Overview (Spoilers Below): Leaving the safety of the Golden Country, Senshi ends up in the clutches of a ferocious griffin. The crew must summon help if they want to save him.
Our Take: The Golden Country may be a safe place to stay amid the monsters and cooking, but the Mad Mage’s immortality curse placed upon it doesn’t exactly scream “five stars”. Also, let’s not forget the discovery of Laios seemingly being the key to defeating the sinister sorcerer. However, that problem is put to the side when he and his team decide to proceed further into the dungeon following their well-earned rest and Senshi’s delectable breakfast. After a brief exposition about the Mad Mage, whose real name is Sissel, the gang ventures into the remains of the dungeon’s defensive point, where they confront a vicious griffin that took Senshi to be its dinner. On paper, this seemed like another goofy scenario serving as filler in their quest to rescue Falin. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case, mainly due to Senshi. Senshi is usually known as a fearless dwarf explorer who’s also a damn good chef, but this episode showcases that there’s more to this expert food preparer than we initially believed. For starters, it’s revealed that Senshi has a phobia of griffins, making him an easy target for the creature. This also displays a sense of vulnerability in the character we haven’t seen much of since we’re first introduced to him earlier in the series. But it’s also towards the end of the episode that more layers of the dwarf warrior are officially peeled off. After Chilchuck reintroduces himself to Senshi, which reveals that the halfling has a family, Senshi explains that he was once a member of a mining crew that stumbled upon an ancient golden castle in the dungeon. This floor may serve as the next key element to explore as we’re nearing the end of this delectable series. Fortunately, this episode was the right opportunity to develop its characters further before its finale, especially Senshi. Marcille’s familiars, the three red birds that can mold into anything, also serve as another great mixture of comedy and action, especially the latter for its animation. Hopefully, we’ll learn more about Senshi’s past in the next episode amid the final phase of our dungeon exploration.