Beast Tamer (Episode 1) – Meeting of Fate
Rein Shroud is a beast tamer and a member of the hero’s party… Well, that was until they kicked him out for being too weak. Little did they know, that he was actually quite extraordinary among beast tamers.
Beast Tamer (Episode 1) – Meeting of Fate
What did you watch?
I like fantasy anime. I like harem anime. I love it when the two come together… What I mean to say is that I’m a sucker for the so-called trashy harem fantasy series where there is an overpowered protagonist who wins all the girls to his side and ends up becoming the real hero of the story. So, when I read the synopsis of Beast Tamer, I simply nodded and pressed play. This was without a doubt a series that I would enjoy. The only question is how much?
What happened?
Rein Shroud was unceremoniously kicked out of the hero’s party. They weren’t even that nice about it demanding he leave his equipment that they got him. As far as they were concerned he was useless and needed to be saved more often than anything. If only they truly realised how much they needed him. Anyhow, Rein decided that he would become an adventurer and make a path for himself. He actually quite liked the idea of being in control of his destiny for once. To become an adventurer, he needed to complete a short test. He breezed through it thanks to his animal companions, but then, when he was about to head home he heard a scream and ran to help.
He found a cat girl being attacked by a monster. Cat girls were one of the higher species and were almost never seen. Regardless, if he didn’t act now, she would be a goner. He charged in and hit the monster with his dagger. It broke. The monster turned its attention to him and that gave the cat girl the chance to kill it with a single kick to the head. She passed out shortly after so Rein stayed with her to make sure she was all right. After some time, she woke and was surprised to see a human sitting with her. He offered her some food. She gratefully accepted and walked with him back to the guild house. On the way, he told her about the hero’s party and what they did to him. Kanade told him that she thought he was a strong enough beast tamer to tame her and that he should give it a go. What’s the worst that could happen?
What did you think?
I have a few thoughts so I’ll get them out of the way first. What sort of a noob would fire their support member? Seriously, the support member is not a fighter, they are there to do all the grunt work and Rein obviously did plus he providing scouting and numerous other things that they will surely miss in the coming episodes. Rein is better off without them. So, Rein is a pretty nice guy. He’s quite vanilla and incredibly easy going but I like him. My other observation is that this feels remarkably like a toned-down version of Harem in the Labyrinth of Another World. In this they make contracts with the hero instead of him buying them, however, I’m not sure exactly what the beast girl gets out of it. Maybe we’ll find out in the coming episodes. Anyhow, so far, it’s been fun. I am pleasantly surprised.
What was your favourite moment?
I had to laugh at Kanade’s response to the story about the hero’s party firing Rein. He was entirely over it and wasn’t the least bit concerned. She was furious and was ready to go kick the hero’s ass there and then. That was probably part of the reason she wanted Rein to make a contract with her, well, that and she could tell that he was the first person she’d ever met that might be able to. Anyhow, Kanade is a blast and makes a perfect sidekick for Rein who is the calm and laidback kind of guy. Did I mention that this series is fun? It is!
Who was the most impactful character?
Given just how laid back Rein is, it has to Kanade. She appeared in his life and turned it upside down. Instead of just completing his entrance quest to become an adventurer, he’s made a contract with one of the higher races, something that has almost never been done before. Without her, he would probably have been fine, but we’re not after fine. He needs to become more powerful than the hero. He may be over it, but the way they treated him got me all worked up almost as much as Kanade.
What have you learned?
So far, it’s been a fairly standard affair and that’s fine. The tropes exist for a reason. I hear people complaining about the tropes, but a story just isn’t the same if it doesn’t hit some of the familiar beats. It feels weird – like a romance without a kiss at the end. People expect certain things from certain stories and failure to deliver some of them will end up leaving people disappointed. Sure, you can subvert and play with the tropes, but there needs to be something familiar for the audience to latch on to. Ignore the tropes at your peril!
Other posts in the series
- Season One
- Episode 1 – Meeting of Fate
- Episode 2 – Comrades
- Episode 3 – Another Ultimate Species
- Episode 4 – Dragonoid Power
- Episode 5 – Beast Tamer VS Hero
- Episode 6 – The Lost Woods
- Episode 7 – The Captive Fairy
- Episode 8 – Let’s Make Weapons
- Episode 9 – Beast Tamer VS Beast Tamer
- Episode 10 – Darkness in Horizon
- Episode 11 – Black Waves
- Episode 12 – Champion
- Episode 13 – A Home for All
You might also like…
I agree with you about the tropes. I expect a certain amount of predictability. That’s what makes it fun for me. I am able to enjoy the new storyline with a bit of familiarity.
Absolutely. Without them something feels off and it’s hard to put your finger on exactly what’s missing. That pulls you out of the story and makes the experience less enjoyable all round.