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Under the production of J.C. Staff, Danmachi season 5 episode 7 was released on November 14, 2024. The episode, titled Separation: Loneliness, was a beautiful symphony, encapsulating the loneliness embedded within the Goddess Freya's heart. Although the episode also explored the contours of Anya and Ryu's broken hearts, the emphasis was clear on Freya.
J.C. Staff has done a fine job portraying the iconic moments from volume 17 of Fujino Omori's light novel series in Danmachi season 5 episode 7 to illustrate Freya's character and her close bond with her alter ego, Syr, who was more than a "plaything" to her. She was the essence, the innocence lying deep within Freya's heart.
Undoubtedly, the episode's main concept was built around the theme of loneliness and separation. Freya revealing the truth about Syr broke the friendship she had with Ryu and Anya. Although she knew that it was inevitable, it still distressed her and brought her loneliness. Most importantly, Danmachi season 5 episode 7 confirmed that no matter how strong the Goddess of Beauty was, she was also the loneliest Goddess.
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Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Danmachi season 5 episode 7.
Danmachi season 5 episode 7 review: J.C. Staff zooms in Freya's loneliness through excellent production
Evaluating the narrative, adaptation, and production
Danmachi season 5 episode 7 was a fascinating experience, further unraveling the character of Freya and her alter ego, Syr. J.C. Staff's incredible production ensured the episode retained the essence of the previous installments. Orario still felt lifeless under Freya's total control. The charmed subjects lived a simple and normal life, yet didn't have the same vibrancy as before.
The feeling was saturated with the coming of the Fall season and the incessant rain in Orario. Undoubtedly, J.C. Staff has done well to inject a lifelessness into the city's air. Orario was Freya's perfect sandbox, where Ryu and Alfi couldn't set foot without being discrete. It had become a nest, where the incoming subjects had to live their life under a pretense.
Freya did it all for Bell Cranel, the boy she was obsessed with. It's wonderful how Danmachi season 5 episode 7 embodied Freya's obsession with Bell and the resultant loneliness. Deep down inside, Freya perhaps knew she couldn't make Bell hers, yet she clung to that hope.
Multiple scenes in the episode suggest that fact. Yet, it's commendable the way Danmachi season 5 episode 7 set up the pinnacle moment of the narrative. Right off the bat, the episode focused on Ryu, who remained unaffected by Freya's charms since Alfi moved to another city from Orario.
She recalled the tragic moment when Ottarl defeated her and took Bell away. Ryu wanted to return to Orario soon and help Bell, but Alfi reminded her that it wouldn't be in their best interest. She explained how they were helpless against Freya's charms. Therefore, they had to come up with a proper strategy before venturing into Orario.
From the onset, Danmachi season 5 episode 7 set up a helpless air, which moved to Freya's whims. Her existence pervaded Orario, and she became its ruler. No one could run amok there without passing her surveillance. After establishing that fact, the episode switched to Hestia, who went to Ouranos's chamber.
She wanted to tell him about Hermes's note since she couldn't disclose it to anyone. However, Ouranos strictly told her not to say anything, since the walls had ears and eyes. He must have referred to Fels, who was under Freya's charms. Yet, Ouranos perhaps knew what Hermes's note was all about.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have shifted the conversation to the topic of firewood gathering. The ancient God explained that Orario had become chilly. Therefore, he wanted the Hermes's Familia to organize the distribution of firewood, a job that the Ganesha Familia did every year.
It's not sure whether or not Hestia caught Ouranos's strategy, but the ancient God must have divulged a crucial plan to break Freya's charm. J.C. Staff removed some scenes from the light novel up to that point, and curtailed some, to suit Danmachi season 5 episode 7's pacing.
It was apparent during Bell Cranel's training scene, where Hedin Selland put the boy through a hellish routine. In the light novel, the scene was more spread out, with plenty of narrative from Hedin's end, clearly focusing on his intentions. At any rate, the episode did well to produce the Freya Familia's meeting scene.
The Gulliver brothers and others told Freya about Bell's training and how they ensured the boy could feel like one of their own. However, the most important moments of the episode came in the middle part, where Anya almost had a breakdown after learning about Syr's actual identity.
Anya, who was part of the Freya Familia, remained unaffected by the Goddess of Beauty's charm. Yet, she was surprised when she learned that the other waitresses at the tavern didn't know Syr. Eventually, Mama Mia, who retained her memories, told her that Freya had wiped Syr's existence.
She frantically ran away from the tavern and met Allen outside, who took her to Goddess Freya. The Goddess of Beauty then transformed into her alter ego, Syr, and shocked Anya. Seeing Anya having a breakdown, Ryu came out of hiding. Freya had anticipated it.
Danmachi season 5 episode 7 then saw Freya and Ryu share a conversation, where the former proposed to the elf girl that they share Bell. However, Ryu was nauseated by Freya's proposal. She rejected the idea. At the same time, she rejected Freya as Syr. Freya knew it was inevitable, yet she chose to reveal the truth.
Toward the end, Bell Cranel went to Freya's room and saw her distressed. He offered some advice, which further had the Goddess fall head over heels for the boy. As such, she confessed to Bell that she loved him. The scene reached its most crucial point when Bell Cranel instinctively called Freya Syr.
J.C. Staff has done a phenomenal job of portraying that portion of the light novel. Freya, who had "killed" her Syr persona since Bell had rejected her, couldn't believe the boy would call her by that name. A rush of memories hit Freya. After Bell had left, she opened a drawer and gently placed her hands over the ornament she kept as a souvenir from her date as Syr with Bell.
Silence prevailed, as Freya appeared down and lonely. That was the climax moment of Danmachi season 5 episode 7, which reinforced the idea that Freya was truly lonely. She lost her friends, Anya and Ryu, with whom she shared close bonds. She killed her Syr persona with her own hands since her obsession with Bell Cranel superseded it.
Yet, Bell never reciprocated her feelings. Even though she had her Familia, the strongest one in Orario, she remained the loneliest due to her actions. Freya was aware of it, and yet she couldn't do anything to mend her broken heart. Her actions brought loneliness upon Anya's heart, and upon Ryu, who lost a "friend" she once had.
J.C. Staff did well to cover the major portions of volume 17 of Fujino Omori's light novel series in the episode to portray the characters and their intentions. From a production perspective, the episode didn't have much action, except a few scenes. Yet, the scenes involving drama were an enriching experience for fans. The storyboards felt just right for the episode, with good music arrangements.
Danmachi season 5 episode 7 review: The missed opportunities
Like the previous episodes, Danmachi season 5 episode 7 didn't make the most of the action scenes written by Fujino Omori in the light novel. Although it wasn't the requirement for the episode, it could have definitely enriched Hedin Selland's character.
Besides that, the episode once again left fans without a proper explanation of Bell's Realis Freese skill, which Freya wanted to weaken. Although Fujino Omori has revealed what the skill is all about in multiple mediums (on his Twitter and the light novels), the episode had the perfect chance to explain it to the audience.
Conclusion
Danmachi season 5 episode 7 added layers of complexity to Freya and her alter ego, Syr. The episode confirmed that Freya and Syr were intricately connected. Syr wasn't only a disguise for Freya, but her alternate, kind self. Yet, she chose to be alienated from that self, and embrace her obsession, Bell Cranel.
In that process, she lost he friends and became lonelier than ever. J.C. Staff's excellent production subtly highlighted that message in Danmachi season 5 episode 7, which proved to be an excellent experience for fans.
Also read:
- Danmachi season 5 complete release schedule
- Danmachi season 5 episode 6 review
- Are Wistoria: Wand and Sword and Danmachi connected?
