Uncle From Another World

Episode 5

Welp, after a two-week break, we're back with more Uncle From Another World—and it sure hits the ground running with the return of our secondary heroine Mabel. When last we saw her, Uncle had rejected her obvious romantic intentions and told her it was okay to be an aimless freeloader. This episode is all about the unintended consequences of that.

Basically, no sooner had she returned home than she was evicted—and when she put up a fight, she basically made herself an exile as well. Since then, she's been lurking in the background of various episodes looking for a chance to attack Uncle when Elf wasn't around to protect him.

What's interesting is that while she attacks him, she doesn't really blame him deep down. She's just pissed at the unfairness of the world and is not dealing well with the fact that she suddenly has no home nor goal in life. The only thing she can think to do is vent her frustrations on the man who skipped her portion of the quest chain and made her whole life irrelevant. However, all it takes from Uncle is a little kindness and all the rage leaves her.

The following scene in the inn honestly deserves a voice acting award. Aoi Yuuki gives such a tour de force performance that she singlehandedly turns Mabel from a cliché “girl with a heart of ice” into a fleshed-out, loveable character in a single scene. The way her voice goes from shock to joy to disbelief over and over again after Uncle seemingly rejects her turning down his marriage proposal is utterly fantastic. Her attempt to tell Elf the story of the ice sword and how it is related to Japan in the back half of the episode is also up there—especially as it acts as character development for Elf as well.

Up until now, Elf has felt secure in the fact that she is the only person who sees Uncle as human—and thus she hasn't had to worry about anyone else trying to woo him. Even seeing him apparently about to force himself on Mabel doesn't shake this confidence—but seeing the ring on Mabel's finger (the same kind as the one he gave her) sure does. So, while Mabel is trying to show off at the one thing she is good at—i.e., telling the story of her people—Elf is far more interested in getting Mabel to say that she, like the rest of the world, sees Uncle as a monster and not a person. Mabel's refusal to do this (or take off the ring) hits Elf right in her insecurity. However, once she causes Mabel to cry, she is quick to lay off the leading questions and awkwardly comfort the girl. Even if Mabel is her rival in love, Elf is such a good person that she can't just stand by while Mabel weeps—especially when its her fault.

All in all, as excited as I am to see what happens to Mabel as the story moves on, I am even more excited to see what kind of relationship develops between her and Elf. Will they be friends or rivals? I can't wait to find out.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• Holy crap. Fujimiya is wearing clothes that really accentuate her figure this episode. It's a shame that Takafumi doesn't seem to notice.

• I think that whole talk about baseball is just an excuse: Ojisan is just done with strenuous physical activity after his time in the other world.

• That moment when Uncle discovers professional speedrunners is priceless.

• No joke, I've legitimately known people here in Japan who think the iconic “rise from your grave” means something totally different than it does.

• So, putting a ring on a woman's left ring finger—even if they're asleep—constitutes an actual marriage. Man, the other world really is a terrible place.

• Huh. Uncle looks way different upon arriving in the fantasy world. I guess those first few months really were hard on him.

• The whole “isekai god just decided to automate her job and left it in the wrong language” bit is a riot.

Uncle From Another World is currently streaming on Netflix.

Richard is an anime and video game journalist with over a decade of experience living and working in Japan. For more of his writings, check out his Twitter and blog.