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The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5 Review – Quick Summary
In The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 episode 5, “Ost Hourai,” Naofumi thought the appearance of L’arc Berg, Therese Alexandrite, and Glass had shocked him. But that was nothing compared to his shock in response to L’arc’s request! Later, they plunge deeper into the interior of the Spirit Tortoise. The farther they went, the more Ost Horai remembered. Will she finally regain all of her memories? And if she does, what will that mean to Naofumi and his party?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5
At this point, Raphtalia is probably over it. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
I feel bad for Raphtalia! In my favorite quote from the previous episode, Naofumi talked about how they were likely walking through the Spirit Tortoise’s large intestine. That seemed to disgust Raphtalia. She even took him to task for saying it!
In this episode, it was Filo’s turn to test Raphtalia’s patience. Naofumi and his special operators had traveled far through the Spirit Tortoise when Naofumi thought he had found an exit.
Rishia was the first to suggest they had actually found the severed neck.
Filo, who was standing in the back of the group in her big bird form, said (10:56), “Is it gonna barf us up?”
Raphtalia’s expression didn’t change. But I bet she cringed inside!
Best in Show Moment for The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5
I wish another more likable character had spoken his lines. Maybe the Spirit Tortoise’s neck stump? I found Mr. Stump to be a more compelling character! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: What Makes for Good Foreshadowing?
Foreshadowing is an interesting idea. What makes one example intriguing and another obvious? Since I’m working on a second draft of a novel (described on my other site), the question has been on my mind a lot lately.
I remember watching The Sixth Sense years ago. At a certain part about a quarter of the way in, my wife gasped. But she wouldn’t tell me why! It was only after I got to the end of the movie that I learned two important truths. First, she’s smarter than I am. Second, I missed an important clue, but by missing it, I got to enjoy a twist at the end.
The bit I missed had given a particularly interesting bit of foreshadowing. At some point, I read an article (that I can no longer find) where M. Night Shyamalan worried that he had made the scene too obvious. My wife caught it; I did not. Was it too obvious? Is there really a definitive answer?
This episode contained a lot of little hints about who Ost Horai really was. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
This episode put that question front and center. Let’s start with an example of the kind of foreshadowing I’m talking about. Back in episode 3, when Naofumi and his team had decapitated the Spirit Tortoise, Rishia was heart-broken because she thought Ost Horai had died, too. But Ost Horai had not died. In fact, she handed Rishia a tissue.
Delivery: Cool Reveal or Cheap Trick (and Not the Rock Band)
So I assumed, as I think the narrative wanted me to assume, that Ost Horai, as a familiar, had not died because the Spirit Tortoise, her master, had not died.
My favorite moment up-ended that assumption.
As an aside? I wish a character besides Kyo “Jerk Face” Ethnina had delivered the line. If you’d like a great description of that character and why I say that, check out RABUJOI’s review of this episode.
This guy was really annoying, even for a villain! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Indicating Ost Horai, Kyo Ethnina said (21:42), “That’s not the Spirit Tortoise’s familiar.” He used his sneering voice, which seems to be the only one he has. Maybe it got stuck in that mode when he entered this world? “It’s connected to the Spirit Tortoise’s core. You could say it’s the Spirit Tortoise itself!”
Cool reveal, I thought. I thought it was a solid twist given the foreshadowing. But that old question of what makes for effective foreshadowing started to bug me again. I’m going to stand beside my opinion that it was effective. But I’d love to know what you think!
Speaking of which, what were your favorite moments in this episode? Please let me know in the comments!
The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari Season 2 – Episode 5 discussion
- RABUJOI: The Rising of the Shield Hero S2 – 05 – The Ost With the Most
- Random Curiosity: Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari Season 2 – 05
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 1: A New Roar
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 2: Footprints of the Spirit Tortoise
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 3: Shaking Land
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 4: Ruins in the Fog
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 5: Ost Hourai
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 6: Racing to Catch Up
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 7: Infinite Labyrinth
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 8: A Parting in the Snow
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 9: Humming Fairy
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 10: Katana Hero
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 11: Kizuna
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 12: Reason to Fight
- The Rising of the Shield Hero Season 2 Episode 13: Flowers Offered in Recollection
