“Yottsun’s Drowning”


「よっつんの川流れ」 (Yottsun no Kawanagare)

A Silly Yet Serious Mess (In a Good Way):

It’s impressive how this show balances seriousness with silliness. We’re still at the early stages of what I predict will become a senseless riot, yet I’m finding it difficult to translate my thoughts into actual words. Every episode has been a roller coaster ride of emotions and absurdity, and I’ve had a lot of fun, but whenever the episodes finish I end up going: “Huh?” and am not quite sure what to think of it. I’d be interested to see if anyone else is having a similar experience.

But, from what I can discern, Mayoiga is still in its early stages of set-up and it has no intention of presenting logical or even sympathetic characters. Some have claimed that makes the show unwatchable for them, but as I said last week, this group of strangers being so ridiculous makes their eventual demise even more entertaining. Surprisingly, there was no other deaths this week. I expected Yottsun’s drowning to mark the beginning of a stream of disasters, but we’re not quite there yet. Instead, the last five minutes were packed with downright strange revelations that I’m not sure I should be taking serious. I get the impression that there’s a trail of breadcrumbs leading to the madness ahead, but Mayoiga is doing a good job at blinding us with excessive ridiculousness in order to throw us of. Perhaps in hindsight the giveaways will be more obvious. For the time being, we’ve got bears (or some other strange creature), someone in the group possibly committing murders, the bus driver is searching for his dead daughter who is wandering through the woods, Jack has left his cell, and there’s apparently a giant Mitsumune in the tunnel? Whaaaaaaaaaa?

Speculation Time:

Ok, time to get my tinfoil hat on and discuss some theories. I’ve been reading over what others have been discussing, and this episode helped me decide whether there was weight to those speculations. First off is the theory that Speedstar doesn’t exist, and is instead part of Mitsumine’s imagination. For the first half of the episode – when they were arguing as the group was splitting up – I was thinking how plausible that seemed, but then Speedstar went and had conversations with several side characters. The two were far enough apart that there wouldn’t be any mistaking them so I suspect that puts an end to that theory, though it was good while it lasted.

Another notion I had throughout this episode (and last) is how Masaki seems to know a lot more than she’s letting on. While Jack and Lovepon don’t appear to hold back when injuring or potentially killing someone, there’s something unhinged about Masaki that makes me uncertain of her claims last week. Did she kill Yottsun? Is she wrapped up in something much bigger, which would explain why she’s so timid when it comes to uncovering the truth? There’s just something about her that doesn’t sit right with me, and Mitsumune’s growing attachment to her seems to hint towards a game-changing twist that will send him in a downwards spiral. Or, at least, that’s my guess.

Overview – What’s Next?:

Mayoiga’s pace remains steady as we continue learning more about this lost village and the strangeness of its new inhabitants. I wish I could discuss every plot point in fine detail, but I’m not sure what we’re meant to take seriously at this stage. There’s so many possible paths ahead, and I have no idea which one we’re going to take. But that uncertainty is what is going to make this entertaining to watch. I’m interested to hear all your speculations in the comments below.

Preview

33 Comments

  1. I think if there is someone who knows more than she is letting on it is Lion…
    1.she is awfully calm and collected
    2.she tells that “they wont die anyway”
    3.she keeps her reasons to sdtay hidden with handwave “same reasons as everyone else”
    As I tend to try natural explanations for everything first, maybe some halucinnogens in either air or water?
    But then what is with the GPS (military grade one, as proudly exclaims survival maniac!) not working? is someone jamming it?
    So far the answer to all my questions is troublesomely similar to one provided by certain spaceship AI:
    “unable to compute – available data insufficient”

    ewok40k
    1. 2.she tells that “they wont die anyway”

      This is apparently a minor mistranslation. Lion left out the subject in her sentence, but since they were talking about Speedstar, what she said should be “he won’t die”.

      And that could simply mean she has enough confidence that Speedstar is capable enough not to die regardless of what happens.

      Zannafar
    2. And let’s not forget the first episode where she so casually joked about hoping that the people don’t end up cannibalizing each other…(literally or metaphorically)

      HalfDemonInuyasha
  2. Yeah Lion is suspicious. Halucinnogens, illusions, mirages… Idk what it’ll be, but I’m pretty sure it’s actually so unpredictable. Cause let’s be honest, how many expected Maimai running away from a “giant Mitsumune”? The driver’s dead daughter was something unexpected. Lol, I think it’s too random, but if it keeps its appeal, I have nothing to say about it.

  3. This show is so ridiculous that it’s working for me. I was actually pretty invested into the whole thing towards the end. Dead daughter? Giant Mitsumune? Whaaat indeed.

    Misk
  4. I actually like several of the characters. Some are assholes, but some others are imo symphatetic. And several are simply not really interesting. I would say the monster is able to create illusions based on the desires and fears of the person. Which is why everyone hears or sees something different. Jack may have been a illusion because Judgeness feared him. Things might become more intense ones the more unstable members see the illusions. Like Lovepon may be going on a murder spree once/if she sees her father.

    But I do wonder if the death count will be really that high.

    dean
  5. I have to say, I’m very disappointed in the group that stayed in the village for not releasing Jack. After most of the annoying people left, they really didn’t have a reason to keep him locked up anymore. But nay, they forgot about him and that’s probably gonna come back and bite them in the ass.

    What exactly happened to Judgeness? I mean, he tripped and fell.. but.. surely that’s not enough of a reason to think he’s dead, right? Then again, could be that no one noticed him falling and they’ll just find him later on having been mauled by the creature or however else people die there.

    JayDrink
    1. Well, considering that they’ve been dealing with a potential dead body floating down stream and the periodic screeching of a fell/dire bear out in the woods, the group splitting off into #GitGud and #GTFO factions, I can understand how Jack has been put on the back burner. He’s supposedly locked up in the next best thing they have to max security prison, though we all knew the second they left him alone he was gonna work his way out. I was at first very suspicious of Koharun. I thought she screwed them over with the map, but it seems this area does things to the mind. We’ll see how far skewed from reality this will take us. It wouldn’t be too big of a leap all things considered, and after dealing with Samurai Flamenco’s huge jarring shift in reality and parade if absurdities that followed, I’m mentally prepared for anything.

      The Walker
    1. Based on the next episode’s title “3 Yuunas is a Crowd” (which it really is till they annoy me with whatever reason viewers hate them for), I’m guessing they’ll die in some sort of death related to Agatha Chritis’s A Pocket Full of Rye rhyme?

  6. Now this has become the beginning of thrilling-yet-terrifying mystery-that-every-viewer-wants style.

    I’m suspecting Jack is The Grim Reaper. He might be hired by the serial killer (whom I’m trying to figure out in Agatha Christie’s None-style). After all, Jack looks like he doesn’t have any hope in living his life, so why not follow this SR’s demands before he’s the last one to be killed?
    https://randomc.net/image/Mayoiga/Mayoiga%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2028.jpg

    Though I would want that Judge-whatever guy to be dead, it won’t be fun if he died too simple.

    BTW, is this series categorized as a supernatural genre?

    Because Mr Driver’s ghostly duaghter
    https://randomc.net/image/Mayoiga/Mayoiga%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
    and this so-called Mitsumune creature(?) don’t make scientific reasons to clarify what’s reasonable in this Bermuda-like village they’re trying to figure (and get) out.
    https://randomc.net/image/Mayoiga/Mayoiga%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2034.jpg

      1. Oh. I’m also #TeamStay. Too dangerous to wander with…whatever that is in the woods at night. Should’ve made camp at the bus or walked back when they couldn’t move anything. That’s what I believe at any rate.

        The Walker
    1. Definitely stay in village.

      https://randomc.net/image/Mayoiga/Mayoiga%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2014.jpg

      (Nuuuuu, why you leave, Nana?)

      https://randomc.net/image/Mayoiga/Mayoiga%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2020.jpg

      (At least Soy Latte can comfort me with that #01 Miya smile, lol.)

      There’s already plenty of decent shelter and, as we see/saw, tools and commodities and such to live, and it would be easier to defend (already putting up a wall) as opposed to being out in the open and in unfamiliar territory (well, now it’s familiar, having pretty much gone in a circle, lol). As it was mentioned, the group that left should have at least just stayed at the bus until it was light out.

      HalfDemonInuyasha
  7. This anime show is getting more and more like LOST (by JJ Abram). Seriously. Go watch LOST if you don’t believe me. Oh PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don’t tell me that every cast in this anime show is actually already long dead! (May be they all died during episode 1, remember the part where mitsumune had a weird “dream” about Masaki was driving the bus?). I would be very disappointed if that’s the truth….>.<.

    metronome
      1. I have been having this suspicion by the time I saw that weird scene that feels disconnected from the rest of the episode. I mean, if they put it there, it should have some meaning, especially if they put it in the very middle of the very FIRST episode. And then those scenes where they heard loud shrieks, hallucinated about some weird “apparitions”, tried to escape only to be led in loop, etc only make my suspicion goes stronger….

        Well…if they have all actually been long dead, they can throw everything they want to the story and throw us off rail until close to the end of the story. Imagine watching LOST for God knows how many seasons and then they end the series and tell you that every cast has already long dead, so please move on >.<!

        But again, it is just my suspicion. If they want to use this twist, I hope they don't bore us in the journey towards that end….(LOST is bad example, seriously)

        metronome
    1. This also reminds me a little of Wayward Pines, though other shows have done that same plot, but wouldn’t be surprised if this turns out something like that with a mix of Lost.

      Bamboo Blade Cat
      1. Ah, Wayward Pines. I watched that show for a while and then it became utterly ridiculous. Mayoiga may go the same route, but I think a live-action with this sort of plot is a harder sell than a similar anime.

        Samu
  8. Well in Wikipedia, mayoiga can also meaning illusion house(some old Japan folklore) about a human found a big house..and in the end the house was located in a transition between real world and spirit or another world…

    Hmm and also while hearing this word mayoi I can’t help to remember hachikuji mayoi(bakemonogatari) a spirit that can only be seen by “lost” people and make an illusion so that people can’t get out(well at least that the explanation by Hawaii guy in bakemonogatari) I think “masaki” or second candidate “lion” are some kind of this spirit…and the more “lost” the people(let’s just say mitsumune) the more they attracted to her.

    Mr.anderson
  9. I´m in the same boat as you Samu-san, I´m enjoying Mayoiga even more that I would´ve expected and it leaves wondering what the hell is going on and I have absolutely no idea where this is headed. For now I think there´s obviouly a real supernatural element at work at that village, it´s almost like that movie The Forest meets Friday The 13, those poor bastards just entered the japanese version of Crystal Lake by their own free will and we all know how those movies always end.

    haseo0408
    1. To me, I think more Fatal Frame II minus the ghosts (for now) in terms of theme. The feeling I get from it is a blend of Higurashi and Another. I have this tension waiting for the other shoe to drop and everyone go crazy (…crazier…) and all the death to start happening like Higurashi when you were waiting for that one event to start someone spiraling down the insanity slide. I’m also waiting for the deaths to be completely outlandish and over the top like in Another. Just a series of unfortunate events that compile together like Mouse Trap or falling dominoes creating random accidents that are so improbable that it is more spectacle than horror.

      The Waker

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