The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic Cements Its First Pairing

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Table of contents

Highlights

The training in the forest turns into a life-and-death situation, leading to the series' first major pairing.
The appearance of wild boars outside of the forest foreshadows the Demon Lord's advance.
Usato and Suzune bond over their ambitions and aspirations in the new world, creating a stronger connection between them.

Warning: The following contains spoilers for The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic, Episode 5, "Usato, into the Forest Again!," now streaming on Crunchyroll.

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic's storyline is slowly moving towards the overarching war against the Demon Lord's army, and every single event seems to be adding on to that premise. To prepare for war, the kingdom has decided to send Hero Suzune into a forest teeming with monsters, and accompanying her is the healer himself, Ken Usato.

While the purpose of this escapade was for Suzune to gain some real monster-fighting experience, it quickly turns into a life-and-death situation for the duo. The training is thwarted due to a few unforeseen circumstances, but the very same turn of events leads to the series cementing its first pairing. Character pairings are a common aspect in most anime, but in The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic's narrative, this pairing serves a major purpose.

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Stranded in the Darkness of Llinger

The last time Usato had to venture into the Darkness or Llinger, he was entirely inexperienced and underpowered. This time around, his power levels are at an all-time high, and he has an entire party to aid him. Despite these improvements from last time, the Darkness of Llinger has proven to be a menacing place, throwing Usato into another harrowing predicament.

The party is attacked by a pack of wild boars, and the stampede throws Usato and Suzune off a cliff. The two only survive due to Usato's healing magic, but healing can only take them so far. Wild boars are supposed to be found much deeper within the Darkness of Llinger, meaning their appearance this far out of the forest foreshadows the Demon Lord's advance that is yet to come.

For now, Usato and Suzune are lost within the forest, but this time, Usato’s survival seems to be much easier. With Suzune and her lighting magic, foraging for food and finding shelter is a breeze, but this shelter in the depths of the forest is only temporary. However, it’s enough to give Usato and Suzune a chance to connect with one another, and that too, at a deeper level.

Suzune’s True Persona

Suzune’s character is shown to be quite eccentric and nuanced, and her switch up from a flawless senpai to a ditzy airhead shows how layered her persona is. Since her summoning, Suzune’s personality has flipped a switch, turning into a nonchalant and fun-loving character. Usato and Suzune’s time alone in the forest reveals the exact reason behind this dramatic switch.

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The two discuss how they feel about being summoned to this new world, and Suzune’s answer is quite clear. She is willing to throw her friends and family away for this new world, as the freedom she has now is something that will never be possible back home. She belonged to a rich family, meaning restrictions and expectations were automatically imposed on her existence.

In this world, however, Suzune is no longer chained to the image that people expect of her, and she is free to mold her own destiny. Escaping her previous life had been a dream of hers, and being teleported to the Llinger Kingdom was the best thing that had ever happened. The flawless girl that her friends and family were acquainted with was merely a facade, and the true Suzune is a free-spirited girl that simply wishes to live a life of freedom.

Usato and Suzune’s Newfound Bond

Usato and Suzune's Heartfelt Conversation

Suzune and Usato’s time spent together doesn’t feed into another fanservice pairing. Instead, it serves as a medium for character development as they bond over their ambitions and aspirations in this new world. For Usato, being transported to this world has given his life a new direction, something that he never had in his previous life. His only concerns now are to protect Suzune and Kazuki, and fulfill his duty as part of the Rescue Team.

Suzune, on the other hand, feels rather guilty for leaving her entire past behind, relinquishing all she had for a life of adventure. However, it is Usato who frees her from this guilt by sharing his own desire to escape his mundane life for a new world, showing Suzune that the two aren’t that different. The two resolve to protect the Llinger Kingdom and the people they have come to love, thereby creating an even stronger bond with each other and strengthening their ambitions.

While Suzune hints at wanting a closer relationship with Usato, the conversation doesn’t divert into anything more. However, this heartfelt exchange between the two was necessary for their growth, especially for Suzune, who was being held back by her own guilt. Moreover, it cements the two as a legitimate pair, especially considering how they are so alike while being completely different. The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic’s narrative is about to take a rough turn, but it’s necessary moments like these that add depth to the characters’ trials later on.