Warning: The following contains spoilers for I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability episode #8!!
Although the ongoing manga adaptation has currently been collected into 15 volumes and can therefore be considered long-term, the newly adapted anime of the original novel series, I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability, has already accomplished in what feels like mere moments what has taken other series so much longer to do while still garnering the same, if not better, desired effect.
This new anime just dropped the tragic background of a new villainous group called the Assassin’s Guild that only recently debuted, rather than taking years to build up to the moment. The Assassin’s Guild shares many similarities to the Phantom Troupe in Hunter x Hunter, which is clearly a prime example of long-term storytelling. The difference is that it took the latter, more-established series much more time to reveal the tragic backstory of why the Phantom Troupe is evil in chapter #397, an effort that is usually associated with long-term storytelling to help increase the anticipation and investment of fans.
In relation to the Hunter x Hunter anime, this reveal will take place long after its latest installment, episode #148, should the adaptation ever resume. By comparison, it took I was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince only two episodes within the span of eight overall.
The Mechanics of The Episode That Makes The Assassin’s Guild’s Delivery A Success
7th Prince’s anime adaptation is produced by Tsumugi Akita Animation Lab
After their sudden introduction at the end of episode #6, the Assassin’s Guild is fought twice by the eponymous reincarnated protagonist Lloyd in the following installment, the first in a one-on-one battle between him and Ren, which soon leads to a fight with the entire guild when Ren inadvertently leads Lloyd to their hideout after she narrowly escapes. However, Lloyd is able to assess and subsequently treat a condition that had actually led them to a life of crime. This, naturally, smooths the relations between both parties as the guild proceeds to tell Lloyd their tragic backstory in episode #8.
What’s incredible is that the overall mechanics of this very episode deliver an incessant barrage of emotional blows to the viewer, so that when the guild is soon defeated in another battle by the end of the installment, it’s impossible not to feel completely invested in their plight. Essentially, their tragic backstory is all connected to their missing leader, Jade, who is portrayed as their trusted and beloved savior through his kindness, empathy and eventual transparency.
In fact, the episode begins with them on their way to see Jade in the present day, as each story they shared with Lloyd before they left is shared as flashbacks. Each story effectively fuels this coveted status for the viewer, so as they draw nearer to reuniting with and sharing their good fortune with Jade, the viewer gets more excited for them to achieve the missing piece to their happy ending.
Why Hunter x Hunter’s Delivery of the Phantom Troupe Fails In Comparison
While Hunter x Hunter is an excellent series, it still has its weaknesses
Of course, their reunion with Jade couldn’t have been worse, which is culminating in what will be I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability‘s third epic shonen-style fight. As he’s portrayed in the most tragic way imaginable at the expense of the guild, the previous stories that glorified him, which subsequently increased the anticipation of the guild reuniting with him, augment the suffering and horror they are experiencing at that very moment.
This flawless and immediate delivery puts a dampener on Hunter x Hunter’s slow build up to the Phantom Troupe’s backstory. Some might defend this creative decision as an attempt to introduce and sustain an air of ambiguity that effectively made them more mysterious, which is a defining factor of long-term storytelling. However, it comes at the expense of readers not being able to associate the troupe and their actions with this tragedy, which now defines and embellishes their appeal so well.
It also couldn’t have come at a more confusing time, as the Succession Contest arc where it was revealed is easily the most unnecessarily convoluted story in the series, which is yet another tragic aspect of long-term storytelling, especially since it only serves as a precursor to what is the real goal: arriving at the Dark Continent. As a result, the backstory only serves as a brief respite from an overly complex story to a fault.
I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability definitely doesn’t fall victim to this with its handling of the Assassins Guild’s introduction and subsequent character building, the delivery of which is rarely attributed to long-term storytelling. So, even though I Was Reincarnated as the 7th Prince so I Can Take My Time Perfecting My Magical Ability might be considered a long story, it is clearly not succumbing to some of the most unfortunate aspects of how longer narratives are told in anime.
