Yuusha Party ni Kawaii Ko ga Ita no de, Kokuhaku Shitemita Ep.09 - Cecilia mama!
Episode 9 of the anime series Yuusha Party ni Kawaii Ko ga Ita no de, Kokuhaku Shitemita (There was a Cute Girl in the Hero's Party, so I Tried Confessing to Her ) returns to the basic premise of the series. Honestly, it delivers a much more interesting episode than anything we have seen in several weeks.
Instead of focusing on side couples, like Happiness and Raven last week, or on a strange new enemy, the series returns to Youki trying to get Cecilia’s attention. He also learns more about her by asking the people who know her best like Raven and Mikana that were with her in the Hero party.
It's nice to see Mikana, the magician of the hero party, return to the forefront. She suggests the best course of action for Youki to get closer to Cecilia and, after a small detour (see the attached video), she joins him on a quest he planned specifically to spend time with her.
Speaking of Mikana, I know I have said it before, but I want to repeat it today. Her character design is awesome. While she certainly has plenty of sex appeal, it is not just about that. Her large witch hat with a matching overcoat and her massive staff with a big red crystal perfectly capture the "traditional fantasy magician" aesthetic.
They also revealed the titles for the members of the hero party. Raven is the "Cold-blooded Swordsman", mainly because he is always silent. Yuuga is "the Wandering Hero". Mikana is known as "the Guardian" or "the Eternal Friend", the latter being a joke about the fact that she is still not Yuuga's lover. Finally, Cecilia is called "Holy Mother".
Cecilia’s title apparently started when Yuuga reacted to her being skilled at sewing, cooking, and handling money with the innocent line, "You're like a mother!". This stuck, and since girls her age obviously do not want to be called a mother, it became something of a taboo for her.
The quest itself went quite well, even though Cecilia did most of the work. As a priest, she is extremely strong against the undead, which were the targets of the quest. Youki managed to spend some time with her, even carrying her when she nearly fainted from mana depletion.
We are getting close to the end of the adaptation with only four episodes remaining, but I honestly feel the show should just stick to these kinds of episodes. They do not advance the plot, but they are much more entertaining and relaxing than the alternatives the series has tried to deliver recently.
Going the safe route is a valid option, and as long as the basics are covered, the series remains entertaining. Overall, however, I do not think I will try the manga regardless of how the anime ends. It simply does not have enough to interest me in searching for more.
