Episode 6 "Her Circumstances"
The real strength of the character driven story arc of "Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash" is on full display in episode six. While character deaths are always an extremely emotional experience for those left behind, "Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash" handles it with a delicate balance of tone.
It's the drama you always want in anime without all of the melodrama that usually works its way in.
Most of the episode is focused on Haruhiro's journey to understand what it means to be a leader in the midst of his own grief over Manato's death. How does one become a pillar of strength for others when you yourself are feeling broken?
To use Haruhiro's words, "It's a burden I don't want to bear. It sucks."
Masterfully, Haruhiro's new thoughts about leadership and responsibility is juxtaposed with Mary, who has for the most part, tried to deflect it as much as possible since the tragic loss of three former party members. Mary has already been in Haruhiro's position and as suffered the unique experience of feeling responsible for loss when she was, only by way of the party dynamics - responsible.
Ultimately, the two positions reveal this quite beautiful character dynamic where Haruhiro can begin to understand how to lead through his empathy for Mary, a girl who refuses to go back to that position. All of this informs that scene in the middle of the episode (only after watching the whole thing, interestingly) where Mary rejects Haruhiro's invitation to dinner.
As for Mary, it was somewhat predictable that her past has made her the recluse that she is toward the current party members. However, to couple her story with the journey of Haruhiro's own call to action is enough to forgive the straightforward reveal.
Overall, "Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash" episode six is another example of how this series has remained interested in the human experience of a fantasy world. As a result, though there's still no certainty about what the world of Grimgar is, the audience will be able to feel all the emotions associated with the world's strange and tragic newness.
