From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman

When I covered From Old Country Bumpkin... in our feature back in May, I mostly enjoyed the show but was left a little uncomfortable with the way in which every young woman in the series was leering over Beryl Gardnent, the titular bumpkin who is whisked away from his cosy training academy to the big city. It felt, honestly, like an element of slightly pervy fan-fiction. What gave me some hope was that the narrative defied expectation in other areas for a first episode, most notably how his harshest (and most arrogant) critic was humble enough to not only accept defeat in a match, but enthusiastically laud his new teacher's skill. It was a genuinely touching moment of respect between two combatants.

Thankfully, my fears were mostly unfounded and the series played to its strengths - notably the kindness and humility of Beryl in the face of many challenges and his complete inability to sense signals from interested women. The reasons for their attraction became believable, as Beryl was a man you could actually look up to and respect, so their admiration felt earned rather than forced. True, he's a fatherly figure and the only potential partner that lusts after him to an obsessive degree is Allucia, the head of the Rebelio Knights. Though very proper outwardly, she's constantly scheming to get him on his own and enjoy a proper date, which is charming enough and thankfully not the focus of the show.

There's an old fashioned chivalry to Beryl that makes him attractive to everyone he meets

Instead, we see Beryl placed in uncomfortable situations and manage his way through them with maturity and thought. He's never disrespectful of an opponent (even if they're trying to kill him) and he's constantly analysing situations and people in a way that's quiet and well intentioned. You never see him charge into battle yelling, he just draws his sword and calmly walks into danger. It's very easy to respect his style.

The sword fights are also masterful - it's clear from watching a number of trained swordsman on Youtube who have given the series a lot of props that the team behind the show have done their research. Obviously I know bugger all about sword fighting so I have to rely on others for how genuine it is, but a lot of buzz about the series was due to its accuracy - in fact this positive word of mouth is how it drew my eye in the first place.

In terms of production values, it's really nothing spectacular, just solid enough animation with a few notable panning shots while people talk off screen to save the budget (which in an age of CGI is quite puzzling, it actually makes the show feel a bit quaint, like the protagonist).

For those of us of a certain vintage, it's nice to see a hero we can relate to in our midlife years. In many ways he reminds me of the sort of hero we had back when I was growing up, when Adrian Paul as the Highlander was a mentor figure - always thoughtful, kind but also prepared to stand his ground and make tough decisions. Not a constantly-quipping Marvel clown that has to get the last word in and make it funny, it's just become a bit tired and I like a character that feels more grounded.

You know the show is good when you've made each new episode a part of your weekly schedule. I've eagerly awaited each new episode and I'm delighted that the series has been confirmed for a second season next year. If you like a solid story with likeable characters and a slightly cosy setting, then From Old Country Bumpkin to Master Swordsman is a splendid series to spend time with.