English Dub Review: Jack-of-All-Trades, Party of None “The Jack-of-All-Trades Fears For His Friends”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Orun and Unit 1 begin their attack on the Black Dragon.

Our Take:
With the training complete, Orun’s recruits are ready to tackle the dungeon floors, while he and Unit 1 prepare for a rematch against the Black Dragon.  Unfortunately, the episode shows that the Dragon will be the least of their concerns.  Given that we’re nearing the end of season one, with a second already confirmed, it’s no surprise that it’ll include one more adversary for Orun to face, or in this case, adversaries.  In addition to a criminal gang known as Amunthoth, the powerful “Jack-of-All-Trades” will have to contend with Scion and her party, who capture Sophia and the others as a means to lure in the “Dragon Slayer”.
Now, he’s at a difficult crossroads between defeating the Black Dragon and saving his friends.  Obviously, due to Orun’s generous spirit, he would choose the comrades he trained with over the Black Dragon.  However, since he’s highly skilled and comes equipped with a new, powerful sword, he could easily do both, which kind of defeats the purpose of the stakes.  But what else are we expecting out of a “banned from heroes party” anime featuring a banished OP protagonist?  Again, this show has enough moments to satisfy followers of the genre, including a heartfelt one between Selma and Sophia.  But in terms of execution, it still doesn’t quite master the narrative elements needed to rival similar shows.