Danmachi Season 4 Episode 5 Review No Spoilers
In this review, I am going to talk about growth and potential growth again, wasted potential and I am going to try something at the end.
Episode 4 was the first showing us the Hestia Familia and episode five wrapped it up. These two episodes not only showed us their growth but maybe another glimpse into how they will grow in the future.
Hestia Familia Potential Growth And Growth Ideas
Harihume
Harihume's magic multiplies the magic she can already use so she can now rank up multiple targets. Harihume told Aisha it would take years for her to learn another magic and we know she's never going to be a fighter. Harihume's path to growth will probably be about increasing her magic power and maybe a rank up. When she used her magic she only had 5 tails like Kurama from Naruto and Ninetales from pokemon because these folk laws tend to have the same origin I guess that Harihume will work to increase her magic to nine people and she will generate nine tails.
Welf
We learned in season one that part of the reason Welf does not like magic swords is that they break. After seeing Bell's Argonaut Vesta I had a thought. When they saw rare coral Welf wanted to use it to make weapons and when Bell defeated the goliath using his Argonaut skill the weapon broke even though it came from a level 6 enemy Ais defeated. What if the reason Welf magic weapons break is because of the material? I think Welf will learn something from the blade that Hephaestus made. Not only was his weapon not strong enough to get through the Moss Huge's Udine cloth but it broke to boot. I think this will push him to grow in a way that will lead to expensively made magic swords that are more powerful and can handle being more powerful so they will not break.
Mikoto
Her growth seems to be down the path of greater technique after the last episode she showed herself to not only be able to learn techniques but create them I imagine she will devise more techniques and skills in the future. Even with a rank up, Mikoto was caught off guard by a monster immediately after being healed, lack of awareness a mental lapse. She's able to sense monsters and allies her senses are keener than anyone else. Mikoto was the one to articulate how sometimes when she experiences a rank up her senses cannot fully process her bodies strength. She's more aware of her senses than anyone else, I think she may develop a defensive sense that can be used in battle because she was caught off guard and will be inspired by witnessing what bell did when his body and senses aligned. A smaller version of her ability to sense monsters and allies in the versatility that acts like a spidey sense, perceptive to all movement.
Lilli
Lilli's growth is as a person people don't follow strategy they follow leaders. Lilli openly stated that she knows the level-headed thing to do but would choose to do what bell the fool would do. Lilli is a great strategist, part of the reason they ended up in dire straits is that Lilli underestimated the Moss Huge, which is the same as underestimating the dungeon. She said something like monsters cannot cause Pass parades and monsters don't set traps. I think Lilli will become more determined to leave everyone around and will increase her knowledge as a strategist and develop strategies to try to accomplish that. She will be more prepared for what the dungeon is capable of.
Bell's Potential Growth And Current Strength Estimate
Current Bell Strength Assessment
Because of Bell's ability to go beyond the limits of his Status his exact strength is a curious subject. Before Bell was washed into a lower part of the dungeon Aisha admitted that Bell was stronger than her and that he was as strong as a mid level adventurer and his speed was up there with the best of them, level four adventurers I think she meant.
The explanation Mikoto gave for Bell not having a full grasp of his level 4 abilities made sense and is consistent with the story, I don't know if anyone here watched the Sword Oratoria anime. If you did when Ais became a level 6 she adjusted her mind to her knew strength by single handedly wiping out hoards of monsters.
Aisha could arguably have suffered from the same with the rank up and also because her stats at level 4 are not high enough for her to rank up to level 5 she's not an equivalent to level 5. So her fight with the Moss Huge may not be the same as if another level 5 adventurer had fought it so we cannot say for sure Moss Huge is stronger than your typical level 5 adventurer. When Aisha clashed with the Moss Huge she was pushed back but Bell held his own with a knife when they clashed and then pushed it back, that feat requires far more strength than a broad sword.
Aisha assessed bells strength before he was acclimated with his strength so here are my current estimates based on his feats up to season 4 episode 5.
Agility
When Bell was level 3 Dix mentioned that Bell didn't move like a level 3 he probably meant he was a whole level higher. I think the current anime Bell is the equivalent of a mid-level 5 in terms of speed.
For strength dexterity and endurance I think Bel is a low level 5 and for magic a pinnacle level 4 although it is hard to estimate because he combines firebolt with argonaut and firebolt is a short chant it's hard to know how large Bell's raw magic reserves are.
Growth Hints
Bell Dual Wielding is likely to be a thing again. He did say that he was trying to get used to his new weapon so maybe that's why he used one blade in the situation like the attack from multiple fast enemies on the lower floor.
After fighting the Moss and being sent lower in the dungeon Bell took a potion to recover his stamina immediately. In this episode after having to make the journey back up and using firebolt with Argonaut Bell did not look tired but Lilli gave him a potion to recover his stamina. Not a scratch on him either time so this is purely a stamina issue. Even after the potion during the fight with the Moss Lilli says a prolonged fight won't be good for him because his stamina and magic power are not at their fullest.
I think for Bell's growth he must increase his stamina and go lower into the dungeon on his own. The growth he got just from going lower into the dungeon solo was immense. Although I think it's a necessity I don't think Bell would do it willingly because of the danger it would put the team in and Bell made a promise to get stronger together. But as we saw last episode stuff happens. Down the line, I think it would be symbolic if Bell were to become a level 6 by defeating the Udeaus Solo as Ais did.
I am a little curious as to how potions work do they recover a certain amount of HP and MP the more MP or HP you have the more potions you have to take to recover to your maximum. Has Bell grown so strong they no longer benefit him as much at least percentage wise?
And what are your estimates of Bell's current anime strength?
Moss Huge Wasted Potential Up In Smoke
I think the Moss huge was an incredible villain, when it went down I felt all its potential had gone with it. I was left feeling like it was over the hero's win but I should have been left with the feeling of fear that another enhanced species like it may emerge. We only got a few glimpses from the anime as to how sadistic this creature was, episode 5 made it more overtly obvious than any other. The smile the Moss Huge gives Aisha when she realises that it was consuming the stones of the monster they defeated says a lot. It smiled in response to the fear in Aisha's eyes it wanted her to know what was about to happen it relished in the fear. When it used its tongue to grab Aisha it revelled in her pain instead of finishing her quickly. And before it died it tried to run after it died I was not left with the same feeling as when Pita died in God eater, the feeling that justice had been served.
Being smart enough to discern between good and evil makes one subject to morality. The anime didn't do a good enough job with the Moss Huge to make me feel a satisfying sense of justice with his death.
Over All Best Episode Of The Season
I was glued to the screen the whole episode but for some reason, the episode felt a lot longer than an over this season maybe the whole series. I think it's because o the use of flashbacks and scenery. Unlike the last episode, this episode is shot in mostly one place if you only have a little bit of time with each character per episode the time will feel shorter because a lot more is going on at once.
Never before have so many flashbacks been used, flashbacks overall help you feel how long the characters have been on a journey. I think these two factors elongated this episode's journey.
All the flashbacks did a great job of framing the current predicament of the episode. I think it was an excellent ploy more than just a budget saver it felt like they were all meant to be there and adjusted the viewer wonderfully to the changes in the predicament without having to move the characters.
Bell The Hero Mini Story
Harihume is the first to hear Bell proving those ears are not just for show. A nice touch is the timing of Harihume's ears with the sound of an actual Bell the argonaut noise.
And like all heroes, Bell shows up when the situation is at its worse running quite literally with hope in hand. And we all hear that too Familiar soundtrack. As Bell walks through the smoke like a saviour the hope in the destruction Lilli blushes as she fell in love all over again. Not with a boy's potential but with a man's resolution. Aisha the fallen warrior maiden gives her approval to the one she knows is worthy of the name hero. The monster prepares for battle on a round ice arena. Like the knights sat at a round table to symbolise equality and the ice that sticks this arena was made to host a one-on-one fair fight that no one walks away from the hero is truly risking his life willingly because everyone depends on him to do so.
It all starts at a waterdrop like the dungeons Bell a match between one of the dungeons champions and the challenger with survival as the prize.
Although bell fight alone the symbol on his back makes itself known it makes it known he fights for and who he fights with. With the calmest firebolt cast ever cast Bell prepares for the final blow perhaps it was his experience of stronger faster and faster foes that allowed Bell to keep his cool in the arena of death for the fate of himself and his Familia. Or perhaps he felt no fear of fate who fears fighting when they fight with the gods on their side?
That's when we hear that all familiar toll, the bell that symbolises the end of hours, the bell that echoes the will of the gods. Our hero's adversary seeks to retreat from the battle ordained by the deities and hosted by its master. But Welf will not let it retreat from where it came because he will not allow this monster to retreat to sully his comrade's honourable victory. And with one blow Argo vest the name of blow that now presides over all the other onlooking heroes their captain, hope, saviour and champion vanquishes the evil and celebrates victory with those he would have died for.
