REVIEW: ‘So I’m a Spider, So What?” Episode 8 – “Am I, Dead?”

So I’m a Spider So What? Episode 8 still manages to switch things up for viewers eight weeks in with a flashback to the classmates in their past lives. The anime from Millepensee is part of the Crunchyroll Originals lineup. Based on the light novel series of the same name by Okina Baba, it follows a heroine and her classmates who are reincarnated into an RPG-style fantasy world. While many of her classmates fare better, the heroine is reincarnated as a baby spider.

Still mentally recovering from Hugo’s attack, Schlain, Katia, Fei, and Yuri reflect together back at the academy. They are clearly suspicious of their former teacher, Oka, as they now know she is aware of a lot more than she lets on. It doesn’t feel malicious, but their concern for their former classmates is growing. Oka claims that she knows where many of them are, she just cannot tell the others yet. The group is still shocked about Hugo’s behavior, knowing he was abrasive but having not used to be this violent. The discussion prompts Schlain into a flashback, and for the first time, the audience really sees who the students once were.

So I’m a Spider So What? Episode 8 sets itself apart through this flashback. Of course, it isn’t the first of its kind by far, but while many isekai tend to focus on one character being reincarnated, here it is an entire group of teenagers. The anime is at its strongest when it shows the kids pushing past the previous stigmas they had towards each other. It gives the anime emotional stakes. The best example here is Fei, who used to bully the heroine, but is now the most concerned for her whereabouts. The flashback also introduces classmates viewers have yet to meet in this world but were important in the previous life.

There are other compelling hints dropped throughout this flashback as well. In the premiere, it was revealed that Katia was actually Schlain’s close friend Kanata in their previous life, and identified as male. At first, it was unclear if the anime would handle this thoughtfully. This was because Katia’s previous identity was revealed to the audience by Hugo mocking her. However, it has not been brought up in a negative way since, and Katia seems to be quite confident in herself. The one possible flag is that in the past the boys would poke fun at Kanata by saying he was into guys, which he would get flustered by and deny. It opens up some interesting questions for the audience. It isn’t outright insensitive, but it might not be great to frame the only (possibly) gay male character as the sole male classmate reincarnated as a woman in the next life. It should be noted that while other characters have been reincarnated into creatures, no one else has been shown to have a different gender identity. Once again, Katia hasn’t gotten enough screen time to condemn her portrayal, but that also means she cannot be praised as good queer rep yet, either.

Elsewhere, So I’m a Spider So What Episode 8 continues to deliver on fantastic battle sequences featuring our favorite spider. Every time viewers think our heroine is getting a bit over-powered, a new enemy comes across that ups the stakes. Yes, there is a bit of plot armor since she is the protagonist, but what will make viewers lean forward is trying to figure out just how the heroine will get out of the situation. This time she is up against a dragon, and because it was previously wounded, its design is slightly grotesque and awesome to look at.

Overall, So I’m a Spider So What Episode 8 starts to fill in the gaps where the show was lacking. It is starting to give the supporting cast more depth while maintaining strong fight sequences that make it enjoyable week to week.

So I’m a Spider, So What? is streaming now on Crunchyroll.