I am continuing to really enjoy this series. I have a hard time articulating to people what it is that I like about this series compared to other, similar sounding isekai premises. I still have a hard time with it (other than saying Rose is the best), but no small part of what makes this series stand out compared to others is that Usato is a pretty good MC. We get to see him actually think about, and wrestle with being exposed to the horrors of warfare and try to find something that will motivate him to fight. In his case, he decides to fight in order to keep his friends safe. This is the type of thing that too many isekai never even address, but war is hell, and I can only imagine a war fought with swords is a special kind of visceral hell.

When you zoom out and evaluate this episode, not a lot really happened. We basically see Usato running around with his newfound furry companion and chat with people. However, I think that the story is improved by having periods like this that are pretty chill to help the moments in which the action is happening to stand out more. Also, it gives us a chance to do some prep work and introduce characters that will be important later, like the other Rescue Squad members.

Looking forward to the training trip with senpai coming up.