year from then, humanity was wiped out.

Episode 2
Willem cannot believe all these kids are weapons. Some of them are afraid of him, though. Ithea teases Willem to be a lolicon and he plays along. When Nygglatho licks him just to taste him (?!), he gets an idea. He makes pudding for the kids and they love it. Thanks to that, they open their hearts to him. Kids are so easy and honest. Ithea continues to tease Chtholly for thinking about Willem and Nephren notices Chtholly cherishing the hat he bought for her in the closet. When one of the girls, Almita falls off the cliff to retrieve a ball, Willem is shocked that she does not mind her injuries despite bleeding. Even the other kids aren’t worried and continue to have fun. It dawned to him that they do no regard their own lives. He wants Nygglatho to tell him the truth so she brings him down to a vault. 500 years when the 17 beasts were created by emnetwihts, they destroyed all humans including their creators. Everyone has been living up in the floating islands in fear of them ever since. Inside the vault are swords called carillons or dug weapons. They are the only weapons capable of fighting the 17 beasts. But only emnetwihts can use them and if they are all gone, who is using them? Those girls are leprechauns, fairies who have imitated emnetwihts since ancient times and can use their weapons like one would. Their bodies were made as weapons to be expended in battle and fear no death.

Willem notices that Ithea and Chtholly have been gone for a few days. He picks them up when they returned. Their armour obviously ragged. He knows they have gone down to fight the 17 beasts. He knows nothing much except what Nygglatho told them. Ithea admits they are just disposable lives using emnetwihts weapons. Chtholly wakes up in the infirmary, surprised Willem is nursing her fever. She says that in 5 days she is going to die and hopes he will be nicer to her. It seems after centuries of fighting the 17 beasts, fairies are able to predict their attacks with accuracy. In 5 days, Island 15 will come under a powerful timere attack. The beasts cannot fly but a timere can release parts of tis body into the air. Although she knows it cannot be defeated using conventional methods, a fairy wielding a dug weapon can take it out at the cost of her life. She can use it to blow herself up to do some serious injury even if she can’t kill it outright. She wants Willem to kiss her as her final request. Willem seems disappointed that is all she asks for. She throws a tantrum believing she insulted her last wish. What’s wrong with wanting fond memories before she dies? She wants to leave a mark. To remain in someone’s heart. She continues sulking so he kisses he forehead. Then he strips her so he can give her a back massage to alleviate some poisoning symptoms. Is that pain or pleasure?

Episode 3
Nephren notices Willem looking through the file storage late at night. She helps him look for files on timere. Next morning, Chtholly wakes up very embarrassed what happened last night. And then when one of the girls tell her that Willem is now sleeping with Nephren, it’s that yandere look on her face. Going to take a peek… Well, technically she is sleeping on his lap. Chtholly thinks Willem doesn’t understand their struggle. They fight, open Fairy Gate and die. So Willem challenges her to a dug weapon duel. Surprisingly she is easily defeated. He lets in a little secret that the swords use the enemy’s force against them when it hits the blade. Because they don’t know the basics, all they can do is swing around with brute force. She should find a better fighting style that doesn’t involve self-destruction. Chtholly refuses to accept this because it means the deaths of other fairies were in vain. Willem then collapses and starts bleeding. Flashback shows a young Willem almost defeating a beast. However the spells he used became a curse. The beast goes into slumber for a century while Willem becomes petrified. Willem wakes up in the infirmary with Nygglatho nursing him. Nygglatho tells the girls how she was helping a group of salvagers and found Willem frozen in some underground lake. When they freed him, he went berserk and spoke a language they couldn’t understand. Some babel talisman he had helped them communicate. After calming down, they realized he is the last human or emnetwihts as they are called, left. Too bad those girls don’t really get that sad back story. Instead they excitedly rush to Willem and bug him about his heroics. Nygglatho chases them out with that I-will-eat-you look.

Chtholly still cannot accept it all so she takes a night flight but bumps into a patrolling military airship. First Grade Officer Limeskin takes her in a treats her well because her kind is considered ‘heroes’. She tells of her dilemma. Because of his different method, she is now somewhat scared of death. Limeskin tells her about resolve and resignation which are basically the same thing. All warriors have wind in their hearts. She returns only to see Willem doing maintenance on her dug weapon, Seniorious. Not sure about the mumbo jumbo about this sword but there’s a cool light show while in the midst of the maintenance. She tells him about her talk with Limeskin. Because she doubts herself to become strong, she takes up Willem’s earlier offer not to become one. He tries to give her a reward as motivation. Just name anything you want. Except marriage of course. In that case, how about making butter cake for her? Sounds familiar… An older fairy used to make it for them when she returned from battle. It’s no longer on the menu and Chtholly can’t make it. Willem agrees to bake it for her so please come back alive no matter what.

Episode 4
It has been a month since Chtholly, Ithea and Nephren went to battle on Island 15. Willem will continue to wait and believe in them. But he still can’t help waking up from this nightmare that they are no longer around. Currently Willem is taking Tiat to the city of Corna di Luce on Island 11. As Nygglatho explained, when young fairies have harbinger dreams, they are sent to this city for check-up. Since they have time, they look around the city and Tiat is having so much fun since the city is mainly used in many romance movies. Yeah, there was a lizard romance movie she just saw… As the check-up proceeds smoothly, the doctor had to tell why this is necessary to Willem since Nygglatho didn’t say a thing. Not all fairies can wield a dug weapon. Those with such dreams are said to be able to and thus the check-up is to tune them so they can fight as adult fairies. As dug weapons are too precious and the 17 beasts too powerful, they don’t want to force immature kids into battle as it would be pointless. The check-up is also necessary because as fairies are unnatural beings, some may lose their minds and go crazy. But for Tiat’s case there is no need to worry. Tiat has to stay overnight for tuning. She is eager to grown up. Willem wonders if she understands what that means because it denotes becoming a soldier and going off to battle. Willem stays at the military HQ. Next day, a lady named Phyr bumps into him and thought Willem can help her arrange a meeting with Limeskin. He apologizes that dragon dude is away fighting and has put up barriers that prevent any communication. Suddenly there is a commotion. Reports have come in regarding the battle results on Island 15. Willem rushes to get more information. It seems the defence has failed. Willem goes into shock. Shortly, Limeskin, Chtholly, Ithea and Nephren return! Not too sure about the delay in report or something. The moment Willem sees them, he uses some supersonic flash move so fast that no naked eye could catch him to hug Chtholly! My oh my! Well, if the battle didn’t kill her, his monkey grip hug sure would. Oh wait. She’ll die of embarrassment first! So I guess the rest are teasing this emotional boy and he only lets go and calms down when he takes a roll call. Yup, they’re back. But there’s a surprise in store for Willem. Not really. Should have seen this coming because Chtholly slaps him.

Episode 5
Flashback during the battle on Island 15. Chtholly was going all out in fighting the beast. However it spawns quickly. Unfortunately it spawned a never-seen-before creature and thus Limeskin called off the mission and to abandon the island. At that time Chtholly experienced some sort of creepy dream. As Limeskin explains this to Willem, Chtholly blames herself for the failure. If she had blown herself up maybe they would stand a chance. Phyr then comes in to see Limeskin. Despite calling him uncle, she is the daughter of his close friend who is the mayor of this town. Her father has received a threatening note from the Assassination Nights that they will kill him if he goes ahead in some policy. Limeskin cannot help her and suggests Willem. He turns down even before he has to hear what he says. He doesn’t intend to play the hero. There is a citation where the military cannot interfere with politics and Willem’s perception that those on the justice side aren’t any better off as they tend to use violence and force to legitimize their righteousness. Either way, Willem doesn’t care. Oh, time to go pick up Tiat. That doesn’t stop Phyr from following them. Because Tiat is hungry and smells some nice stall food, Phyr takes them to a proper and better place. Phyr and Tiat click because of how much they love the place. Strangely, it becomes a sightseeing tour with Phyr becoming their tour guide.

After a while, they are surrounded by the Assassination Knights. They plan to kidnap Phyr as insurance. These jokers… Anyway, Willem knew they were following them and was using Phyr as bait. Willem then uses his hand as an air gun and shoots them! For real? Luckily the golem guards are here to round them all up. Willem snickers and the girls think he really looks like the bad guy here. Willem gets thanks for nothing since Phyr slaps him for using her. Then she chides him for rubbing her belly when they first met (albeit accidentally) because there is some sort of romantic connotations to it. Then she storms off. Looks like she won’t be needing his help anymore. On the way back, Chtholly knows the trick to his air gun. It was just a distraction and he was shooting coins from his other hand. As his student, she knows his fighting style. She knows he wants to return to fight. That is what they are here for as they’ve on all his battles. Willem admits he spent years waiting for death, wanting to go back to those waiting for him. Meeting them has changed him. He now has a place to return. With them returning alive, it brings him happiness. Chtholly then admits that she loves him. Before they could step into the airship, Buronny Maxi from the military police wants Willem to come with him for there is someone he wants him to meet. Not interested. Till he mentions the name Souwong Kandel. It made him stop dead in his tracks. Chtholly knows the implication of this and presses hard for Willem not go. She threatens to get mad. And then cry. Well, still not enough to stop him. He promises to come back but it feels hollow.

Episode 6
Willem is shocked to see this old sage is Souwong. Likewise that old fart is shocked to see Willem alive. So all the years he cried for nothing? It’s funny to see the duo jabbing each other and Souwong sounding so gay with his comebacks. But how can Souwong still be alive for 500 years? He did die in that battle. But before that he placed a curse on himself and altered his life force. He cannot die of old age or injury and is no longer human. Souwong wants to bring him to see another person. On the holy grounds of Sky Island 2, there is something familiar with this huge talking skull. Eboncandle was the beast Willem fought before being petrified. Souwong would gladly slap him to see if this is just a dream. Eboncandle was also shocked when he woke up in this form. Willem learns that in order for the survivors to escape the 17 beasts, Souwong and Eboncandle used all their powers to levitate some of the ground that became the floating islands as we know today. Somehow that power lasted till today. The 17 beasts were originally biological weapons born as a result of an armed cult’s failed research. You could say that humans did destroy the surface. Souwong considers Willem indispensable to their plan to take back the surface. The plan is to attack the 17 beasts themselves. The battle might require all resources from all the cities. Though they can produce fairies, their problem is the shortage of usable carillons. However this touched a nerve in Willem. Flashback shows Chtholly going crazy with her crazy dream. It caused her to cut the island in half! And right now she is going crazy and losing herself.

Souwong continues explaining that fairies are borderline unstable ghosts. Souls of children not realizing they are dead wandering in the world. He considers them not as living and with his necromancy skills, allowed him to produce fairies from them. Their short lives make it ideal for combat as they produce explosive venenum. But if they generate too much, memories of past lives can eat into them causing mental disintegration. Willem is not please he takes lightly their sacrifice. He doesn’t care about Souwong’s desire to return to the surface or take it back one day. I mean, who will they return to? Who is there waiting for them? He cares more about the fairies who will die soon than the world’s future. Because Regles Aile is a place everyone calls home. Buronny comes in with a report that Chtholly’s mind has start disintegrating. Anxious Willem immediately returns to her side. He is shocked to see her in vegetative state as Ithea says she kept her promise as long as she could. She should have died in battle but because she wanted to see him so badly, she held out. Chtholly is in some abstract wold, following a girl name Elq. Chtholly doesn’t remember who she is but remembers there is something important to do and returns. You can see Willem and Nygglatho’s shock when they hear Chtholly starts talking about Willem giving her many first experiences. From her first tower view to her first loss in battle, it is no surprise he should be the first one to fall in love with. We can do the talking later because hugging and crying out loud is more important. Miracle of love?

Episode 7
On a survey ship, Rhantolk and Nopht are a fairytale about humans as the biggest mistake God made since they created beasts that destroyed the surface. Grick then comes to greet them as his way of thanking his ‘bodyguards’. They are interested to know more about these beasts because they threaten the existence of others but they are also the very reason for fairies to exist. Nygglatho examines Chtholly. She concludes that her body isn’t of a leprechaun right now because her blood had no reaction to whatever chemical that was mixed in. Chtholly is worried it may be a side effect of the coma as strands of her hair are turning red. Other than that, she feels healthy and good. Until things settle down, she wants her to stay away from dug weapons. So what good is a fairy who can’t fight? Nygglatho suggests getting married. Willem’s contract will expire and they need to drill into his head that this place is his home, his family. Since Chtholly is not confident, Nygglatho gives a little push or rather a warning to be quick or some other girls might snatch him. And so Chtholly gets her wish granted as Willem bakes her a butter cake. I’m sure it isn’t so good that she starts crying. Ah, the good taste after having fought a tough battle. Chtholly continues her normal life but has to live with Ithea constantly teasing her about her romance. Nygglatho has Willem and Limeskin meet up. Dragon dude looks weird in casual clothes because he is suspended from service for losing a battle. They talk about Chtholly’s future. As she is not a leprechaun temporarily but on paper she is still a fairy, this means she cannot be discharged nor turn down a sortie. Can Limeskin adjust the line-up? He could but the order might come from someone higher. Willem wonders if Souwong has any influence in the military. He is the top adviser. Willem wants it to send a report that makes it sound like in order to research leprechaun physiology, Willem has chosen Chtholly as a test subject. Souwong will take this as an indirect way of him to be given responsibility of her and will agree thinking he can make him owe him. Willem thinks the problem is to replace Chtholly but he doesn’t know that they have more battle ready fairies. In addition to Ithea, Nephren and Tiat, there are Nopht and Rhantolk too. Right now they are on the surface. A beast attacks a military outpost but Nopht easily cuts it apart.

Episode 8
Willem is ordered to see his superior, Goldey Mogtaman on Sky Island 49 for a mission. He has to transport a huge airship down to the surface where the team there is researching the ruins. As they have found a large quantity of emnetwiht relics, thus a large transport is needed. He gives him see a journal of the ruins. Willem recognizes some of the landmarks. It is his birthplace, Gomag City in the Imperial territory. But it is the dug weapon, Lapidemsibilus that he is interested in. After that he accompanies Chtholly shopping and she likes the idea other people think they are a couple. He tells her he is going to the surface and picked Nephren. He is tired of waiting for others to return. Lapidemsibilus has this ability that keeps its wielder in top-top condition so it might help with Chtholly’s health. This means she too wants to come along with him. While he tries to dissuade her, she is practically stubborn, citing his own words that she too is tired of waiting others to return. Heck, she even got permission from Goldey. But Willem only knows that happened because he thought Chtholly is his lover and many officers usually bring their secretaries on trips.

Willem and Nephren overslept as they do research on Lapidemsibilus. With Ithea waking them up, she didn’t think Willem had a chance with Chtholly but he indicates he has liked her from the start. Starting to look like a real couple, Chtholly gets mad when she finds out he was ‘sleeping’ with Nephren again. That guy considers Nephren like a daughter but when Chtholly asks if she was the one in Nephren’s shoes, Willem would throw her out immediately then. No food for you. Willem then talks to Nygglatho and she tells Willem that Chtholly’s worries are because she views Nygglatho as a rival. Him treating them the same means he sees her as a girl. Nygglatho also rates him highly as a man and doesn’t mind being with him. She would love to be part of his life and family. But since Chtholly’s happiness is her priority, she won’t be going all out right now. Willem has a despicable request: He wants to pretend he didn’t hear all that. All the little girls are rushing out to watch the shooting stars. They’re fooling around on the roof when Almita falls off. Willem uses his supersonic speed to try and catch her but it is Chtholly who is faster as she used her venenum. The kid is okay and Chtholly a bit messed up (though she can’t seem to remember Almita’s name) but it is Willem who is most emotional and worried mad about her. As she is no longer a fairy, he is worried there is no telling what the effects on her body are if she takes such risks. Chtholly brushes off this issue and is confident she will return to normal in no time. But during the bath, she starts to see that creepy dream again. At the end of it, more of her hair has turned red as she remembers Elq.

Episode 9
It might look like Ithea is trolling Chtholly when she asks who she is. But it’s her way of checking if she still remembers. Thankfully yes. Ithea advises her not to remember those past memories and not to exert venenum and trigger it. She might have come back this time but nobody can tell the next. Ithea also tells her a story of a girl she knew who lost her memories and woke up in a strange place. That’s actually herself when she was first brought to this place. So luckily that girl kept a diary which recorded her past self. She wanted to kill herself but it would meaningless so to atone for all that she took over as Ithea without letting anyone else know. Chtholly is motivated to live like there is no tomorrow. With Collon sick for a while, Willem hopes Chtholly can put this talisman charm underneath her pillow to help heal her. But once Nygglatho learns he dismantled part of Seniorious, she blows her top. Dug weapons aren’t toys! Sure, but Collon’s health takes priority. Can’t argue about that. Chtholly talks to Willem about his old home. What was life back then? How was food there? Did he love someone? Do you want to go back? Well, it was 500 years ago. This place is now his home. On some snowy night festival, everyone celebrates by dining and having fun inside since it is too snowy to do anything outside. Chtholly knitted scarfs for all the little ones as presents. Then she dresses up bride-like and cue for Willem to compliment her and ask her whatever. Willem also receives a letter from Phyr thanking them for their help the other day and hopes they can visit again. The day comes when Willem, Chtholly and Nephren leave for the retrieval and rescue mission. They bid farewell to the rest as Chtholly narrates that she actually has lost half her memories of these girls. She was just pretending and putting up a façade. She wonders if she really falls apart, will she still be Chtholly. Right now she wants to hold all those feelings close to her heart because one day it will all disappear too and there will be nothing left of her. When they arrive at the ruins, Nopht talks to Nephren and is sad thinking Chtholly had died. She regrets never getting along with her. When Chtholly says hi, Nopht freaks out and runs away thinking she is a ghost!

Episode 10
Rhantolk and Nopht meet Willem for the first time and are surprised he is an emnetwiht. But Willem needs a favour of them. So he is giving Nopht a back massage? Feels good, right? Rhantolk is sceptical but when it comes her turn, why does she sound more erotic? Thanks for the back massage but Rhantolk won’t give her trust easily thinking this must be his way to trick women for his evil intentions. Whatever. As they talk about the 17 beasts and if their source was from a biological weapon, there must be some sort of organism used as a base. Willem goes down to the base camp to meet Goldey. He sees Grick arguing about sending another expedition deep underground to grab more relics. Grick is against it because it is dangerous, the reason salvagers work in small groups. But what’s done is done. Willem now has to sort out the relics haphazardly chuck into the storeroom just to find the dug weapon. Several beast officers are making fun of Chtholly as more than just Willem’s secretary. But then when she starts cleaning the place spick and span, they respect her. Heck, they become her lackeys to clean the place! Their love increases when she cooks for them and even sews their clothes! Damn you Willem, you better treat your future wife good! And when Chtholly’s intention of coming down here with him is just because she wants to be with him, man they’re crying in envy that she’s too good for him. When a small tremor hits the place, Chtholly experiences that creepy dream again. This time a name, Lillia pops up. She sees Elq in a room. Lillia Asplay, a knight in a sword has taken some serious damage barges in to kill her. She wants to save the world for the one she loves. Chtholly wakes up in her room. She is glad she still remembers herself. Then she goes visit Willem who is tuning Nopht’s dug weapon, Kinslayer. He shows her Lapidemsibilus. He believes it will be the end of her memory loss days. When Willem doesn’t find anything wrong with Kinslayer, he realizes something is indeed wrong. You see, Kinslayer is a dug weapon that is used to only kill humans and yet Nopht uses it to slay the beasts. Remembering Rhantolk’s words, then it hit him hard, the true culprits who are making the fairies suffer. Immediately he hugs Chtholly and though she tries to console him, he springs another surprise by asking her to marry him! He is thankful she helped him find what he wanted, something he wanted to protect, a home to return to, a reason to live. In return, he wants to make her happy.

Episode 11
Chtholly asks Rhantolk the meaning of happiness. Well, to each her own. Now Chtholly can’t really look Willem in the eye in fear of rejection. As they go down to the ruins, Grick guides them. They see an old poster about the forces of the visitor, Elq Hrqstn. Legend has it this world was once home to gods. They attacked humans to wipe them out. The gods in the poster are Carminelake, Jadenail and Eboncandle. The ground caves in and takes them along. Others on the surface are being attacked the beast. They follow the underground cave dug by the underground team and it only leads to their massacred bodies. Chtholly starts acting strange. She hears Elq’s voice and flies off on her own. But the rest manage to keep up and find themselves before a crystalized Elq. At this point, Chtholly’s hair is 95% red. As the place is caving in, they have to run. Chtholly is unresponsive as Willem carries her out. He is by her side as she lays motionless in a bed on the ship. Chtholly is watching the faceoff between Elq and Lillia. After Lillia stabs her, she collapses. Elq explains to Chtholly that humans tried to destroy the world. To prevent that, the 3 gods watching over the world sent in an army to wipe them out but failed because a human hero killed their master first. Their master is Elq. Then they turned into beasts and destroyed everything. Elq says she is the last of the visitors who died as a child. Elq is also the name of Chtholly’s soul. Ever since Lillia killed her, she had been dreaming of becoming like he to put her life on the line fighting for those she loves. That is what those leprechauns are. And just like all dreams, they will vanish and be forgotten. Nopht and Rhantolk are feeling great as they slice the beasts. Thanks to that dubious massage… The beasts also break into the ship but luckily Nephren is around to take them out. Unfortunately she too is at her dangerous limits. Now Willem is seeing a vision of his younger self berating him about he doesn’t care about her at all. He just used a substitute to wield Seniorious. As he couldn’t keep his promise to Almaria, he made a new promise to Chtholly instead. He never saw her for who she was and kept treating her like a child. Willem denies as all he wants is to make everyone happy. He notes he has failed his promise again and after kissing Chtholly, a beast breaks in. Wrong place, wrong time. Somebody needs to get their ass whipped. Elq further explains that by now Chtholly’s mind and body have been replaced with Elq’s. However since she made it here, it prevented her from disappearing completely. Since she still remembers her joys and sorrows, Chtholly is still Chtholly. She remembers Willem…

Episode 12
Willem goes on a killing spree while he regrets being powerless to save anybody. Even if what he is doing now is useless, the only thing he can do is fight. After he saves Rhantolk from being beast fodder, he collapses from his injuries. But a few minutes later he wakes up to return to the fighting. She wonders if emnetwihts are stupidly this strong since he fought without any weapons. He tells he was one of the chosen warriors to fought enemies and saved people. It was his dream so he learnt how to fight and even tune dug weapons. However he realized it isn’t enough to save anybody. Not Almaria. Not Lillia. Not Chtholly. As Chtholly is watching Willem fight with Elq, she wants to fight one last time but Elq protests seeing she will completely lose her emotions and memories and disappear this time. She knows. But she has something to say to him one last time. Nephren is already at her limit. She expends a vast amount of venenum to save the ship’s crew. But now the ship is losing altitude after losing a few engines. Nephren slides off but Willem won’t allow it and grabs her. She warns him her Fairy Gate will open and the explosion will take the ship down. He doesn’t care. He’ll figure a way out. Desperate, is he? She tells him it is a leprechaun’s job to save others. Willem has done a lot to save them already. She lets go and plunges. But Willem still won’t allow it and dives down to grab her. Nopht is also down and heavily injured. Chtholly wakes up from her slumber (her hair now fully red) and takes Nopht’s dug weapon. Nopht tells her not to do it but Chtholly believes she cannot be happier anymore. Because she is already the happiest girl in the world. She jumps down and expends great amount of venenum to cushion Willem’s fall. Then she goes off to fight the beasts on the ground. While doing so, we hear Chtholly and Willem’s thoughts on how they meant a lot to each other, how happy they were together, etc. The beasts finally kill Chtholly as she explodes. Chtholly’s last words for Willem: Thank you. In the aftermath, Limeskin pays respects to the fallen Chtholly and Nephren. Rhantolk and Nopht recuperate in hospital with the latter complaining noisily. Nygglatho and Ithea watch over the young ones who are slowly growing stronger but taking their seniors’ death maturely. Souwong wonders if Willem is dead because he cannot trace his pulse signal. Finally, what looks like to be a new ‘useless’ world, a young baby with striking resemblance to Chtholly is born.

Remember Me The One Who Lives There, She Once Was A True Love Of Mine
I promise myself I wouldn’t cry… But I’m just bad in keeping them… Sob, sob. I am still reeling from the shock of the tragedy. Despite I had an earlier hunch that it would turn out so but I thought I could do a Willem that something would turn around and change things. However in addition for me being sad, I was also left confused with the confusing ending. We are not sure if Willem had died even though Souwong gave us a big hint. Besides, Willem was left down on the surface. Could he have survived? But the most confusing one is the rebirth of Chtholly. Not sure if this is another world or the same world or maybe a flashback at the beginning when Chtholly first came into this world. This series could have been tragically lovely but with that WTF ending, that reduced a lot of points that I would have ultimately given to this series as overall.

Despite the setting of the end of the world, what we mostly get and expected are the deep drama and romance especially between the main characters. Each of the characters might be a little cliché like Willem as the moody guy, Chtholly the tsundere, Nephren the emotionless one, Ithea the lively and cheeky one and Nygglatho the big sister and mother to everyone. Ultimately it boils down to a slow and steady romance between Willem and Chtholly. Unlike most male protagonists in this kind of genre, Willem isn’t a dense guy. He knows it but just finds it hard to show it. Sometimes it gets annoying and it makes you want to just scream to them to just be honest with each other. Sometimes it gets heart-warming to see some of the moments they spend with each other. Their relationship isn’t perfect and they do stumble a lot along the way.

So basically it’s like taking the end of the world to finally make their love shine through. Not exactly the end of the world but the end of their lives. In a way, that is like the end of the world, don’t you think? Too bad I can’t vouch for a harem because imagining Willem with the other young girls makes him look like a lolicon. Oh heck, him playing and taking care with them already makes him look like one. It’s sad that Willem during his final moments were if he was still filled with all the regrets he couldn’t save anybody. I wonder if this would turn him into a ghost and wander the surface and kill beasts? Nah… He can’t be reborn too because only fairies can do that, right? Humans all go to hell! Sorry, just kidding… Just trying to ease up a little on my sadness. I guess finding Lapidemsibilus didn’t help at all.

I can’t help but feel sad for Chtholly sometimes. Her fate is already sealed from the moment she came into manifestation. Even more so when she initially accepted her fate to die in battle. Though Willem changed all that and she got to experience love, that isn’t without its shortcomings. It is heart wrenching to see her go through the mental torture of just trying to stay sane and herself. Seeing her in anguish over her mental breakdown was just disheartening. You will never know when she will forever disappear and it could be any moment. Thus this makes her very fragile and even the more reason why she needs to cherish every single moment she has right now. It is sad that they cannot be with each other anymore but assuming if Willem is dead, then I could at least be at peace that they are reunited in death. Also assuming that new born Chtholly is not canon. So it goes to show that the most important aspect about loving each other is not how long but how much you do for each other within the limited time you have. If they really knew their time would be up for real, would they have sped up their romance? Well, better to have been in love than not love at all.

There are other interesting plots and developments in this series but given the fact that the focus is on the drama and romance, it feels side-lined. It would have been interesting to see the entire flashback of how humans actually destroyed the world and then some of them becoming the basis and source of the 17 beasts as well as what happened subsequently. It would have been interesting to see more about the past life of Willem before his 500 year slumber. It would have been interesting to see the plans Souwong and Eboncandle have in mind to take back the surface. It would have been interesting as well to know how fairies and leprechauns are actually made or come into manifestation. I’m sure they don’t come from an egg. Many of these stuffs are mentioned and explained briefly throughout the episodes so it doesn’t get in the way of the main important stuff. But I feel that the entire story as a whole would be better if they were given some attention too.

One of the other confusing gripes that I have with this series is the naming of its episode titles. I didn’t read the light novel so I’m not sure if it has something to do with it. You see, when the titles for each episode get displayed, the English translation of it differs. A lot. So much so they mean a different thing altogether. Maybe in the broadest and most general of sense but if it was me, I wouldn’t have come up with that sort of title. Yes people, my Japanese is decent enough to understand (and sometimes read!) what the simple title means. For example, an episode that I would have translated as “If this War Ended” (Kono Tatakai Ga Owattara), its English translation was “Starry Road To Tomorrow”. Huh? What about “Disappearing Past, Disappearing Future” (Kienai Kako, Kieteiku Mirai)? “No News Was Good News”! WTF?! I can sense some relatability with “Please, Do Forget It” (Douka, Wasurenaide) with “Evidence Of Existence” but how did “My Happiness” came out from “This Time It Shines”? And this is the ultimate of it all: How do you translate “The World’s Most Happiest Girl” (Sekai De Ichiban Shiawase Na Onna No Ko)? “Chtholly”!!! I know it makes sense but really… The only one that sounded reasonable was “Home Sweet Home” coming from “I’m Home” (Tadaima Kaerimashita). (Edit: I later found out the mid-intermission had stated these second titles).

There are some action bits in here although it is not the main and strong focus point of the series. It gives a reason to see young girls in dug weapons cut down regenerating beasts and blood spilling everywhere. So it isn’t that exciting since we just see the girls (whenever possible) how they just swing the dug weapon around. We don’t see the special properties of each dug weapon and it is a shame since there are a few of them and the only ones believed to be the only thing that can take down the 17 beasts. The action also somewhat signals a sense of danger that the girls can die any time so there is some grimness in this necessary bit.

Art and drawing fare well. Since it is a fantasy setting, the floating islands and the building and town structures take on more of a European feel. Despite the grimness of the overall world (because it feels like everyone is living in fear that the beasts below might somehow invade the skies someday), sometimes it feels out of place that the leprechaun ladies are so colourful in their physical appearance. Yeah, each one has a different natural hair colour that distinguishes one apart from the other. I thought it looked like some magical girl idol show. The designs of the dug weapons I can say they are creative at least from my perspective. They look badass enough and I wished I’d see more of them. Though the ‘lines’ in their blades sometimes make it look like as though they are on the verge of being broken.

When the first episode played a rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s Scarborough Fair, it was a very lovely cover of it by Tamaru Yamada and I thought it would be the opening theme for the rest of the episodes (though the song was more of an insert song). I really love that piece so much so thinking about this series automatically makes me hum that song in my head! Not to say that I really loved Scarborough Fair but it is one of those decent songs that I would hear if I ever wanted to listen to something from Simon & Garfunkel. Unfortunately Dearest Drop by Azusa Tadokoro became the series’ opening theme for the rest of its duration. For a romance fantasy like this series, playing a lively song doesn’t really quite fit into the atmosphere and narrative of it. It just feels so out of place. Especially the way this song ‘ended so suddenly’ makes it a whole lot weirder. Luckily I get my wish for Scarborough Fair to be played again albeit in the final episode during Chtholly’s final battle. It was powerful. It was sad. RIP Chtholly and Nephren. There are other slow and lovely insert songs throughout the series which have this tinge of sadness to them. The ending theme, From by True isn’t so bad as comparison although it is still a rock piece and personally I feel it still doesn’t fit into the overall mood of this series.

Generally the voice acting is rather okay and nothing really special. Those recognizable are Kikuko Inoue as Nygglatho, Juurouta Kosugi as Limeskin, Cho as Goldey and Mugihito as Souwong. I couldn’t recognize Shigeru Chiba behind Grick since he wasn’t in his usual like One Piece’s Buggy or Maison Ikkoku’s Yotsuya. Same for Rina Satou as Lillia since she has very short and limited appearances. The other casts are Ryohei Arai as Willem (Dorgon in Lance N’ Masques), Azusa Tadokoro as Chtholly (Kotori in Gokukoku No Brynhildr), Akari Uehara as Nephren (Yuuko in Nyanko Days), Machiko as Ithea (Nishiyama in Sansha Sanyou), Tomomi Mizuma as Tiat (Mei Yuzuha in Aikatsu), Kazusa Aranami as Rhantolk (Grenda in Robot Girls Z), Inori Minase as Nopht (Carol in Senki Zesshou Symphogear GX) and Takashi Matsuyama as Eboncandle (Lovro in Ansatsu Kyoushitsu). The only voice acting that stood out is Hikari Okada who plays Elq. If you ever wonder why she sounds like an authentic 5 year old, she is. Okay, I don’t know her real age (not explicitly stated) but she is still definitely a kindergarten and at most an early elementary school kid. I never knew a kid’s voice could be so creepy especially when she is as Elq inside Chtholly’s head voicing those creepy dreams. Enough to give me nightmares! Lesson #1, when you hear an innocent child voice in horror movies, run! That’s why they’re so effective in scaring us.

Overall, this is a surprisingly good take on the drama and romance genre of a fantasy setting as opposed to the other real life high school or young adult type. Even when everything seems depressing and no hope but only the end of the world in sight, the notion of love pulls everything through somehow. If everyone can live every day and love everything as if it is their last, the world would so much be a better place. Boring maybe. Sometimes I think the humans of the old here lack love and that’s why they even bested the gods and destroyed everything including themselves. These people really do want to see the world burn down. No wonder other creatures term humans as emnetwihts because it sounds like dumbwits or twits or twats. Oh well. I guess they won’t be around to be offended by that.