English Dub Review: Tales of Wedding Rings “Episode 2”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Satou has married Hime and becomes the legendary Ring King who will save Arnulus from the threat of the Abyss King. They struggle to advance their relationship, but there’s no time to enjoy their newlywed life as the Abyss King’s pursuers close in.

Our Take:

Marriage can bring many changes to a relationship. Based on the first episode, Satou has experienced the biggest ones of his life. He’s engaged to his childhood crush, Hime, which is a dream come true, but it’s not without the condition of being her kingdom’s protector. There’s also the catch of their marriage being a formality, meaning that Satou doesn’t have his full powers yet. This was proven in this week’s episode, which sees Satou getting his butt whooped by the Knight of the Abyss King, resulting in him fleeing with Alabaster, Hime, and Marmarugius.

Now, here’s where things take a turn that most of us have seen coming a mile away. With last week’s episode introducing the fantasy isekai elements (minus the reincarnation part), the second episode expands them further with the wedding rings’ magic. Satou learns he must gain four more rings to unlock his full powers and defeat the Abyss King’s army. But here’s the catch: he has to marry the four princesses from other kingdoms, something that’s highly impossible in the real world. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, we’re heading into harem territory. Their quest leads Satou and the others to Romca, the kingdom of the elves protected by a wind barrier, where its princess, Nephrites, wears the Wind Ring. Unfortunately, the princess isn’t willing to accept Satou’s hand in marriage that easily.

Based on what I’ve seen in the second episode, Tales of Wedding Rings takes specific qualities from the other anime involving isekai and harems. It also follows the blueprints similar to Avatar: The Last Airbender regarding the rings’ elemental powers, such as wind. So, what we have here is the adult-rated harem version of The Last Airbender that Nickelodeon doesn’t want us to see. The similarities are noticeable, but the series continues to provide suitable moments to coincide with its formula, including making Marmarugius a selfless and supportive ally for Satou instead of a stereotypical jealous prince. I also like the relationship between Satou and Hime, who both want their marriage to be real instead of a formality. Unfortunately, Satou’s quest to marry four more princesses could damper those honeymoon plans. While I’m not expecting anything special from this series, I still hope it provides more than just another piece of formulaic fan service.