Episode 8: In My Memories With You

Overview

In episode 8, “In My Memories With You” it remains unclear what direction the series may take, but it seems there may finally be some sense of closure when it comes to Manato’s death.

Trigger Warning(s): Blood

Characters & Story (with Commentary)

Topic 1: Vengeance (Haruhiro, Yume, and Ranta)

For quite a few episodes now the focus has been on what could have been done to have kept Manato alive, survivor’s guilt, and trying to fix the issues with the team that opened them up to such a vulnerability. So now with the team more cohesive, armored, and skilled, they decide to seek vengeance. A plan which seemingly wasn’t as well thought out as they thought it was for at times they do seem overwhelmed. But in moments like Yume having her shoulder pierced we see Ranta run to her aide, and with Mary getting shot with a bow and arrow, as Manato did, Haruhiro springs into action to take down the goblin who ruined everything. Leading to Yume coming to his rescue, though he killed the goblin before she got there.

Leaving Haruhiro finally with his revenge, but one question: Have we been underestimating the goblin population all along? I say this because, on top of playing something which likely is chess, it seems goblins learn how humans fight and use magic. Also, in the last episode an idea was presented that goblins may have a matriarchal type system, so you have to wonder who are all these soldiers they are killing? As in, do they belong to one, or multiple, goblin nations? Or could they really be just nomad groups trying to pass the time, find something to eat, and sleep peacefully?

Topic 2: Tears, Accomplishments, and a Smile (Haruhiro and Mary)

With the death of the goblin group comes a milestone. Everyone finally becomes a volunteer soldier and it marks a possible turning point in the show. However, before moving onto the next level Haruhiro, and crew, go visit Manato’s grave. There they speak of regret, among other things, and then present him with his own badge. With this I won’t say perhaps the Manato chapter comes to a close, for his death likely will be mentioned off and on until the end of the series, but I do think they may all begin to move on.

Leading the topic to shift toward Mary. With her implying she sees everyone as her friends, giving Haruhiro the nickname Hal, and smiling as she spends time with him, it seems Haruhiro may have broken through. Yet there remains this question of whether or not his breakthroughs with her, and even Yume in the past, are based off comradery or more? For the show continues to flirt with the idea that characters may have feelings for one another, but never enough to be 100% sure whether the feelings maybe platonic or not.

Highlights

Possibly Less Moping: With Manato avenged, a part of me hopes the show focuses less on the loss of him and on other things. For while I appreciate them showing the weight of his death, I do feel that, at this point, his death is holding back the show more so than pushing it on. So while I do expect an occasional mention, I hope that future episodes don’t dwell on what could of or should have been done anymore.

The Next Frontier: The team are now volunteer soldiers, and with this comes hope that they may explore new areas, have new adversaries, and meet new people. For, as of now, with almost everyone’s past erased, and no precedent for seeing who people were before Grimgar, all the show can really do is move forward. Hopefully explaining some of the mysteries of Grimgar, and maybe each characters past eventually, though I’d settle for something besides goblin fights and maybe seeing someone commit to Haruhiro romantically.

Mary Seemingly Adjusted: With it seeming Mary is now living in the same compound as everyone else, which is assumed since her stuff is in a similar straw bed that we have seen Ranta and co. in, I think we can conclude the days of her moping and giving sass may have come to an end. Which isn’t to say she won’t bicker with Ranta, as everyone else does, nor that she maybe the Mary she used to be, but there is progress.