My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's

Episode 7

I don't think that anyone would argue that the “damsel in distress” is legitimately the most overused trope in the history of fiction. What's the easiest way to raise the stakes for your main character? Kidnap the love interest! However, I think the problem isn't using tropes—even overused ones—as much as what you do with them. This episode of My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's is a great example.

In a lot of ways, Akira has been your typical overpowered hero. In direct fights, he's basically dominated every enemy he's come across—heck, he even killed an army of monsters in a single attack. So when he encountered Aurum, a mere “third rank” demon, and barely squeaked out a win, one thing became clear: Akira was a big fish in a small pond. Now, he's entered the ocean.

Continuing the metaphor, Mahiro is the first shark Akira's encountered. He is horribly outmatched—and would be even if he were fully rested. Now, in a more stereotypical fighting anime, Akira would unlock a new form or power and somehow come out on top—and, in the episode, it looks like that's what's going to happen. Akira heals from a fatal wound and goes into autopilot mode. Suddenly, Mahiro is the one on the ropes. But then Mahiro targets the immobilized Amelia, counting on Akira to take the hit for her.

Logically, there's no way Mahiro would actually let his magic hit Amelia. The Demon King wants her and her rare magic—so much that he's thrown away all his plans regarding making Akira an ally. If Akira hadn't jumped in the way of the spell, he would have certainly dispelled it. All this shows is that, even with power on par with Mahiro, Akira can't win because he's not as crafty or experienced as the Japanese man-turned-demon. More than just getting stronger, Akira has to learn better strategy and quick thinking, or he will be defeated again and again.

This is what this whole “damsel in distress” situation is meant to show us. And best of all, in the end, it is Akira who is the real damsel in need of rescue. Luckily, Crow is willing to step in for him (or, more likely, for Amelia) and force Mahiro to retreat.

The other big moment of the episode is how Akira and Amelia deal with the fallout of their utter defeat. With the arrival of the hero party, Amelia is forced to confront the fact that Akira's mission is to return to his own world—and, in the process, leave her behind. She has fallen for him, and he for her—this much is obvious to both of them. However, his goal hasn't changed.

This, understandably, makes Amelia incredibly insecure—to the point that she admits she felt good having left a scar on his body while being puppeted by Mahiro. That way, he would never be able to forget about her when he returned to Earth. While she doesn't doubt his feelings or hers, what she wants is a physical proof of their love—an undeniable reminder that what they have is real. So Akira combines the idea of a physical proof of love and her scarring him, and the two scar their ring fingers with eternal wedding rings. (On a side note, altering the ending credits to give Amelia her wedding ring scar is a nice touch.)

While this scene makes sense given what we've seen, it doesn't quite land as it should. Even seven episodes in, their relationship feels both fast and superficial—and so the scene comes off feeling a bit melodramatic. This is the fallout of the anime's breakneck pace. Many of the quiet moments of their time growing close have been lost in the hurry to reach the next major plot point. While the two have spent months together at this point, we simply haven't seen it.

That said, their symbolic marriage also raises the important question of what comes next for the pair. They're being hunted by the Demon King, and Crow's protection will only go so far. The supposedly peaceful Demon King was willing to kill a city of civilians simply to lure Amelia out after all. And now, with the wedding ring scars, it will be obvious to the demons what her weakness truly is: Akira. Our two heroes need a plan—and they need it sooner rather than later.

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My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.