Volume 5 of The Awesome Adventures of Kumoko cap us off at a very neat point in the story–it very much feels like the end of the first “saga” of the story. I’m hesitant to say first “part,” because that could very well have been the moment when our protagonist finally exits the Great Elroe Labyrinth. However, in Volume 5, we finally get payoff for several storylines and character arcs that have been brewing in the background.

On that end, I would definitely say that this volume definitely a step up from the last one. Yes, the battle with Ariel was very exciting and loudly declared the kind of  stakes our heroine was up against, but it wasn’t as satisfying or personal as her duel with Araba the Earth Dragon in the third volume. This time, however, we actually get Ariel’s POV, and with it, crucial details about the laws of this world, and even her version of the events that transpired inside the labyrinth. It was absolutely hilarious seeing her actual reaction to meeting Kumoko after the confrontation with the Queen Taratect, considering how in Kumoko’s version we know she acted the way she did out of fear and ignorance of this world’s language.

With Ariel’s side of the story, we also get glimpses into the world overall, and the power balance between the Demon King, Elf tribe, and the Church. Seeing as Kumoko unwittingly stumbles into a conflict that entangles all parties, we knew it was only a matter of time before the story thread we knew about thanks to Shun’s side stories came into play on the Kumoko side. Particularly, how Potimas the Elf Chief conducts his work; abducting the reincarnated students while they are still newborns and children–under the guise of protecting them for Filimos, the reincarnation of their professor.

Potimas was always an antagonistic force, along with Ariel, but now that we have gotten Ariel as a POV character, the story itself has been adding layers of intrigue and characterization to the rest of the cast. We’ve always known the Elves to be rude, prideful, and discriminatory against anyone who isn’t an elf. Seeing Anna, the half-elf who allied herself with Shun’s father and kingdom, treated as subhuman, was a reminder of that. With the introduction of Potimas as a regular cast member, we as readers soon realize that the attitudes of the Elf tribe are a reflection of their Chief, who treats his entire tribe like slaves who live solely for his own sake. Their pride is a self-defense mechanism, giving them an explanation, excuse, and purpose altogether for allowing their leader to treat them as subhuman–after all, if their lives are for their mighty and knowledgable king, doesn’t that mean that the lives outside of their community matter less than theirs? It’s a bit of a step backwards for actual humanizing character development, but it’s a direction that gives room for outliers to spread over time and connect thematic ideas about individualism that have been gradually sprouting throughout the story.

One such bud relating to that is Sophia Keren, the Vampire Progenitor and future Commander of the Demon Lord’s army. We see her origin as an infant born to a noble couple living in a countryside border town. Her unique skill is vampire, even though her parents are both human, and its roots likely stem from the form of bullying she endured before her classroom was annihilated. Her nickname was Rihoko, short for “Real Horror Girl,” otherwise known as Shoko Negishi; she was named for being a sickly looking pale girl who couldn’t fit in with the others. Being the only one (to our knowledge so far) born in another country besides Filimos (the professor), and a second member of the Demon Lord’s army, she has the unique position of being 1) non-human, 2) disconnected from everyone else, 3) directly born into a politically unstable climate, and 4) the first human that Kumoko willingly interacts with outside of the labyrinth. Her circumstances are totally unique to every other reincarnation, and being targeted by the Elves at the peak of her country of Sariella’s turbulent relationship with Ohts, home to the opposing religious faith of the world, has left her in quite the vulnerable position. I think the start of her character arc with Merazophis was extremely compelling, and seeing their exchange at the climax of the encounter after Kumoko and Potimas’ skirmish was a  much needed emotional push that the series somewhat lacks because our main protagonist is an amoral spider, and our second protagonist is more of a generic blandy mcmilquetoast isekai boy.

When Kumoko comes by and suddenly gets praised as a divine beast messenger of the country’s Goddess religion, it solidified her involvement with Sophia. The payoff to this is in one of the most surprising, thrilling fights we’ve seen yet in which Kumoko directly faces off against Potimas, who reveals a shocking arsenal at his disposal. It’s one that teases back on information we’re still waiting on, about the truth of Taboo and the state of the world which is supposedly on the verge of collapse.

Oh yeah, by the way, Kumoko finally reached her Arachne evolution! In another shocking confrontation, Kumoko directly intervenes in the war that erupts between Ohts and Sariella, conveniently around the same time that Ariel wraps up her business in the Bottom Stratum of the labyrinth. Kumoko’s hand is essentially forced and her only way to survive is to try something she’s never done before–transfer her full consciousness into another body; specifically, she uses her Parallel Minds skill to directly install her personality into one of the 100 eggs she laid in the Elroe labyrinth last volume before her real body is annihilated by Ariel. There, the aftermath of her actions finally catch up to her and she’s given a chance to finally evolve.

Enter Kumoko: Model Arachne! Both a satisfying moment, and loaded with ample humor with her monologues commenting on how it feels to use her interconnected bodies.

I have to say, the way that all the events unfold in this novel feel meticulous and rewarding. There is ample foreshadowing so that twists don’t feel forced, even with the jump in POVs and points in time.

All while this is happening, the Shun storyline has finally reached a boiling point, and war has come to the Forest of Elves. Shun’s story has definitely been the weakest part of the series in general, but now that we’ve essentially met every student on the roster, it feels as if the gears can finally turn. Shun is such a bland protagonist, that I’m glad he’s finally reached the point of maxing out Taboo. We still don’t know the complete truth of the world and universe the students have been transported into, but I have a strong feeling that knowledge of it will be something that pushes Shun into growth and action that will be sorely needed on the faction he’s on.

Part of the reason this volume feels like a cap on the first saga is the fact that yes, Kumoko finally has a semi-human form, as she has been aiming for since the start of the series. Another reason, however, is the reveal of her actual name. We officially learn that she is supposed to be Wakaba Hiiro, the girl that was bullied by Feirune, Shun’s light wyrm, and also stood out to the rest of the class. This feels both obvious and a bit confusing to me. I know that on Filimos/Sensei’s class roster, she was supposed to be dead–I’m assuming that has something to do with the fact that in the current timeline, she doesn’t seem to have any part of her spider body. I also know that she was supposed to be a recluse, mostly living as an otaku gamer online. I did not realize, however; that part of why she stood out to her classmates was the fact that she was supposed to be beautiful but socially awkward. It makes sense. I just don’t know why, but in my head I was equating her physical appearance to someone like Tomoko in Watamote, who is supposed to be conventionally unattractive. Looking back, the comment from Fei/Mirei Shinohara about disliking her because the senpai she crushed on liked her, but then it turning into full blown hate because of her silent reactions, connects pretty strongly to how Kumoko reacted as a spider to the humans and even Ariel when she was intercepted inside the labyrinth. It’s a bit of characterization that remains consistent, but since I don’t actively try to predict events, sort of slipped from my radar.

It was impossible to make this review spoiler-free, but, if you haven’t yet started reading this light novel series, I hope some of these details can push you to start reading it. Okina Baba has woven an extremely tight and intricate story that easily warrants more than just one read. I know manga is the preferred medium for most of these kind of stories, but as of this book’s release, volume 5 of the manga has come out simultaneously with the light novel, and that medium is barely up to the end of volume 2 of the novel. This story continues to rewards readers in spades for keeping up with the releases, and I can’t wait for the next one.

So I’m a Spider, So What is published by Yen Press, and you can find it physically and digital on platforms such as  Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kindle, Nook eBooks, Bookwalker, Kobo, Google Play Books, Apple Books, and maybe some other places I forgot.