Owari picked up to some extent this week, with this episode at least having some nice reflections on Araragi’s journey so far. It’s not like we really need more reflections on Araragi’s journey so far, but if they’re illustrated in the way they were in this episode, where a couple offhand lines are just totally loaded with subtext, I can accept that. Araragi and Yotsugi interacted pretty much like Araragi and Yotsugi always do, and Gaen got to steal the show with a couple infinitely smug lines to Araragi. And we finally arrived at Shinobu near the end, which is definitely a good sign. If you’re going to have an Araragi arc, adding Shinobu to the mix is one of the best ways to make it interesting – their relationship is funny and endearing and legitimately tragic, and the two of them make each other more compelling by their presence. Here’s hoping the arc’s second half makes the most of that.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below!
Yotsugi was at the cram school for a different job, apparently
Yotsugi’s also been chasing something
“Can I drop this particular case?” Araragi wants nothing to do with this. He’s already lost Mayoi, he doesn’t want to lose Shinobu
Araragi realizes he used Kanbaru frivolously in his attempts to help Mayoi. He no longer wants to get her involved in Gaen’s business
Yotsugi rightly points out that Kanbaru’s already involved, since apparitions tend to cling to those who’ve already associated with them
And then Yotsugi steps on him and says he can’t reset the past
Man, this episode sure is a bounty for anyone interested in Yotsugi’s feet
“It’s my job to step on devil boy’s face and also go on a fool’s errand”
Nice scene between Araragi and Kanbaru here
Pretty much the first fanservicey episode of the season
The samurai seems to have set it up so that Araragi and Kanbaru would get lost if they didn’t go straight home. They can’t find Gaen
“If I say five things, one is sure to be correct. It’s a dirty tactic adults use.” But all five were correct. Gaen as Gaen as ever
Gaen tells him to get out of it on his own, or rely on Kanbaru. She seems to either be pushing Araragi or wanting Kanbaru to bloom into whatever talents her mother left her
“And that look on your face… I assume you need something from your slave.” damnit Kanbaru
And they run into Shinobu
Shinobu obliquely references her assistance in Tsubasa Tiger
“Shinobu, you’re the only one who’s stomped on me with a bare foot!” goddamnit these two
And a new monster appears?
This may just be me, but I read the Lost-Cow like situation that Araragi and Kanbaru wound up in as literally that, and once again caused by Araragi. Regardless of what he said, Araragi doesn’t want Kanbaru involved and thus he didn’t want to get to where Gaen was, And so he went in the wrong direction entirely to start with and then got lost when that was ‘corrected’. Kanbaru could fight through the problem because she did want to get to their destination.
(This may be over-thinking the situation.)