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The Eminence in Shadow Episode 5 – Quick Summary
In The Eminence in Shadow Episode 5, “I Am,” Alexia watched in shock. Some guy who called himself Shadow sauntered into the dungeon and faced off against Zenon Griffey, who was not only a top sword instructor. He was also a high-up in the Cult of Diabolos. She had learned Zenon was so powerful he could easily swat aside her attack. What did this Shadow guy think he could do? Did he know something she didn’t? And what happened to that giant monster who had freed her?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from The Eminence in Shadow Episode 5
Alpha looked on the creature’s plight and felt sympathy. Capture from the HIDIVE stream.
You know what’s even better than amazing strength earned through hard work and discipline? Enormous strength earned through hard work and discipline that’s tempered with compassion, that’s what!
And damn, that sentence was long. Sorry about that.
It’s no secret Alpha, Beta, and the rest have impressed me. This episode, Alpha kicked it up a notch. The possessed creature that had freed Alexia before it had escaped now found itself under attack on the surface. Iris, swordswoman extraordinaire, perceived the creature as a threat, so she did her best to destroy it. But Iris’ skills were not enough. The creature kept regenerating.
That’s when Alpha showed up. In a voice almost choked with emotion, she said (05:44), “You’re only making her suffer. Can’t you see that?”
It’s just a fantasy. But hearing Alpha speak with such feeling, knowing just how powerful she is, was a “some faith in humanity” restored sort of moment.
I take them where I find them!
Best in Show Moment for The Eminence in Shadow Episode 5
If you’re going to claim to be a fundamental force of nature, the least you can do is create a thermonuclear explosion. Capture from the HIDIVE stream.
Setup: There’s Power, and Then There’s Power
Over the last couple of episodes I began to wonder. Just how powerful is Cid? I’ve seen him tear up some bad guys without much apparent effort. Was that an act? Or was he really at idle?
Well. I guess we got our answer. With a couple of exclamation marks.
I enjoyed watching Ainz Ooal Gown stomp his enemies (most of them, anyway). It’s even more fun to watch Anos Voldigoad obliterate his arrogant and stupid enemies. But even when Anos was at his peak (which was probably spinning a castle on his finger as if it were a basketball), there was a sense of power, yes. But power of a kind that was consistent with out adjacent powers. Just more of it.
This episode did something I haven’t seen done, at least not in this way. Cid didn’t just show more power than Zenon Griffey. Cid showed power on another plane of existence. It was like watching someone with a mud knife lunge at Saturn. Rings and all. Cid didn’t just stomp his enemy. He literally obliterated him to an atomic level.
This was a wonderful demonstration of not only different levels of power, but different concepts of power.
That was a profoundly effective display of over-classed power.
What’s even more cool is how the dialogue tied it back to my favorite quote in episode 1. In that episode, Cid had reflected on his no matter what level he attained, a nuclear bomb would toast him.
Now I know why he seems so powerful. Now I know how he achieved his goal. And this moment is so magnificently absurd, so stupidly over the top, that it’s hands down my favorite moment in the episode.
Delivery: Pegging the Meter
Poor Zenon Griffey. He thought popping his power pills would give him an edge. Nah. Cid just punched him out. Didn’t even bother with his sword. Finally, Cid cast a purplish force field around him and the doomed sword instructor, who had been reduced to total shock. All he could do is wonder what the heck he was seeing.
That’s when Cid referred back to episode 1. He said it bothered him that a nuclear bomb could kill him. He said (14:00), ““If I don’t want to be vaporized in a nuclear explosion, I simply have to become nuclear myself.”
Cid didn’t even bother parrying Zenon Griffey’s last attack. He let the doomed man’s sword shatter against his arm. Against his arm! That’s certainly one way to project confidence! Capture from the HIDIVE stream.
Kinda silly, right? But the way he delivered it sold it completely. Then he said something that should have been laughable. But it was so laughable that it transcended humor to be something awesome.
“I… am… atomic!” he declared (14:31). And then proceeded to turn everything in a two or three hundred meter radius into dust. Of course, he kept Alexia alive.
How rare is it when something like that sails right past the ridiculous to become epic? Maybe it’s just me, but I adored that scene. Would you like to know what else sold it? A shot of Alpha, showing not jubilance but a kind of determined resignation. I could almost hear her thinking, “That’s another step in this long war.”
What did you think of Alexia’s confession to Cid at the end? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
The Eminence in Shadow Episode 5: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Kage no Jitsuryokusha ni Naritakute! | The Eminence in Shadow – Episode 5 discussion
- RABUJOI: The Eminence in Shadow – 05 – Going Nuclear
- OTAKU SINH: This Episode is ATOMIC! The Eminence in Shadow Episode 5 [Review]
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 1: The Hated Classmate
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 2: Shadow Garden is Born
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 3: Fencer Ordinaire
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 4: Sadism’s Rewards
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 5: I Am
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 6: Pretenders
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 7: A Fencing Tournament of Intrigue & Bloodshed
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 8: Dark Knight Academy Under Attack
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 9: The End of a Lie
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 10: The Sacred Land, City of Deception
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 11: The Goddess’ Trial
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 12: The Truth Within the Memories
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 13: A Bloody Showdown as an Offering to Annihilation
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 14: Your Life, Your Wish
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 15: The Strongest Weakest Man
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 16: Unseen Intentions
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 17: The Moonlight That Pierces the Darkness
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 18: Betting on a Moment
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 19: Dancing Puppet
- The Eminence in Shadow Episode 20: Advent of the Demon
Bruh that I am atomic attack is so poorly handled that they didnt even bother to check on Alexia. The girl was at no more than 10 meters from Cid and survived unscathed. The miracle of her surviving is a joke as the blast due its proportions should have killed her 100%
I agree it’s not explicit, but I figured it’s implied that Cid protected her. He’s shown a pretty high degree of control over his power. I could be wrong, but that’s how it looked to me.
I had hoped that they could have saved the girl who had been turned into a demon, but, alas, such hope was vain.
Alpha absolutely rocked, and I keep finding myself – not exactly a connoisseur of fashion – thinking, “dang, those shadow outfits look GOOD!”
The “atomic” thing felt a bit overdone to me, perhaps, but it did, at least, give a little more meaning to the isekai factor of the show, besides explaining Cid’s chuunibyou state of mind.
As for Alexia… I loved her moment, where she was finally at peace with her swordsmanship, and I’m sure she will be quite formidable. I’ve generally enjoyed her character, in fact. But when she slashed Cid like that, a blow that would rightly kill most people, it seemed 1) way too yandere for my tastes, 2) entirely unfair given how many boys she’s turned down, and 3) a recipe for needless complication, given that he’s still alive and their paths will surely cross again.
Not to mention adding something bizarre to his meeting with yet another girl there are the end. I mean, we want to see more of the main shadow girls, not more of yet more girls, so of course they throw in another girl who meets Cid while he’s covered in blood.
On a somewhat related note, have you seen the Kagitsu shorts, which give us a bit more of the shadow girls?
Are we sure the girl who had turned into a demon is dead? I had the impression that Alpha had de-demonized her, like Cid had done for Alpha. But I’m not sure. I certainly don’t remember seeing her again after that scene — either alive or dead.
Shadow Garden’s uniforms are striking, aren’t they?
Alexia’s moment was great. It was almost my favorite moment! Interesting you should mention how she slashed him. I thought it was excessive, too, and then I wondered: did she recognize him as Shadow? Did she know he could take that kind of damage without issue?
Otherwise, sure, he was abrasive when he turned her down. But it’s not like he kidnapped her, held her against her will in a dungeon, and siphoned her blood away!
I haven’t seen the Kagitsu shorts. I’ll try to make time to take a look — thanks for the suggestion!
I was really hoping that they had saved that girl, but if they did, they certainly went way out of their way to make it look otherwise to the audience.
Also, minor correction of a small mistake I made: It is “Kagejitsu.” Not “Kagitsu.” Just in case you start searching for it and can’t find it. 😛
Cool! They’re chibi-form!