Junketsu no Maria – 05
UFC Bayeux 1450
Welcome back to the Hundred Years War. I had to watch this one several times. The politics, both personal and national, the history, and how it looks as if to set up the rest of the series was something to be savored.
Sapere Aude: Courage, Prudence
Funny, he doesn’t look like a St. Bernard…
I won’t go to deep into history, for several reasons. I will provide some links if you folks are curious. But with just a bit of attention and some choice google-fu, I think I’m able to date this show as right before the Battle of Formigny. The Comte (Count) that Bernard is working with is Guillame d’Harcourt, and a direct mention was made to the cavalry of the Justicar, the Commander of the French Army. As an aside, both Bernard and Gilbert are historical figures as well, but they’ve time traveled from the 12th Century. I know, typical bending of history for drama right? Well, both of them do have rather a lot to do with Mariology, a feature of the church that had an impact on the issues of faith for centuries.
This episode had quite a bit to say about politics both personal and on the world stage. At this point, it wasn’t mere bragging from the French. The English are pretty much on the ropes. If I’m correct about the dating, then this upcoming battle is the second to last of the entire war, and the English (spoiler alert!) lose a great big chunk of real estate. This all rather ties into the biggest question asked this episode. What y’all gonna do after the war ends? For Bernard and his uncle it’s a means to consolidate power, both as church and political functionaries. For Maria and Galfa?
Cern not even giving her a rest…
While Bernard and le Comte are busy hatching plans to cement their glory, and What to Do About A Problem Like Maria, our titular virgin witch is busy her own thoughts. The intercessions of both Micheal and Cernnounos are starting to weigh on her. Her life, given over to preventing the battles she could, and hoping for an and to war, is somewhat in question, with an extra added weight of the curse. Josef is far more certain, much to her embarrassment.
This is further compounded when the boy comes to her for advice. It’s no secret that he idolizes both Maria and Galfa and cannot help but see them as similar. This plays off as a nice contrast to his own state of mind, as he doesn’t quite see that both of them are doing nothing more than sticking to the choices they’ve made and seeing them through. He wants to act just like that, but his own lack of courage betrays him. Oddly enough, Maria seems to have thought about this much less than the solider has….
Pictured: Galfa sticking to his choices
It’s really a state as old as medieval warfare. There aren’t nearly enough nobles to mount a grand army. Footsoliders are still needed, and as we’ve seen, drafting the locals isn’t exactly useful. So, mercenaries fill the ranks as needed. Traditionally, grudges were held on both sides. So the impetus for this duel was pretty much a forgone conclusion one way or another. I loved the interplay of the characters during these scenes. Eugénie was the catalyst for sure, and was just as quickly dismissed as she was introduced, but that line of her being from another land was a great parallel to Galfa; both of them out in the world to make their own fortune. But that has heavy costs, as the soldier still had to pay a penance to his commander, and Eugénie…well, that was just kinda sad.
Jean should have stayed on his horse if he really wanted to win. He had little to lose at that point, as the mercenaries would have fought regardless. But it was a great way to illustrate the point of honor in the face of practicality, and how the noble’s own rules can work against them. And for this history buff, knowing that the way of the armored knight is on the wane sooner rather than later, it was quite apropos. This upcoming battle will have cannon (well, just the two..but still) and they change the face of everything from that point on….But regardless, Bernard has his epiphany with Galfa, and it is going to be fascinating to see how this turns out.
Galfa like a Boss!
A few extras
So, the best (not the biggest) question. Would Maria have intervened if the fight didn’t go in Galfa’s favor? She says she would have, and I do believe her. But there was something, at least to me, left unspoken, or perhaps half-felt by her. Did she want to see this potential death up close? It’s something she has taken incredible lengths to stop, and now she has the question of if she should. Is she strangling herself as the old god in the forest claims? Is her conviction as strong as Galfa’s? And what sort of plans are being hatched by Bernard? It looks to entail both the soldier and the witch. I love how this show keeps on building it up…
Next Time
A new character and some secrets….
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
I am still waiting for the appearance of Caster.
= Watashi no Jeanne! =
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Hahaha!! You’re a bit late. All this is supposed to take place after Jeanne. 😉
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Caster still appears after Jeanne.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
How sad… Sad indeed. 😉
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Priapus: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is nonexistent!!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
My condolences to the poor soul…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
True. He looks more like a “Snake” Bernard. This is kind of my problem regarding people of rank/status (nobles, politicians etc…). The position they are in was ideally made to benefit the people but most (meaning there are some exceptions who are good apples in a bad bunch) feign affection and plot in secret for personal gain, especially at the expense of others. Even worse when the instrument of their plan is unaware.
All these links… Were so many historical figures really condensed in this episode? Because that quite a few to mention.
Since we all know who Maria is, it was an easy question to answer. Had Galfa’s situation not turn favorable, an intervention would’ve taken place. She’s too accustomed in going to the aid of others, whether it’s wanted or not. The kind of habit that can’t be kicked on the first day. Certainly not with a hopelessly blinded idealist like her.
The duel between Galfa and the knight gave me mixed feelings. What happened surrounding Eugénie was scandalous but I couldn’t help feeling she didn’t intend for it to go that far. She acted arrogant at first when the deed was already done but that could have been from the heat of the moment and the thrill of doing something forbidden which she regretted after it was out in the open, making her come to her senses. Her indiscretion was half the work. Galfa, being intoxicated which gave way to his lust, provided the other half. Overall, what I’m saying is that the main cause was human nature.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I saw no regret from Eugenie, apart from being caught. Who knows why she cuckolded the knight, but that was entirely her own doing. I don’t think there’s any ‘blame’ to apportion. She wanted to, he wanted to, they did.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
As I said above, maybe it was out of the thrill of doing something forbidden and she failed to consider the consequences that would follow.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I call them like I hear them! And as I said, it was mostly because it established a very specific timing. At this point there are maybe two years or so left in the war, and some very specific questions were asked about life outside of warfare.
I would like to think she would have intervened, but…she’s been pushed so far to consider not doing so, the very question is important…
Really, the duel wasn’t even about the girl, but about nobliese oblige. It was a insult to Jean regardless of how the situation happened, one he had toto answer. Same could be said for his decision to even things out. I thought it was quite well done to display a hidebound system of thought. Something this whole war is mostly about…
Yay! 7000 comments!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Still, like I said, Maria is so used to causing interventions that she won’t just stop right away, even if on someone’s say-so. Reluctant, yes, but that’s no guarantee. The expression is “It takes three weeks to start a habit” and she’s had hers for far longer.
And you used my comment to mark your milestone! Such audacity!! Just kidding. 😉 All hail Lord 7k the Third!! (1st: Fosh; 2nd: BlackBriar; 3rd: skylion)
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Jean was a victim of his society and his class. When his fiancé was found in bed with another man he had no choice but to fight in a judicial duel when it was proposed. And after he was taunted for wearing all that armor and sitting atop a horse he had to make it a “fair” fight (remember, everyone thought Galfa had a bad arm so it wasn’t really fair). And when he was beaten by a lowly commoner and taunted by the other knights, it’s not surprising that his pride led him to commit suicide, despite it being considered a mortal sin.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I agree with Highway. Eugenie showed no regret or remorse for sleeping with Galfa, nor did she try to shift the blame onto him. She made her choice and she seems ready to accept the consequences. Given how things were in the Middle Ages, especially among the upper classes, it’s more than likely Jean was chosen by her father to be her husband. And about the only way for her to get out of it would be to have her virtue called into question, which would cause Jean to break off the marriage. Getting caught in bed with another man would do more than just call her virtue into question.
As for the last we saw of her, it certainly did look like a sad fate for her. But she would have known what the probable consequences of her act would be for her. While we may never hear the rest of her story, she could always enter a convent and while the life would not be easy, it’d be easier than the life many women led then and it would be a life with some honor attached to it and would be considered atonement for her sin and betrayal of Jean. So she could still find a place in respectable, although probably cloistered, society.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Yea, thank you, Spammy-tamer!
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Spammy again.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I actually think that Maria was not going to interfere in the fight, and only said she would because Viv somewhat goaded her into standing to her principles. I think she was far less inclined to step in in a fight between evenly matched people who had both agreed to what they were doing, even if only because the alternatives were less attractive.
My personal feeling is that Maria came there for Joseph, after his conversation with her, to try to understand his role, and his feelings.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I have my reservations about this. Sure, she was there because Josef sparked her curiosity. But it didn’t quite kill the cat, so the was no “coming back”. She’s still on the fence despite Viv’s goading.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I think the Maria of Ep. 1 would have intervened to stop the duel. But we’ve had several episodes now of people telling her not to push her values onto other people. Plus, in this case it was two professional fighting men who agreed to fight, not a bunch of draftees forced into battle. So I think she’s starting to take a more nuanced view of fighting. She still hates war and battles, but not all fights call for her interference. It’s actually a step towards her maturing. She’s starting to realize she can’t solve all problems between others, even if those problems lead to violence. She has to pick her fights (pun intended).