And we’re back, with a real sad-sack episode for Shinichi. Kana’s dead, his girlfriend doesn’t trust him, Tamiya is sending private investigators after him… things aren’t going so great for our hero right now. We also got some pretty interesting developments on the parasite side, which I end up spending most of this episode’s article rambling about. Doing a lot of rambling in general at the moment – preview week’s in full swing, I’m alternating between sleeping, doing ten hour shifts, and writing about cartoons, and the weather outside is approaching the opposite of livable degrees. I might be hallucinating, because I’m pretty sure I also watched a show about lesbian bears. G’bye everybody…

Here’s my full post on ANN. Hopefully lucid notes below!

Just a somber moment with Shinichi and Murano to start

Opening with a meeting of the parasites, discussing their “designated eating areas.”

“He gave into the immediacy of hunger, and then squabbled with his own kind. How self-centered… just like animals.” Wow, big line here. The parasites were once framed as nothing more than animals, but now they’re looking down on base instincts. And “self-centered” as a vice – that’s definitely not something Migi would agree with. The position of humans and parasites may be shifting

“Friend?” “Snapped?” Ideas that have no meaning to the parasites

“I am making an effort to secure a better future for all of us.” It appears the more complex, Tamiya Ryouko-style parasites are the ones that are surviving, unsurprisingly. The ones that can adapt, and can quickly think in long-term and group terms

Tamiya saying “quiet” and the baby shutting up, and then her carrying it by the scruff of its shirt. Amazing

Tamiya’s got a private investigator following Shinichi

Good to see Tamiya back in the story in general. She’s a great character

Shinichi’s “acting too calm” in the wake of Kana’s murder

Murano’s freaked out by him, as she should be

Tamiya’s figuring out how Shinichi’s changed

It’s nice seeing Shinichi have to calmly figure out how a human is supposed to be acting, and then feeling ashamed of not acting that way

“I want to mourn her death more.” Shinichi’s kind of demonstrating that humanity isn’t just in instinct – he wants to be human, and that keeps him human

Migi: “What’s one more death?” His true colors

Shinichi’s panicked that his cover’s blown. Nice track for this

Shinichi’s worried he’s not grieving enough, but he’s plenty stressed and grief-stricken. He just doesn’t express it the way he thinks he’s supposed to

“You’re strong. But sometimes I can barely stand to watch you.”