The Executioner and Her Way of Life Episode 5

The Executioner and Her Way of Life Episode 5

Momo and Ashuna

I was hoping that The Executioner and Her Way of Life Episode 5 was going to be pretty bland. My plan was to be able to rush through writing this review since I have other things I have to do.

But, that’s not what the episode ended up being like. There’s a lot to unpack in this episode. And since that’s the case, I’m going to take the time to unpack it properly. So, we’re going to start with the relationship between Momo and Ashuna.

Back in my review of Episode 3, I mentioned that I wasn’t sure what role Ashuna was going to play. At the time, she could have been either an antagonist or an ally to our heroes. It seems pretty clear now that Ashuna is on the side of Menou, Akari, and Momo.

Ashuna and Momo investigating under the former royal palace from the anime series The Executioner and Her Way of Life Episode 5
Ashuna and Momo investigating under the former royal palace

Also in Episode 3, I said that I didn’t think Ashuna and Momo would ever be friendly with each other. That sort of still stands. But, their relationship is more defined now. Just as Menou and Akari are partners, Momo and Ashuna seem to be partners as well.

Of course, Momo and Ashuna aren’t partners by choice. They’ve only teamed up because their goals are currently aligned. But, I’m thinking their partnership is going to extend beyond this. And while Momo is a bit of a tsundere toward Ashuna, they have pretty good chemistry.

I can see these two acting a bit like Zoro and Sanji from One Piece. Zoro and Sanji are friends and allies. But, they’re also rivals and are always butting heads. That’s the kind of relationship I’m expecting to see from Momo and Ashuna going forward. And considering I like both of these characters, I don’t mind that.

In This World for a Reason

Moving on to some of the more interesting content in the episode, we have Akari’s “execution.” We now know that the church, Orwell in particular, had an alternative plan for Akari’s fate.

Before I get to that, though, I want to point out something that Orwell said to Menou that caught my attention. Orwell said, “You’re in this world for a reason, you know.” That might seem like a generic line at first. But, I’m thinking it could come up again later in the series.

When Orwell said that, my first thought was that Menou was going to have a bit of an epiphany. The meaning behind Orwell’s words is actually that everyone is in this world for a reason. So, wouldn’t that apply to an otherworlder like Akari too? That’s what I expected Menou would pick up on.

Orwell and Menou in the ceremony hall from the anime series The Executioner and Her Way of Life Episode 5
Orwell and Menou in the ceremony hall

It seems pretty obvious, to me, that Orwell wasn’t trying to say that Akari’s life has meaning too. But, at the end of the day, that’s what she said. And so even though Menou didn’t seem to pick up on it here, I’m anticipating her echoing that line to Akari down the road.

At some point in the series, Akari’s going to find out the truth about otherworlders. She’s going to learn that otherworlders have caused calamities throughout the world. And she’s going to learn that Menou’s job is to kill otherworlders before they can become a danger.

When she learns those things, how will she react? The most likely scenario is that she attempts to kill herself or asks Menou to do it. And it’s at this point that I could see Menou telling Akari that even someone like her is in this world for a reason.

As Akari would say, it’s fate.

Quest for Immortality

Let’s get into something I didn’t like about the episode: Orwell’s evil plan. It was pretty obvious that Orwell was an antagonist of the series. And, based on the ending of the OP, it would seem that Flare is an antagonist as well.

My bet is that Flare is going to be an antagonist because she wants to kill Akari. And I would have been fine if that’s why Orwell was an antagonist too. But, Orwell’s an antagonist because she’s attempting to gain immortality. She’s trying to do this by taking control of Akari’s Pure Concept of Time.

Seeking immortality is the oldest evil plot in the book. And when you consider that Orwell tried draining the blood of women to get it, it’s almost laughable. It’s pretty hard to write a more cartoonishly evil character than that.

A red automa in angel form from the anime series The Executioner and Her Way of Life Episode 5
A red automa in angel form

Alright, so I can’t take Orwell seriously as an antagonist anymore. But, even after that reveal, she still said something interesting. She mentioned using a piece of the Starhusk when describing how to steal Akari’s Pure Concept. If you remember, the Starhusk is one of the Four Major Human Errors.

What’s extra interesting is that it’s revealed the Starhusk has a blanching effect. That’s the same effect that erased Menou’s sense of self. So, does this mean that Orwell obtained that piece of the Starhusk when she met Menou as a child? And if so, I guess Menou survived one of the Four Major Human Errors.

But, what doesn’t quite make sense to me is that this is a new description of the Starhusk. What we were originally told about the Starhusk was that it caused a section of a continent to float in the sky. That’s very different from a blanching effect.

Conclusion

What do you think of The Executioner and Her Way of Life Episode 5? Do you expect Momo and Ashuna to form a more permanent team? Did you pick up on the alternate meaning behind Orwell’s words to Menou? And how do you feel about Orwell’s quest for immortality? Let me know in the comments.

If you enjoyed this review, remember to click the like button down below. Also, follow me over on Twitter @DoubleSama so you don’t miss out on any future content. And come join our Discord server to discuss anime with other members of the community.

Finally, I’d like to thank Roman for supporting DoubleSama.com at the Heika tier this month. To learn more about how you too can become a supporter of this blog, check out Patreon.com/DoubleSama.

My review of Episode 6 is available now.

Leave a Comment