Tearmoon Empire
Entry updated 26 February 2024. Tagged: TV.
Japanese animated tv series (2023; original title Tearmoon Teikoku Monogatari: Dantōdai kara Hajimaru, Hime no Tensei Gyakuten Story). Based on the Light Novels by Nozomu Mochitsuki. Directed by Yūshi Ibe, Written by Deko Akao. Voice cast includes Shun Horie, Tomori Kusunoki, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Kanon Takao, Sumire Uesaka and Yuichiro Umehara. Twelve 24-minute episodes. Colour.
Mia Luna Tearmoon (Uesaka), the First Princess of the Tearmoon Empire, is guillotined three years after a revolution. Time then runs backward (see Time in Reverse) and she wakes up in bed, relieved to find her neck still intact, but surprised that she is now twelve again after a mental Timeslip: initially laughing off the experience off as a dream, she then sees her Prison diary on the bed, stained with her blood. One of the entries reads: "I'm scared. So scared. I don't want to die. What did I do that was so wrong? Was it the 'let them eat meat' thing?" Her next meal is such a relief after her prison food that she thanks the chef, leading the servants to exclaim in disbelief, "Our highly self-centred Princess spoke words of appreciation!" However, when a servant drops a cake she loses her temper, until realizing it is Anne Littstein (Kusunoki), a maid who regularly visited her in prison: in gratitude she makes Anne her personal handmaiden.
Realizing her execution eight years in the future was no dream, Mia recalls that the Empire's finances will shortly deteriorate and a famine will occur (see Disaster; Jonbar Point), causing the revolution. If she is to avoid her fate, events must be altered; yet she has no knowledge of Politics nor Economics. Then she remembers Ludwig Hewitt (Umehara), a brusque young civil servant whose attempts to balance the Empire's budget had resulted in his being sent to the provinces, and brings him into her retinue to provide guidance. Reading her diary she sees the words change to reflect the consequences of this decision ... but still end in her execution. An epidemic (see Pandemic) will defeat Ludwig's reforms, so Mia dabbles in food security infrastructure and, to help build a hospital in the poor district, donates a valuable hairpin – knowing it will be stolen from her if the execution timeline persists – and Ludwig uses this act to persuade other nobles to contribute.
Mia now attends her elite Academy. In the previous timeline a minor noble, Tiona Rudolvon (Takao), had won the heart of Prince Sion (Horie) from the neighbouring kingdom of Sunkland; as Mia fancied him, she bullied Tiona – who ended up a leader of the revolution, with the military support of Sunkland: "I reaped what I sowed," concedes Mia. This time she defends her from other bullies: Tiona – and the watching Sion – are both deeply impressed. Mia also falls for Prince Abel (Matsuoka) of the neighbouring, militaristic Kingdom of Remno.
Though now a better person, Mia's actions are nonetheless governed by self-interest. Even decisions made for foolish reasons usually end up having a beneficial effect – she has a great deal of luck on this score – so, as the snarky narrator points out, people give the noblest interpretation to her words and deeds, resulting in Mia becoming known as the "wisdom of the Empire". Much of the series' Humour comes from this dissonance.
Mia regularly checks the diary, but it still ends with her execution – until one day it vanishes in her hands. She realizes that if not imprisoned she cannot have a prison diary: her fate has been avoided. However, this is only episode eight: the viewer now learns that Sunkland was behind the revolution, but Mia's changes have forced them to change targets. To create a pretext for Invasion (see Imperialism) they now foment unrest in Remno; so Mia and friends undertake a clandestine visit to the kingdom to investigate and help Prince Abel. They become mixed up in an uprising: idealistic Sion is angered at Abel's aiding in the oppression of his people, whilst Abel believes royal authority needs to be defended to prevent chaos, and they have an inconclusive duel.
Mia sees parallels between the Tearmoon and Remno uprisings, remarking that something seems off about the current situation; Sion works out that the Renmo rebellion is due to the machinations of a rogue unit of his nation's intelligence agency (see Secret Masters): Mia realizes they must have been behind the Tearmoon revolution too. When the intelligence staff are captured, Mia insists they not be executed: this is interpreted as clemency, but she is actually worried that, if guillotined, they will have her experience and get the chance to correct their failures – so she might end up executed again. She also likes this timeline, with all the friends she has made from all walks of life.
Though the Remno plotline is a little hit-or-miss, Tearmoon Empire is an entertaining series – with a selfish but likeable protagonist, comedy, romance, some light adventure and unquestioned feudalism. [SP]
links
previous versions of this entry