REVIEW: ‘Delico’s Nursery’ Episode 11 — “The Clan Festival”

The big action fights are finally here in Delico’s Nursery Episode 11, “The Clan Festival.” While they can be like classic Dragon Ball or JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures fights with a lot of conversation in between, the quick pacing of the fights ramp up the tension. The episode opens with a young Dali and Gerhard getting ready to go to their first Clan Festival.

In typical fashion, Dali doesn’t want to go to the event because he doesn’t get the whole reason for it, which is for the students of the vampire school to show off their abilities. In Gerhard’s unwavering responsible half to Dali’s carefreeness about aristocracy, Gerhard explains how not everyone is born starting as high as the Delico Clan. For Gerhard, the Fra Clan depends on him to raise their social status. It’s a very classist conversation, but it’s great to see that Gerhard manages to humble and challenge Dali’s perspective.

The past suddenly becomes the present as the older Dali and his three other companions are in a carriage on their way to the current time Clan Festival to stop Pendulum and rescue Ul, Lord Johannes, and Clara. There’s a cool match cut to switch between the timelines, which is always a nice touch from a storytelling and cinematographic view. Essentially, the whole episode turns into a cat-and-mouse chase to find Teacher Krauss, whom everyone has deduced is the alter-ego of the TRUE OF VAMP/TRUMP. The four vampire dads get into various fights with Juras and Caterina around the whole school campus.

Juras remains one of the most interesting characters in Delico’s Nursery Episode 11. He is a dhampir on the verge of death, but his cocoon phase ability to look into another’s mind is so complex. One of the standout fights is the one between the Pendulum member Juras and the Blood Pact Council’s Henriques because Juras uses his ability to go into Henriques’ mind. Surprisingly, he finds nothing in there except for a child version of Henriques sitting in a chair—his eyes almost drained of all life.

Throughout the series, Henriques is shown to be the most carefree dad among the four. However, Delico’s Nursery Episode 11 reveals he is that way now because he used to be known as his family’s “marionette.” He primarily did what his parents told him, even going through with the arranged marriage with Kate. This is why he’s so laissez-faire now that he’s older. He eventually learned to do things his own way by befriending and doing missions with Dali. Not only is this great character-building for Henriques as his own person, but it also explains why he’s banded with Dali and the other fathers.

Delico’s Nursery Episode 11 is also the first episode where Henriques goes all-out in a fight with his broadsword against Juras’ two daggers. The fight between Juras, Dali, and Gerhard is also great but is ridiculously comical. When Juras is getting outnumbered and beaten, Juras asks for Caterina’s help.

But even Caterina doesn’t help since she’s holding Ul. Juras holds up baby Ul while some Clan Festival staff start conversing with Dali and Gerhard about how they’re amazed that two high aristocrats are in their presence. This leads to Juras and Caterina escaping most ludicrously by walking out a darkened backdoor.

The way the villains in Delico’s Nursery get away from the protagonists in almost every confrontational episode is bonkers. It primarily serves the plot in the sense that the villains need some way out of the situation. It’d be cool if they did some Naruto ninja smoke bombs, but instead, the show just shows the villains vanishing from one frame to the next or walking away nonchalantly—a very strange and seemingly lazy writing choice. Dino’s fight isn’t really a fight because Juras sneak attacks him, but it is tasteful. Dino exhibited his resolve and was still strong enough to punch Juras out of his mind.

Aside from the weird ex-machina getaways for the antagonists, Delico’s Nursery Episode 11’s artistic choices are great. The music in the montage when the Vamp dads and the two Pendulum members are all searching for Teacher Krauss is so good. Its gothic orchestral music raises the tension, making the audience wonder who will find the TRUMP first. The dynamic camera angles where characters are tumbling from being knocked back or thrown away from a big blow are done with impact and precision filmmaking intentions.

Delico’s Nursery Episode 11 finishes strong with its final act, still teasing why the TRUMP is elusive of both the Vamp Agency fathers and the rebel group Pendulum. The fights provided enough action to keep the stakes high. Shockingly, Juras didn’t try to threaten to kill Ul more forcefully. Maybe Caterina is beginning to warm up with the cute baby—especially after Caterina and Clara’s conversation the night before The Clan Festival. The frenetic fight scenes made up for some of the writing follies, and hopefully, this will get better as the finale is coming soon.

Delico’s Nursery Episode 11 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.