The following contains spoilers for Episode 2 of DanMachi IV, "The Great Falls" now streaming on HIDIVE.
The second episode of DanMachi IV almost seemed like things were going too smoothly for a time. There was some action, but it was brief, and this episode was far more concerned with lulling the heroes into a false sense of security, bolstered by enough downtime to reflect on how far they've come. In that sense, "The Great Falls" starts by riding high on the premiere's good vibes, with the party resting after a successful start to their expedition that capped off last week's caper. Bell had previously seemed to be internalizing a lot of his stress from last season but opens up a bit more about it here.
Haruhime quite perceptively ascertains that there has been a lot on Bell's mind, and he doesn't deny it. He thinks back to his duel with Dix Perdix in season 3, where he called Bell a hypocrite for defending Xenos despite being a monster hunter. To the show's credit, lingering on such a notion is appreciated as it's a difficult situation to find oneself in, but Bell's resolve in this episode seems a bit odd.
Being A Hypocrite
In response to being a hypocrite, Bell seems to adopt an attitude that being a hypocrite must be the right thing to be, with a smile on his face and everything. It's true that through a certain lens, his actions seem contradictory, but there is a demonstrable difference between regular monsters and Xenos, so Bell is mostly a hypocrite to those who think little of the Xenos.
Learning to deal with the way certain people will vilify you for your actions is understandable and takes mental fortitude, but embracing the label and considering hypocrisy to be some appreciable trait seems misguided. Some anime protagonists are just like this; they share parables they haven't fully thought through in a really smiley way and the show treats it like "look at this clever lovable guy."
Way Down We Go
A lot of the second half of the episode is pretty breezy with not much meaningful conflict, some character banter, and explanations about the Great Falls, the waterfall system stretching down several floors. As such, it's not the most exciting episode, but it is nice to see Lili getting accustomed to her new role. She isn't flustered at all and takes to sassing everyone to be on their guard quite naturally.
Her adjustment almost seemed too easy mere minutes after Daphne warned her that she'd need to be heartless to do her job properly. However, as the episode neared its end, the first true threat of this season reared its ugly head and dealt a blow that will stick with the team for the episodes to come. Lili is sure to have her hands full, as will everyone else.
The Green Moss...
Cassandra's premonition of the future from the premiere begins to come true just in time for the credits to roll, and it looks to be far more dangerous than it sounded. When Cassandra initially told the group, it was obviously foreshadowing, but Bell and the gang said that danger was bound to occur, and they had to push onward. It's surprising to see this vision become reality so quickly.
What might just blur that line between monster and Xenos is the increased intelligence of the Hestia Familia's new foe, a creature with awesome power and a sinister aura about them. It seems to enjoy hunting its prey and leaves a nasty mark that will make the rest of the expedition considerably more dangerous.
Even with a considerable amount of money spent beforehand on the best equipment, the Hestia Familia is in a tight spot. Bell's leadership has been a huge boost to morale and has kept everyone moving forward, but if any part of him is still shaken from his defeat at the end of season 3, it will show here. If Bell isn't at 100%, no one else is.
DanMachi IV is available for legal streaming through HiDIVE.