Finding hope in a foreign land.
Warning: Full spoilers for the episode below.
Tales of Zestiria the X is getting better with each episode. After a lackluster prologue that was followed by a much stronger first episode, "Elysium" continues the trend of improvement, delivering a solid followup that is well paced and gorgeous to behold.
"Elysium" picks up immediately after Alisha and Sorey meet in "Capital of the Seraphim," continuing the their conversation in which, much to the princess' dismay, Sorey says he is not the foretold Shepherd who will restore peace to the world. Unlike Sorey, who's grown up alongside the Seraphim his whole life and has a special ability to see and communicate with the heavenly beings, Alisha incapable of hearing or seeing the Seraphim, despite Mikleo being just a few feet from her.
Regardless, Sorey and Mikleo return to Elysium, the Seraphim village they call home, bringing Alisha along with them, knowing full well this is breaking the village rules. Because the Seraphim believe humans will only bring disaster to their world, the village elder is unhappy about her arrival. Likewise, the rest of the village is less than eager to help Alisha, who requests their help in saving humanity, as darkness threatens the world below. The conflict between the human and Seraphim is a fascinating one that's clearly rooted in prior events. I hope Tales of Zestiria the X explores more of this later in the season.
Gramps, the village elder, unhappy about Alisha's arrival
As the only human raised among the Seraphim, Sorey finds himself caught between the two and wishes to restore unity so they can all once again live together in peace. It was wonderful watching his hopeful optimism chip away at the doubt that plagued Alisha's mind, giving her faith the legend of the Shepherd from the Celestial Records was more than a mere fairy tale.
It's clear Sorey doesn't think of himself as a hero, but Alisha sees the greatness within him. His innate humility and her belief in his potential created a wonderful dynamic that made their friendship all the more believable. I especially liked when Alisha departs the village to return home to Highland, at which point she returns the glove of the Shepherd to Sorey, encouraging him to come to the Sacred Blade Festival at Ladylike and participate in the Trial of the Blade. Despite being telegraphed from a mile away, I can't wait to see him inevitably pull the sword from the stone and assume his role as the Shepherd.
Sorey fending off a Hellion intruder
The princess' departure is followed by an attack on Elysium by a Hellion intruder. The action-packed change of pace came at the perfect time, serving up a breathtaking, beautifully animated battle. I've made my complaints with Tales of Zestiria the X's heavy-handed use of CGI perfectly clear in the past, but much to my delight, that wasn't an issue in this episode. "Elysium" is light on the computer-generated effects, and the result is a much more cohesive aesthetic that didn't detract from the well choreographed battle.
The Verdict
While I was initially skeptical about Tales of Zestiria the X, "Elysium" left me hopeful this anime will ultimately do right by the video game franchise. The relationship between Sorey and Alisha was well established, developing a complementary bond that will undoubtedly be instrumental in saving the world and unifying the Seraphim and humanity. Additionally, the distracting CGI that plagued the series early on was far more subdued, serving up a stunning battle that introduced some exciting action into this character-driven episode.
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