©2022 古宮九時/KADOKAWA/Project Unnamed Memory
I'm sorry to inform you that the screenshot there hinted at a level of intrigue that this episode never really developed. At this point, it's not surprising – Nameless Memory achieves the impressive feat of feeling incompetent while not getting away with all of that in the light novel. Or at least don't give away much of the plot; As you might guess, character development and world-building are a completely different matter.
This week, we complete the entire Tinasha-was-Aeti storyline, meaning the entire war took less than a full episode. Perhaps the most impressive element is Lanak's sheer chutzpah. Up to incredibly stupid reasons to give it your all, thinking that the woman whose organs you turned to mush would be willing to fight on your behalf and then go through with a solid childhood betrothal there. There is a typical attempt made to explain why he is screaming at the top of his lungs: Tinasha comments to a (male) magician that the reason why the witches are all women is because of the men have more difficulty stabilizing the magical forces flowing through their bodies, which can cause them psychological problems. It is therefore implied that Lanak had a mental disorder hundreds of years ago, which is what caused him to puncture Tinasha's stomach. He's still suffering from that mental pain right now, which is why he thinks his ridiculous plan will succeed. The sad thing (for him) is that it could have happened if he hadn't tried to involve Tinasha. There needs to be a country like Cuscull where magicians feel safe and free from discrimination, and Lanak's power as the lost prince of the fallen kingdom of Tuldarr is enough to make people want to go follow me. But when it comes to his ex-fiancee, Lanak has set himself up for failure because there is no way Tinasha would ally with the man responsible for her current inability to die.
He also couldn't believe that Tinasha would have so much influence he would be the former princess of Tuldarr. However, it could just be another sign of his mental breakdown as he probably didn't think she would turn against him. That's what saves the day…maybe. This is where things get murky plot-wise: it seems Tinasha has gained a few allies, though we don't know how or why. She was also trying to make it seem like Cuscull was exterminating a flock of non-mages without hurting anyone, and she went every night to warn prince Taiyiri to stop discriminating against the magic user. Even setting aside the fact that Lanak must have been extremely unobservant to have overlooked this (especially when Cecelia says that Tinasha's visits are common), we don't have enough time to digest Tinasha's actions or see their impact. Yes, the prince seems a bit of a coward, and his sister is still trying to win Oscar's hand in marriage, but that's not enough to make the plot interesting. We are asked to accept that everything is interesting and important because the story says so without anything to support that claim. It's more like a clip show version of the plot rather than full episodes.
I think it's great that Tinasha and Oscar finally seem happy together. Warm joy is probably better than heartbreak, and at least Oscar won't be pulling any more questionable stunts to get her into bed. But this really feels more like a story about lost potential than a fantasy adventure, and at this point, I'm not sure if anything can save it.
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Unnamed Memories is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
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