#which- admittedly- lead to one of my favorite About The Author segments

[tenshindon]

Can you remind me what the weird sex interview with Toriyama was about

i was driving myself fucking mad trying to find this interview because i KNEW it existed i just couldnt find it immediately but here you go x

which is an insane thing to say because a few questions beforehand he said this:

[samuraiko]

My Top 10 Moments of THE ROYAL TUTOR

I did not even know this series existed until I saw the trailer (in Japanese) during Todd Haberkorn’s panel at SakuraCon 2017. I remember thinking that it looked interesting, but knowing nothing about the cast or the story, I sort of forgot about it. 

And then I saw the first episode on the FUNimation site, and I immediately fell in love. I religiously ran home every Tuesday night after work to be sure to catch each simuldub episode as it was released, doing everything I could to avoid spoilers. I laughed until I was breathless and in pain at times. I cried more than once. I watched and re-watched certain scenes because they were just that good. And I am devoutly praying that we get a Season 2.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. It’s available on Crunchyroll subbed, and on FUNimation’s site dubbed. It is so very well worth the watch.

Having now seen the entire series (repeatedly binge-watching it between new episodes, and making audio recordings so I could listen to the series while at work), I just have to share some of the moments that just embody all that make this series so wonderful. It is (mostly) spoiler-free, but you have been warned.

Your mileage, of course, may vary.

#10 - The teacher learns the students' lesson (Episode 2, “The Prince Interviews") 

The moment that first really got my attention for Heine. The notion that he could learn just as much from the princes as he could teach them made him a much more relatable character, and it also gives a subtle but deft hint of the standard to which Heine holds himself. Like his students, he doesn't always get it right (considering his inadvertent failure to consider his words before he speaks with Leonhard in the very next episode), but the first steps are there. And its theme is repeated over and over throughout the series. 

#9 - 1.3 million lives (Episode 4, “The Princes Go to Town”)

A surprisingly beautiful moment that provides much-needed exposition without you even realizing it's doing it. That the princes can't see the forest for the trees becomes their first real lesson - while studying with Heine, it's not just about facts and figures and history, but the realities of the kingdom that they stand to inherit. (And this is just the capital, which lies right outside their palace door - you can almost hear the realization set in of how much more vast their responsibility will be to an entire kingdom.) And when balanced with later episodes and Heine's background, it gives it a much more poignant feeling upon re-watch.

#8 - Kai and Helene (Episode 8, “A Timid Heart”)

I don't care what the manga says, I am firmly captaining the Good Ship Kai/Helene (see my vignettes 'Tea and Sympathy', 'Silent Treatment', and ‘Words, Words, Words’). Kai's struggles to express himself are eminently relatable, as is Helene's frustrated sadness at not knowing how to make things easier for him. And to see the evolution of Kai's relationships with the palace staff in general (and Helene in particular) is deeply satisfying. To convey so much through so few words is a gift. And the scene in the garden is both beautiful and bittersweet - massive props to both Daman Mills as Kai and Sara Ragsdale as Helene.

#7 - Heine wins over Leonhard (Episode 3, “You Don’t Need to Accept Me”)

I almost went with the sachertorte moment over this one, but between the music, the art direction, and the voice acting, Heine's quiet but impassioned speech to Leonhard imploring him not to give up on himself came through in the end. And Micah Solusod as Heine and Alejandro Saab as Leonhard completely sell the first true beginnings of this teacher/student bond. Leonhard finally gets the tutor he's so desperately needed, and then two episodes later, the whole scene gets a marvelous callback.

#6 - The princes’ investigation (Episode 11, “The Pair’s Promise”)

Another segment bolstered by fantastic music and vocal performances, this one makes the list because now we see just how far the princes will go for what they believe in (a nice setup for what comes in the final episode). Admittedly, the apples don't fall far from the tree when it comes to the misuse of authority and power at that age (as we see later in the same episode with Viktor himself), but the princes' investigation shows a logical precision and ruthless determination to face an unpleasant truth.

#5 - Licht and Viktor (Episode 6, “At Café Mitter Meyer”)

I admit that of the four princes, Licht took the longest to win me over (initially, I kept mentally comparing him to Ukyo from Samurai 7, which is still a compliment). One of the most poignant moments in a series filled with them, the scene of Licht and Viktor talking outside the café is heartbreakingly lovely and real. Outstanding dialogue and voice acting from David Wald and Stephen Sanders (as Viktor and Licht, respectively) takes what could have been sappy and overplayed, and turns it instead into a breathtakingly real scene - being willing to put aside your own wishes and wants to make the person you love happy.

#4 - Heine pleads with God (Episode 11, “The Pair’s Promise”)

Probably the shortest scene on the list, but there are two reasons why I put this one this high - an astonishingly deft vocal performance from Micah Solusod as Heine, and a shining character moment for Heine. Heine's voice throughout nearly the entire series up to this point has been controlled, calm, almost stoic - but when it finally breaks, the depth of feeling is tremendous. It is also the only time in the entire series we see Heine ever ask for something, and even then, it's not for himself.

#3 - Bruno’s inner demons (Episode 7, “The Whereabouts of a Dream”)

I will freely admit that Bruno is my favorite character in this series, in no small part thanks to consistently amazing performances from Chris Wehkamp. Up until now, Bruno's relentless pursuit of academic superiority has been almost played for laughs. But Bruno's internal monologue while delivering his paper, and his later confession to Heine beneath the rose arbor, give him a depth that is agonizingly real. And then to see them counterbalanced by his moments of absolute joy is a sheer delight.

#2 - The dreams of four princes (Episode 12, “The Last Lesson”)

A soulful, desperate plea from our young princes to the men who will supposedly decide their future. All of Heine's efforts bear fruit as the four share their hopes and dreams of what Granzreich could become if given the chance. Even in the face of near-certain defeat, they stand their ground and make their case, to devastating effect. Some of my favorite music cues from the series, plus earnest performances from our leads and dialogue echoing lessons from the very first episode, make this anime-only scene so worth the watch.

#1 - The entire wine cellar scene (Episode 9, “The Price of the Past”)

This is where I gush. The other nine spots on this list had me re-arranging them constantly, but this spot was never in doubt. The entire scene in the wine cellar is hands down one of my favorite in all of anime - the art direction, the dialogue, the choreography, the vocal performances (especially from Daman Mills as Kai and Micah Solusod as Heine, though Dallas Reid as Maximillian damned near steals the scene), and above all the music (the ONLY time that particular cue is used, and it is astounding - if this series gets a soundtrack, it had damned well better be on it), all come together for a tour de force. The insights we get into both Kai and Heine on real strength and when to use it (and not use it) are some of the most effective in the entire series. And all of Heine's myriad facets come together in this one scene with a clarity and economy that is as visceral as it is beautiful. I can watch this five-and-a-half-minute scene (or even just listen to it) over and over and never tire of it.