PROTECT WIENE!!!! MY PRECIOUS BABY! STOP THROWING STONES AT HER!
I have the uttermost respect for Lili right now for stepping up to help Wiene in Bell’s steed. Despite what she had said, Lili isn’t heartless, she is just the pragmatic one of the group. She is the type who would rather steer clear of the storm rather than go through it. And in all fairness, she isn’t wrong, in fact her concerns are completely justified. She knows it is dangerous for them to protect Wiene, her whole situation is a bomb that is waiting to go off. After the shitstorm they went through with the War Game, it is an understatement why she would rather than lay low and stop drawing unwanted attention to themselves, especially since they now have a lot of eyes on them. If they were still a “no-name” and lived in that old church, maybe Bell could get away with it, but his fame makes things a lot more complicated. If the public and other Familias were to find out they were siding with the monsters, they would experience a terrible backlash. That is precisely why Lili was the best person to do it: because she is the master of disguise. (Also doesn’t help that Dix is already onto them, whelp…)
This episode was absolutely fantastic with the way they highlighted the uncertainty and how their new relationship with Wiene has shaken their beliefs of what they once thought monsters to be. Suddenly the monsters are no longer just ‘senseless’, ‘blood thirsty’ beings to kill to obtain goods and protect the community. They are now recognized to be capable to be an intelligent species who aren’t as different to Humans after-all. It really puts Bell and the others in a pickle because now he can’t help but hesitate going in for the kill as he usually would do when he encounters one. It creates a new risk because now they have to sort out these new morals in regards to how they should act and respond to the monsters now. Not to mention, can they truly continue hunting them in exchange for goods now that they know a humane side to at least some of them? It is super complicated!
So it is an understatement to say everyone, especially Bell is overwhelmed by this revelation, especially now that they have encountered yet another intelligent monster (I believe she might have been a Harpy?) who spoke with them. She showed us how she was able to piece together information she had received and gathered and made the correct deduction of Bell and Welf being the ‘good guys’ Fels had told her about.
But what I found even more interesting was what the monster said she wants to bathe in the sunlight instead of being confined in the dark abyss. It really made me think a lot more about the true purpose of the dungeon. Yes, it goes without saying that it is meant to keep certain things (ie: Goliath) from crawling out, which is also why they say the Gods are forbidden from entering for that reason as well, but can that really be applied to all monsters? Another curious point is the location they introduced to us today: The Colossal Tree Labyrinth. We don’t know this is the only place where intelligent monsters are either born or perhaps reside, but the fact the Ikelos Familia has been abducting them there seems to suggest it is a special place in the dungeon.
Which brings us back to the the mysterious Fels. He is still shrouded in mystery, but we were able to learn a little bit more about him such as: The owl is his familiar, he doesn’t just talk to Ouranos, but also the monsters in the dungeon (such as the one who had briefly spoken to Bell and Welf). Based on what he had said this week, it does sound like Ouranos and Fels were hoping Hestia’s Familia would be the beacon of hope when it comes to bringing about a new dawn where Monsters and Humans can coexist.
However the path to coexistence is going to be a difficult one, and even Bell doesn’t have an answer for it just yet. We witnessed the horrors monsters faces when they traverse upon the surface world, even when they do a good deed. When Wiene was roaming around town, she saw a child in danger and protected her with her wings. It was even more heartbreaking to watch when Bell couldn’t say anything to Wiene when she asked if it was bad for her to be with them.
Lastly, good lord the Ikelos Famlia is a piece of work. Thank goodness Hermes appeared when he did because Ikelos was trying to obtain information from Bell since he can detect lies. Hermes is deeply troubled by what’s his investigation is uncovering, and he has every reason to be. We have seen what happens when a God fail to keep their kids and check. Nothing good ever happens.
To make matters worse, there are also rumors of how Ikelos was part of the dark faction Evilus. Frankly speaking I can’t take Ikelos word for it when he says he isn’t an “evil” God. The shit his kids are doing with smuggling monsters and whatever else they are doing, they aren’t doing anyone any good. Ikelos mocked Hermes for suggesting he was the one sending beast dreams nightmares throughout the lower realm, but claimed he wasn’t the one behind it. There is also the matter with the case of unusual monsters have been spread around from Orario as though they were meant to spread chaos in the world. It could be Evilus themselves or or another party we have yet to meet, but frankly speaking it wouldn’t surprise me if Freya had a hand in this, considering the stunts she has pulled before. Sure they were ‘exclusively designed’ for Bell, but I still wouldn’t put it past her…
Overall great episode! I loved that we got to see Aisha again, and her banter with Ryu was absolutely golden. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing them tag-team with Bell again, or maybe just the two of them together. It was fun to watch! It was also really nice to see them go back to the secret cellar back at their old base. I really liked that place, it is a shame it was turned into ruins, so it was great to see it again!
