Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash Episode 7 (They Were Called Goblin Slayers) Review

Whenever you move on, whether it’s from the death of a loved on or a relationship, there’s always that reluctant feeling some people have about moving forward. Perhaps they fear getting hurt again or perhaps they feel they are better off being alone. Being the character driven series that Grimgar is, this episode dives into that reluctance and the concept of moving on and healing. Let’s roll!

SPOILERS AHEAD! If you haven’t seen this episode, I would recommend that you stop here. If you haven’t watched the series, please have a look at my first impression of Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash, it’s spoiler free!

Continuing from where we left off last time, we get to Mary’s backstory and a little more of the tragedy she went through with her previous teammates. In the end, one valuable lesson Haruhiro and the crew learn from this is to cherish their friends because this is a world where one can die in an instant. Having lost Manato, they realize this even more and judging from their facial expressions, that is a lesson they will not soon forget. When talking about Mary, Ranta brings up the point that they shouldn’t have to be nice and put up with her because of her tragic past. They have been through a similar situation, so why does she deserve special treatment, Ranta argues. I believe his heart is in the right place, but he’s not going about it in a positive way, which could be due to his stubborn nature. Shihoru has a better idea of how to go about it since she wants to befriend Mary and the same goes for the group. They have been through the same pain, so why not move on together, right?

I have come to respect that Grimgar doesn’t need to resort to heavy dialogue to express how the characters are feeling, as a matter of fact, it uses facial expression and body language to show how characters are feeling. An example of this is when Haruhiro and Yume are observing a goblin with Haruhiro’s dagger in hand. We can tell by Haruhiro’s expression that he’s not completely over Manato’s death since he tries to avenge him, but Yume stops him. Later on, we see Haruhiro talk with Mary about what happened with Manato. At first, we can see she is defensive; she believes this is the moment where they are going to let her go since she moves from party to party, but this is not the case. Instead, in order to get closer to Mary, he expresses his pain of having lost Manato. Haruhiro wants Mary to know that they have been through the same pain and that its okay to be friends. Everyone else in the group reassures her of this by stating they like having Mary around; even Ranta mans up and reassures her too. Remember, Grimgar is a series where the characters matter and define the story and progression. With that being said, Haruhiro and the rest talking with Mary causes her to open up to them a little, which shows progression on her part.

With progression also comes more skills for the group. I especially enjoyed Haruhiro’s ability to hit a critical spot, which has yet to be explained. I believe the overall point of this episode is seeing the characters moving on little by little and them learning new skills can be a representation of that. Also, at the end of the day, if Haruhiro and the rest can sleep easy knowing they survived another day along with their friends, then that is all the comfort in the world they need. If friendship, being together, and moving forward is what is needed to survive and endure the hardships of Grimgar, then that is a fact I could live with and i’m sure Haruhiro knows this as he sleeps peacefully.