The Executioner and Her Way of Life Episode 4

The Sword of Salt

The Executioner and Her Way of Life Episode 4 flew by. When the end credits began to roll, I thought I was only halfway through the episode. Sometimes that’s a good thing. But, I wouldn’t say that’s the case in this instance.

Episode 4 wasn’t a bad episode. We got some pretty neat information about Menou’s past and the world this series takes place in. But, I also didn’t feel like much happened. The flashback part of the episode is all that mattered. And that means the plot wasn’t furthered much in this episode.

Let’s go over the most interesting part of the episode first. Back in my review of the first two episodes, I discussed the Four Major Human Errors. Of these calamities, two of them had descriptions that made it so we could guess what they were. And one of these two was the Sword of Salt.

At the time, we didn’t know why this Error had “sword” in its name. But, the general idea was that an entire country turned to salt and was being eroded into the sea.

In this episode, we saw Flare take Menou to witness the Sword of Salt — and we learned why it’s called a sword. It is a sword made of salt that’s plunged into the ground. And it seems like Flare brought Menou there to show her an extreme example of what Pure Concepts are capable of.

But, the big takeaway from this section of the episode, for me, was that the Four Major Human Errors exist. Until this point, it was unclear whether they were historical events or mere legends. Now that we know they’re real, it means we may get to see the other three at some point in the series.

Executioner’s Creed

During the flashback, we learned about more than only the existence of the Sword of Salt. We also learned about Menou. And, while I’d like to say that we learned why Menou acts the way she does, that’s not accurate. The flashback kind of put us in a weird situation.

So, we learned that Menou decided to become an executioner to be Flare. She doesn’t want to be like Flare. She wants to be Flare. At first, I thought this was a mistake. But, later in the flashback, Menou confirms that she meant be, not be like.

That’s a bit strange, but it’s not the weird situation I’m referring to. The weird situation is that this flashback attempted to explain the person Menou is. But, we hadn’t seen that side of Menou before the flashback. The Menou we know is almost a different person.

According to the flashback, Menou has no personality and no emotions. She’s a hollow shell of a person. And, I guess that’s why she wants to be Flare — she’s incapable of being her own person. The reason for this is the Blanching calamity that Menou somehow survived.

We also saw that Menou has no reaction to the transfer of Ether. Flare either gives her ether to Menou or takes some of Menou’s to see what kind of reaction she would have. While a bit surprised, Flare wasn’t all that concerned by Menou’s lack of a reaction.

This also aligns with what Menou mentioned to Akari in Episode 3 about her being “broken” or something. It’s implied that the Blanching is what “broke” Menou. At first, I was thinking she’s immune to ether by nature. That could explain how she survived the Blanching. But, Akari’s Pure Concept of Time affects her.

Momo’s Mission

Does anyone else wish the series followed Momo instead of Menou and Akari? Momo has the best character design of the series so far. I also much prefer her personality over both Menou’s and Akari’s. If we’re going to follow an Executioner and her way of life, why can’t it be Momo?

Look, I get that Momo’s not for everyone. There are going to be those who don’t like her for various reasons. Some won’t like the clingy side of her that’s obsessed with Menou. And others won’t like that she’s flat and will label her a loli (which she’s not).

But, those complaints are pretty surface-level. Yes, Momo loves Menou. That doesn’t define her entire personality, though. We’ve already seen that Momo is very serious about her job. She’s also a capable fighter and isn’t afraid to go up against formidable opponents, such as Ashuna.

Let’s also not forget that Momo has the coolest magic outside of the Pure Concepts. Menou can only create some bubbles using a magic device (lame). And while Ashuna’s flame sword is cool, it’s a bit generic. Momo carries around chains that she turns into chainsaws. That’s pretty metal.

So, at the end of Episode 4, Menou tasks Momo with investigating disappearances in the city. They both assume there’s a connection between the disappearances and the train terrorists. And, they assume a powerful noble is also involved. That means this is an important job — and Momo’s going to do it on her own.

I’m guessing that Menou and Akari are going to somehow get involved in the investigation as well. But, I hope that we follow Momo’s independent investigation a bit before that happens. I’d like to see more of her working on her own.

Conclusion

What do you think of The Executioner and Her Way of Life Episode 4? Did the episode feel like it went by faster than the others to you? Do you like Menou’s current personality, or would you rather she be more apathetic? And, why do you think Momo is the best character? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 5 is available now.