Minori takes the lead!
The penultimate episode for Log Horizon’s season 3 finally lets the junior Adventurers to shine in a big way, acting as a raid party this time without the supervision of the adults. And just as expected, Minori has taken Shiroe’s teachings to heart; she’s an efficient leader and strategist, guiding her group through wave after wave of monsters.
The interesting part about this is how Minori initially doubts her capabilities. After all, this is her first raid, and she is as inexperienced as the rest of her group. But once again, Tohya saves her by encouraging everyone in the group, boosting his sister’s confidence.
Thus, we follow the party through their journey toward Ereinus’s boss room. Thankfully, Sojiro is there to help by luring as many enemies as he could. And it is really fun to realize that of all the veteran players, he was the only one to have survive for so long. It explains much about his own skills as a player, and proves why he was once part of the legendary Debauchery Tea Party.
Sojiro’s sacrifice allows the raid group to proceed, which eventually pits them against Ereinus. And it is here that the Mofur twins prove themselves to be actually useful, holding off Ereinus while the rest slowly chips away at its HP.
But like all raid quest, nothing is certain and predictable. And we see just how powerful Ereinus is, bringing despair to everyone, especially Minori… all except one: Akatsuki.
Overall, episode 11 lets Minori and the other kids step into the spotlight again. There is victory, there is defeat and despair, but a small glimmer of hope remains. And so the final battle begins!
Episode score: 8/10.