So I'm a Spider, So What?

Episode 14

When I review, I generally avoid any social media around the anime until I've caught up to the latest episode. This is the case for everything I watch because it allows me to make the most informed review possible. It also helps me react to things with a genuine “first time” reaction, which typically makes a review feel more authentic.

That being said, I caught wind of a few things concerning episode 14 of So I'm a Spider, So What?, so please keep that in mind as you read this review because like, I know the animation gets rough and all. That's definitely a ding this episode.

Anyways.

Episode 14, “You're Rebelling? I'm, Self-Depreciating” starts off with a carriage coming under attack by bandits. Naturally, Kumoko happens upon the scene and decides to come to everyone's aid, despite her initial trepidation about attracting attention.

Thanks to Kumoko's super sticky tricky webs – and her somewhat blithe attitude – she quickly saves the day, rescuing the woman and her infant child who are sheltered inside the carriage. She even uses her healing abilities to save various members of the carriage's party. Of course, Kumoko privately lauds herself for such a flawless victory, which allows the episode to offer up some humorous cutscenes in which Kumoko imagines herself as the suave hero.

Oh yeah, and she also meets one Sophia Keren, a.k.a Negishi Shouko, a.k.a. another reincarnated student. Put a pin in that.

Hard cut to Shun and his sister, Sue. Things seem normal, until Sue suddenly decides that daddy's gotta go, and kills her father without hesitation. Immediately she frames Shun for the crime, and sends Cylis, Hugo, and a slew of soldiers in to arrest Shun. This is a coup d'etat of massive proportions, one that seems like it's going to cost Shun his head until his trusted companions – that is, Ms. Oka, Hyrince, Anna, and his brother Leston – burst in and save the day.

Overall, episode 14 is pretty darn funny, save for the murder that happens. That part's sad because you know… patricide. But when So I'm a Spider, So What? is on the ball, it's great! Thanks to Aoi Yūki's talent and natural comedic timing, Kumoko continues to carry parts of So I'm a Spider, So What? on her literal eight-legged back at times, and she remains my favorite part of the series… when she's not CG Kumoko, who we all fear.

And look. I know I promised to give the CG a chance. Rather, I hoped that it would grow on me … which it hasn't. Sometimes, Kumoko looks like a digital muppet being manipulated around the screen. Not only does it not look great, it sticks out in otherwise perfectly fine scenes, which really is a shame. There's still a lot left to this cour so… maybe CG Kumoko will get a glow-up? Who knows, time will tell.

Thankfully, the show itself remains a delight, though some of the CG animation was, as I said, rough. Upon closing my tab, I whispered, “Wow, they really showed us that in an era of social media, huh?” No wonder I saw so many complaints on the timeline! And when I say CG, I don't mean just Kumoko: there were plenty of soldiers that had that Overlord Season 1 gloss on them. While I Love Me some Overlord, I think we can all admit those skele-soldiers weren't the best-looking part of that series.

Still, I'm here to champion So I'm a Spider, because it is a really fun series with dense plotting. I like a lot of the development we get in this episode, which definitely got me curious about what all will happen over the next ten episodes. Now that Shun is on the run with the elves, I really get the feeling that the series is starting to lean into and run with the complex plot threads that it's been building thus far. I'm not sure where, as I'm not currently reading the novels, but I have a few theories of my own.

Here's hoping next week's episode fares better visually because… oof, that animation was a lot. Thank goodness there's a lot of good plotty tidbits going into episode 15 that more than make up for that wonky CG.

Rating:

So I'm a Spider, So What? is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Mercedez is a pop culture critic and writer who also writes at Anime Feminist and But Why Tho?, where she gushes about idols anytime someone lets her. You can find her on her Twitter.