REVIEW: ‘So I’m a Spider, So What?’ Episode 11 – “Next Time, Is the Big Battle?”

Now that viewers have had their perspective of the entire show’s timeline shifted, So I’m a Spider So What Episode 11 is an origin story for the heroine. The anime is part of the Crunchyroll Originals lineup and is from studio Millepensee. It adapts the light novel series by Okina Baba. The story follows a protagonist who is reincarnated into a video game-like fantasy world as a baby spider. She is determined to survive and level up her skills despite her situation. The light novels and manga adaptation are available in English from Yen Press.

It has been a month since Schlain lost his brother Julius and was pulled out of school. Separated from his friends, he is now training himself vigorously to fill his brother’s role. He isn’t entirely alone, however, as Fei does her best to keep him company. She also offers to make a pact with Schlain, where he can summon her to his side. She hopes it would ease his anxiety about being all alone. Schlain is initially opposed to this because he and Fei were former classmates, and he doesn’t like the idea of a power imbalance in their relationship. While the two quickly agree to the pact, it was a nice moment to see Schlain acknowledge the friendship between himself and Fei and how their memories from the previous life affect it.

The largest portion of So I’m a Spider So What Episode 11 goes to the heroine confronting her past fears. After the after-credits reveal that our heroine was, in fact, the taratect that was terrifying the labyrinth fifteen years ago.  All of the scenes we have seen of her throughout the show actually take place fifteen years before Schlain’s storyline. It was a, quite frankly, brilliant way to pull the rug out from under viewers. It also plays with elements of an “unreliable narrator,” as our heroine’s face is only adorable when the story is told from her perspective. She also claims self-defense but doesn’t mention that she killed a majority of the soldiers.

It is debatable whether this reveal should have happened sooner because the show’s plot suffered from a plateau mid-run. Regardless, it works great now. Our heroine has also maxed out her taboo knowledge. While it isn’t all revealed in detail to the viewer, she is now aware of how this work (and its mechanics) came to be. She is aware that the world is on a path to destruction and has set out to stop it. How that somehow puts her on opposite sides of Julius (which seems to be implied) will be the compelling part of the plot that keeps viewers coming back for more.

So I’m a Spider So What Episode 11 has shaken up the timeline of the show for the better. While some CGI monsters fit awkwardly in the show when fighting, it still remains exciting. The possibilities for this plot just opened up immensely, and it will be exciting to see where it leads for all of the cast, not just our heroine.

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