Sacrifice, Duty, and Family: ‘The Beginning After the End’ Episode 2 Review

The Beginning After the End introduces a simple but intriguing premise: after a mysterious death, King Grey is reborn as Arthur Leywin on the magical continent of Dicathen. Although he enters his second life as a baby, his previous wisdom remains. He begins to master magic and forge his own path as the years go by, seeking to correct the mistakes of his past life. The appeal of a fresh slate for a character that we’re not quite sure deserves redemption is introduced to us in the very first episode of The Beginning After the End. While not action heavy or with spectacular animation as of yet, it promises future action, character development and daring choices starting off with a strong emotional foundation here, first.

The time skip of skipping young Arthur–the former King Grey in this new life–to a four year old is a welcomed one as it moves along the story in a way that keeps up with the pacing of the original story. After his explosive awakening, the kid’s potential is realized by his father, and a decision is made to bring Arthur to new opportunities. In doing so, we see a new side of Arthur’s parents: adventurers who reunite with their old party. This second episode of The Beginning After the End begins not quietly but with intent and great promise.  Animation wise, more of the combat this episode expanded to actual creatures and beasts providing more of a view of this new world’s dangers. This is a plus as audiences are granted more glimpses of how the warriors and…