English Dub Review: The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic “Usato, Back in the Forest!”

Overview

Usato gets drafted to help Inukami on a training expedition outside the castle to get some real combat experience. He’s only supposed to be there in case things go wrong, but predictably, something does…



Our Take

Usato, who decided to accompany Suzune on her training, encounters a group of thieves on the way to training with the knight Alc, the mage Colin, and Burlin. However, their training journey takes an unexpected turn when they encounter a group of thieves on their way. Despite easily repelling them, they soon face a larger threat in the form of a massive swarm of Fallboars. Stranded in the forest where Usato found Blurin, the situation turns into an impromptu survival mission. Amidst navigating through the forest and facing challenges, the dynamics between Usato and Suzune take a central stage, with their unintentional date feeling like an accidental yet meaningful outing.

It’s also interesting how they both feel happier in this world instead of their old world, presumably because they both feel a greater sense of purpose here. Mostly because Suzune was dealing with her share of issues in their original world, and hated how stagnant and bland her existence was, along with how she and Usato were able to bond over that feeling of being an outsider. But now, she finds the opportunity to start over in this new world appealing. Later on, when Blurin finds to two, it leads to a quiet yet somber moment with Blurin encountering its previous home…

Overall, this filler episode helped maintain a decent balance of comedic and serious moments. But for a character who’s usually a comic relief character and gets all jumpy and excited at the idea of being in another world, at least we’re seeing a more vulnerable and genuine side of Suzune. Aside from a few Pokemon jokes involving Suzune’s lighting powers, we also encounter other animals such as a fun scene involving a poisonous species of Lemurs which also gave me a chuckle. Still, I think the highlight to me was near the end with their pet Blurin visiting its parents’ grave. It’s a small touch of humanity which I felt also helped me appreciate the characters more. As for the way it ended, I have many questions about what the mission was, to begin with since It felt like they didn’t accomplish anything. But hopefully, the next episode will move things along plot-wise…