Season Two Ep 8 review

Season Two Ep 8 is on, and I love it! So sorry for the late review; been dead busy so I kept sleeping early. I woke up just now at 2 am AEST because I slept like at 8 pm last night. Didn’t mean to wake up like this, but might as well just continue writing my Ep 8 review. It’s almost 4 am now, and I’m ready to post this review…. And then go back to sleep.

So S2E8 covers the last three chapters of Volume 7. I love this episode, and it seems it’s there to flip my tepid reception of Ep 7. Admittedly, I didn’t enjoy Ep 7 so much at face value because I was so confused with the pacing and also the Manchurian Candidate (sorry, that’s the name of a novel & movie, haha!), I mean the Manchurian-dressed ladies-in-waiting. However, Ep 7 does have a lot of good development, namely the flashback about Suzume and a very brief flashback on Ōdanna-sama as an oni child. Once I accepted the fact that the pacing has returned to a normal pacing which we should’ve had back in Ep 1 (read: NOT, because Ep 1 skipped half of Vol 6), and that this season only has one cour, but will not finish by Vol 10, I was able to enjoy S2 Ep 8. I do have some minor nit-picks, but I will put them later. 

For now, I have three main observations for Ep 8: First, they finally employed at least one quality control person for the animation, for the visuals have been quite good since Ep 5 (Ep 4 still has its problems with Byakuya being drawn like a child). Unfortunately, they didn’t decide to redo the visuals for Ep 1-3, particularly the Ōdanna-related scenes in Ep 2-3 (ahem! The pumpkin croquette scene!), which is such a shame. The first three episodes are very important for an anime series to nail down viewers, and this team failed to do that. At least, I’m not cringing anymore when watching the episodes starting from Ep 5, except for when I see Raijū (because of his attitude and also because of his visuals that still look like a deranged guy instead of a fatale nemesis).

Second observation: Season Two is definitely going to be just one cour in 2025, but it will not end in Vol 10. It will end either with Vol 8 Epilogue or – at the very most – with the early scenes of Vol 9 Ch 1, hopefully with our chef-kiss scene of Aoi disembarking from the Bunmon airship and Ōdanna-sama in his university haori waiting for her with open arms.

Third: Ep 8 has plenty of Japanese tones for the background music, which is very pleasing to hear. I can at least detect shakuhachi, shamisen and koto in the background. Totally love it, keep it coming!

Now let’s break my comments chronologically. 

The conversation between Aoi and Zakuro is very good (and once again, very nice to see Zakuro in the Heian kariginu hunting robe). I can see why Zakuro gained an upper hand in the first place because Aoi does have her insecurity issues. Like, she can only cook, and so how can she help release Ōdanna-sama? Also she saw her failing to secure Zakuro’s approval. But I love it how the young Prince Takechiyo was the very one who helped her regain her security. 

Re: the black-haired hunk soldier, to my surprise, he is actually Akaguma Shogun! Yep, the very guy who whisked Takechiyo away from the Nui-no-in Mansion back to the Palace. I should’ve put two and two together, but I didn’t. In the novel (Vol 7 Ch 7), this guy was depicted as a gallant soldier who followed Zakuro into Takechiyo’s chamber. The soldier has red brownish 赤茶 ginger hair (which should scream ‘akaguma’ because aka means red), but I didn’t read the next few pages to see that Zakuro actually addressed him as Akaguma Shogun. Akaguma was also a friend of Shirō’s (if the children’s book Shirō’s Adventure is anything to go by), but I guess even Akaguma knows what a trickster Shirō was, hence the Shogun warned Zakuro that Aoi might also try to kidnap Takechiyo, hahaha!

(Edit: I've checked Vol 7 Ch 7 p270 and found that it was Aoi herself who concluded that the soldier was Akaguma Shogun 赤熊将軍, perhaps based on Akaguma's real hair colour in the novel, which is reddish brown).

I like it that Takechiyo’s hair turned light purple when he was bristled by Akaguma Shogun and Zakuro, and it seems the hair remained purple till the end of the episode. It might remain that way, which is great! This light purple colour (identified as a gradation between the colour of sakura 桜 and wisteria 藤 in Vol 7 Ch 7) is the colour of the King’s hair, and it might symbolise the Royal power. In Vol 7 Ch 7,  Akaguma and Zakuro were certainly aware of the meaning of Takechiyo's hair colour change. Which means, Takechiyo’s power is awakening in that moment, possibly due to having eaten Aoi’s food for the last few days (plus the macaroon) and the care he feels for Aoi. 

I should point out belatedly that, in Ep 5, Takechiyo actually gallantly positioned himself in front of Ritsuko-san and Aoi when Sasuke arrived out of the blue. When I saw that scene in Ep 5, I found it charming that the young prince dropped his brat attitude and started protecting ladies. Then when I saw Takechiyo doing the same in Ep 8, I realised he was going to grow as a fine nobleman. 

OT: pull back Aoi's emon slightly here please...

The audience between Byakuya and the King went south quickly because of the poisonous whispers that Raijū’s been pouring into the King’s ears (oooh, that’s very Hamlet!). Many of you are angry that the King just believes in whatever nonsense Raijū has told him, and I'm totally with you guys. When I rewatched Ep 8 for the fourth time, I realised that the King now referred to Ōdanna-sama as 'ano mono' or 'that thing'. To the King, Ōdanna-sama is no longer a respected ayakashi. Because the Master is a jyaki, to the King, Ōdanna-sama is just an abomination now, and that's really making me angry!

By the way, the King considers Byakuya as a traitor now too because Byakuya (and by extension, Saraku and of course Ōgondōji-sama) knows that Ōdanna-sama is a jyaki, yet Byakuya never told the King about it. However, it made me realise that Zakuro also knows that Ōdanna-sama is a jyaki, yet she never disclosed it to anyone. So... why is Zakuro against Ōdanna-sama being a Hachiyō (and agreeing to him being re-sealed), but didn't do anything about it in the first place? Is she just going with the flow? 

Anyway, in this episode, we also learned how that bastard Raijū was able to unmask Ōdanna-sama. Apparently, there is a mirror called the “Form Revealing Mirror” which can forcibly unmask any ayakashi and reveal the ayakashi’s true form. This mirror came from Tokoyo (the Underworld), the world where Byakuya and Raijū came from. However, I still don’t understand how that mirror only targets particular individuals. I mean, Raijū-mé (mé in Japanese means ‘bastard’) was also standing next to the mirror, but his true form wasn't revealed. Perhaps you have to really just stand in front of the mirror for your true form to be revealed, if you’re an ayakashi, that is. I will check Byakuya’s visit chapter later for this.

This realisation was new to me because I haven’t read Byakuya’s visiting novel chapter. In that sense, I became one of the novice viewers who didn’t know what to expect. Pun intended, it became a novel experience which I enjoyed, actually. I mean, it’s nice to know what unfolds next, but it’s also nice to be surprised in a good way. However, this understanding also gives me a very sad feeling. It means that Ōdanna-sama was taken off-guard so much that he couldn’t do anything. He might also realise there was no point in running away, hence he just accepted his fate. As if, he’s tired of running away, hiding his true identity. That’s really sad…

That aside, Byakuya’s true form is GORGEOUS! I love how his monocle remains on his nose despite him in his Hakutaku form. However, I was SO disappointed that that bastard Raijū got to kick Byakuya instead! I wish Byakuya would kick the thunder beast after the white hakutaku recovered, but I guess it has to wait for Vol 10 Ch 6 to be enacted… 

My new friend commented that she loved the nine eyes of Byakuya’s true form, and now that I think of it, yeah, me too! I thought they were fans, hahaha! As in, hand fan? But they are actually eyes! Well, since hakutaku is an advisor, it makes sense to have many eyes…

One thing that is new to me as well is that Byakuya and Raijū were actually from Tokoyo, the Underworld. It means they are very very old souls. However, it seems they are definitely nemesis in their functions.

By the way, since the Mirror also stripped one’s power, now we understand why Ōdanna-sama didn’t fight back. He just physically couldn’t. He didn’t have Aoi’s meal with him to boost his power, hence he would just lie there, in his jyaki form, being beaten by soldiers and Raijū as well, just because he’s a jyaki. I want to cry… I mean, seriously, it hurt me to see Byakuya being kicked around by Raijū… and it would’ve hurt me more to see Ōdanna-sama collapsing and being kicked and assaulted by Raijū without the Master being able to do anything. It's also possible that Ōdanna-sama was defenceless because his artificial 'heart' cracked when his true form was exposed; he said it to that effect in Vol 9 Ch 1 (well, Ōgondōji-sama also said the same thing in Vol 8 Epilogue). That makes me hate Raijū more! Arrgghh!!!

I do like it that Aoi’s macaroon serves like an instant boost meal that helped both Sasuke and Byakuya. In Vol 10 Ch 5, her meal will once again help… none other than Ōdanna-sama. I’m looking forward to that scene one day (please let the visuals be drawn well!).

The escape scene was well-executed, down to the Silver Pigeons attacking our team!

OT: Okay, this one is a good enough emon for Aoi...

The last scene with the coconut attack was very funny! Again, since I had not read Vol 7 Ch 8, I didn’t expect Orio-ya to come to the rescue, but they did, with such a very funny entrance! I later checked Vol 7 and realised that the coconut attack did happen, but it was in Vol 7 Intermezzo 3 (in which Byakuya narrated his visit to the King and the Three Musketeers' subsequent escape). In this chapter, Byakuya also said in his heart how Aoi's persistent efforts to rescue Orio-ya has led to the rival inn lending their hands to Tenjin-ya. In Ep 8, Byakuya said the same thing, but directly to Aoi.

The oden-eating scene after the Orio-ya rescue was heart-warming; Ginji's fox ears glitching when he heard the word 'oden' is so funny! Now I want to eat oden! By the way, in Vol 7 Ch 6, it was O-Ryō who told Aoi that eating oden after the whole New Year business wraps up is actually a Tenjin-ya tradition. See, Ōdanna-sama decided to close down Tenjin-ya during the New Year (that is an atypical move amongst inns, actually) to give time for Tenjin-ya staff to spend time with their family. Before closing the inn for the New Year, the crew would do the final clean up, and that's when the kitchen daruma team brings oden to the garden to eat together.

Gosh, I miss Ōdanna-sama so much...

Finally, the last quite moment between Aoi and Byakuya was beautiful. Can’t believe how close their camaraderie is right now, considering that it was the very Byakuya who almost shut down the Moonflower in Season One...

This lovely scene resembles Volume 7 cover, actually!

Okay, now, nit-picks. By the way, I do feel like Sei Shōnagon writing her list of things to disapprove and approve of Kakuriyo right now, but to me, it’s all for improvement…

First, there are two mistakes in the otherwise-amazing translation: when Aoi introduced Chibi as a temari-kappa from Utsushiyo, Utsushiyo was translated as "the hidden world", though the Hidden World is Kakuriyo and Utsushiyo is the Apparent World. Another minor translation mistake is what Byakuya said to the King about Ōdanna-sama. Byakuya actually said that Ōdanna-sama has been supporting the King since the King was young. The Master is at least 800 years older than the King. Hence, it cannot be that Ōdanna-sama has been supporting the King since Ōdanna-sama was still a young oni, because at that time, the current King was not even born yet.

Second, I still don't think that the Palace evokes the traditional Japanese feelings. It does not make me think: “Yeah, that’s a Japanese castle alright…”. The colours are too bright, for one. I’m not talking about the ayakashi lights at night adorning the Palace; that’s acceptable. However, Japanese castles and mansions are more like the Nui-no-in Mansion and Tenjin-ya, with a lot of earth-toned colours. If they use red for pillars, usually it’s for Torii gate (the Shinto gate, though it’s not always red). I read Design Yokochō for Japanese colours, and it’s a very good read. Will include it later in my post about Cour 2 suggestion, but one of my suggestion is definitely to tone down the red pillars. If we have to keep them red, make them darker red instead, closer to the maroon version of red maple leaves. Make the green tiled roofs darker as well, closer to the roofs of Hirosaki Castle. 

I do appreciate that Takechiyo's chamber has the typical setting of a Japanese castle/mansion chamber though, complete with traditional Japanese patterns and classical colour schemes.

Hirosaki Castle in Aomori (source)

Also, Raijū is drawn weird again here in Ep 8. I think in Cour 2 we definitely need a major improvement in three characters’ designs: Ōdanna-sama, Ginji and Raijū. 

And I still need to point out again that Aoi’s emon (nape) is not properly drawn in many scenes. When we see Aoi’s kimono from the front, we should not see her back collar. It should be pulled back. Her emon shots when seen from the profile side are usually correct, but when we see her frontal, it's still inconsistent. 

I’ll say it again as someone who strives to wear kimono properly: Animators, try to pull down the back part of the kimono (emon wo nuku) to reveal the nape. Doesn’t have to be excessive, but at least one fist-size reveal of a nape is a good start. That nape gap (emon) is there to prevent sweat stains on ladies’ expensive kimono, and it’s also to provide breeze. Over time, it becomes one of the aesthetics of kimono wearing for women, and without it, the charm is less for me.

If I could wear my kimono emon like this all the time, that would be great (source)

By the way, in the winter, the nape is still there (worn with the emon), but ladies would wear some nagabaori and some fancy scarves over it to prevent the cold wind. These days, modern kimono jackets are also available (like this and this), but the kimono emon is still pulled back. Some furry scarves also become a must-have (or at least, cool-to-have) accessory when wearing kimono in the winter to block the cold wind while still wearing kimono with the emon pulled back.

However, despite my nit-picks, I am surprised that I actually still can remember this episode fondly, and since that is the case, I must be categorically loving it. 

I hope Ep 9 in the Northern Land gives me the same vibe, if not more. Maybe I will have time to skim-read Vol 8 Ch 1 beforehand, who knows…