Tears to Tiara

[Buffalobiian]

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5315/19926.jpg


[SPOILER FOR THE FIRST 2 EPS]
From the visual novel company Leaf.

In a world resembling the middle-age. A girl, Riannon, is set to be sacrificed to appease a resurrected demon lord, Arawn. As her brother Arthur attempts to rescue her, Arawn defies those who resurrected him and frees Riannon from her captors, which leads to Riannon admiring him.

This eventually leads to a party of companions being assembled for adventure, with Arawn acting as the leader. ~MyAnimeList

[SPOILERS END HERE]

Genres: adventure, fantasy
Themes: Bishounen

Official Website: http://tearstotiara.jp/
ANN: http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=9035
AnimeNfo: http://www.animenfo.com/animetitle,4199,vxgevq,tears_to_tiara.html
AniDB: http://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=5596
MyAnimeList: http://myanimelist.net/anime/3594/Tears_to_Tiara

Episode 1: [CoalGuys] Tears to Tiara - 01 [50C739FB].mkv (http://tor.doctorx.eu/t/%5BCoalGuys%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2001%20%5B50C739FB%5D.mkv.torrent)

[MFauli]

wow, instead of one female lead, you make the whole cast female. sigh
where are my male leads :-/

[shinta|hikari]

Wha? The main character, Arawn, is male. Arthur is male.

[Kraco]

Doesn't look bad so far. I did think this beginning was a bit hurried, not really creating too ominous an atmosphere for the summoning nor did the high priest have enough chances to make himself look too monstrous, but I suppose they can't spend too much time in preparation of making the main character appear. The technical side of the summoning, when it actually happened, was quite neat. Nothing's better than to make clear right away the dude's nobody to trifle with. I hope he kills the high priest in the beginning of the second ep just to make a point.

I hope this series delivers. I like the idea a lot, as simple as it is.

[KitKat]

Yeah, I'm a fan of ye olde medieval sword and sorcery type stories. Despite the killing and summoning of the demon king and such, I can't quite take this show seriously yet. It hasn't done anything to make the 'evil' or the violence real for the viewers. I'm definitely in for a few more episodes at least.

[animus]

The premise reminds me a bit of Shina Dark for those that have read it, though quite a bits different too.

I was a little aggravated by the first episode, the punch line didn't come yet, which it usually does. By punch line I meant the revelation from the synopsis animated and into action. A lot of nothing happened in this episode, that's for sure.

[Ryllharu]

Comparing it to Utawawerumono is inevitable. Same company (leaf) made both games.

Not too much happened in the first episode, other than some pretty nice action and the basic setup. It seems pretty similar though. From the OP, it also looks like Riannon doesn't really have much in the way of combat ability, just like Eruru in Utawa, and all the other girls are well accomplished in either magic or combat. Hopefully I am wrong and she will show something impressive a little bit later.

I like the animation too...but not as much as I liked the scene in the OP shot from above with that dude wielding the HUGE sword and just chucking the guy/girl off of it. Can't wait to see him smashify some poor bastards, no matter who's side he is on.

I agree with animus though, there was no "catch" to the first episode.

[shinta|hikari]

They could have extended it 10 seconds more and show how Arawn destroys the fool who summoned him. That would have been much better for practically no change.

[Kraco]

I think they ended it purposefully right there so that people would be left to think the demon will devour the poor girl as the first thing in the next episode. Of course we know that's not going to happen, and instead he will kick the priest into the cauldron in the middle of the room and take the girl to his bedchamber for some nightly favours.

[shinta|hikari]

Then it was the show summary that is at fault, since we do know what is going to happen.

Still, for a pilot episode, I think it would catch more attention if they already show the story twist from ep 1, much like how Lelouch killed the soldiers in ep 1 of CG.

[Buffalobiian]

Hmm, well sorry about that guys. I only just realised now (first watching the ep, then coming back to read this thread, starting with my post) that the summary gave away pretty much the first ep and then some :rolleyes:

Ah well, editing with spoiler tags is the best I can do now. When I saw Arawn's human form, I remembered the OP and thought "wait....isn't he a good guy?"

I never watched Utawawerumono, so this is pretty fresh for me. I think I like medieval/magic genres, at least in books anyway, but I don't feel hooked into this like I did for a few other shows this season. Most likely it's to do with the "punch line" you guys mentioned, aka where this show is going.

Animation's good and all, though it's giving off a real "mediocre" feel right now. I'll give it a few more eps to see if that changes.

[animus]

No, that's fine. It's just a good synopsis on what the series will be about. Disregarding if we knew that, there really was no punchline to this episode. Absolutely nothing happened other than Riannon getting captured, and Arawn gets semi-resurrected with random scenes of killing and blood splatter for filler.

[Kraco]

One thing I didn't quite catch during this first episode is exactly why Riannon was alone (or was supposed to be) in the village. She seemed to be readying herself for something, but I didn't get the impression it was for the ceremony this particular high priest had in mind, because she objected until the stupid brats got caught. However, obviously the villagers knew something is going on, because nobody was supposed to be home (picking up mushrooms in the middle of the night - sure, I won't buy that any more than the priest did). So, what exactly was going on, before the priest appeared? Obviously nothing overly bad since Arthur wasn't guarding Riannon, but still enough to empty the village. Unless evacuating was just a standard method when they hear any troops are nearby.

Edit: You are forced to watch this series till the end, Bill. You created the thread, after all.
Edit2: Meaning altering typo fixed.

[Buffalobiian]

Considering they're elves, perhaps they've got no problem seeing at night (they hinted this), and thus, take advantage of hunting/gathering by night to take advantage of sleeping animals and the lower temperature. I agree that it doesn't make sense now there wasn't anyone present besides Riannon though. Whatever happened to the children and elderly?


You are forced to watch this series till the end, Bill. You created the thread, after all.

Haha. I'll certainly try.

[KitKat]

If I remember correctly, the priest made reference to some sort of power that she had, and I think that somehow she has some sort of powers of divination by virtue of her bloodline. What I got out of this episode, is that she had a premonition of some sort of danger or some kind of trial that was approaching her which may have been dangerous to the villagers, so she sent them away for the night to be out of harm's way. I don't think she knew what type of danger or trial this would be, but only that it was meant for her alone.

[Ryllharu]

Considering they're elves...
The priest only mentioned that Riannon's family line (including her brother Arthur) is descended from elves. They are a lineage that comes from survivors of the long-extinct Age of Elves. The opening sequence showed that a force (presumably Arwan) destroyed each Age, Golden, Silver, Bronze, Giants, Elves, leaving us now in the Iron Age. She and Arthur are not exactly elves, but they are related to that lost civilization. The others in their village are 100% human.

@Kraco:

They never explicitly stated it, but it seemed like Riannon was left alone in the village because someone, probably her since they called her an Oracle, predicted that the priest would be coming. They sent all the women (additional potential sacrifices) out of the village along with the children and elders, while the men went off to hunt, getting them out of the way as well. She was ensuring that no one else could be harmed. She kept the arrowhead with her to kill herself and foil their plan, but sadly the children were not informed and ruined the plan for her.

[Kraco]

That indeed seems like the most obvious case. However, her reaction to the priest's words didn't quite indicate she was expecting her fate to be like that, in my opinion. Moreover, Arthur would never have left her alone had he known she was waiting for such a fate. So, you see a small clash here, don't you? Since everybody was evacuated, it was clear everybody knew something was going to happen. So, why did Arthur still go hunting? One small possibility, of course, is that the men left to hunt a lot earlier and after that Riannon was able to convince all the women, kids, and elders to leave as well. However, you'd think some of the women would have alerted Arthur at that point.

[shinta|hikari]

She may have simply asked the villagers to leave without explaining in detail, or she may have come back after leading them somewhere. The villagers may have evacuated somewhere and did not have time to inform the men, They may not even know where the men are hunting. There are a number of possible scenarios where it does not have to clash unless you force it to.

And the small possibility you mentioned is what likely happened, I think. Arthur obviously did not know about it.

[Nadouku]

I liked this episode, slow and detailed. I knew that the Demon King would humanize to look pretty "normal", and now I want him to kill that douche priest instead of Riannon. :p

[EpyonNext]

*hackcough* [CoalGuys] Tears to Tiara - 02 [FBB6BB64].mkv (http://tor.doctorx.eu/t/%5BCoalGuys%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2002%20%5BFBB6BB64%5D.mkv.torrent)*hackcough*

[Kraco]

I'd be lying if I said this second episode impressed me, but seeing how adventure is my favorite genre, I'm quite forgiving and thus satisfied enough to keep watching. I'd have dropped the series if Arawn hadn't personally slain the high priest. Very fortunately he did. He also does possess an aloof attitude, though not very strongly, which is slightly disappointing. But not nearly as disappointing as his total lack of cool demon powers. I mean, why the heck do we have a demon king in the story if his body is as weak as a human's and all he seemingly can do is fight decently with a sword?

One thing I really liked about this episode were the skeletons. They were quite jolly fellows, though many seemed to sport dislocated cervical vertebrae...

[shinta|hikari]

I mean, why the heck do we have a demon king in the story if his body is as weak as a human's and all he seemingly can do is fight decently with a sword?

So that there can actually be some adventuring in the show. Just imagine Utawarerumono with the main character knowing who he was and what he can do from the very beginning. It would be over in 1 episode.

I agree with you thoiugh. I wish he had even a bit of demon ability, just to separate him from the worried brother.

[Nadouku]

I bet Arthur wanted that position. :p

I am glad that Arawn killed the priest, and Riannon is oddly attached to him. It was funny when Arthur was flipping out when Riannon gave Arawn that position. The skeletons made a nice skirmish, too.

[Kraco]

I wonder what manner of a woman Riannon actually is. She doesn't seem to possess any combat skills, but she surely assumed authority over her brother, and I have no doubt over Arawn as well, in the long run. Some sort of an organizer.

[Ryllharu]

I really enjoyed the huge shift in the atmosphere of the episode when Riannon declared Arawn to be her husband. Her sister-complex whipped brother deflated completely. The episode went from heavy dramatics to light-hearted adventure in a split second, and didn't need to rely on overused gags like superdeformed characters, simplified reaction shots, or chibi-characters. I was actually very impressed that they managed to accomplish that all with normalized facial expressions and Arthur's posture (his shoulders just drooped).

Arawn showed off his sword fighting abilities well, by effortlessly dodging Arthur's assault, and later one-shotting skeletons while holding Riannon's hand.

Then Master Asia showed up and I knew I'd be watching the next episode. I just hope that as Arawn's harem builds, he actually does something with them instead of being more shy than an 8 year old even with the primary heroine. (Well Hakuoro did stroke Eruru's tail...once). If Riannon is there just to be there, I'm going to be disappointed again.

[shinta|hikari]

Hakuoro got sterilized in the anime. If you want a more assertive version, play the game.

I agree with you about the lack of SD. At first, I thought it needed it, but they managed to pull it off well, particularly because the art was consistent throughout, and adding comic deformations may break this consistency and the atmosphere it has built.

I hope Arawn has a bit of Kazuma Yagami in him. That would make this show awesome.

[Buffalobiian]

[Nipponsei] Tears to Tiara OP Single - Free and Dream [Suara].zip (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BNipponsei%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20OP%20Single %20-%20Free%20and%20Dream%20%5BSuara%5D.zip.torrent)
[Nipponsei] Tears to Tiara ED Single - Blue sky, True sky [Yuuki Aira].zip (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BNipponsei%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20ED%20Single %20-%20Blue%20sky%2C%20True%20sky%20%5BYuuki%20Aira%5D .zip.torrent)

[oyabun]

[KSN] Tears to Tiara - 03 [720p][H264] [2CCF38B6].mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=60333)

The hand scene was really funny. The action and animation were really good this episode. I hope they'll stick to it till the end.

[Ryllharu]

KSN aren't that great, but they're more than watchable.

This episode really made up for the last two, which were a little needlessly drawn out. Arawn has done what so many others have failed before him, started a real harem, with the two already calling each other First and Second wife.

Riannon also goes up several notches because she's actually useful in combat, as opposed to only be useful after combat. That smile right before she turned that soldier's bones to mush was so cute.

Great mix of action and humor in this series, with this episode making up for lost time, I have no more complaints.

[Yukimura]

Arwan is boss! I love how that chick came completely out of nowhere and within like 10 minutes of her introduction he had already made her his woman. I definitely hope the process will repeat with a few more girls before it's over. I was also glad to see Rhannion had some battle power while not being a tsundere, that seems like a rare combination for main girls these days.

A big question that this ep raised for me was what exactly is/was Arwan? Is he an elf? Is he a demon? Is he something else altogether? I am looking forward to finding out.

[Kraco]

Based on his first appearance alone, I think it's safe to say he's a demon. However, is he a king, is another story. He seemed to have fought demons looking more demonic, in his flashback, so maybe he fought for elves and humans. Well, whatever he is, I like his character so far.

I'm glad this series hasn't disappointed so far but has only got better. Even the story is starting to seem potentially better than I was expecting, even if not too much has been revealed yet.

The hand scene was indeed funny. In fact the prelude to it: how he deflected the dagger, was nice as well because it showed he does possess mystic powers.

[Ryllharu]

I thought what Arawn was trying to allude to is that what he is depends entirely on one's point of view. To the Empire, who became a force of power in this current world, he is a demon. He may lead to their destruction, and as the dominant force, that would be "the end of their world."

To others in the past, he was a king, and a savior. He seems to simply lead to the upheaval of the dominant power, ending their eras each time. The flashback of his previous death showed him fighting off something that we would think was a demon.

[Buffalobiian]

It's confusing from what they told us exactly who Arawn was fighting for before he died. If the listing of Ages in the first episode was in chronological order, then it went Giants -> Elves -> Humans. That demon thing did look pretty gigantic.

Arawn was seemingly friendly with the elves, and the humans won the war, so probably:

Elves and humans won the war and lived together, Elves being the dominant Empire. Then, when that fell, everything went into chaos, groups scattered, and the Holy Empire rose from that mess.

[Kraco]

Seemingly friendly with the elves:

Episode 4 - CoalGuys (http://torx.ath.cx/t/%5BCoalGuys%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2004%20%5B9F6731ED%5D.mkv.torrent)
Episode 3 - CoalGuys (http://torx.ath.cx/t/%5BCoalGuys%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2003%20%5BC53E177B%5D.mkv.torrent)

[Nadouku]

Riannon smiling before blasting that soldier off was kind of cute. It seems Arawn isn't the kind of bad guy that would destroy the world, but he still wants to be king, at the very least. Lets see how he fares against Gaius in a real fight.

[Kraco]

Yeah, nothing much happened in this episode, but the next looks more promising with the fleet arriving. The one thing this episode did show was the elvish lack of pointy ears... Kind of nasty since how is one supposed to tell humans and elves apart if they look exactly the same, eh?

[Ryllharu]

I see Epona and Morgan will quickly become friends...both are idiots.

(I was expecting Epona to tell someone to step in cat shit, but I guess she's not quite the same character...)

[Buffalobiian]

I guess "not a lot happened" also means "nothing bad really happened". I'm surprised Albion hasn't been overrun already by the aggressive Holy Empire, give how lax they've been. Maybe it's just the area near the "unbreakable gate" though, where everybody's at ease. At the very least, war helmets aren't in fashion.

It seems living for over 1000 years really gives you an "Whatever, I don't care" attitude. There's not much to see after all. I would have voluntarily slept for 1000 years for some more drastic changes just to keep things from being boring, provided my friends are still alive.

[Penner]

just watched the first 4 eps and damn, this is some pretty good stuff, atm its up there with Guin Saga for me ;P

i just wish some group would release Guin Saga in 720p or even 1080p versions, seriously, whats up with that?

[Buffalobiian]

[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 05 [1280x720 h264 AAC][4E7278CE].mkv (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2005%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5B4E7278CE%5D. mkv.torrent)

[Ryllharu]

Good lord Arthur is annoying. Morgan is too, but at least she's good comedy relief. It seems like the only thing Arthur ever says is somebody's name, ad nauseum.

This episode was okay, it is nice to see a villain introduced early on who is capable of matching the protagonists. Gaius is a great antagonist. He's an ass to basically everyone (like where he called that city run down and crappy) but he anticipated their plans from before he even knew how close they were and laid a trap. If not for Arawn and his allies keen senses, the Gael would have led the Empire right to their gates.

I guess I'm looking forward to next episode more than I care to continue commenting on this one. Looks like a little comedy relief and some good combat, plus the introduction of the blond (and apparently Empire) girl. She seems like a Touka character, but maybe a little less uptight.

[Penner]

Aye, Arthur really is annoying, and i agree that Gaius seems to be totally badass, plus he has a huge fucking sword... and i do love bigass weapons!

I'm also interested in seeing that tiny girl with the massive warhammer fight (the one in the first post) :P

Huge weapons ftw!

[shinta|hikari]

I am personally hoping the new girl is very much Touka-like. I loved Touka from both the Utawarerumono game and anime, and is hands down my favorite character in that franchise. In order for her to be Touka-like though, she needs to be significantly more powerful than the rest of team, and is on par with the strongest fighters in the story.

[Ryllharu]

You sure you're not thinking of Karura when you say more powerful than the rest of the team?

At least in the anime, Touka was highly skilled moreso than almost everyone else, but she didn't hold a candle to Karura (my favorite by the way). She might have had the skill to match Karura when the latter didn't care what she was doing, but as soon as Karura stopped fooling around she was unstoppable.

Here Arthur is like that two-swords idiot from Utawarerumono (Oboro?), while Morgan is a lot more like the twins (boys in the game, girls in the anime). Riannon is probably comparable to Urutori, but maybe with a little less power. If the OP is correct, this new girl rising from the sea is probably more appropriate for that comparison.

[shinta|hikari]

Karura is indeed very powerful, but they never went head to head, so I still think that Karura isn't stronger than Touka by a large margin. I'm pretty sure Benawi is the strongest warrior in the team, and serious Karura seemed to be at his level (though just a bit behind). Touka probably closely follows Karura in the same manner. What I meant by the "rest of the team" are the other fighters excluding these 3. These 3 are among the "strongest fighters in the story."

I like serious tsundere characters with extreme loyalty and conviction, and the skills to back it up. I'm hoping the new girl here is something like that.

[Kraco]

Good lord Arthur is annoying.

Yeah. I was already thinking Arawn should ask Arthur if he's also trying to become one of his wives. He's certainly nagging already enough to be one.

[Ryllharu]

I'm pretty sure Benawi is the strongest warrior in the team, and serious Karura seemed to be at his level (though just a bit behind).
Your clarifications aside, I really question this. I have not played the game, so I don't know if it pans out differently, but the only reason Karura "lost" to Benawi during her test in the anime was because she was poorly equipped. She broke her weapons against his polearm twice, but the anime definitely showed that she cracked his weapon in her first strike alone. She destroys the weapon when he deflects her into the ground, and the look on his face as she passes him by with an all too swift follow up shows she would have killed him, and he knew it. I've no doubt he is stronger than she is when mounted, but on foot I think she's got him by a large margin. (The reaction is a 18:17 in eps 10, the crack at 18:06).

Upon further review, he does deflect her easily, so it really could have gone either way. He still underestimated her speed considerably, as many of her opponents in the series do.

Here, I indeed hope the blond (names would be spoilers, so in my head I've been calling her Sophitia) is the tsundere type with extreme loyalty and conviction...but all too easily seduced by Arawn, just like Morgan was.

I think that here it is considerably harder to tell how the scale goes. Tears has a lot more magic involved, and it is still early on. Utawarerumono largely only had Urutori and the other winged folk. Urutori's gravity spells were devastating, but this series has already shown spells of close to the same level. Ignoring Arawn and Master Asia (clearly the top two in their respective skill sets), Epona has to be very high near the top. She's elven, so she has magic which we saw work very well on Arawn and Arthur, and she must be very strong to wield that enormous hammer. Morgan is very good at range, and her number of shots into eye holes proves that, but she's not very observant of her surroundings. Riannon could be anywhere. She's weak for the most part, but we really don't know how far her magical abilities extend. Her defensive spell alone was lethal. Even Limwris may be no slouch, we have no idea what spells she has.

[Yukimura]

Still completely off topic but very important nonethelss: Karura's win function is on the order of epic win^epic win. The differences in win factor between the other characters including epic win Touka and Beniwa and fail Oboro only seem significant when leaving out the glory that is Karura.

Anyway on the subject of ToT, nice job on the Imperial guy's side in calling the theft but I'm forced to wonder how he got intel that they would be in need of supplies right then so he could set that up. He shouldn't know where they are or what circumstances they are under (like having need to steal supplies).

Morgan is starting to get on my nerves to a noticeable degree but for now she's still more funny than annoying. Arthur has long since passed into annoying oblivion though.

[Buffalobiian]

The blond is the sole reason I'm watching this. I like EVERYTHING about her character design. What's this, she's a Tsundere? All the better :D

Otherwise, okay episode.

[narutosharingan]

How are the Solstice subs?

[Buffalobiian]

How are the Solstice subs?

Nothing out of place from my experience.

[Buffalobiian]

Solstice - Tears to Tiara - 06 (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2006%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5B796DF729%5D. mkv.torrent)

[Ryllharu]

I feel kind of stupid for not catching the naming theme earlier:

Gaius, now Octavia (a most excellent new waifu for Arawn :D ) --> Roman Empire

Riannon, Arthur, Morgan, Epona, now Llyr ---> Gaelic names (hence Gael tribe) of the British Isles.

The whole story is a play on the Roman Empire's attempt to conquer Britain.


I liked the contrast between the introductions of the completely airheaded Llyr and the more collected Octavia. It was nice to breeze through Llyr's more shallow introduction (her stolen clothes and not being able to return home is related to the myths about Merrow), so they could get at more of the depth in Octavia's backstory. It looks like they might spend quite a few episodes on her, all the better. Still though, against the crabs, Llyr proved she is a very competent fighter with her trident, if nothing else. I can't deny her description about falling asleep and being washed away again made me smile. One thing though, apparently there is an 's' at the beginning of Llyr's name. What is the opposite of a silent letter that doesn't exist? An audible non-existent?

I did find it a little sad that leaf (game's developer) ended up making a Touka character like Octavia (cast with Rie Tanaka no less), and they even do the damn rope bridge setup again! There was a little variation to it, but it was still way too familiar.

Now that we've gotten another combat scene, there's no question. Arthur is annoying as hell, but he's a damn good fighter. We saw it in the first episode, and he effortlessly slices through crowds of Empire troops here as well. Arawn is still better, and even Morgan's short range is pretty good. Octavia packs quite the punch herself, swatting down arrows while occupied with other matters. I'm also liking the way that they are handling action scenes. The animation goes into a stylistic switch, where action is a little simpler drawn, almost brush strokes, but it makes up for it by being fast and incredibly fluid.

Can't wait for more Octavia. She has not disappointed in any way.

[shinta|hikari]

I love Octavia, as I expected. What makes her really good is that she does not only possess impressive martial prowess, but also a tactical mind that cares for her subordinates. Her character design is awesome as well. It is actually the first wardrobe set that I really like in this series, since most of the others seem a little to flashy/colourful, or just uncool.

I wonder how they will get Octavia to Arawn's side though. She does not seem as naive as Touka was, and maybe actually sees a purpose in what Gaius' side is doing.

[Yukimura]

So far I haven't noticed the Empire give any particularly good reasons for why they are relentlessly hounding the Gaels. That combined with Arawans dashing good looks and the Gaels overall less assholish than the Imperials demeanor should be plenty of rope to hang the loyalty of any heroine starting out on the opposing team.

From the sound of it at least two of you have already planned your weddings but Octavia's intro didn't do as much for me this ep. Her character type seems so familiar already; strong, confident female with a strong sense of justice trying to prove herself in a corrupt, male dominated military setting. When I look at her and I see Touka or Emma Sheen or Lucretzia Noein and I become less excited because I don't expect any surprises from her, just the same sort of personality and backstories those other characters had. Normally that wouldn't get in the way of me oogling but my reaction to her was overshadowed by something that I actually was surprised by. I spent most of the episode lamenting for Llyr's skin and marveling at how well she was taking being permanently separated from her people as well as half of her identity.

I once read a rather sad story about a Roane who's skin had been burned and thus he was trapped forever on land. The story made quite an effort to convey the sense of loss and longing he felt for the sea and the other half of his identity and how he struggled with the pain of it every day. Roane are creatures of the sea and to be cut off from it like that would be akin to a human having their legs or arms chopped off, it should be devastating and miserable. Of course here they just wrapped all the emotional underpinnings up in a single EAAAH! for the sake of giving Arawn another cute waifu to ignore. That's still cool and all but the shallowness of her reactions compared to the deeper emotional story her situation reminded me of drew more of my attention towards her. I can't help but feel for her what she ought to be feeling for herself which makes her more sympathetic to me than she might otherwise be. I think the trident might have helped some too...

In any case I do look forward to Octavia's defection, the Gaels seem like they could use a serious minded military type personality as a sub-commander/drill instructor if they hope to fight larger scale battles later on. Plus she's no trouble at all to look at.

[Ryllharu]

I think they will probably go back to most of the girls' stories a few times, and some of them might even get whole arcs, just like Utawawerumono. But where that series had to take a long time to introduce the full harem, Tears is taking a faster approach because they can. This is just Octavia getting her arc started now.

With Llyr getting such a short intro, same for Morgan or Epona, they are bound to go back to it. Aside from a little with Riannon, Octavia is the first of the girls to get any character development at all. They simply showed the reason why the others stay on with Arawn.

Thanks for correcting me on the Roane/Merrow/Siren(the not Greek kind). I knew the myth involved water spirits, I just couldn't remember the exact name and went with the first I could remember.

[shinta|hikari]

This is 26 episodes right? Otherwise, they would have to either rush through back stories or skip it entirely in order to finish it in a half season.

[Kraco]

CoalGuys finally got their feet off the tar and made a double release:

Episode 5 - CoalGuys (http://torx.ath.cx/t/%5BCoalGuys%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2005%20%5BF80CC564%5D.mkv.torrent)
Episode 6 - CoalGuys (http://torx.ath.cx/t/%5BCoalGuys%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2006%20%5B51DF37D9%5D.mkv.torrent)

[Buffalobiian]

It seems no matter how used Octavia-like characters are, they work on me every time :D.

Can't wait for her gladiator appearance.

[Nadouku]

I finally got around to watching episode 5 and 6. They were good, showing how smart Arawn is. I like how another douche commander has been introduced, only on the enemy's side and a sturn character has to make up to his lack of retreating. I really hope Octavia joins Arawn's side too.

[Penner]

Small chick with giant hammer incoming!

[PhaseONE]

Just downloaded and playing the Tears to Tiara Game (torrent), japan version with English patch. I didnt know it was part Hentai while playing it until Morgan gave Arwan morning head and a happy ending in the ship. Other then the hentai, its a classic Japanese RPG with recruiting options and what not, Pretty sure the upcoming PS3 version wont have the Hentai in it.

[Buffalobiian]

The PS3 has revised (and much better) character designs, as well as omitted 18+ material.

[Kraco]

No hentai:

Episode 7 - CoalGuys (http://torx.ath.cx/t/%5BCoalGuys%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2007%20%5B7083DF46%5D.mkv.torrent)

[shinta|hikari]

Octavia is absolutely awesome. Hands down the best character in this series so far (and probably as a whole, since topping her is going to be very difficult).

Octavia has the arrogance and charm that Touka lacked, plus a really beautiful character design, beating Touka by just a bit. I normally dislike blondes, with Saber being the only exception before, but it seems I have to make a bit more room in my imaginary harem. Heck, the only thing I can dislike about her is the name, just because it reminds me of Octavia of the Julii who I hate (from which her name is based I believe).

Now I am really looking forward to how Arawn is going to get his hands on her. Her pride, while alluring, is going to be quite a tall hurdle to overcome, but a necessary one in order to get her to submit as Arawn's 4th(?) wife. I just hope they don't screw it up with something stupid (though a little funny) like the seal coat.

I was actually tempted to play the Tears to Tiara game just to get Octavia's H-scene, but then I saw the art style, and decided not to sully my image of her by playing it.

[Ryllharu]

Octavia is absolutely awesome. Hands down the best character in this series so far (and probably as a whole, since topping her is going to be very difficult).

Octavia has the arrogance and charm that Touka lacked, plus a really beautiful character design, beating Touka by just a bit. I normally dislike blondes, with Saber being the only exception before, but it seems I have to make a bit more room in my imaginary harem. Heck, the only thing I can dislike about her is the name, just because it reminds me of Octavia of the Julii who I hate (from which her name is based I believe).

Now I am really looking forward to how Arawn is going to get his hands on her. Her pride, while alluring, is going to be quite a tall hurdle to overcome, but a necessary one in order to get her to submit as Arawn's 4th(?) wife.
+1 to this. Except I actually really like her name, but that's because I have no idea about your reference, and I remember the name from one of the make-believe citizens in my freshmen year high school Latin textbook.

I loved the smile she gave Bublucus right before she kicked him hard in the side. Her movements emphasize minimum avoidance, so she wasn't even remotely exhausted. Even after the whole fight with leaps onto moving chariots.

[Kraco]

This was a jolly good episode. Nice fighting at the arena. Octavia's name doesn't bother me, and certainly not her character and looks. But it really might be hard for Arawn to recruit her, even if the Empire ends up betraying her. Although we don't yet know of all her circumstances, but she seems to possess some Empire friendly ideology.

But above all I hope we don't need to witness Arawn's sword to get turned into knives and pots...

[Ryllharu]

But above all I hope we don't need to witness Arawn's sword to get turned into knives and pots...I love the recurring joke where:
1. Arawn and 1+ Gael(s) encounter an elf (quantity <= 2)
2. Elf proclaims how awesome Lord Arawn must be or otherwise diminishes present company in comparison to his name (includes threats).
3. Elf discovers after making aforementioned remarks that present company includes Arawn.
4. Elf immediately enters dogeza position (or otherwise 'orz')

Thus far, despite all her other lackings, Llyr is in fact the only elf we've seen that hasn't resulted in this gag. She knew who Arawn was from the very beginning.


Morgan also had a good chance to show off more of her comedy relief qualities. While can be fairly common in other series like this, I laughed aloud when Arawn finished calming Arthur down only to realize too late that there were two idiots with him today. Morgan was already down there by the time he remarked on it. Not to mention her yelling his name in, "not even a second," after he just reminded her to be quiet.

I wonder about this Red Branch item Morgan is looking for. It's a shiny red jewel of indiscriminate size and shape (due to Morgan's vague hand gestures to Epona). I can't help but think and compare it to the red shiny jewel that hangs from Octavia's ear.

[shinta|hikari]

What I really love about this show is how they don't skimp on the art. It probably has one of the best made animation in this season, and maybe even including a few seasons before. The fight scenes are always fluid and well directed, and the boobs always bounce when they should. Heck, the abdominal motion when Morgan drinks alcohol is enough proof of how much attention they put into the art.

[Idealistic]

Small chick with giant hammer incoming!

It's a boy isn't it? Looks and sounds like a girl though. Unless the subs I watched were wrong.

Anyways, this show is pretty cool so far. And yeah, I can see Octavia joining the Gaels in the future. She's awesome. Something about female knights/swordsman is just cool.

[Yukimura]

I'm quite glad they featured Octavia again right after her debut. Not crying over Llyr's burned pelt allowed me to give Octavia the full attention she deserves and now I think I see what the hubbub was about last ep. She reminds me of a Touka base with some of the many awesome aspects of Karura (namely her shimmering pride and confidence in her clearly formidable skills as well as the way she utterly embarrasses people she fights) mixed in. I feel like the lame soldiers she was commanding last ep as well as that noob commander really put a damper on her overall awesomeness. I can't wait to see her lay waste to Arawn's enemies and I hope she has a Touka level cuteness trigger.

In short: <3 Octavia.

[Kraco]

I hope we get to see her fight Arawn himself. I doubt she could ever win, but it could make an epic fight as long as it lasted.

[shinta|hikari]

She is currently the best fighter in the show excluding Arawn and maybe Gaius right? Arawn himself said that she had the skills that Arthur lacks.

[Buffalobiian]

Favourite woman: Octavia
Favourite elf: Rathty

If Octavia gets top prize for character/wardrobe desigh, Rathty certainly closes in on second. Big hat with ears, giant hammer + utility bags make a good combo. I like her colours too. It's somewhat similar to Rhiannon's set, but better.

As for gender, s/he did use the masculine "boku", but that's hardly definitive of sex. I'm just going to treat her as a little girl for now because:

1) s/he sounds like one
2) how many guys has Arawn attracted, seriously?

Any checking/confirming would be spoilers, so I'll sit and wait for what's to come.

I kind of knew it was going to be a one-sided fight since it's Octavia we're talking about, but when they thew in that loud-mouth lardtub of a coward, I knew what was coming, and laughed.

Unlike shinta, I tend to prefer blond characters, so hair colour was a +1 in my eyes. "Octavia" sits fine on with me.


I loved the smile she gave Bublucus right before she kicked him hard in the side
Aye. Very sexy. Totally awesome. :)

I was actually tempted to play the Tears to Tiara game just to get Octavia's H-scene, but then I saw the art style, and decided not to sully my image of her by playing it.
Yeah, the game's art pales in comparison like a cheap doujin to the anime. (no offense to game fans) Still, her H-scenes are my favourite.

[Nadouku]

Hmm, I still think Rathty is a boy because Ogam is like "he must be a Miner Elf". But anyway, this episode was good and had a solid fight with Octavia owning. Arawn needs to hurry up and pick her up!

[Penner]

Awesome ep, but i was so sure that little elf with the hammer was a girl, even tho i only had the pic posted by the OP to go by, and when they met it looked and sounded like a girl so i was a wee bit surprised when they said "he" -.-

Also, Octavia is awesome, and i like the name :P

[Nadouku]

There are some male characters in some animes that look like a girl, sound like one, but are totally boys. I think Happiness! might be one of those animes that might get you very confused. :p

[shinta|hikari]

I'm glad you guys haven't been corrupted by a certain show regarding the Octavia name. I wish I hadn't been either, so I can fully enjoy Octavia's awesomeness.

[Hawkeye32]

Am I the only person thats rooting at least a little bit for Arthur getting a girl. I realize that this is an H-game and all and having watched/played Utawarerumono understand the style of the game.

I mean granted Arthur has a bit of growing up to do but it seems like hes doing most of the work with Arawn just sort of standing around giving his bits of info here and there.

Arawn just doesn't strike me with the same level of likability that Hakuo did.

Is the game massively different or something such that Arthur is a minor character like the rest of the male cast in Utawarerumono?

I dunno probably just me. I just can't see myself ever liking this anime as an H-game.

[shinta|hikari]

I just can't see myself ever liking this anime as an H-game.

...what?

I don't understand what you mean.

[Hawkeye32]

Sorry I mean I can't see myself liking the H-game after watching the anime. I've played quite a few in my time and even though this one seems like the style I like I just can't find myself seeing all these women throwing themselves at Arawn at every available chance.

Like I said in my post, I just don't like Arawn at all. Unlike Hakuo who was somewhat humble and retained all his skills and had at least a semi decent personality, Arawn just strikes me as somewhat of an egotist.

[Kraco]

The man is a demon king. How can he help but have a personality like that? Who knows how many thousands of years he has lived. But yeah, I also wouldn't mind if Arthur got a girl. That just might turn him into a man and stop his constant nagging.

[Ryllharu]

I kind of figured they were already headed toward a Limwris x Arthur pairing. In the episode where they met her, she seemed quite enamoured that he was a descendant of her previous Lord.

[Nadouku]

I wouldn't mind Arthur getting at least one girl either, but Arawn does have much more considerable authority and a lot more ties to other things than Arthur has. Besides, I think Arthur has Riannon. :p

[Ryllharu]

[Solstice] Tears to Tiara Eps 08 (h264) (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2008%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5B98F57857%5D. mkv.torrent)


Lydia and the Rublum really stole the episode (Miyuki Sawashiro, yay!). This is finally a true enemy for the Gaels to fight. They are coordinated, fearless, and above all else, highly disciplined. There are no "hero class" characters in their unit. No one stands out, and they all work as one single entity. It was very impressive. There wasn't a single instance where any of them engaged one-on-one with a Gael tribesman. Lydia is their leader, but even she lets the others assist her in every attack. In contrast, the Gaels and Arthur split apart and were easily drawn into traps. I'm surprised Morgan was even able to get the good stab on one that she got. This is the first series in a while where the enemy has been so overwhelmingly powerful without a hero character, like Touka or any of the other characters of Utawawerumono did before they switched sides.

I hope they are not any watered down in their future appearances. It would be very disappointing if they were only so strong here because they were used as a plot device to teach Arthur his lesson about overconfidence.

The bigger question is what are these 'scythes' that Gaius is collecting for the empire, and what role does the dead body packed in a crate that Octavia found play?

It seems that Octavia and Lydia have a past of their own.

[Penner]

Whack! Whack! They defeat them!

[Kraco]

The Rublum army certainly was a positive surprise. You knew things were going to go to hell the moment Arthur heedlessly attacked like a barbarian. Let's indeed hope this fight wasn't just a plot device. We might get good tactics if it wasn't. Although it's not like Arawn could train the tribe to fight like soldiers before the next battle.

Octavia in a pinch looks promising as well. The more she's betrayed by the Empire, the closer she gets to Arawn's side.

[shinta|hikari]

At this point, I don't really care which side Octavia is on, as long as she is on screen. The last episodes lack of her made it a little tedious for me.

[Buffalobiian]

Octavia in a pinch looks promising arousing as well.

:o Couldn't resist.

Good as solders are, how the hell do you survive getting nailed by a few logs? Cutting down arrows is usually a specialty reserved for named or awesome characters, so as Ryll said, these guys are good. I suppose they did especially name this section of the army.

I really think Lydia and Octavia seems to share the same sort of character. Difference is, while one as adopted her brother's standards as her own, another totally buys the Imperial Doctrine.

Oh, and Octavia's hotter.

[shinta|hikari]

Oh, and Octavia's hotter.

Quoted for truth.

The flames in the preview suggest a heated (lol) and desperate battle. I hope they win through strategy and not some power up from determination or that kind of nonsense.

[animus]

I played the game for like 10 minutes, but some of the character designs are vastly different. Kinda surprised me.

[Marik]

[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 09 [1280x720 h264 AAC][F129C3BF].mkv (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2009%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5BF129C3BF%5D. mkv.torrent)
[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 09 [704x400 XviD MP3][9725E5B5].avi (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2009%20%5B704x400%20XviD%20MP3%5D%5B9725E5B5%5D.a vi.torrent)

[Ryllharu]

I have to say, I loved the scene with Lidia and Octavia. Easily the best part of the episode. Lidia is batshit insane, and Miyuki Sawashiro played her perfectly. Between the variations in her voice where she would go from angry to happy to crying all in a few seconds, and that evil cackle, it left no doubt in your mind at all how truly broken Lidia is. A huge contrast to the controlled, calm, disciplined zealot we saw just one episode ago, and all because of a single other woman and a 30 second duel between them.

The Gaels had a thorough plan this episode, pulled it off beautifully, and showed that while they are unregulated in contrast to the Rublum, they are no less skilled or devastating. Not to mention that using fire against Lidia couldn't be more humiliating to her.

Now Octavia is in Avalon, and it looks like next episode will have the Gaels taming her. I see she and Morgan will already be close, which is perfect for comedy given their contrasting personalities and fighting styles.

[shinta|hikari]

I wonder if Arthur will lose (badly) when he spars with Octavia. If he does, I hope this gives him the opportunity to improve and be deserving of his spot as Arawn's right hand man.

[Kraco]

I'm sorely disappointed Octavia was wounded. It's likely she already realised how badass a swordsman Arawn is, but still that conclusion would be affected by the fact she knew she wasn't in full health. I have a bad feeling they won't bout again, but I'll keep hoping it still will happen in the next ep, because after that it would surely be too late.

Even Octavia In A Box looked dignified. She's quite a graceful woman.

[Penner]

I want a Octavia In A Box...

[shinta|hikari]

Octavia was not affected by the wound until Arawn himself noticed. She probably knew herself that Arawn can beat her even in perfect condition.

[Yukimura]

Lidia's crazy rambling was just delightful. I was quite impressed with the VA for coming across as that spastic for that long. The only thing I found wrong with the scene was that it had to end. Hopefully that won't be the last we see of crazy Lidia. Octavia may be dead sexy but few things worm their way into my heart like a good old fashioned murderous psycho girl.

[Buffalobiian]

Object of comfort for brawny men.......cutting all the clothes to ribbons........man, this episode had me going on all sorts of tangents. :o

Lidia was freaky as hell, yet her psychopathic mind is bound by the leash known as military discipline. Just the type of character I love to hate. Or hate to love, I can't tell which anymore.

As for shinta's question, I do think Octavia will completely flatten Arthur. Not in an utterly defeated way, but showing a completely different level of skill nevertheless. It'd be nice to see a bit of humiliation like in her previous fight too, just to stop Arthur from getting ahead of himself

[Kraco]

I'd also expect that to happen. Arthur looks like the kind of guy who has lots of natural potential, strength, agility, and spirit but little discipline and technique, so he beats any average or even somewhat good opponent but never the exceptional ones. Octavia seems like the prize student of an old swordsmanship school.

Arawn of course just has been fighting for a few thousand years...

[Nadouku]

Finally got around to watching the latest episodes. They were good, lots of action to cover. Somehow, I'm still rooting for Arthur to prove his competence against a good opponent. ;)

[Ryllharu]

I'd also expect that to happen. Arthur looks like the kind of guy who has lots of natural potential, strength, agility, and spirit but little discipline and technique, so he beats any average or even somewhat good opponent but never the exceptional ones. Octavia seems like the prize student of an old swordsmanship school.
Arawn describes Arthur the same way nearly every fight. Spunky, or enthusiastic, etc. Arthur is a incredibly skilled fighter, he can fights hordes of generic guys far better than all of his tribe, as definitely defeats them faster than any of the Gael's new companions. He even tends to take out more generic guys in a period of time than Arawn does. But he fails against a single style.

Arthur wastes a ton of energy. Arawn ends up the strongest fighter because he uses the least. They showed it quite well in the fighting sequence surrounded by flames. Arthur charges in and slashes three or four guys down in an instant, a couple of spins, blocks and bounces off one sword with a follow-up kill to another guy, spin back and they're done. Arawn uses minimum movement. He dodges blades by mere centimeters, twists his body just enough to move out of the way. He tends to advance more slowly too, and kills with completely utilitarian slashes and thrusts.

Octavia is somewhere in between. She dodges as little as possible too, but she uses flourishes and graceful thrusts. She is elegance to Arthur's fury. She'll expend less energy than Arthur will in a fight. So far, his endurance has kept him out of harm's way, but against a skilled opponent, he will wear himself out.

[Penner]

I really want to see Gaius fight more so we get a proper look at his skills, he seems to be totally badass.

[Kraco]

Harsh lessons by Octavia-sensei:

Episode 10 - Solstice (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2010%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5B770CE2C4%5D. mkv.torrent)



- - - - - - - - - - -





Edit: This episode wasn't quite as good as I had hyped myself to believe. I guess it contained too much mellow integration of Octavia into the Avalon people and too little swordplay. She didn't even beat Arthur like I was hoping, even though I'll still keep thinking she could have had it been a real fight. Hoping for a rematch between her and Arawn is totally futile now, of course.

Still, it's not like I wouldn't have enjoyed the ep.

[Ryllharu]

I could not help but marvel at how pretty Octavia looks when she is in her basic stance.

Anyhow, I was expecting more of the mellow integration and less swordplay, so I enjoyed this episode a lot. I thought the side plot with Morgan was a little rushed, but that might not be over with just yet judging by the preview. The only thing that disappointed me was that Arawn didn't gain a new wife. He's got three already, so I figured they were going for full harem in this series, but I guess that won't be the case with Octavia.

[Kraco]

Yeah. Octavia didn't interact at all with Arawn during this episode. Can't get new wives that way, naturally. Although to be honest he doesn't need any new ones since all the current ones are going unused already. Arthur would still need one so that he would cease to try to be one of Arawn's. I wouldn't be too happy if Octavia was wasted on somebody like Arthur, though, so it would need to be someone not yet introduced, probably.

[Nadouku]

Hmm, I liked this episode, since the main focus was on Octavia. At least, Arthur got to spar with her for a bit, even if it wasn't a real fight.

[Kraco]

As straight as a sword:

Episode 11 - Solstice (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2011%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5BFBD19216%5D. mkv.torrent)




- - - - - - - --



I felt the plot of this episode was a bit rotten. In a way that suggested they wanted to conclude the Lidia-Octavia matter promptly and with style but everything else was thrown in haphazardly just to serve that end. First of all: Why didn't Octavia tell she met the soldiers and what it was all about? And secondly what exactly changed in this battle compared to the previous one to make the Gael victorious? Although we didn't actually see the battle this time, but I reckon it's safe to assume Arawn's side won.

Well, at least, looking at the mushrooms, it's easy to guess why they have such a name. No doubt you will see many phantoms after eating them - if you avoid the fate of becoming one yourself.

Lidia and Octavia's past and present were nice enough, though, I admit that. Much more interesting than I'd have imagined.

[shinta|hikari]

One possible reason why Octavia didn't say anything because of her pride. If not obvious from this episode, Octavia has a lot of it. Making excuses (even if they are true) clearly isn't her nature, especially since she is so quiet. That is also the case with Lydia. Instead of telling her way before that it was her that held back in the duel, Octavia simply opted to shut her mouth.

Another possible reason would be she didn't think anyone would believe her, since she is a former enemy. Meeting with enemy soldiers at night is hardly the best way to earn trust, so she probably simply accepted that she lost that trust the moment Morgan etc. found out. Sometimes, it is harder to explain yourself in fear that they still won't believe you after you do, which usually hurts more. This is supported by the apparent joy/relief on Octavia's face when Morgan told her that she will trust her to the end.

The main difference in the battle this episode was that Arthur took command. When they charged, they focused on him giving orders (however simple they may be) to the army. That is a big difference compared to a mad charge without anyone organizing, which is much easier to confuse, scatter, and pick off one by one.

[Kraco]

Yeah, it looked really organized this time... I think somebody already talked about it earlier in speculation, but this was the worst way of turning the tables. Basically the only thing changed is that Arthur anymore didn't foolishly believe they can beat any enemy with a berserk charge. Yet still they charged, now only with a few commands given during it but nothing else much changed. What happened to the overpowering skills of the imperial soldiers? In the earlier battle Arthur's troops could hardly do anything against them.

I still don't see how telling early on and truthfully how things stand would have damaged Octavia more than lying. I don't even see how pride would have prevented that. How does being suspected, for a good reason, by everybody around you enhance your pride? I think on the contrary if she had immediately told Arawn about it and then let them judge her intentions, it would have given her a reason to remain proud; no matter what happened, she would have known she did the right thing and hid nothing.

They could have even captured a couple of imperial scouts if the others had known. It's possible she met them the first time by accident but then she met them a second time purposefully to give the negative answer.

[shinta|hikari]

Yeah, it looked really organized this time... I think somebody already talked about it earlier in speculation, but this was the worst way of turning the tables. Basically the only thing changed is that Arthur anymore didn't foolishly believe they can beat any enemy with a berserk charge. Yet still they charged, now only with a few commands given during it but nothing else much changed. What happened to the overpowering skills of the imperial soldiers? In the earlier battle Arthur's troops could hardly do anything against them.

I agree with you that it is unfortunate how it was not shown. But it is hardly impossible for them to win if they are more organized this time. It just means they executed some brilliant tactic that we weren't privy to, probably because the author got lazy. Oh, and let's add that the enemy leader left their ranks and got killed.


I still don't see how telling early on and truthfully how things stand would have damaged Octavia more than lying. I don't even see how pride would have prevented that. How does being suspected, for a good reason, by everybody around you enhance your pride? I think on the contrary if she had immediately told Arawn about it and then let them judge her intentions, it would have given her a reason to remain proud; no matter what happened, she would have known she did the right thing and hid nothing.

They could have even captured a couple of imperial scouts if the others had known. It's possible she met them the first time by accident but then she met them a second time purposefully to give the negative answer.

It was never about enhancing her pride. What I am trying to discuss is how a prideful person reacts to certain circumstances. Such reactions are not necessarily (or even usually) positive, as illustrated by Lydia and Octavia's story.

Octavia probably didn't tell on the soldiers because she was previously their ally. She is technically the one who betrayed her country in this case. Saying that she should rat out her previous allies who are proposing what they did will damage her pride. Octavia probably considers slyly capturing them now to get trust points from her new comrades quite cowardly. That is why she simply declined the proposal, and told them about her defection.

Octavia didn't know that someone saw her contacting those soldiers. She probably thought that she could simply reject their offer and that would be the end of it, partly out of respect for their former alliance. When she found out that Morgan knew, she either didn't want to make excuses for her careless (easy to misunderstand) actions, or she didn't want to explain then still not be believed. Both of these possibilities are speculation, but they are hardly unlikely considering her character and current circumstances.

[Kraco]

I still won't agree with you. First of all, she wasn't the one betraying but the one betrayed. She was clubbed in the head in a dark storage room, closed into a box, and worst of all had to suffer through Lidia's speech gagged, unable to offer a single opposing argument (that's torture already). If she had told those imperial soldiers when they met for the first time (for whatever reason) that she wouldn't guarantee their safety the second time through, it would have been alright to "betray" them. That's what she should have done in order to remain a prideful, honourable swordsman.

You can't serve both masters of two parties in a war.

Whether she knew or not that she was seen has got nothing to do with honour or righteous pride. Well, in the end with Arawn as the leader everything's possible. The dude is too relaxed to overly worry about the past or the present or the future. Which remind me of the fact that there's still very little Octavia-Arawn interaction. I wonder if Octavia can't handle a man like that due to her upbringing and all the time in the military.

[shinta|hikari]

Hey, it is speculation so you don't have to agree with me at all. All I am saying is we should use some imagination in such cases.

About the betrayal thing, again you speak from a detached point of view. Have you forgotten how Octavia acted when she fought Arawn for the first time? She was already "betrayed" then, yet she still wanted to sacrifice her life just to kill as many of the "enemy" (including Arawn, who practically saved her life twice and she knew it) as possible. She did eventually decide to side with Arawn, but that doesn't mean that she has completely cut off all ties with her previous allies. That is just the type of character she is, extremely loyal, mainly stemming from her pride as a warrior. Is it correct? Maybe not, but that is not the issue.

I agree with you that it would have been perfectly alright to betray those soldiers if we are talking about what is "just", but we are talking about why Octavia did what she did. Acting out of pride is not equivalent to acting just. Heck, Octavia and Lydia tried to kill each other because of their pride, and one of them died because of that same pride. I would hardly call their actions righteous (especially Lydia's). I mentioned this from my first post, so you can't say that you mistook my saying pride as only righteous pride.

EDIT: By not killing those soldiers the first time they met (probably by accident), and agreeing to meet them again, there is already an unwritten agreement that she cannot betray. Meeting them again with an ambush party would have soiled her warrior's pride forever, that is unless they don't keep up their end of the bargain as well (which they didn't by trying to coerce Octavia by kidnapping the kid). Octavia would never do what you suggested (ask them to meet again then capturing them with a group). It just doesn't fit her character at all. If she wanted to capture an enemy soldier, she would have done it the moment they first met, killing most of them and keeping one for interrogation.

Her decision to not report the enemy soldiers and meet them again is not equivalent to serving two masters. She did that to completely cut off her ties with her previous master. She was probably trying to sort out her feelings after they made the proposal, and knowing that it is her decision to stay with Arawn's side that brought upon such a situation, she was just trying to take responsibility.

Anyway, that is enough from me on this matter. I just wanted to show why I like Octavia as a character so much. She isn't "pure" or one-sided. She hated Lydia for going easy on her, enough to do the same to her and insult her pride in the worse way possible. She doesn't always make the best decisions (contrary to what one would expect from her character type). Yet despite all this, she still has a kind, caring and undeniably mentally strong side.

[Kraco]

Might be enough from you, but I still feel like I need to point out a strange assumption in your theory: That Octavia actually wanted to meet those bullies for a second time. I think it's more like they came to hang around the castle and Octavia sensed them and went to ask what they want again (though she obviously knew what they wanted, but I don't think it was really an arranged meeting as such). Who knows, but if someone tries to extort you, isn't it harder on the pride not to do anything about it?

Well, I do get your point partially. It wasn't probably that easy for her to let go of her background, even if these secret police dudes aren't exactly her former comrades.

[Buffalobiian]

I can totally understand why Octavia didn't speak up. I'm sort of that type as well. While not always the smartest thing to do, I don't always feel like explaining myself for the simple reason that it can look bad. Sometimes if you're overexplaining, it's like you're begging someone to accept your reasons and believe you. You might also further extrapolate that to mean you did something that required you to explain yourself, almost like you did something "wrong".

Later on, the truth comes out without your active "explaining", and they find out it was their own fault/ovethinking that screwed shit up.

Of course, "later on" doesn't always happen, nor are you "fault free" for not dispelling the suspcion, hence it's not exactly smart. But proud? Yes.

----------------------------------

Not that the other wives are clinging to Arawn much save for Rhiannon, but Octavia never clung to her at all to begin with. From what I know, that's slightly different from the source material. It's a good thing though. For now at least, I can't see Octavia being submissive to anyone else.

Her pairing with Arthur would just be plain weird. There's no match at all. I've read some people speculating a pairing here due to their previous duel, but that was more a "warriors-accepting-each-other" thing to me.

Regarding that fight, though it was a little disappointing Octavia didn't win, it boosted Aurthor's reputation as a swordsman. Octavia found it very difficult to win outright against Aurthur despite her theoretically superior style because of one thing - Author's got an absurd amount of stamina and strength. It's like telling Naruto rasengans aren't energy efficient - that's not an issue.

Still, learning from Octavia can only do him good.

[Kraco]

Not that the other wives are clinging to Arawn much save for Rhiannon, but Octavia never clung to her at all to begin with. From what I know, that's slightly different from the source material. It's a good thing though. For now at least, I can't see Octavia being submissive to anyone else.

I'm not even counting Octavia as one of Arawn's wives, and by the looks of it she might never become one. So, I'm not actually talking about any romantic interaction. After her fight with Arthur I'm not even wishing for another bout between her and Arawn either, because it wouldn't anymore mean anything seeing how she's barely better than Arthur.

However, since it is like that, Octavia showing no interest in entering Arawn's bedchamber, I think their interaction could be even better occasionally. She would see Arawn for what he actually is, not as a hubby.

[animus]

I wasn't sure in the context, did Octavia imply she was in love with Lidia romantically, or as very close friends?

[Kraco]

To be totally honest, I got lesbian vibes from that scene, which is also one reason why I judged she won't become one of Arawn's wives in the anime. On the other hand, Lidia is now dead, so any manner of development could happen. I'm also sure that if there really was (romantic) love there, it was all platonic and nothing concrete ever happened.

[Penner]

Gimme some Octavia & Morgan lesbian action, w00 w00 ;p

[Buffalobiian]

I got lesbian vibes from that scene.

I thought it was, which is why I'm glad Octavia's the the sword Master. Without any potential romantic interests, at least we'll see the affectionate side of her when she's handing the kids. (worded kind of strangely there, but whatever.)


Gimme some Octavia & Morgan lesbian action, w00 w00 ;p

Octavia action? Certainly, though if I got to pick, I'll take any elf other than Morgan.

[shinta|hikari]

Octavia and Lydia made the best pair. I just really don't like noisy, and dumb characters like Morgan.

I disliked Lydia at first because I thought she was bat nuts, but after her story was explained, I kind of sympathized with her situation. I also extremely hate it when people go easy on me, especially if it is a serious competition. There needs to be a doujin with those two as main characters. Heck, if they don't make one soon, I might as well make (a very very short) one myself.

[Yukimura]

I'll miss not having any more chances for more crazy Lydia speeches but the yuri vibes now associated with her memory will ease the pain of her passing.

Octavia's behavior did get on my nerves and hurt her standings in my mind though. Pride is an understandable explanation but I don't consider it an excuse for such recklessness. It would have been nice to hear the conversation between her and the soldiers the first time, especially if they threatened something if she told anyone about encountering them. Without something like that to latch onto my natural pessimism makes me see her behavior as callous disregard for anyone else's say in their own safety because she was so confident in how speshul she was that she believed she could handle it all alone. Seeing it like that I can't help but remember Arthur getting handed a hearty slice of humble pie for a similar attitude not too long ago.

[Nadouku]

Quite a good episode, although Morgan's jump to conclusion was a bit hasty, but at least she still trusts Octavia "till the end".

[Buffalobiian]

Solstice - Episode 12 (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2012%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5BB0F26086%5D. mkv.torrent)

[Kraco]

Quite an irrelevant episode. Although it did build Riannon's (foolish) character. I guess she did buy her easy escape with her stew and saving that one wounded man, but otherwise it was a dodgy show. Like how she got caught in the first place. It's supposed to be her own forest already, the Imperials being the strangers, so why did she get caught so easily? She must possess zero forest and ranger lore, after all. A damn city girl. A fairy? Give me a fucking break.

Once again I'm getting tired of Arthur. Arawn is a real saint of infinite patience.

The next ep is potentially better, based on the preview.

[Nadouku]

Well, not such a bad episode of talking between Riannon and Gaius, but I really liked how she just totally skipped over Arthur, making him a sad man once again. :p

I look forward to the next episode, too. It has been a long time since we've seen Arthur do something good other than the "light victory" over Octavia (can't find another word for it).

[Buffalobiian]

I didn't really mind all the Riannon development. IIt reinforced that Gaius isn't that much of a bad guy, but more a "rival" type of enemy without all the hate.

By far the most interesting development comes with the return of Taliesin. He's screaming "I'm a historian" like Arawn. Either that, or he's naturally shrewd with both words and swords. If there was a word to describe them from the preview it would be flamboyant.

---------------------------------

About Gaius wandering in, that's a huge insult to the Gael tribe. You'd think after the episode with Lydia's troops spying around they'd dispatch patrols or something.

Edit: And was there even a need for bandages??

[Penner]

Ye why did she send that guy for bangades 'n stuff, wasnt even a tiny scratch left after the healing, maybe the bandages was for wrapping around his torso for support incase hes still sore or some such -.-

[shinta|hikari]

It was probably in case she failed to heal the wound completely.

[Buffalobiian]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 13 - Brigantes [65B9E5A8].mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=72611)

[Penner]

Meh, decent ep.

[Buffalobiian]

I know it was meant to be all noble and all, but to me, Arthur's "victory" over the Minstrel felt cheap. It's funny how the same could be said about the Minstrel's trick with the wound, but to me, that felt more cunning and smart. I think it's got to do with how "pure" Arthur was acting. He's almost like a child, and it feels bad to take the victory from them when they (foolishly) act like that.

The Minstrel, on the other hand, told you he's good to go, so it would be the Gael's fault for underestimating him.

He's too dense to notice the Minstrel's the next-in-line, aka Chief.

[shinta|hikari]

I'm starting to get tired of not seeing Arawn fight. He could have massacred that guy easily.

I would understand if he wanted to keep himself safe since he is the leader, but betting his own life on the duel contradicts this.

I would also understand if he was betting on Arthur's naivety to win over the hearts of the onlookers, but Arawn's surprise when he realized Arthur dislocated his own arm contradicts this.

I would also understand if Arawn wanted Arthur to grow as a warrior so he let him fight, but Arthur's naivety (a negative trait for a warrior) was only reinforced with what happened, so unless Arawn horribly failed in his prediction, this is also unlikely.

What logical reason would there be for Arawn to not fight in such cases? It only makes sense to send the best warrior to fight the duel, and Arawn is hands down that person/demon lord.

[Marik]

[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 13 [1280x720 h264 AAC] [7EBBFAF4].mkv (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2013%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5B7EBBFAF4%5D. mkv.torrent)

[Kraco]

I'd guess Arawn expected Arthur to settle it in a manner resulting in neither getting killed. Maybe he simply was surprised by the method. He might have thought Arthur would beat the dude yet let him live without humiliation. He told Arthur to kill the bard, but that could have been just building pressure to help Arthur come up with an opposite solution. In the end they were seeking allies, not vassals, like was demonstrated by how Arawn so quickly turned around and left.

What exactly is Gaius waiting for? That all the rebellious tribes gather together and he can slay them all in one fell swoop?

[Penner]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 14 - White Spirit [720p][A3F040AE].mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=73793)

Ogre fight was sweet, kinda short tho ;P

Looks like things are heating up for Gaius, and i get the feeling Arawn and this Myrrdin fellow was more than just BFF's ^_^

[Buffalobiian]

Seems like Octavia still lacks power in her swings when it really counts. Not surprising for one of her build though. The ogre fight was indeed pretty cool, but I'm not sure what to think about Octavia getting splattered all over her face with warm body fluids blood.Adding realism to the fight was a nice touch, but at the cost of tainting Octavia

Now that we've moved on from expanding Arawn's female harem to something bigger, I find it much more enjoyable to see how Arawn and Rhiannon are really the only "real" couple. Rightly so too, since Arawn got the title "Chief of Gaels" from her.

I guess after everybody's "ZOMG, it's Arawn-sama" frenzy, she's the only one that cares.

[Yukimura]

I know what I think about the whole blood splatter situation, it was hot. While I certainly find Octavia's typical icy demeanor and fighting style awesome seeing her get kind of 'ragey' and brutal had an appeal all its own. The blood splatter was like icing on the cake and then her sort of shocked reaction helped to transition her back into her normal mode.

As to the plot that is apparently emerging Myrddin AKA Merlin is usually a pretty interesting character and hopefully that trend will continue in ToT. I would hope we'll learn more about the relationship between Arawn and the other apparently magical beings on that mural.

[Nadouku]

The animation was better than usual in this episode, and it was well-made, especially the battles that proceeded after entering the tomb. Poor Gaius gets ridiculed about Arawn being a "normal human", though he certainly could have acted earlier.

[Marik]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 15 - Candid [E49D3B16].mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=74938)

[Penner]

woot! so soon after 14 :P, awesome!

[Marik]

Not really. Ep 14 was out a week ago on the 7th. I was trying to hold out for Solstice, but I gave up.

[Buffalobiian]

They had to ruin a cliffhanger. Were they really that desperate for another 10 seconds of footage?

Even if afterwards we realise Arawn *can't* possibly die halfway through the series, it was still appropriate to end it there.

As for the story.....what the hell?

So Arawn was good during the Elves' Age, died, turned white and killed Arthur's dad, died, rose from the dead and became tribe leader. :confused:

At first I was thinking Arthur shared Pwyll's memories like Rhiannon did, and got confused between the two. Thing is, Rhiannon could tell which was real and which wasn't. It doesn't make sense that Arthur couldn't neither, unless their (Arthur and boy-in-flashback) fathers looked the same, leading to the wut-da? timeline above.

The easiest solution is that whoever killed Arthur's father disguised themselves as Arawn. Not that it makes much sense neither.

[Kraco]

The easiest solution is that whoever killed Arthur's father disguised themselves as Arawn. Not that it makes much sense neither.

Or all the Spirits are considered the same, and are nasty folks. Arawn turned black, becoming good. Still, he held himself accountable for all that the Spirits did. Who knows, maybe they all were called Arawn...

Due to the fact Arawn was supposed to have died ages ago and was only resurrected a little while ago, it's hard to believe he could have personally killed Arthur's dad. Regardless, unless it was some witless plot of his, it's hard to imagine he would have risked the life of his body for nothing.

One thing is sure, though: Arthur reached an all time low once again. That dude never ceases to amaze.

About the time Gaius actually launches his attack. Was he seriously just waiting for the never-to-come reinforcements all this time? He's not nearly as tough as I thought.

[Buffalobiian]

Solstice - Episode 14 (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=torrentinfo&tid=75012) for those who care.

[Penner]

Building up to some Gaius action, ive looked forward to seeing him fight since we first saw him, so they better fucking deliver.

[shinta|hikari]

Arthur is really ruining my attachment to the name (mainly coming from King Arthur, and Arturia from FSN). He is simply retarded, and yet gets so much screen time. Reminds me of Shirou all over again.

[Kraco]

He is simply retarded, and yet gets so much screen time. Reminds me of Shirou all over again.

As much as I disliked Shirou, he was never as bad as Arthur. At least Shirou gave everybody the benefit of doubt, sometimes far too much so, but Arthur, however, simply wants to kill everybody he suddenly doesn't like for arbitrary reasons, even if that person happened to be the savior of his tribe and his leader and killing him might ruin everything he has worked for... The man is a psychopath, loud and clear. Actually he's a psychopath with a split personality. That could be even a cool trait in certain kinds of characters but no trait is cool in Arthur.

[shinta|hikari]

Yeah, because he almost killed his leader because of those traits. LOL

I find it incredibly weird how none of the people watching from behind thought of trying to stop Arthur, especially when he started mumbling "I will kill you." towards their leader. Octavia could have easily knocked him out considering his enraged state.

[Buffalobiian]

I wonder how much of Arthur's actions were his own thoughts, and how much was influenced by the surrounding magic. They only mentioned Gravitron or whatever his name is that effects elves, but given how someone might well be framing Arawn for the ex-leader's murder, who knows if that spellcaster was giving Arthur that little push into the murderous state he was in.

Not that it changes anything, I still hate Arthur for being a dumbass all the same.

[Kraco]

It should not be forgotten the attack only happened because Arawn let it happen. Maybe even wanted it to happen. Clearly he is in some way connected to Arthur's dad demise, though whether he did it himself (despite lying in a grave) or whether it was done by another spirit, is yet to be revealed. If he just wanted Arthur to have his revenge and thus get the matter out of burdening Arthur's pitifully small mind, it was surely a personally painful way to do it...

If some outside force was driving Arthur forward, it still doesn't change the fact he was so ultimately weak he allowed that force to take over himself and attacked his leader. It's not enough for a good warrior to have strength and speed, also a solid mind is needed and that's where Arthur has failed through-out the whole story.

[Marik]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 16 - The Reason to Fight [720p][F4C685A0].mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=75899)

[Penner]

Aaaw YEAH, thats the shit!

Decapitations, splitting bodies in two, dragon transformations!

Kick ASS!

[Marik]

indeed. It was bloody mess and I liked it.

[Buffalobiian]

Bloody good action. I guess when it comes to hacking up humanoid pig-beasts, the studio has no qualms about dicing them up however you like.

Ogam's transformation was a surprise. I was expecting it to be big, but more of the generic, leaner, scaly type. Instead we got a treat seeing a Super-Sayan-esque bulk up of something best described as demonic.

That was pretty cool.

Personally, I wouldn't have liked a leader like Rhiannon. That whole Genki attitude just doesn't quite cut it for me. Leadership aside, I think it's important knowing what instructions to give, not have them follow it.

Octavia has much more charisma than Rhiannon in my opinion, as well as the military knowledge to back it up. I'll just have to settle with that the Gaels actually know how to protect their own ass and just needs their First Lady to tell them they'll be fine.

Arthur....man, it's like those pledges corrupted up his brain capacity and gets a write-error malfunction if you tell him otherwise. They should have left out all the headache parts. If he doesn't understand anything outside of honour, that's fine. He's narrow-minded.

But to have him get a headache from it...what is he, retarded?

My favourite part would still have to be Octavia and Morgan's tandem gate climbing. There was a nice shot of Octavia's legs without feeling it was out-of-place fanservice.

Points for the improvised rusty missile too.

Edit: [Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 15 [1280x720 h264 AAC][364F8001].mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=75958)

[Ryllharu]

Ogam's transformation was a surprise. I was expecting it to be big, but more of the generic, leaner, scaly type. Instead we got a treat seeing a Super-Sayan-esque bulk up of something best described as demonic.


Personally, I wouldn't have liked a leader like Rhiannon. That whole Genki attitude just doesn't quite cut it for me. Leadership aside, I think it's important knowing what instructions to give, not have them follow it.

Octavia has much more charisma than Rhiannon in my opinion, as well as the military knowledge to back it up. I'll just have to settle with that the Gaels actually know how to protect their own ass and just needs their First Lady to tell them they'll be fine.
Ogam being a dragon, that was a bit of a surprise, but a lot about him made sense after hearing it. His appearance on the other hand, was not a surprise in the slightest. If you've seen the other Leaf series, Utawawerumono, it is all too familiar. They even show what Ogam's dragon form resembles in the Utawawerumono OP.

[ Those responding to or agreeing with me: I chose my words carefully,keep it spoiler free please ].

I disagree with Octavia potentially being a better leader than Rhiannon as well. Rhiannon possesses a great deal of aspects that make her far more worthy of the Gaels respect so that she might lead them than Octavia. On the base level, she's is a Gael, rather than a conquered tribe former citizen of the Empire. She's also the first daughter of the tribe. That and her demeanor has made her like a mother (or older sister) to the entire tribe. She has never shown anything less than absolute compassion, concern, and care for her people. She projects an aura that she will do everything in her power to keep them alive, and on more than a few occasions, that is precisely how she has exerted her magical abilities. The tribe in turn can put their faith in her commands because they know she would never throw their lives away with a foolish decision.

Rhiannon also has all the power to back up her command of armies. Her brother, Octavia and Arawn may all be able to strike down enemies with their blades, mostly in a clean and efficient manner, but Rhiannon can crush every bone in her opponents' bodies with a brisk wave of her staff. She is also the tribe's Oracle, and has foreseen a number of events. I really wonder how many of the tribe could actually defeat Rhiannon one on one if both sides were serious. Rhiannon has not simply sat at home while her tribe goes off. She fights with them, hunts with them, and takes care of them on and off the battlefield.

She was not simply telling them that everything will be alright. She did that to revitalize their morale. Rhiannon commanded the troops on the battlements, and it is clear that since no troops of the Empire have yet to breech Avalon's walls, that she is quite the competent leader.

[shinta|hikari]

I agree with the fact that Octavia is not a good candidate simply because she is not a Gael. The other factors are generally equal, balanced by the two girls different strengths and weaknesses.

[Buffalobiian]

Okay, I'll agree with most of the good points Ryll has managed to bring up about Rhiannon, in particular her birth status and as the Oracle.

I've got somewhat mixed impressions about her offensive abilities though. She's shown she's capable of using that spell in battle, but the rare occurrence of us seeing it might say something about the mana it requires.

That, or she's usually playing the medic role.

In either case, the fact that we don't see her in action much compared to everybody else makes me doubt her combat experience. That old Gael probably has more.

In my eyes, her role should be somewhat similar to what she played while in the Imperial camp. She should have no problems with easing people's feelings, but leading a battle is another.

Reason why I said should is because this episode showed her spilling out a few "tactics". (stick together, lower/retrieve drawbridge). Again, this is where I'm comparing with other candidates, and wonder if that old Gael could've done an equally good job.


-------------------------------------
My other "issue" with her is as Octavia says, her leadership lacks a tense atmosphere. While being too tense will lower performance, being tense to a degree could increase awareness and caution, while a complete lack could lead to carelessness and overconfidence.

That (^) argument is probably much more subjective than the rest though. It just rubbed me the wrong way.

[shinta|hikari]

I do think that a gentle and lax military leadership is unheard of (because it won't work), but hey, this is TTT, where a general lets the enemy leader's 1st wife go even if she could have been a precious hostage.

[Nadouku]

Hoho, a bunch of fights going on at once! I wasn't surprised at Ogam's transformation due to the fact that he used magic and had a dragon staff as his weapon, but it did look cool. Looks like Arthur will be rejoining them for combat before that huge siege weapon hits.

[Buffalobiian]

I wonder what manner of reinforcements Gaius will get this time. Whatever he thought he'd get last time, it wasn't zombies.

[Marik]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 17 - For Friends - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=77324) | MegaUpload (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=EUM4XZSG)

[Buffalobiian]

-The ram wasn't exactly a very exciting surprise, but it must have been a nice gift for the assaulting soldiers.

-Honestly, if Gaius could detect that guy snooping in his tent, Arawn must have noticed him snooping around his lands too. It's not like he had spies in the Empire to tell him it would stir up shit though, so in that sense it was a pretty bold (or stupid) move not to kill him when he had the chance.

-Electrum Golems must be hard to defeat.

[EpyonNext]

LOL HAYS GUYZ I GOT A GREAT IDEA! IMMA LEAD A REVOLT AGAINST THE EMPIRE BUT FIRST I AM GONNA KILL OFF A SIZABLE AND FORMIDABLE FORCE THAT WOULD MOST LIKELY HELP ME DESTROY THE EMPIRE!!! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

/sarcasm

[Buffalobiian]

It's not like it makes zero sense, however.

Defeating Arawn is the only way for Gaius to go back to the empire with power.

A powerless man gathering troops is bound to be suspicious.

You could argue that siding with Arawn would give him better chances of succeeding, but:

a) He's interested in ruling, not letting Arawn/Gaels rule
b) Siding with Arawn would mean an all-out war against the Empire. Going back, then starting a revolution would require less troops and allow him to situate troops around the capital undetected before the revolt.

[Ryllharu]

He is trying to be like Caesar (obvious parallel btw). With victory in the field, he will have the backing of the common people for being a returning hero, and (hopefully) a great deal of respect with the army because they know firsthand that he is a capable leader. With those two groups backing him, he could overthrow the senate and possibly the aristocracy.

However, I wouldn't count on the military backing him after the tremendous losses he is incurring against Avalon. This is one of the reasons the senate is shaming him, and it is especially bad because they are "uncultured barbarians" who have neither the percieved organization nor technological advantage when it comes to war machines. I guess most aren't considering magic or the fact that many of the living elves have sided with or sent representatives to Arawn.

[EpyonNext]

One counterpoint to all this.

The Gaels are a long ways from the empire, and Gaius just killed off their only set of eyes and ears. What would keep him in this situation from just getting the Gaels to join up with him, head back to the empire in glorious victory and just say he slaughtered them all. At this point I get the impression from the soldier he was talking to that all his men are behind him, also fed up with the empires shit, would be willing the not open their mouths (at least I assume that was the point of that whole scene). I'm just saying theres a much larger tactical advantage to be given by allying with the Gaels instead of wholesale slaughter.

[Ryllharu]

But wouldn't all it take to ruin that is a very generous "pay raise" from a senator to some random dipshit greedy soldier who isn't quite so behind Gaius? Gaius' soldiers aren't like Lidia's Rublum soldiers, who were fiercely displined and zealots to her leadership.

Gaius would have to be absolutely certain in his men if he was going to try that angle.

[Marik]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 18 - Return [720p] - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=78537) | MegaUpload (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1MMCD6Z8)

[Kraco]

What would keep him in this situation from just getting the Gaels to join up with him, head back to the empire in glorious victory and just say he slaughtered them all... I'm just saying theres a much larger tactical advantage to be given by allying with the Gaels instead of wholesale slaughter.

Gaius is an Empire man, not interested in allying with savage tribes if it isn't for simple tactical advantage after which he could easily get rid of them. Gaels, on the other hand, have an eternal tradition of trying to stay away from the Empire. The last thing they would want is to try to replace one emperor with another that even has a history of harassing them and kidnapping their precious Riannon, no less. Gaels would have nothing to do with Gaius, most likely, short of an armistice to get rid of him, even if just for a while.

So, I don't think an alliance theory of any kind has much basis at all. These aren't chess players but peoples with long histories and different cultures, like their oft irrational actions have quite forcefully proven.

[Buffalobiian]

Gaius talked way too long for a dead guy. Given how hard Arthur sliced him the amount of gore was ridiculously small. That scene would have been much better if he asked for a favour, called him a king and told him to succeed his ambition all in a few words.

The eye-shadow was very off-putting as well. What's wrong with the regular shade of black? Sure, it's been used and reused frequently during these past few years, but turning him into Re-l Mayer (Ergo Proxy) doesn't make it any better.

Arawn's scenes were much better in comparison. Him simply just being there radiates so much confidence that he just needs to blast a door and stand there. Gaius, on the other hand seemed totally out of character.

He completely had the upper hand in that fight too, smashing Arthur all over the place. Him missing that last swing just like that seems a bit unbelievable.



As for Octavia yuri,

You can never have too much Octavia yuri.

[shinta|hikari]

Octavia and Morgan yuri was... well YURI. What more can I say?

The whole scene after the fight between Dipshit and Gaius was kind of absurd, and is probably the direction I dreaded the most. Why does Arthur need to be the future King?

The fight was going great, then some random plot device had to make Arthur win without any valid reason or prior indication. This was probably one of the worst executed fights in TTT.

[Marik]

You can never have too much Octavia yuri.
Indeed. I just wish it was with someone else, though. Damn it, why did Lidia have to die?

[Nadouku]

That Lord of the Rings reference was sweet, and I was hoping for Gaius's force to break into the castle before Ogam and Arthur's force came, but oh well, it was still cool. I didn't mind the short battle between Arthur and Gaius, though I wish they did make it longer.

[Kraco]

Not that I'd ever desire to defend Arthur, but Gaius's sword was meant for slicing horses in two or five men at once in the middle of a blind charge into enemy rows, not fighting against a single extremely agile and fast opponent. It was a nobrainer Gaius couldn't last long. Although Arthur trying to block all of those rock shattering swings was inane.

A decent episode otherwise, I suppose. Though I'd have liked to see Arawn fight a bit more, but maybe he's saving his strength to be able to beat the dude with a fiery sense of humour...

[shinta|hikari]

If Gaius sword was meant for slicing horses, all those times that Arthur took it head on, his sword should have broken and his body crushed, but it didn't. Realism is simply not important in this show. What made that fight look idiotic was, Gaius was completely overwhelming Arthur, then all of a sudden, he dies. How difficult would it be to replace a few of the Arthur bashing scenes (while I like them) with scenes showing him slowly gain the upper hand?

[Kraco]

Arthur had an upper hand from the beginning when it was shown Gaius's sword couldn't break Arthur's sword. Arthur took some beating for sure, but it only seemed to make him more determined. So, in short, Gaius had no effective means of attacking Arthur, because the heavy and cumbersome sword prevented him from hitting Arthur directly instead of his adamantium blade.

We all hate Arthur and his new meak friendship attitude makes him no more likable, but it doesn't automatically mean he's weaker in combat than some badass looking enemy. Thinking Gaius must have been stronger and only lost due to story elements is a predisposition, not an objective analysis.

[Buffalobiian]

I don't agree that since Gaius couldn't break Arthur's sword that it automatically gives him a disadvantage. Even if it doesn't smash the object, Gaius's swings carried much more momentum and power. Each time Arthur blocks them, the shocks should travel up the sword and damage his wrists. We've also seen him get knocked flying several times. Judging from Gaius's expressions and gait, his own attacks aren't tiring him out like you'd expect.

Gaius never showed much weakness to Arthur's attempt neither. Every time Arthur charged at him, he either hit his blade directly, or kicked up so much debris that it confused and hurt Arthur anyway. There's no proof that Gaius is proficient at his dust-blind-smash tactic, but given he's got experience with that sword, it's not that unlikely.

What's more is that Arthur's comeback was so sudden. The way Gaius so obviously had the upperhand, it's almost like he slipped and missed. If Arthur was becoming more determined with each hit, it certainly didn't show.

[Kraco]

How was it sudden? Arthur is now a bit harder to read because he's not anymore as hot-headed and single-mindedly idiotic as he was before his "great revelation", but you can surmise he was learning Gaius's movements and tactics during the whole exchange of blows, and then at a suitable point ended the fight simply and gracefully like we saw. For that is how a fight with deadly weapons optimally ends.

Gaius was so full of his own ambition that he considered Arthur hardly worth fighting in the first place. He was only seeing himself marching to the throne room, getting rid of Arawn and the whole tribe and then returning to the Empire to claim the crown. He only saw Arthur for the first time in the first place when he realised Arawn wasn't interested in ruling but making Arthur a ruler. But it was too late at that point anymore.

Besides, dust-blind-smash tactic not only blinds your opponent but yourself as well. With Gaius having a monster sword like that, Arthur had little worries of getting surprised when he made his own move after Gaius's swing. Gaius was a fine swordsman, but his inappropriate choice for a weapon decided the winner of this bout.

[shinta|hikari]

Maybe we just saw it differently, so it would be pointless to argue. I just hope they showed a bit more indication of Arthur realizing something (or any change in battle circumstances for that matter) that allowed him to land that blow after being roughed up so much (yet strangely not getting seriously injured, maybe his body is as tough as his head).

[Marik]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 19 - Child of the Night [720p] - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=79693) | MegaUpload (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SXU9H4RJ)

---

I like the new ED.

[Marik]

http://home.comcast.net/%7Esupergotenks/T3BD1StickupPosterMini.jpg (http://www.mediafire.com/?u1ry0t0gjen) ................ http://home.comcast.net/%7Esupergotenks/T3BD2StickupPosterMini.jpg (http://www.mediafire.com/?avvwymthdom)

Above are the stickup posters for T3’s Blu-ray Vol 1 and 2. Click on each for the gigantic version.

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 20 - Lucifer [720p] - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=80975) | MegaUpload (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MH6XZ84J)

Update: There’s a mistake at 20:00 where the script reads just “c”. It should have been “I guess you don’t know of spring.”

[Buffalobiian]

That was an eye-opener of an episode that explains .....well, everything. It explains why each age ended as abruptly as it did, why new races sprung up seemingly immediately, why the spirits are siding with the Empire.......

....and why the hell Arawn puts up with a guy like Arthur. Seriously, seeing the young Lucifer was like seeing Arthur. While Arthur was bound by his pledges and ideal as the First Warrior, Arawn was equally blinded by his obsession for the White Spirits.

Arthur seems pretty enlightened by now, so maybe Arawn won't have to die to boost him into kingship. I actually wouldn't mind if Arawn dies by the end though, since I would expect it to be well done.

[Marik]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 21 - The Song of Origin [720p] - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=82125) | MegaUpload (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=87IO6F2O)

[Buffalobiian]

That was kind of random.

It didn't get emotional until the merchant elf started mourning, and when the mood actually started to kic--

-- let's cut to ED2 now shall we?

[Marik]

Speaking of ED2...

[Nipponsei] Tears to Tiara ED2 Single - Weeping alone [Yuuki Aira].zip (http://tracker.minglong.org/torrents/%5BNipponsei%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20ED2%20Singl e%20-%20Weeping%20alone%20%5BYuuki%20Aira%5D.zip.torren t)

[Marik]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 22 - Dyrnwyn [720p] - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=83492) | MegaUpload (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=AIDZ2CZ9)

---

[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 16 [1280x720 h264 AAC][AD573E35].​mkv (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2016%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5BAD573E35%5D. mkv.torrent)
[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 17 [1280x720 h264 AAC][4103E586].​mkv (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2017%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5B4103E586%5D. mkv.torrent)
[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 18 [1280x720 h264 AAC][B30BDD01].​mkv (http://a.scarywater.net/solstice/%5BSolstice%5D%20Tears%20to%20Tiara%20-%2018%20%5B1280x720%20h264%20AAC%5D%5BB30BDD01%5D. mkv.torrent)
[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 19 [1280x720 h264 AAC][66740EBF].​mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=84050)
[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 20 [1280x720 h264 AAC][CFEEE7EF].​mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=84052)
[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 21 [1280x720 h264 AAC][DE507BD1].​mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=84053)

[Marik]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 23 - Palladium [720p] - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=84871) | MegaUpload (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UOO0ZIEA)

[Buffalobiian]

That was kind of random.

It didn't get emotional until the merchant elf started mourning, and when the mood actually started to kic--

-- let's cut to ED2 now shall we?

And the randomness reaches a new height.

Random sword unlocks random structure.

Random lava triggers random teleportation device.

Random mayor starts random battle

Random cauldron is unguarded

Main characters randomly become immune to the effects of Magic Crushing Obelisk in order to leave.

I just thought this episode was really really <<insert "R" word here>>.

Anyway, because of that I didn't like this episode much. It wasn't unwatchable, but there was nothing going for it. The only thing that stood out to me as well-done was the music background when Rhiannon (and I must say it again) randomly got her powers and was randomly somehow freed from the pain spell.

[shinta|hikari]

The last few episodes of this show have sucked so badly that no one has commented on them. This show really disappointed me. Everything went downhill after the Octavia arc.

[Marik]

The last few episodes of this show have sucked so badly
So true. I've lost so much interest in this show that I don't really care how it ends.

[Kraco]

I couldn't agree more with Bill. Random seems to be the keyword of this series these days. Whoever they hired to write the anime script must have quit before finishing the job and afterwards the director has simply tried to heedlessly stuff scenes from the game into the anime (assuming these things happened in the game).

It's a real pity. This show has some promise in the beginning and the setting alone would have allowed much awesome. But in the end it was all more or less wasted. Arawn himself is a completely wasted character.

[shinta|hikari]

Everyone, especially Octavia and excluding Arthur, is a wasted character. Arthur was a waste to begin with.

The thing with randomness is, it could have been easily prevented with some foreshadowing. Giving out small clues can separate what will be taken as a cleverly hidden mystery from a twist pulled out of an inept author's ass.

[Yukimura]

Harsh words harsh words. I have also found myself WTFing pretty much constantly ever since they beat the guy with the Guts sword. Episode 20 actually made some sense as though it seemed to be missing something to really connect Merlin's death to Arwan's complete change of personality. The flashback Arthur had in 22 also made some sense, showing Arwan going through a similar thing with Pwyll that he's been going through with Arthur, but again, they didn't provide much detail on the war that was fought making the flashback feel incomplete ( I get the impression those pillar things were used in the last big war as well).

And then we come to episode 23, with it's high grade randomness. I didn't have much of a problem with Rhiannon's hidden power or the zombie mid-boss squad but what I would love to know is who the actual Big Bad is and what these random pillars are all about. I assume it has something to do with the 12 (11) spirits and their Earthly agents but details on exactly what they do on Earth has been rather lacking.

The only real hope I have for this show is that Octavia and Morgan will share a yuri deep look + kiss moment before it's all over. I also have a faint, foolish hope that Llyr will do actually do something cool and/or useful, (hopefully losing her silly hat in the process).

[Marik]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 24 - Gravitas [720p] - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=85985) | MegaUpload (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=A9MEZI9C)

[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 22 [1280x720 h264 AAC][16317307].​mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=85970)
[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 23 [1280x720 h264 AAC][009B6687].mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=86692)

[Buffalobiian]

Riannon's space-time tunnel spell was the best move this entire episode, and possibly this entire series.

[Kraco]

Yeah. The rest of the episode was so annoyingly pitiful that it was actually very nice to see that one good move.

[Marik]

http://home.comcast.net/%7Esupergotenks/blu-ray4stickup.jpg
(http://www.mediafire.com/?mhnmjjoyqt4)
That's the best stick up poster so far. ^

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 25 - Merkadis [720p] - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=87133) | MegaUpload (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0QYM247K)

[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 24 [1280x720 h264 AAC][245D227C].mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=87863)
[Solstice] Tears to Tiara - 25 [1280x720 h264 AAC][A3D5FA14].mkv (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=87864)

(http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=87133)

[Buffalobiian]

I'm invincible!!

What's this?! I'm wounded?

Oh Noes!! Eat me!!




-Taliesin makes a cameo (sponsored by Sunrise)

:confused:

[Marik]

[SubSmith] Tears to Tiara - 26 - Words of Power [720p] - Torrent (http://www.nyaatorrents.org/?page=download&tid=88158) | MegaUpload (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SL8ESJQC)

[Buffalobiian]

-Haha, what the hell? Taliesin was sticking out like a sore toe during the Coronation. About Taliesin, dragons may have saved his fall, but isn't the Song of Origin meant to kill the user like it did to Myrrdin?

- Harem-wise, looks like Riannon's the only one that matters. Perhaps that's for a reason? Morgan's got make-up issues. Llyr needs to work on her "milking".


-So-so ending. TtT started off pretty strongly, but turned into a trainwreck halfway through in an effort to incorporate a dozen RPG elements that ought to be left out in favour of a decent plot instead.

Another archive n forget series.

It's visually pleasing though. Even if the story takes a dive, the animation didn't let me down.

[Yukimura]

Yep. What the hell sums up my take on the last 6-7 eps of this series. I'm not even archiving this one as I can't see why I would ever pull it out again. I liked the beginning but after the battle for Albion I just lost touch with whatever it was they were trying to say.

[Kraco]

The coronation wasn't quite as powerful as in Return of the King...

This series should receive the "Most Wasted Potential" award. The latter half was a complete disarray of bits and pieces.

[shinta|hikari]

They should have just made Octavia the main character and told a more detailed version of her conflict with Lydia, then completed it in 12 episodes with Lydia's death scene as the ending. It would have been a fantastic yuri action anime then.