Reflection and Analysis

Pirate Princess - Goblin Island (2/24/2022)

Originally posted on my MAL blog.

I'm currently in the middle of the eighth episode of Kaizoku Oujo otherwise known as Fena: Pirate Princess.

With this, I'm going to say that I was expecting issues during the second half, but honestly - the reviews for the show don't quite cover what's wrong with this particular show. Effectively, I'd describe the show as someone thinking of one good idea after another and stacking them together as they thought of said ideas without actually thinking about how they fit together, forgetting about some of the previous ideas which would have served the purpose just as well.

Add to this, they had an epic storyline for which I would have expected the series to be planned out as either a double or split cour series, if not something with more cour to it. So when people say there's plot and stuff thrown away such as the pirates they're not kidding. Yet, this I don't think begins to even cover the plot holes that came up the moment the alternative motives for those on Goblin Island showed up, particularly since it utilized what I felt was a very Westernized version of bushido which effectively says a Samurai can turn when they want on a lord and their heir.

I guess it starts with the willing suspense of disbelief I had regarding Goblin Island when it first appeared, as my very first thought was for it to be this island that appears and reappears from different locations. This, and the fact this is an alternative universe possibly as well, made the fact Japan was closed off for a time period to anyone but Dutch traders reasonable.

And then there was a second option when this idea of the island not being that type of island was never explored at that was the free island where people around the world came to trade which would mean that the clan was possibly going against the decree that Japan be locked to outsiders until it was forced to open to trade with anybody but the Dutch, which in turn would make the Goblin Knights actually pirates as they'd been operating under the table.

But nope. Turns out they weren't operating under the table at all, but looking for a long lost treasure that would definitely set this storyline as taking place in an alternative timeline, as all accounts of the sword clearly says it never once left Japan, for even the tale about it supposedly being lost at sea involves it being lost in Japan.

However, the importance of the sword is that it is a divine weapon, one that confirms the legitimacy of an emperor, that they are indeed a descendent of Amaterasu who is the sun goddess of Japan. So, that in itself is a major plot hole given the fact the leader of their village, the priest, speaks of his great-grandfather being the one to come to shore, meaning there were three generations before him, and two after. Stepping into Japan at the sixth generation after they left would cause a major mess. There even appears to be some individuals with Eurasian ancestry.

Unless of course, he knows because the direct line of dependence is in fact with them, to which the most likely candidate for that to be would in fact be Yukimaru which in turn better explains why Yukihisa being bewitched by Fena is such a big deal to the leader of their village, which would, in turn, explain a lot. Mind you, the fact I've thought of it doesn't mean the staff have or that if they have they would do it well. There is by chance they were like everything else, throwing out random ideas as they came up with them.

Still, it does bother me that someone from an Eastern culture would call Fena a witch using Western superstitions and the above makes more sense, although Shitan believing she is one makes sense given what he experienced as a child, yet I'm also wondering why Yukimaru was along for the journey, being a child as he was which hasn't been explained, as it definitely feels like the others on Goblin Island know who he was despite the fact he is the childhood friend of Fena. It's also asked to Kei whether his sword ability is on the level of that of Kei's yet.

And the fantastical elements - I was sure there would have been more of them already, so there is a definite mess going on.

Edit - Finished the episode and the theory makes sense in my head, though I still feel it's something they weren't thinking of, as the leader of the Rose Rogues notes she's the one who gave the heart to Abel (I think that's his name.)