I appreciate how his classmates are actually good people rather then the usual betrayal and whatnot we see from isekai these days
Yeah, this cast is probably one of the better ones in isekai. Nobody is cartoonishly evil, or concocting roundabout schemes. Just some pretty well thought out characters.
Decided to stick with the Inukami wanting to pet Blurin theme that was used for the episode 4 image as well.
I am still having fun with this series, but I honestly don’t think this episode is too strong. I think this episode was at its best when Usato and Inukami were having a heartfelt conversation by the campfire. The way in which the three isekai’d characters react to being summoned are distinctly different.
Inukami is happy in this new world, feeling challenged for the first time. The problems she has to overcome here are the first time she has had to exert genuine effort. It has allowed her to get a sense of satisfaction in seeing her efforts bear fruit and in being useful to others. It has led her to form bonds with others here that feel more genuine than the adoration she received in her original world that never felt genuine or earned.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Kazuki feels unsettled and uneasy in this new world, instantly demanding to be returned mere moments after the summoning. He needs to be convinced by his companions to engage with the world he finds himself in. This means that he is overly protective and concerned about the remaining ties he has to his original world; his classmates. We see that this episode in how distraught he was when he realized they had gone missing. To Kazuki, if he lost them, it would probably feel like he lost everything.
Finally, Usato is caught in the middle. He misses friends and family from his original world like Kazuki. However, at the same time, he admits that his previous life was mundane and had wanted to change it in his conversation with Inukami. I think a fair criticism of Usato is that this makes him a bit of a bland MC, straddling the fence and not really committing to his new life or driven to return to his old one. However, I think this makes him perfect as a character within an ensemble of the three. He is able to relate to either of his other classmates and empathize with their point of view.
I wish we got to see more of how Inukami and Kazuki interacted together. It feels like they might get on each other’s nerves with their differing viewpoints.
