Season 2 Episode 10 brings the spotlight back over to the Hamburger trio – Jack, Kento, and Terry. The three now travel around the world as adventurers, something which they resolved to do in their first featured segment. I’m a little surprised to see them as adventurers but that may just because I barely feel time passing in Restaurant to Another World‘s narrative. Sometimes, it feels like this show is in a floating timeline. When I think about it, it has been seven episodes since the trio’s first major appearance so it’s plausible that they’ve left town and became adventures at this point.
In this segment, we see the three run away from ghosts. Fortunately for them, they’re rescued by Tatsugorou (Hochu Otsuka), the wandering samurai and one of the very first patrons introduced in the show (and who I most certainly didn’t neglect to mention until now…). As it so happens, there’s a door to Nekoya in the area so the four head there for a meal, with Tatsugorou offering to cover the bill. Just as Tatsugorou orders his usual plate of teriyaki chicken, he and the boys notice that there is a menu item that bridges both of their go-to dishes, the teriyaki burger, so they all decide to order that instead. Later, they try the burger with a rice bun, which Tatsugorou appreciates since he misses having rice with his teriyaki. I really dig the concept of this segment; having two parties with different go-to dishes try a meal that bridges those foods together. That kind of crossing over hardly happens in the show so it’s nice to see it take the opportunity to do so.
Also neat is the fact that Tatsugorou finally has the spotlight for once. The man has been around since the very beginning of the show but he tends to be in the background. Before this, he played a secondary role in Heinrich’s introduction, being the one who helps the noble reconnect with Nekoya, but that’s about it. It’s very late for Tatsugorou to have his own segment but as the saying goes, better late than never.
Teaming Tatsugorou up with the Hamburger trio is smart. By having rookie adventurers ask him questions about himself, the show has a good excuse to flesh out his character. I like how modest Tatsugorou is, explaining that all the stories about him are exaggerated and admitting that he doesn’t entirely get by with just his swordsmanship, and yet, that only makes the boys respect him even more. Also, I’m realizing now that this season has a tendency of giving veteran characters surrogate children to look after. There’s Victoria and her nephew and niece, Fardania and Alice, and now Tatsugorou and the Hamburger trio. Funny how this keeps happening but I’m all for it.
The second segment introduces us to a new character: Queen Lastina (Kana Hanazawa), the current Demon Lord and a vassal of the empire led by Adelheid’s family. Whereas her mother was a powerful demon with very pronounced demonic features, Lastina isn’t very powerful and her demonic traits are underdeveloped. As such, Lastina questions if she really is fit to lead her people. Her self-doubt is so bad that she actually thinks Lionel (Nobuyuki Hiyama) would be a better ruler. I love Lionel and I know he was a leader of a gang but can you imagine him as a king? I personally can’t so I’m very concerned that Lastina can.
By chance, a door to Nekoya appears in Lastina’s room. Upon entering the place, the Demon Lord receives the usual rundown from Lionel (what a coincidence) and she shares a table with Adelheid, the two of them being old friends. Adelheid orders chocolate parfaits both herself and Lastina so now, we have two ladies with crippling parfait addictions. This time around however, she orders a mocha variant of the dish as Lastina is quite fond of coffee.
More importantly, Adelheid helps Lastina feel more confident about herself. It’s kind of funny that Adelheid says she’s also a weakling but you get where she’s coming from. Power doesn’t necessarily equate to leadership. So long as Lastina leads her people well, it shouldn’t matter that she’s not as powerful as her mother. I imagine that these two would have this conversation no matter what but having it take place in Nekoya certainly helps. It’d probably be a while before the two meet under more normal circumstances. Plus, the restaurant environment might help Lastina feel more informal around Adelheid, allowing her to approach the princess more as a friend and less her superior.
Since Lastina is a demon, you of course get a brief interaction between her and Aletta. Funny how this is the second time someone has complimented Aletta’s appearance but I don’t mind because Aletta deserves the best. Also cute is Lastina asking Adelheid about her hangouts with Shareef and Renner in Nekoya. Now I want to see all four of these characters at the same table, with Lastina and Renner wondering if Shareef will finally man up and ask Adelheid out on a date.
Watch Restaurant to Another World 2 on Crunchyroll
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