It is easy to be yourself until you have a reason not to. As soon as the scene changes and our true feelings are unacceptable, we’re often more than willing to put on another face or two. Situations become more difficult and confusing, but we’ll pretend we know what we’re doing and trust the people around us, even if we don’t.

The political waters of the Dowa kingdom are probably going to remain muddy for most of the foreseeable future. Every time we learn something new, we meet more uncertainty. The Dowa kingdom may indeed be relatively peaceful, but that peace will end as soon as the crown prince becomes King. Interestingly enough, in the center of this maze of suspicion, even the prince feels betrayed when his grandfather doesn’t immediately give up his throne. I understand now how Jean became so distrustful despite the peace.

Jean may be mysterious and aloof, but he’s still relatable in some ways. The higher-ups manipulate him, set him up, and try to get him on their various sides, and it’s not surprising he’s become so closed off. In this episode we saw a little more of his vulnerability, and even though there’s scant evidence for it, I wonder if what he really wants is not order, but a place where he could be surrounded by people with more sincere motives rather than schemers.

Although this may be fiction, it doesn’t look very different from our world. Everyone is doing their best to skew the situation to their favor. It’s difficult to look at someone’s words and actions and judge whether or not they mean it, especially when something is at stake. But despite all the reasons we might have to put up a front, being honest to other people could change a distrustful atmosphere for the better. After all, if we’re always lying about our true motives, who exactly are we?

Although I would still like to know who Jean Otus is exactly, I’m beginning to doubt that he’s a rebel, though he’s definitely involved in something bigger than ACCA. We did find out more about how the Dowa government works, even if the dangers it faces are still unknown. I kind of like Jean’s sister, Lotta, though it’s true that neither she nor any of the other character’s seem to be getting much development. Though the plot doesn’t seem to be going anywhere in a hurry, I’m fairly confident it’s leading somewhere, and I’m intrigued either way.

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