The Beginning After the End episode 1: Grey's reincarnation as Arthur marks a new beginning for the King
The Beginning After the End episode 1 was screened early for overseas audiences on March 30, 2025. The episode saw Grey, once known as a fearsome King in his past life, reincarnate as Arthur in a new world. Arthur is welcomed into the world by his parents, Alice and Reynolds, who adore him in a way.
Arthur, who retained his memories from his past life as Grey, gradually recognized the differences between the new world and the world he originally belonged to. Although he struggled to maneuver his body as a child, Arthur slowly learned about the new world and its power systems. The Beginning After the End episode 1 marked the beginning of Arthur's story, as he grapples with new challenges in a different setting.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from The Beginning After the End episode 1.
The Beginning After the End episode 1: Grey reincarnates as Arthur
The Beginning After the End episode 1, titled The Rebirth of the King, begins with a scene from the past, where a mysterious man named Grey is crowned as the king. Grey showcases his brutality in a scientifically advanced civilization. However, something is amiss in his life, as he witnesses the destruction outside with soulless eyes.
Suddenly, the narrative for The Beginning After the End episode 1 shows Grey drowning in the abyss of his consciousness. A faint voice is heard as someone urges Grey to seek light in his new life. Grey then opens his eyes and finds two unidentified people peering at him from above.
Grey discovers that those people identify him as their child and claim to be his parents. Suddenly, the missing pieces fall into the puzzle - Grey realizes he has been reincarnated in another world. In this new world, his parents have named him Arthur.
Grey cannot fathom how, after attaining countless victories, he has been reduced to a mere infant. The Beginning After the End episode 1 runs the narrative through Arthur's lenses, revealing his thoughts regarding the new world he has found himself in. However, Arthur grapples with new challenges, as he cannot maneuver freely with the body of an infant.
That said, he commends his parents, Alice and Reynolds, who are performing their duties to ensure his safety. Although Arthur doesn't comprehend the basic human emotions of love and affection, he realizes that he's safe whenever he's with his parents. Yet, Arthur still faces difficulty in accepting his new life.
He feels as if he's imprisoned in an infant's body. At first, Arthur wonders whether it's an extended dream. That's why he tries to wake up from the "bizarre dream" but fails to do so. Soon after, Arthur notices something strange. The Beginning After the End episode 1 shows Arthur's father, Reynolds, performing magic.
Arthur, who has never seen anything like it in his previous life as Grey, finds the move fascinating. As such, he wants to discover more about the new world. Reynolds demonstrates his sheer strength in destroying wild boars and other beasts, which Arthur stares at in amazement. He realizes that he must acquire knowledge about the new world.
The narrative for The Beginning After the End episode 1 constantly shifts between Arthur's past and present. As he receives Alice and Reynolds' warm affection, he realizes such moments aren't bad. He recalls how he never got the chance to taste freedom as Grey the King. That's why it's a new experience for Grey as Arthur.
The Beginning After the End episode 1: Arthur finally acquires knowledge about the new world
The Beginning After the End episode 1 retains the focus on Arthur, who finally gains mild control of his limbs. He crawls on the floor and stumbles upon a mirror. Arthur is intrigued to see his reflection, where he's no longer the terrifying king but a helpless infant. He mentions how he still can't accept his new form.
That said, with control over his limbs, Arthur seeks knowledge of the new world. He observes a series of books stacked in a bookshelf. With some effort, Arthur finally takes out a book and discovers information about his world. According to The Beginning After the End episode 1, Arthur was born into the Dicathen continent, which contains three kingdoms: The Darv Kingdom, The Elenoir Kingdom, and the Sapin Kingdom.
The Darv Kingdom is a subterranean nation, home to the Dwarves, while the Elenoir Kingdom is a nation of elves deep in the forest. The other kingdom, Sapin, is where Arthur was born. It's the most populous nation where human beings inhabit. Like his previous world, the current world is also run by a monarch.
Yet, the main difference is that the throne in the new world is inherited, not seized. Moreover, The Beginning After the End episode 1 reveals that Arthur's world is still in the developmental process compared to Grey's world. In other words, it's not as scientifically advanced as the world he originally belonged to.
Aside from the new world's primitive technology, Arthur finds out about Magic, the source of which is the Mana. Arthur learns that the ability to control Mana is largely hereditary, and it occurs in one out of every 100 people. Moreover, there are two ways one can awaken their Mana: Augmenting and Conjuring.
According to The Beginning After the End episode 1, the Augmenters can control Mana in their body to enhance their physical strength and agility. On the other hand, Conjurers can control Mana however they please. At this moment, Arthur recalls his father's moves from before and realizes he's an Augumentor.
Moreover, he learns that one must gain control over their Mana core to awaken powers. During his research, Arthur realizes that the concept of mastering Mana Core isn't that different from channeling Ki - something that he has already mastered in his previous life. Thus, he begins to focus on tapping into his Mana Core.
Yet, his mother, Alice, picks him up before he can focus on that. A few days later, Alice is mortified to see that Reynolds is teaching Arthur swordsmanship. She doesn't want their baby to become a rough man. Seeing Alice rebuking Reynolds, Arthur wonders whether the new world is based on a Matriarchy.
Some days later, Alice takes Arthur out to the town. Arthur is mesmerized by the new world. Coming to the town provides him with vital information on how the world operates. After that, the narrative for The Beginning After the End episode 1 shifts to Alice, who is slightly morose about the fact that Arthur has never truly smiled.
Yet, she observed how the boy's eyes glistened when he was in town. She knows that when Arthur grows up, he will embark on adventures. However, she would like the boy to have a more peaceful life. The next day, Arthur watches his father practice his augmenting skills. As such, he wants to try controlling his Mana Core.
Over the two years, Arthur gains a variety of knowledge about the new world. Thus, he implements them to produce a Mana Core. Countless fragments of mana course through his body and are focused into a single point. The narrative momentarily shifts to Alice and Reynolds, who are outside.
Suddenly, the house behind them explodes with a loud bang. Alice and Reynolds are horrified when they realize that Arthur is inside. Yet, as soon as they enter the ruined house, they notice their 2-year-old boy hovering in the air, with his mana core awakened.
Arthur lands on the floor and is about to go toward his parents when the ceiling above him begins to fall. Reynold and Alice dash toward Arthur to protect him from the falling ceiling. Alice embraces the boy from danger while Reynolds uses magic to throw the debris away.
The Beginning After the End episode 1 then shifts the focus to Arthur, who cannot fathom why his parents are crying even though they have performed their duties as "parents." He recalls memories from his previous life, where he never received such affection.
Even though he has read tons of books on literature, he has yet to learn about that emotion. The Beginning After the End episode 1 ends with Arthur uncontrollably crying in his parents' embrace, all the while wondering what exactly the emotion he's going through is.
Conclusion
The Beginning After the End episode 1 was a solid beginning to one of the most anticipated anime from the Spring 2025 lineup. The premiere episode captured the essence of the manhwa, showcasing Arthur and Grey's story.
The episode served as the prologue to Arthur's tale in a new world. While the episode may not have had flashy animation, it was still reasonable enough to highlight Arthur grappling with new experiences in an unknown land.
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