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I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 5 Review – Quick Summary
In I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 5, “I Couldn’t be a Hero so I Snuck into a Rival Store with the Daughter of the Demon King,” disaster struck the magic store Reon: the country’s largest magic chain store, Amada, opened a store nearby. Recon’s customers disappeared overnight! How can they combat Amada’s low prices? Will they have to close? And how desperate would they have to be to send Raul and Fino into Amada undercover?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 5
Lore is loyal to her store. But boy did that discount look tempting! Capture from the Blu Ray.
Talk about shaking up the status quo! We’ve known Reon wasn’t moving a lot of product. Now, they’re not moving any, because a superstore just moved in nearby! I remember when Walmart first moved into the cities around me. Smaller shops, particularly hardware stores, closed within months. Kinda sad for those folks.
Not sure if it was worth the savings we consumers enjoyed.
But that’s just the dilemma our friends at Reon faced. Their manager, Seara August, called an emergency meeting. They examined Amada’s grand opening flyer to look for weaknesses. They didn’t exactly find any.
Quite the opposite. The Reon repair specialist, Lore Beliferal, stopped when an item caught her attention.
“A Magic Driver at 70% off,” she said (07:29). “I want one!”
I really think the writer, Jun Sakyou, had experience in retail. He really captured some of the trials and tribulations they face!
Best in Show Moment for I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 5
Fino felt quite passionate about the matter. Capture from the Blu Ray.
Setup: The Good Old Days
When I said that Jun Sakyou must have had some background in retail, I was serious. He perfectly captured one danger of a local establishment: coming under attack from a predatory chain store. Nowadays, it’s not as obvious. But I remember growing up in rural Ohio where there were smaller, local grocery stores run by members of the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA). Now, I don’t know of any within a hundred miles.
I also remember the commotion in the local county seat (Lancaster, Ohio) when Walmart moved in. We had had two small grocery stores in the small town where I lived. Within just a few years, they had disappeared. Now, all that remains are chain stores like Walmart, Krogers, an occasional Giant Eagle, and an even more occasional Aldi.
Amada probably spent more on SPHERE than Reon spends on its entire annual marketing budget. Capture from the Blu Ray.
My favorite moment hit home for me because it aligns with what I noticed when I compared the shopping experience between Walmart and the local stores. Remember when Raul and Fino saw the older lady having trouble with the Amada store map? She was trying to find air conditioners, but no one would help her. Raul helped the lady, and Fino approved.
Delivery: Fino and Customer Service
Later, Raul explained to Fino why no one else helped the lady this way. First, the store provided a self-service map, and second, the clerks were responsible for specific areas. That incentivized them top optimize sales in their area and against helping one another – or, apparently, customers in another area.
Raul provided a lot better customer service than anyone from Amada. Capture from the Blu Ray.
The lack of help pissed Fino off. She’s still young; she’s still idealistic. She got all indignant and said (18:27), “But customers are customers!”
Her outburst warmed my heart. Seeing Fino so fired up about it reminded me of the difference between the big chains and the small independent stores: by and large, the smaller stores offered more personal, superior service. It was like Fino was sticking up for all those folks!
At the same time? It kind of reminded me that this show is, in fact, a fantasy. Still, it was my favorite moment.
What did you think of Raul finally running into Airi? What were your favorite moments in the episode? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 5: Other Posts
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This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 1: I Couldn’t Be a Hero, so I’m Working the Register
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 2: The Demon Lord’s Daughter is Going to Learn How to Speak to Customers
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 3: We Should be Careful When Handling Weird Products Sent to Us by Corporate
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 4: Episode 4, “The Daughter of the Demon Lord will be Working at the Convenience Store
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 5: I Couldn’t be a Hero so I Snuck into a Rival Store with the Daughter of the Demon King
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 6: She Couldn’t Become a Hero, so She Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job, Too
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 7: The Demon Lord’s Daughter Visits a House
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 8: The Demon Lord’s Daughter is Tending to Customers in a Swimsuit
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 9: How the Demon Lord’s Daughter Spent Her First Paycheck
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 10: I Wanted to be a Hero, but She Didn’t Want to be the Demon Lord
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 11: I Couldn’t Become a Hero, but now I’m Going to Rescue the Demon Lord’s Daughter
- I Couldn’t Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job Episode 12: I Couldn’t Become a Hero, so I Decided to get a Job
When I was a kid in 1960s rural Michigan all we ever shopped at were the IGAs in Harrison and Clare. (That should give you a good idea of where I grew up.)
Cool! My wife’s side of the family used to vacation every summer at Mackinaw City. After my wife and I got married, we went along with them for year and stayed in cabins near Carp Lake. There are some great restaurants up there (the fried chicken at Damn Site In was fantastic!).
I had an Uncle who lived in Hell, Michigan.
Cool! I remember seeing road signs for it as we passed the Detroit area (I think — my memory’s a little hazy). There’s some beautiful country up there.