REVIEW: ‘So I’m a Spider, So What?’ Episode 7 – “Springtime, for Princes?”

The strength of So I’m a Spider, So What Episode 7 lies in its ability to upend the rules of the world as soon as its viewership got comfortable. The isekai anime is part of the Crunchyroll Originals lineup from studio Millepensee. The protagonist wakes up reincarnated into an RPG-style fantasy world. Instead of a human, she is a baby spider and has to level up to survive the dungeon. The anime also follows her classmates who were also reincarnated and are trying to track everyone down.

The protagonist is indulging herself in a large library of skills to choose from. Now that she has a second consciousness of herself in her head, we get to have the joy of Aoi Yūki conversing with herself. It somehow manages to break up the monologues; even though she is technically talking to herself, it somehow works. The show’s self-awareness is on point this week, as with the advancement of the heroine’s taboo skills, she gets excited at the possibility of becoming a stereotypical anime edgelord, to the point where edgelord is written across the screen. It will be a good laugh for anyone who has watched a few anime in their lifetime.

The meat of So I’m a Spider, So What Episode 7 focuses on Schlain and the protagonist’s other classmates. Oka, the homeroom teacher, reincarnated as an elf and now her students’ fellow peer, has been trying to track down the other reincarnations. Initially portrayed in the first episode as a lot more light-hearted, this week shows Oka clearly knowing more than she lets on about this world. Until this point, both characters and viewers were operating as though this world’s rules were based around video game mechanics. That is still true, but Oka warns the students that skills are dangerous and not to accumulate them. This runs counter to the logic we have come to know about the world and implies Oka knows something deeper is at play. It is also dramatic irony given the massive amount of skills the spider heroine has accumulated and enjoyed like candy.

Schlain is still pretty one-note, which is unfortunate given So I’m a Spider, So What Episode 7 features his confrontation with ever-dislikable Hugo. Hugo is pretty standard as far as classroom bullies on a power trip in another world go. There is some intrigue there, as his psyche has clearly been corrupted. He doesn’t view this as a world that everyone was reincarnated into, but instead a world in which he is the main character. He cannot comprehend the idea that this isn’t his hero’s journey. Animation-wise, the fight scene is great to watch. Even if there isn’t a lot of emotional investment, the fluid animation makes even a smaller sword fight very exciting. The punches to the gut look painful, and Hugo’s fire magic blends well with the rest of the action.

So I’m a Spider, So What Episode 7 begins to peel back the curtain and show viewers that things aren’t what they seemed. It keeps the show from growing stale as characters eased into the video-game format. The supporting cast is still lacking the depth to make them interesting, namely Schlain. But, overall, it is a solid episode.

So I’m a Spider, So What? Episode 7 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.