Ch. 51 Summary: Shiina’s parents find Norio’s head attached to a doll and Shiina’s corpse brought home in a bag.
Ch. 52 Summary: Shiina shows up at her grandparents’ house. She has her first period.
Ch. 53 Summary: Akira and Sudou visit the guy Shiina killed a long time ago. Sudou pressures Akira to join him.
Ch. 54 Summary: Tsurumaru cries.
Ch. 55 Summary: Tsurumaru kills some gangsters.
Ch. 56 Summary: Mamiko and Tsurumaru’s girlfriend visit Tsurumaru’s house and are raped by the gangsters. Then Mamiko massacres them.
Back in a Bag
Part of what I love about Kitoh is his sheer brutality. No one else comes close. Other manga will kill off characters (sometimes), but who else has the balls to have the remaining bits of the main character’s corpse brought home in a bag to show to her parents. My God. Oh, right, and that’s nothing compared to what happened to another main character a few pages before.
Yup. Holy crap. Who else would even be able to imagine this kind of shit.
I love this chapter’s ending shot in particular, where Shiina’s dad looks into the bag as the others look on. Including Norio, whose shoulder (or what’s left of it) the frame looks over. With Kitoh’s characteristic clutter in the corner. Wow, what a terrific and terrible chapter.
Shadows of the Past
So Shiina’s dad first saw a dragon 14 years ago, when he left the military. But apparently something else happened then to draw him into this…
We also learn that at one point there was a Mishou Tamai. Did Shiina have a sister? Recall some of our earlier speculation about Otohime and Tamayori. When Shiina’s father comes to the island, he sees Shiina and shouts out “Mishou”.
I like how to Shiina, the most shocking part of her death was that her father and mother were together when they went to see Tsurumaru.
My Body is an Island
An interesting title for chapter 52, “My Body is an Island”. After she dies, Shiina appears at the island where the story started, all fine and dandy. In fact, she appears in the very same place that the story started, the torii in the sea. Recall that the first time this scene appeared, when Shiina met Tsurumaru, she was drowning. Perhaps Shiina did actually die that time as well.
Another important event occurs in this chapter— Shiina’s first period. Right after a boy points out how much she’s changed in the past year. This is another form of death, an ending of sorts, similar to Shiina’s physical death. Shiina has become alienated from her body.
I love her face after the period. That look of horror….
Sudou’s Plans
Tomori, the guy who Shiina killed a long time ago now, is still alive. Sort of. He’s merged with his dragon child and currently sedated in a hospital. Sudou shows him to Akira in an attempt at recruitment.
I wonder… who dropped the nuke that destroyed the place where Shiina died? It could have been the Americans like Miyako thinks, but it was mostly the Americans who died. I suspect Sudou had something to do with it, especially given how little he seems to care about the victims…
Tsurumaru’s Therapy
Tsurumaru is really bummed out about Norio. I guess you only realize what you have after it’s gone and all that. He’s so upset he isn’t even interested in making babies. Absolutely shocking.
But perhaps now he finally sees women in a way outside of popping out babies. Regardless, what a beautiful scene.
A bit later, Tsurumaru’s girlfriend is raped along with Mamiko. Until Mamiko awakens and lobs off the guy’s head. She then has an interesting conversation with Tsurumaru, where she says she finally has Shel under her control. Tsurumaru asks if she has to change her body, she says it isn’t necessary. Just like he didn’t change his head. (Tsurumaru is bald now… I guess he changed the rest of his body? I was kind of confused on this point.)
I guess that the rape brought about Mamiko’s ability to control Sheol. A sexual awakening of sorts. She then says that Shiina should awaken soon. Recall, of course, that Shiina just had her period. Good Lord what awful things are going to happen next.
Questions
Shiina’s mom is aware of Tsurumaru? How? Even with her role in the council for military balloons, I didn’t believe they were aware of Tsurumaru either.
Shiina’s father says something very interesting… that “he doesn’t believe everything he told them, but he believes this at least.” What in the world did Tsurumaru tell them? What would make them believe that their daughter was alive after they had just retrieved a bag with her corpse?
When she sees him on the island, Shiina tells Tsurumaru she “can’t forgive him for this.” What is she referring to? Her death, or the deception with Hoshimaru?