Danmachi season 5 episode 2 review: Bell Cranel gets the spotlight as J.C. Staff delivers another comedic experience

Under the production of J.C. Staff, Danmachi season 5 episode 2 streamed early on October 10, 2024. The episode, titled Master, offered fans a delightful experience, primarily focusing on Bell Cranel and his date with Syr. However, the events that led to the date deserve special mention, as they contributed largely to the comedic narrative.

Whether it's Hedin Selland forcing Bell to accept Syr's date proposal or him putting Bell through intense training, several moments enhanced the episode's appeal. J.C. Staff has wonderfully adapted the written words from volume 16 of Fujino Omori's light novel series to deliver them in animated format.

Since the episode has been adapted from the light novel, the esteemed studio had to cut and shuffle some elements here and there to suit the pacing. From a production perspective, Danmachi season 5 episode 2 was wholesome since it retained the light novel's essence. Obviously, the voice actors deserve a special mention in this respect, as they played a large role in it.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Danmachi season 5 episode 2.

Danmachi season 5 episode 2 review: Exploring the narrative, adaptation, and J.C. Staff's production

Bell Cranel and Syr (Image via J.C. Staff)

One of the most crucial aspects of Danmachi season 5 episode 2 was how the staff at the J.C. Staff production studio shuffled the events from the light novel. From an adaptation's perspective, the episode covers almost halfway through volume 16 of Fujino Omori's light novel series.

The episode began with a scene featuring Goddess Freya and Ottarl, where the latter wondered whether the rumors of the Goddess competing with Syr to see who Bell chooses are true.

The scene originally takes place sometime after Bell Cranel's training under Hedin Selland in the light novel. Besides that, the esteemed studio had to cut some dialogue from the scene to suit the adaptation's pacing. It was negligible, as the opening scene wasn't the primary focus. Yet, it set the tone for the rest of the runtime.

Goddess Freya, as seen in the episode (Image via J.C. Staff)

After the opening scene, one of the chief highlights of Danmachi season 5 episode 2 was Hedin Selland interrogating Bell Cranel about his plans for the date. The elven adventurer was convinced that Bell would accept Syr's request. In fact, refusing wasn't even an option to consider.

Rather, Selland thought Bell should weep in joy at the prospect of becoming Syr's date. J.C. Staff has done justice to this scene from the light novel, albeit at the cost of removing some more comedic dialogues between them.

To a light novel reader, the episode's pacing may seem slightly rushed, but that's only fair as the production studio had to condense the events according to the runtime. In this respect, the staff helmed by Hideki Tachibana deserves a special mention.

Hedin Selland and Bell (Image via J.C.Staff)

Hideki Tachibana's wonderful direction and Hideki Shirane's composition have wonderfully captured the essence of Fujino Omori's light novels. The storyboards nicely set up the narrative till the episode's peak point, which is Bell Cranel's date with Syr. As mentioned, the events that led up to that moment were filled with comedy.

For example, Bell Cranel internalizing Hedin Selland's instructions and developing new charms were taken straight from the light novel. Although the events were condensed, the core aspects remained true to the light novel.

Danmachi season 5 episode 2 couldn't explicitly shift the perspective to Hedin and reveal his thought processes while teaching Bell. That said, the important scenes from the novel, such as Bell impressing girls in the dungeon or leaving Cassandra embarrassed, were present in the episode.

Cassandra becomes embarrassed (Image via J.C. Staff)

The episode's production enlivened such moments to increase the engagement value. While the events were fast-paced to some extent, they didn't hamper the viewing experience. Besides Bell and Hedin's scenes, Danmachi season 5 episode 2 highlighted Ryu, Anya, and others at the Tavern.

Although Ryu didn't have a significant role in Danmachi season 5 episode 2, her behavioral changes added a layer of complexity to her character. She was conflicted about her feelings for Bell. Even though she liked Bell, she had to sacrifice her feelings for Syr, whom she owes her life.

Ryu, as seen in the episode (Image via J.C. Staff)

It remains to be seen whether the series will properly explore Ryu's psyche. This is something Fujino Omori has already done in his light novels. However, considering the latest installment is centered around Freya and Syr, it's unlikely for the narrative to throw the spotlight on Ryu again, who already enjoyed quite a bit of it in season 4.

Rather, Danmachi season 5 episode 2 was heavily centered around Bell Cranel, his training, and eventually, his date with Syr. The scenes featuring Bell and Syr were expertly animated and storyboarded by the staff. Yet, somehow a foreboding feeling hung in the air throughout those scenes, with the mystery surrounding Syr's actual identity still kept in wraps.

Danmachi season 5 episode 2 review: Light-hearted moments accentuate the show's nostalgia aspect

Hestia and Ais in the episode (Image via J.C.Staff)

Veteran fans who have been following the series for a long time would certainly have had their nostalgia tickled by Danmachi season 5 episode 2. It's thanks to the unapologetic comedy scenes, which have accentuated that feeling. The episode has also recalled Bell's love for Ais.

Even though he had to go on a date with Syr, Ais still held a special place in his heart, and it was evident from his conversation with Hedin Selland. What's interesting is that Ais Wallenstein showed signs of jealousy when she witnessed Bell with Syr at the Goddess Festival.

As such, Danmachi season 5 episode 2 offered a nice experience to fans who like Bell and Ais. The comedy scenes' appeal was also noticeable during the scenes featuring Goddess Hestia. The Goddess' clumsiness at Mama Mia's tavern as a part-timer was a nice touch, evoking laughter and fun.

Bell Cranel, as seen in Danmachi season 5 episode 2 (Image via J.C. Staff)

Likewise, Bell Cranel's charming moment with Cassandra was one of the highlights of the episode. In this respect, the voice actors have done a fabulous job. Yoshitsugu Matsuoka's performance as Bell Cranel has been consistently good.

The voice actor's comic timing and the voice modulations injected a fresh vibe and life into the scenes. Especially, during Bell Cranel's training scenes with Hedin, Yoshitsugu-san delivered a fascinating performance. Likewise, Inori Minase has done a brilliant job as Hestia's voice actor, retaining the same tone from the previous installments.

Syr, as seen in the anime (Image via J.C.Staff)

However, Nobunaga Shimazaki has exceeded all expectations as Hedin Selland's voice actor. The VA properly did justice to the character from Fujino Omori's light novels. It's not easy to highlight a character, who has an intimidating aura, in a comedic vein. In this respect, Nobunaga-san has done a fabulous job.

Undoubtedly, the light-hearted scenes in Danmachi season 5 episode 2 were crucial to the narrative. Not only did they accentuate the nostalgia among old fans, but invited more fans to watch the series.

Conclusion

J.C. Staff has delivered another fascinating experience to the audience with Danmachi season 5 episode 2. The episode was filled with comedic elements and touches of slice-of-life aspects.

Although the esteemed studio couldn't set up the lore surrounding the Goddess Festival in the anime like the light novel, the overall adaptation was on point. Most importantly, the studio didn't take away the narrative essence, which is a vital aspect of an anime adaptation of a light novel.