Wise Man’s Grandchild

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

I’m watching Wise Man’s Grandchild (Kenja no Mago) on VRV / Crunchyroll. It follows the adventures of Shin Wolford, the adopted grandchild of Merlin Wolford. Shin has a natural magic ability, that has grown under his grandfather’s tutelage at their secluded home in the mountains. The relationship the two share, is full of love, support, and appreciation.

He also learned the art of sword fighting from Mr. Michel, and how to enhance his gear from the grandmother figure in his life, Melinda (it says “Melida” in the subtitles for some reason). At 15, it’s decided that he will attend a magic academy, so he can learn to socialize with his peers, integrate into society, and practice constraint with his abilities. Shin and his grandparents move, so they are closer to his school. He meets Sizilien and is immediately smitten with her.

Later, when they’re doing a joint exercise with the knight academy, you can see how frustrated Shin is seeing the other fellows fawning over her. But lucky for him, he can take his frustrations out on the demons they have to battle!

Wise Man’s Grandchild, has supernatural elements, romance, humor, family, and friendship. It highlights character traits like humility, integrity, and loyalty. Shin is a very likeable character, and his relationship with his grandparents is touching. Below are scenes from the hot springs episode, where they thank the students for becoming friends with Shin.

Yes, I wanted to hear her tips too! Apparently it’s the treadmill lol.

I’m halfway done with the season, and I’m enjoying it. If you’re looking for a fairly wholesome watch, definitely give this one a try!

Peaceful

“Reset” by Taichi Mukai, the beautiful sunset, and Haiji Kiyose’s dog, all contribute to this being one of the most peaceful end credits I’ve seen. A commenter on the video link below pointed out the snow scene was a metaphor for Kiyose’s injury and bouncing back. This anime has a lot of beautiful artwork. Check out Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru / Run with the Wind on VRV / Crunchyroll or on DVD (Sentai).

Ahmaud Arbery

Upon reflection of how peaceful this scene is, and how Haiji Kiyose is enjoying his run, I thought of Ahmaud Arbery. Ahmaud did not get to enjoy his run, or the fullness of his life, due to the ignorance, racism, and bigotry of others. He, and many other people, do not get the privilege of enjoying a peaceful run. Or a peaceful life. Simply thinking, “Well, I’m not racist” is not enough. For people with integrity and character, turning a blind eye is not okay. Have the difficult and uncomfortable conversations with your family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and communities. Challenge old ways of doing things if they’re born of ignorance and hate. If you feel your words don’t carry weight, or your words are unable to reach them, inspire others with your actions. How you treat other people. How you respect others who may be different than you. Contribute to a cause or volunteer with an organization that will uplift and unify communities. Shine your light. Share love with the world. Your inner circle, I hope, is full of loving people who truly embody and radiate positive energy and support. I pray people will open their hearts. And I’m not perfect. No one is perfect. But we can do better. As Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

On other platforms I’ve spoken about #blacklivesmatter, but inspired by Scott’s post on https://mechanicalanimereviews.com/ I feel it’s pertinent to share that here as well. When black lives matter, then the statement all lives matter will hopefully, finally, be true. Everyone should be free to live their lives, and enjoy all of the freedom we are supposed to have as Americans, without concern that they’ll be targeted due to the racism and bigotry of others. And running without fear should be one of those freedoms.