Finally, I can stop filling my time by watching hentai and imagining my co-workers in a visual novel.
I suppose the sad part is that I actually was having fun making my workplace into a visual novel in my head.
In Fuuma, Kotarou is flipping over the news that the Kairoushuu have the Daya. While he sends Juuji away seemingly upset by the news, he seems somewhat pleased by the fact that all the scrolls are being gathered together – and, after Engetsurin, Banten’s scroll, is collected, he plans to steal the assembled set from the Kairoushuu.
By the seashore, Kouichi reveals his true nature to Raimei and Kumohira – namely, that he is immortal and has been living since the late Edo period. He was the product of the experiments of a holder of the Shinrabanshou, and along with another (shown to be Miharu’s cat), they followed any rumors of the Shinrabanshou, seeking the end to their immortality. Kouichi still seeks that, and thinks that Shinrabanshou can grant his desire. He also mentions the activation of the Shinrabanshou ten years prior, but admits he has no memories of it, to the visible relief of Kumohira; but he also admits that he knows where the Engetsurin is. He leans back to fall to the sea, but Raimei and Kumohira stop him; he reminds them that it wouldn’t kill him, but Raimei angrily tells him that he shouldn’t do it anyway.
At Kairoushuu, Miharu hands over the Daya to Hattori. The group is told that the Engetsurin is wanted within the space of a week, much to Yukimi’s disappointment. Miharu asks about the research being done on the kinjutsu scrolls, and states that he is hoping he can help Yoite’s health after using the Shinrabanshou. Hattori basically says that the Kairoushuu are on a mission to save all of humanity and its future, thus Yoite is on the backburner. In the hall, Miharu states that Hattori doesn’t care about Yoite, but Raikou tells Miharu that Hattori saved Yoite from an abusive childhood, and would have died if he hadn’t been saved.
Miharu goes to check on Yoite. Kazuho (previously named here as ‘Amatasu’ – this is her surname, not her given name) is in the middle of checking up on him, as she is a licensed doctor. Miharu wonders if a hospital would help more, but Kazuho says that they could do little to help. But she also says that his stab wound healed very quickly, probably helped by the Shinrabanshou… and that if they could use the Shinrabanshou, they might be able to save a kira user. But Miharu says that the healing of the stab wound was only incidental, that he cannot control the Shinrabanshou yet. Kazuho wonders why Yoite took on the kira technique when he knew it would eat away at his life even though he hangs on so stubbornly to life.
In the hospital, Raikou watches over Gau, who is still comatose.
Back with Miharu, Yoite wakes up. The two quietly discuss the matter of the Engetsurin. Yoite asks Miharu is he is going to get the scroll for the leader, but the two plan to get it first so that Miharu can use the Shinrabanshou for Yoite’s sake.
Meanwhile, Hattori instructs Yukimi to find the Engetsurin and obtain it. He also asks what Yukimi thinks of Kumohira, and if Kumohira will really seal the Shinrabanshou given the chance. Hattori becomes a bit intense, and Yukimi begs him not to get anyone else involved in the whole thing.
On a boat, Kumohira is seasick. Raimei goes to buy drinks for both him and Kouichi, and the pair dicuss matters after she leaves. Kouichi asks about the events ten years ago, saying that it has seemed for a while that Kumohira was hiding something about it. Kumohira doesn’t answer, and instead asks Kouichi if he is ok with not having his desire to be mortal once more fulfilled. Kouichi states that they have the same goal ultimately – to seal the Shinrabanshou, in Kouichi’s case so that no one can create more ‘monsters’ like himself.
By the vending machines, Raimei hangs up her cell phone.
In a train elsewhere, Miharu also hangs up his own phone, and tells Yoite that he has asked one of his Banten friends to help him find the Engetsurin, but that don’t know anything about where it might be. Miharu suggests that they go see Hanabusa, and Yoite agrees, and warns that the Kairoushuu might use offensive tactics to secure the Engetsurin, the implication that they would against Hanabusa.
In a parking lot, Yukimi is being told to find Yoite and Miharu, as they have disappeared. He says he supposes this means to not return until the Engetsurin has been located, and sets off to find the pair.
In Banten that evening, Miharu and Yoite visit with Hanabusa. She offers them dinner, and when Yoite insists he isn’t hungry, makes him some porridge. Yoite comes in to sit down, and Miharu asks Hanabusa about the Engetsurin. It is quickly obvious, though, that she knows nothing about it, and Yoite demands to know how she doesn’t since the two live together. She tells him that they keep the Nabari things separate from their relationship. When Yoite questions her inviting them in, as both are from Nabari, she says that a guest is a guest. As Hanabusa cuts dessert, Yoite suddenly has a flashback, and dashes outside.
After Yoite’s departure, Hanabusa serves dessert, and Miharu has his own flashback to his mother. Hanabusa asks what is wrong, and Miharu says that nothing is, but he seems to notice something suddenly. The doorbell rings, and Hanabusa wonders if it is Kumohira, and goes to answer it. She passes by Yoite, who is coming back inside, and Yoite and Miharu share a knowing look.
At the gate, Hanabusa opens the door… but it is Yukimi standing there, not Kumohira.
Impressions:
Oh man, I hope Hanabusa doesn’t come to any harm. I really like her, and she was being wonderfully motherly to Yoite and Miharu. I don’t think I mentioned this before, but she’s forty years old – not that this is necessarily relevent, but it seems like I should mention it (she’s fifteen years older than Kumohira).
The plot is thickening, as it seems even clearer than ever that, even within groups, opinions and plans on the Shinrabanshou are sharply divergent. Hattori definitely realizes that Miharu has ulterior motives, but it remains to be seen if either Kouichi or Kumohira realize what Raimei has in mind, or if Juuji and the majority of the Fuuma have any idea of what Kotarou is plotting.
We see that Miharu’s cat definitely is involved with everything, and I remain convinced that the cat is Shijima, but there is no confirmation.
I’m beginning to wonder about who had the Shinrabanshou before Miharu – was it perhaps one of his parents? It definitely seems it wasn’t Miharu, which would also mean that the Shinrabanshou can move from a dead person to one already alive (I had thought it was reborn into another at birth, not granted at a later time). While we saw a bit of Kumohira’s side of the tale at the beginning of the series, we have yet to have seen anything else, so I’m getting pretty curious about it all.
Juuji continues to take Miharu’s side swapping pretty seriously – she says in her conversation with Kotarou that Miharu has been brainwashed. She’s a bit of a side character, but she does keep appearing, which makes me wonder if we’re going to learn more about her and her past. Her strong feelings regarding Miharu’s conversion also suggest that something major is going to happen here.
Not much on the BL front this time around – the scarf scene that made everyone nervous was really of Miharu remembering his mother and associating Hanabusa with her – so all you BL-haters out there can breathe a sigh of relief.
Oh, and one last thing – Kotarou was playing a dating sim on a PSP-type device at the start of the episode – so typical, huh?
