Welcome to First Impressions, a new series where I review the first three episodes of an anime in an effort to get through more shows. Since I want to diversify my tastes, I will be exploring shows from every genre. If you have any suggestions for me, feel free to leave a comment below! Now, let’s get started with May I Ask For One Final Thing?.
Contains Spoilers for the first 3 episode of May I Ask For One Final Thing?
Immediate thoughts: This is gonna be fun.
No formulaic plotting, just fists? Yeah, I love this.
I already knew when I saw the trailer that this was gonna be entertaining, but it’s even more fun than I was expecting. Finally, we got a noblewoman who would rather knuckle up than take the diplomatic route. Plotting a calculated revenge via ruining an estate or a family’s lineage is all well and good. However, seeing a corrupt rich guy get sucker punched on sight is so much better!
The show so far: A hilarious can of whup-ass.
The first episode opens in a packed ballroom full of nobles. Scarlet El Vandimion is publicly scorned by her betrothed, Prince Kyle von Pallistan, in front of everyone within the first two minutes. Kyle literally has a new girl, Terenezza Hopkins, on his arm while simultaneously calling off his engagement to Scarlet. And don’t you know the new girl is standing there giggling and lying on my good sis? Trifling. Scarlet is literally nicknamed the Bloodstained Lady for her reputation of kicking ass. Why these idiots decided publicly humiliating her would go unpunished? I’d like to say I’ll never understand, but–well, they’re idiots, scheming or not.
After Scarlet mollywhopped her evil ex-fiancé and his sinister new mistress, Kyle’s brother, Prince Julius, first in line to the throne, finds the room in disarray and is unexpectedly amused by her strength. Personally, I love that Prince Julius is clearly interested in her, but would rather rage bait Scarlet into swinging on him because he clearly loves strong women. She’ll literally get reported for fighting a whole battalion, and Julius is just like ‘damn can I watch next time?’
The other characters aren’t leaving much of an impression on me, but I don’t dislike them.
There’s beastkin, fae folk, dragons, and wild monsters, but they’re more background filler than anything. I think if this series were to have been developed with heavier tones, they’d be indispensable instead of just plot points. Of the side characters, Scarlet’s brother is my favorite. He’s known her all her life and is still gobsmacked every time she shows off her master’s degree in throwing hands.
By the end of the second episode, there’s an assassination attempt on Scarlet committed by – I never would’ve guessed it – a catboy maid! He introduces the issue of how beastkin are often slaves within the kingdom. Scarlet convinces him to join her merry band of miscreants, as they plan to sneak into a slave auction. Scarlet has a meeting with the noble in charge of the auctions, punches a bodyguard, Team Rocket style AND gets a kiss from Prince Julius in twenty minutes. Mind you, this is just episode three! Yeah, we start to see world-building and plot development by this point, but she literally threw a grown man across the country. I need her to run for president.
Final thoughts: Don’t talk to me while my show is on.
I’ll definitely be finishing this May I Ask For One Final Thing?. As much as I love thought-provoking media that challenges my mindset, I absolutely adore a fun, lighthearted series. Especially once it gets cold outside, so this dropped right on time.
So far, this is my current favorite show of the season. I’m curious to see if the plot becomes more complex or if it keeps this feeling up. It’s akin to the first few arcs of Fairy Tail – it’s got the basics and is hilariously entertaining. If May I Ask For One Final Thing? suddenly drops a Grand Magic Games arc or something equally as crazy, I will be sat. I gotta see who could hold a candle to Scarlet in a high-stakes fight, because as of episode three, there’s no one. Plus, the local dubbing teams are having a lot of fun with the characters, so that’s a big plus. Julius is such a little shit in English and it honestly cracks me up.
May I Ask For One Final Thing? is perfect for winding down.
After a long day, sometimes you want to put on something light. Most of the time, I’ll have on a 90’s sitcom while doing my nighttime routine. The fact that this feels just as carefree as childhood staples like Living Single and The Nanny makes it alright in my book. Silly as it is, I can’t wait to see who Scarlet pummels next. There’s a lot they can do with her character, and I’m hoping the creators keep up the show’s momentum.
As it’s scheduled to be a thirteen-episode season, I have no expectations for a second one at this time. Unless the plot suddenly gets complex or a quest is introduced, I doubt we’ll see more of Scarlet’s lively world. Either way, I’ll be watching!
