Disaster has been averted, and life returns to normal in the capital—or so Beryl assumes. But Lucy has other ideas in mind and, bringing Ficelle along, requests that the middle-aged swordsman help his former student teach a class. Beryl isn’t so sure, but goes along with Ficelle anyway to observe—her teaching, the students, and whether there’s room for him to be of assistance. It won’t take long for Beryl to discover that his gift of teaching and his love for helping students will find a new outlet with this class, which includes someone else besides Ficelle who is already dear to him.

Beryl and company return for season two, starting with a peaceful storyline that lets Beryl shine as an educator and as a caring man. I like these arcs in From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman as much as the adventure ones, and often more—they’re so full of warmth, and put Beryl in situations that remind us that he’s really been developed as a good, kind man, without the reservations that we often see in older male characters surrounded by fawning women. I also detect better animation in this season than in season one; the scenery often looks gorgeous, rustic colors abound, and a short scene involving food made me want to grab lunch at a nearby German restaurant. Yum! The sparring between Beryl and Ficelle was also well-animated (particularly in showing the latter’s magical approach), and the character design for (and personality of) new character, Cindy, was memorable. A strong start for season two!

From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman II can be streamed on Amazon Prime.