English Dub Review: Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time “When Bonds Are Tested”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Wedgefort is assaulted by a horde of monsters, and word of the emergency reaches Takumi.  The Wings of Nolyn, Lion Fang, and Crimson Rose accept the quest, and together, the three parties fend off the assault, but the knights they fought alongside mention something concerning.

Our Take:
With the Wings of Nolyn stronger than ever, the harem team is set to put their trust and teamwork to the test in their biggest quest yet.  Due to the Hero Summoning, the stronger monsters are on a rampage and heading toward Wedgefort, threatening the lives of the already struggling villagers.  Fortunately, Takumi and his team won’t be confronting this threat alone, as they’re joined by Lion’s Fang and the third party introduced in this episode, Crimson Rose.  Of course, defeating the monsters is no easy feat for these parties, as they also confront the monstrous mastermind behind the attacks: a two-headed dragon.
Regarding its plot, this would’ve been a high-stakes conclusion to the show’s first season, especially regarding Takumi’s relationship with Sofia.  For the latter, her reckless pursuit almost cost her her life, much to Takumi’s concern, resulting in them hoping that they’ll stay by their sides until the end.  However, with the show being another bland and by-the-numbers isekai, my anticipation toward that finale was minuscule, mainly when it involved the lack of profound depth in its character development and action.  Sadly, “When Bonds Are Tested” didn’t help much in making this high-stakes quest exhilarating, primarily due to the direction of the action.  Most of the violence was shown as slideshows instead of using the animation’s capabilities to…you know, animate the fights, making the show’s intense moments, character-related or otherwise, underwhelmingly cheap.
Suppose this episode is indeed the finale of the show’s first season.  If that’s the case, “When Bonds Are Tested” was undoubtedly a disappointing way of concluding the greatest alchemist’s first chapter of his already-mediocre isekai life.  Not even the so-called “heroes” wreaking havoc on innocent people may be enough to inject my wavering interest in the show’s future.  Regarding its slideshow-esque animation and subpar direction, the bonds in this episode aren’t tested well enough to elevate the show’s waning narrative.