Rating: B-
With all of the isekai groups trapped in a modern school setting, the series was bound to get around to one of the great and most crippling distractions of the modern world sooner or later: addictive online and/or mobile games.
While this episode features an MMORPG, this is an issue doubtless familiar to the broader public; I haven’t played MMOs in many years, but I have definitely spent way more time than intended on mobile games or civilization-builder games, including occasionally pulling all-nighters on the latter. The difference between me and the protagonists featured in this episode is that I (almost) never did it on a school or work night. That isn’t something that the isekai casts here have shown capable of being disciplined about, however.
How each character responds to getting caught up in Jormguld speaks to their normal character. As mentally the youngest of the protagonists, Kazuma naturally gets caught up in it the worst, and Aqua’s utter lack of discipline on anything makes her a natural to be struck hard by it, too. Tanya’s underlings might seem too disciplined to fall prey, but they are shown partying it up when they have the chance, so them getting drawn in is no surprise, either. Naofumi is a little more interesting case, as he plays apparently avidly, but he’s always been the most mature and disciplined of the Cardinal Heroes in his setting, so game addiction not affecting him much also seems natural. And Ains has the dual advantage of both coming from a game setting and not needing to sleep, so him not showing ill effects is only natural. He certainly shows his geekdom is other ways, though, as Puck can attest. The one mild surprise here is that Rerugen gets sucked into it, too; perhaps the show runners wanted to remind viewers that not only youths are susceptible to this? And “Honey Please” for an MMO name? Really, Rerugen?
The series also shows its cleverness once again on its deep references, by using the common game gimmick of skins to bring up miko outfits. For those not deeply familiar with Shield Hero, Raphtalia got tied into weighty circumstances on two different occasions by wearing a miko outfit: during season 2, it signified her as a bearer of a sacred weapon in the alternate world the main cast was in at the time, and at the end of season 3 and for most of season 4, she unwittingly staked claim to an imperial throne by donning it again in their base world. While Naofumi (and others in the setting) thought she looked great in it, to say that it contributed to major trouble both times would be an understatement, hence Naofumi’s very understandable desire to avoid it here. The passing mention about putting a flag in Filo’s meal – and Naofumi teasing Raphtalia about it – is also a deep reference to a meal Naofumi ordered for Raphtalia when he first became her owner in episode 2 of the first season, back when she still looked like she was Filo’s age.
And speaking of deep references, is that Julius we see sleeping in the back of the health room. which may again be a reference to the end of Re:Zero season 3? Also, the episode opens with a post on the wall asking about the Cult of Diablos, doubtless posted there by the Seven Shadows from The Eminence in Shadow.
Conspicuously, Subaru is entirely absent from this episode’s antics. I have to think it’s because his position on the games would have overlapped too much with Kazuma’s. But the seeds that were planted a couple of episodes back look like they are soon going to sprout. Burying those pasta zombies by the mutated morning glory was just asking for trouble, wasn’t it?
Overall, this was far from being one of the series’ funnier episodes, hence the lower rating. But it still finds at least some opportunities to be clever, and that’s good enough.
USA Anime 