I'm Quitting Heroing

Episode 9

There was nothing particularly wrong with this episode, but it certainly was a bit dull for the most part. The party is walking up a mountain… and they're walking… and they're walking… and then they stop. Sure, there's plenty of dialogue and exposition along the way, but it didn't seem to have much impact overall. As a result, it felt like most of the episode's runtime dragged at a snail's pace up the mountainside.

I think the big problem is that it's basically a double-dip of prior exposition. Sure, there were a few new proper nouns mentioned - the Akashic Engine for one - but it was mostly what we've already heard before. Leo obviously needed to explain it to Echidna so I understand why it happened in-text, but I'm wondering if it wouldn't have been wiser to make most of that hand-waved or montaged instead. Instead we watched everyone walk and talk and learned very little new about them while also getting pretty run of the mill character interactions. Even the reveal that Leo was the hero all along felt… rushed maybe isn't the word, but not at all the impact I was expecting.

There were two big positives at least that broke through the monotony. The first was Leo and Echidna's snowball fight, which was a fun dynamic for them. Whereas before they have fought as a means of trying to kill each other, here this battle was much lower stakes but more meaningful as a sort of friends' (or possibly lovers') quarrel. It was genuinely fun to see them interact in this way.

Additionally, the setup at the end was great. It's ridiculous and dramatic and over the top but I think that's why it works. Leo leading them up to a barren mountaintop and announcing that his heart is the Philosopher's Stone and they had better kill him and carve it out or he'll go rampage is precisely the sort of melodrama I eat up. I hope the ensuing fight lives up to the high bar set by the text.

Rating:

Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

I'm Quitting Heroing is currently streaming on HIDIVE.