What’s more scary than a giant slug monster?
Enormous swarms of mites that devour a giant slug monster in a split second, that’s what.
With Saki’s comments at the beginning of this episode, what’s going on in Tokyo makes a lot more sense. Tokyo is one of the destinations for leaks of Cantus through the Holy Barriers. It’s the place of nightmares, the setting of bedtime stories used to frighten little children. And there’s nothing more frightening then the human imagination.
Kiroumaru: Friend or Foe?
Once Kiroumaru told them to separate, he did start to look sort of suspicious. And when Inui mentioned it, his earlier trip to Tokyo is suspicious as well. What could have driven him so hard to reach Tokyo at the cost of a third of his group? Did he also acquire some piece of human technology from a bygone age?
There’s another big question (at least to me) hanging in the hair that no one has even mentioned. Why does Kiroumaru look completely different from every other Queerat? He looks more like a wolf than a naked mole rat. Who is this guy, really?
It would be delicious if it turned out that Kiroumaru was the villain all along and Squealer was the hero trying to save humanity from him. Not that I think this is the case.
Shun’s Return
Pretty cool scene when Saki remembered Shun’s name after seeing the glowworms.
The “I live in your heart” stuff sounds really cheesy but actually isn’t all that surprising. If people in the village can create monsters in Tokyo, why can’t Shun leak some of his heart into Saki’s?
As usual, I have no idea what to make of Shun’s apparent physical manifestation. This could of course be all in her head like some of her earlier illusions involving him. but something about this seems more corporeal to me. Another possibility is that this could all be a trap set by the “fiend”.
Further Thoughts
Shun (if it is really Shun) claimed that the child wasn’t a fiend at all, which I had suspected. My theory is that he grew up with Queerats, so he identifies them as human and his death feedback applies to killing Queerats. Another possibility is that the death feedback is not genetic but is something learned at school or in a ritual at the temple.
Inui was so boss when he ripped that giant centipede apart. I was hoping to see more of his badassery. But by then, he was torn to pieces.
I suspect that the feedback is linked to how they had to bind their powers with their mantras in the earlier episodes in front of the flame.
1) Just to make things clear, Shun isn’t back from the dead.
It’s not like he tell Saki something she can’t know by herself.
It’s more like… her subconscious created a split personality of her in the image of Shun to make Saki think better, and he does the 1 + 1 for her.
2) Did you know, the Psychobuster was supposed to look like a cross, but they’ve changed it in the anime (for obvious reasons I suppose).
3) Now, I won’t call what I’m about to say a spoiler since it’s in the preview after all. I would only give context to what you see in that preview, but just in case… I give a warning beforehand:
Spoiler for what you see in the preview for episode 24:
While the Psychobuster can be used to kill the “Akki” (because it’s effect doesn’t work right away), they (Saki and Satoru) are assuming that the one who will use it on the “Akki” will probably die after the “Akki”‘s death from death feedback. And like you see in the preview, it is Satoru who is holding the Psychobuster.
That’s why Saki’s screams for Satoru not to use it in the preview. Satoru plan to sacrifice himself to kill the “Akki”.
Your theory about the “fiend”‘s nature seems pretty plausible to me. But it doesn’t yet explain to me why the “fiend” is fighting the humans. Perhaps Yakomaru told him some bedtime stories about the evil humans who evicted his parents? Still, I wonder if in RL a human child raised by a different species (like a wolf child) would think of himself as belonging to that species even after it has encountered other humans. Oh, and in the preview the “fiend” actually looks pretty cute – http://bit.ly/16szYsq – is it a girl?
“Why does Kiroumaru look completely different from every other Queerat?” I thought it just indicates that he is the alpha male of his tribe but there may be a different reason, as well.
“What could have driven him so hard to reach Tokyo at the cost of a third of his group?” The remains of Akiba, of course!
Your first question will be answered in the next episode. 🙂
It could be a girl. I think it’s probably a boy who’s never cut his hair, but I’m not sure.
Kiroumaru’s definitely the alpha male, but normally that wouldn’t completely change the structure of your body. It seems like a detail that’ll probably never be explained though.
I suspected as much that he is not an akki. When the “akki” was first shown, his eyes were a tad too innocent, too normal, not the eyes of a mass murderer. I mean, compared to Boy K, he’s a saint in terms of appearane of a standard “akki”. I would say it’s more of the upbringing that led him to think queerats are the new humans.
Well, that aside, I had appreciated Shun’s reappearance, and how significant it is for Saki to remember him, he is, after all, her first love. But to be honest I had been more of Saki and Satoru supporter, since those two have been together in adventures from the start. From when they were 10 and separated from the group, to when they’re 14 and Shun/Maria-Mamoru have gone missing to now they’re 26, finding a way to kill the “akki” and annihilate the queerats. People who read the novel said they were disappointed for the lack of development in those two, since in the book they were supposed to have confessed to each other.
I hope that they will be given a chance, at least, in the anime. I liked the episode overall though.
In truth I’m more of a Shun supporter. But he’s dead. So I guess Saki’s stuck with Satoru.