DanMachi III Episode 5
Five minutes into “Ikelos Familia | King of Atrocity,” IIWTTTPUGIAD/DanMachi III episode 5, I made the note, “Can we trade in villains?” I’ve about had all I need from Dix and company. Rayne was starting to grow on me, too… Welcome to Irina (from I Drink and Watch Anime) and my collaboration review of the fifth episode!
As I write this, we’re about to the end of election 2020. It’s done everything it can to live up to the standards of disaster that 2020 has established, and by golly, it’s exceeded my wildest hopes. Or whatever is 180 degrees away from hope. How’re thing in your part of the world, Irina?
I don’t know how you guys are coping. I’m super stressed out about the US elections and I’m neither a particularly political or a particularly stressed person. And I don’t want to turn Crow’s site in some political nightmare so I’ll refrain from expressing any of my particular biases but man… We are living through some strange aeons indeed.
This said, I have hope. It’s a bit in the nowhere to go but up, nothing left to lose type of hope, but hope nevertheless.
Also the end of the world has been profitable for the anime industry. I finished a post recently that had me researching market shares. Impressive…
I still like the pleasant spin you put on “end of the world anime series”…
Rayne Tried
For the record: Irina’s in bold. I’m in standard font. And there will be spoilers.
Things in DanMachi III Episode 5 went from bad to worse, especially for the members of Xenos who had been with Wiene. As we saw at the end of the previous episode, Dix and his merry band had ambushed Wiene’s party. At the beginning of this episode, already having lost one of their party to Dix’s forces, Wiene’s escort tried their best to break free. They failed.
I think the award for best effort goes to Rayne, the arachnid. Maybe it’s because of Rachnera Arachnera, but I’ve grown fond of spider women-folk. Rayne tried her darnedest to save Wiene. She was a formidable fighter, too. She held her own until Wiene distracted her, and her opponent struck, Even with three or four of her legs severed, she tried to lay down a strand of web so their friends could find them after Dix carted them off. Unfortunately, the most accurately named villain of all time caught on and declared she should be killed.
DanMachi III Episode 5 was tough on Wiene. So did the rest of Xenos. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
I’m not a fan of breaking the cutie moments. Although I’m not sure if this counts as a cutie. Point is I have no issue with fight scenes even ones full of gore. But I don’t really like it when one side doesn’t stand a chance. Even when it’s the bad guys. Especially when they linger on it. I prefer for those scenes to just be told to me. I guess I’m soft.
So this scene went on a little too long for me. I got the gist in the first few seconds. In fact, I got the gist in the last episode. But that’s me. It was a good way to get a visceral reaction out of the audience. At least out of the audience in my living room! Even if it was with the usual IIWTTTPUGIAD subtlety.
A Critical Note on Pronunciation
This is a completely unrelated and silly note that ruins the atmosphere here, but have you ever tried to pronounce IIWTTTPUGIAD? Cause I do every time I write it and I haven’t succeeded so far.
You hit the nail on the head — this scene was piling on.
And isn’t it pronounced “IIWTTTPUGIAD?” Simply rolls off the tongue! I’m lying of course. I have no idea how to pronounce it! But it still looks trade-marky cool!
I hadn’t thought of it that way. Oh man, you’re so right. IIWTTTPUGIAD! Sounds delicious.
As If Normal Villainy Were Not Enough…
As if we weren’t already convinced that Dix and company were really not terribly nice folks, three of the most scummy petitioned Dix to keep Rayne alive along enough for them to, well, give Rayne yet another reason to hate humans. After scalding their faces with acid (which, in my book, means they good off easy), she took her own life rather than allow them to touch her.
She was a strong, principled character. I’ll miss her. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Are you looking forward to Bell (or anyone, really!) to give Dix a serious beat-down, Irina?
Oh yes. It’s going to be so great to have Bell just straight up murder all of them! Wait, where did that come from???
In all honesty, they set up a simple hateable villain. And that’s why I like uncomplicated evil once in a while. I can just dislike Dix and make fun of his name without thinking about it. So yeah, I’m gonna be psyched when he gets his comeuppance. And it’s gonna make me like Bell more. YAY!
Well said.
A Cloud Hangs Over Bell in DanMachi III Episode 5
Speaking of Bell, we next see him at the most awkward breakfast ever in Hestia Familia’s mansion. Everyone was silent because they saw how depressed Bell was. He eventually excused himself to clear his mind by visiting the dungeon. There, he almost hesitated before killing a non-sentient monster. He proved he could do it, though he realized he’d never approach trips to the dungeon in the same way again. He returned to the surface.
While he was doing that, Gros, leader of the Xenos faction that hated all humans (even Bell and company), learned what had happened to Rayne and the others. Furious, he broke the crystal that kept them in touch with Fels and Ouranos. He did that for a simple reason: he didn’t want the god to see what he was about to do, which was eradicate all humans. It was heart-breaking to see Lyd try to talk Gros out of it, while most of Xenos moved to support Gros. Soon, only Ray and a few others stood beside Lyd.
Lyd saw the plans he’d fought to bring to life crash and burn. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Gros isn’t wrong. Dix has got to be stopped. And his rage is understandable. Still, I really felt bad for Lyd, who had worked so hard to establish an alliance with Hestia Familia.
Irina, what did you think of this development?
Uhhmmm… wait I’ll think about it now.
OK’ I’m back.
I guess it seems like the most straightforward way to advance the plot. Like the next step is confrontation between the Monsters and Humans. They have been foreshadowing this since the first episode. I guess it came a bit quicker than expected but that’s not bad. It’s going to give IIWTTTPUGIAD more time to solve the conflict in a satisfying way. I’m actually really happy they aren’t leaving it to the last minute. Just solving all these systemic ingrained issues in the last 10 minutes of the last episode.
So I think it’s a good thing they got to the main conflict now. Good pacing!
Ais Weighs In
Bell’s Hopes She’ll Understand
If we look at IIWTTTPUGIAD as Bell’s story, then the most dramatic moment came as Bell mounted the steps out of the dungeon. He met Ais Wallenstein as she was entering. Awkwardly, because Bell’s so infatuated with her that he still can’t quite bring himself to speak normally around her, Bell tried to get her opinion. He wanted to know how she would react if she learned that monsters had feelings.
Bell idolizes Ais. He hoped she would understand where he was coming from. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
The show’s building a theme of the horrors of racism, and it’s doing a good job. In this case, I was actually a bit surprised at the nuance in Ais’s response. Now, maybe it wouldn’t pass as subtle in another series, but here, I thought it both served its dramatic purpose and felt authentic, given what we know of Ais.
She said that if a monster were to hurt humans, or even make a human cry, she would kill it. Which is to say, she wouldn’t kill it because it was a monster; she would kill it because of the danger it represented to her kind.
What’d you think of her response, Irina?
Ais Disappoints Bell in DanMachi III Episode 5
Gwaaahhh you’re making me think again? Honestly, I sort of tune out Ais. I just find her the most boring character ever. I love her design. But otherwise she is a bit like a walking talking sleeping pill for me. To be honest I only remembered what she said when I read the paragraph.
I vaguely remembered it. And I remembered Bell’s really sad reaction that I didn’t quite understand.
This said, making someone cry is a low bar. So like if a young kid sees a monster in the distance and starts crying cause they’ve never seen one before, Ais is gonna take that monster down? Seems excessive. And I think that may be what Bell was depressed about. It’s already a bit uneven to kill any monster that hurts an adventurer but to make them cry. What if they are a really attractive monster that turns a sensitive human down asking for a date? The crying clause moves it from the danger they pose to the discomfort they cause. And that’s not a good thing.
Ais’ answer dashes Bell’s hope. Dashing hope was a theme in DanMachi III Episode 5… Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
To be honest, I hadn’t considered the date angle. And TBH, I could see that happening with Ray…
Of course, there’s serious implications for the future of Bell’s relationship with Ais! In this case, Hestia will probably be overjoyed… So will I. But Ais can stay as a silent background character in every scene.
Well, to be fair, she’s not the most talkative soul in general!
Gros and Xenos on the Offensive
From the world’s perspective, the biggest development is that Gros’ forces were apparently really effective. They took Livira (Rivira?) on the 18th floor, and all hell broke loose. The Guild’s in a panic. Ouranos is on the defensive, trying to salvage what he can from his plan. He asks the Ganesha Familia to restore order by capturing and “taming” Gros’ forces. Hermes even orders Asfi to go into the dungeon and shadow Ganesha’s activities.
Ouranos does one more thing of interest: He asks Bell to be part of the Ganesha Famila’s expedition. So the wheels are in motion for a major personal and societal confrontation.
As an aside, I’ve always liked Ganesha Familia. Ganesha always seemed dedicated to his familia, and that impressed me.
Irina, what’s you think of DanMachi III Episode 5?
Ganesha’s forces had orders to retrieve the Xenos alive. But that caused disquiet even among Ganesha’s leadership. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Why does Ganesha have a familia? How many pantheons are part of the story? It’s 90% Greek (Roman), and then we just got Freya, Loki, Ganesha and Ishtar… I hope we get a Manitou. I would love to see their interpretation of it.
I got sidetracked didn’t I? Anyways, Ganesha’s familia looks like a lot of fun. I hope we get a chance to know them a bit better.
Closing Thoughts
As for what I thought of the episode. I enjoyed it less than previous ones, I think. Mostly cause it was sadder and a set up for things to come. But I still thought it was good. The pacing this season is great and it’s making the episodes fly by leaving me wanting to watch the next one. I can’t say the same for a lot of shows I’ve been watching lately.
There’s something to be said for competent plotting, isn’t there? You framed the episode well, so we’ll leave it at that! Now we wait another week to see how Wiene fares.
And though it would be a major plot hold, I wouldn’t mind if Dix fell in a hole and disappeared. But I doubt that’ll happen. Well, I can hope!
Reviews of the Other Episodes
- Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? III Episode 1 – Dungeons and Wyverns
- Is It Wrong to Try To Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? III Episode 2: Coexistence And Lili’s Foot In Mouth Disease
- Is It Wrong to Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? III Episode 3 – The Mission To Level 20
- Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? III Episode 4 – Told You He Was A Dix
- Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? III Episode 5 – Gros Isn’t Wrong
- Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? III Episode 6 – A Man Named Modaka
- Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? III Episode 7 – Bell Takes on Wiene and the World
- Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? III Episode 8 – An Enemy of Humanity
- Is It Wrong To Try To Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? III Episode 9 — Regrets And Introspection
- Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? III Episode 10 – Wild Bell Chase
- Is It Wrong To Try to Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? III Episode 11 — A Polite Betrayal
- Is It Wrong To Try to Pick Up Girls In A Dungeon? III Episode 12 – Full Circle
********Are you looking forward to Bell (or anyone, really!) to give Dix a serious beat-down, Irina?*******
Actually, I really wish the monster-slavery angle weren’t thrown in. It’s such a low bar. I mean they’ve set a stage ripe with possibilities. Imagine if Dix had underestimated the monsters and that raid had gone horribly wrong; they take down a few monsters but he loses most of his men and almost dies himself, only to be rescued by other adventurers who manage to witness and drive off talking monsters with weapons. So by the time Dix wakes up in hospital, the news has spread. And there are the forming stages of an anti-monster league and a communication league, but then someone reveals a monster black-market, and now we have an even more complicated political situation. So the Xenos claim the dungeon as their own territority, and any unauthorised human will be seen as an intruder, and if the guild carries on like they have, they’ll be seen as invaders. So the entire culture is now about to crumble, because some people recognise the claim but others don’t. And the gods only know what they think.
Frankly, situations like these won’t be disarmed by a common enemy.
The conversation with Ains was a little strange. I mean what did Bell expect? She said pretty much what he would have said recently. She didn’t say monsters are just prey, did she? I’d say he saw that but I’m not sure the writing’s capable of even that much subtelty.
I didn’t like that only monsters died during the raid, either. Ikelos familia should have lost a few men, too, if you’re going to be gruesome. Not doing that suggests that the show thinks its less gruesome to kill monsters than humans, and that undermines the plot.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m still enjoying the show. But what bothered me about the minotaur fight in season one is alive and well in this season. The show, for all its protestations, doesn’t really take the monsters seriously enough. I really think they should have their own gods, too. In a sense they should make Ouranos a well-meaning colonialist, facing a “savage” God from the deeps. They should deify some Greek “monster”; the Xenos should refuse the name (because it’s basically inscribing “not-us” into their very name) and henceforth call themselves the Medusa familia or the Hydra familia or something.
“So the entire culture is now about to crumble, because some people recognise the claim but others don’t. And the gods only know what they think.”
To me, that sounds like extremely cool political intrigue, along the like of Frank Herbert’s Dune. I don’t think IIWTTTPUGIAD could pull it off. I’m not sure they can pull it off now, though maybe I should have more faith. They haven’t stumbled badly yet!
“I mean what did Bell expect? She said pretty much what he would have said recently. She didn’t say monsters are just prey, did she?”
I think we saw Bell’s naïveté at work here. He has such a crush on Ais that he thought if he could just explain it to her, she would bestow her blessing, and all would be well. At the very least, I could see him hoping his relationship with her would prompt her to ask why he was asking. But she didn’t.
I just don’t think she’s that into him!
“Not doing that suggests that the show thinks its less gruesome to kill monsters than humans, and that undermines the plot.”
Interesting point. They certainly had the opportunity with the three would be rapists. In fact, I was disappointed Rayne didn’t take them out.
“The show, for all its protestations, doesn’t really take the monsters seriously enough. ”
I see what you’re saying. I can’t say you’re wrong, given the evidence we’ve seen so far. That might change; monster deaths might take on a greater weight, for example. I’m going to wait and see.
But again, I can’t say you’re wrong.
“In a sense they should make Ouranos a well-meaning colonialist, facing a “savage” God from the deeps.”
How cool would it be if that were the case?
Even better: That the god of the deep was the dead Cthulhu, who waits dreaming?
I think Cthulhu could use a redemption arc.