Overview (Spoilers Below): Peace has returned to Maasa, and the gang is able to take a short break. Satou and Hime go on a date alone, but Nephrites, Granart, and Saphir secretly follow them. Satou and Hime are enjoying their date, but then they recall Alabaster’s prior words.
Our Take: With four rings and four wives at his disposal, Satou is one step closer to fulfilling the isekai world’s prophecy as the Ring King. But, of course, as seen in the previous episode, the Abyss King’s army isn’t the only problem that’ll interfere with his quest. However, before the group heads toward their final destination, they take a brief moment of relaxation to be fully prepared for what’s coming. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean they’re free from any problems arising from their small break. With the ninth episode, the series allows its seasonal plot to slow down and explore its characters further, mainly Satou and Hime. This is a much-needed direction for the show since the previous few episodes wasted no time getting the crew to their destinations. With the season’s 12-episode limit, this is far from a surprise. It allows viewers, including me, to breathe between the kingdom visits and emphasizes Satou’s struggles in being loyal to Hime while fulfilling his chosen duty as the Ring King. This was shown during Satou’s date with Hime while the other princesses pursued them stealthily. It also doesn’t help that Satou’s followers are eager to see the new Ring King in person, but they don’t seem too much of a big deal for the couple. Regardless, their date turned out to be a success. However, they still struggle to move to the next step of their marriage due to their nerves getting in the way. Plus, it allowed the other princesses to hang out as friends, even though all they did was spy on Satou and Hime all day. Overall, it doesn’t offer anything new to its formula involving characters spying on dates, but it delivers enough moments in its characters and awkward humor to provide a well-deserved break from their world-saving journey. Next stop: Idanokan, the land of Earth.