Summary:
-Sometime in his past past, Hakuoro appears to have killed a family and then several of the soldiers who came to stop him.
-In the present, Karura makes all the difference in the battle, draws a line in the sand. The Kutcha-Ketcha retreat.
-Back at his castle, Hakuoro gets nightmares about what Orikakan said to him earlier.
-While looking for the Kutcha-Ketcha, Oboro and his force encounter Touka. Oboro fights her alone and gets defeated.
-Kamyu, Aruru, and Mukkuru are off gathering flowers.
-In a strategy session, Hakuoro and company talk of how mobile the Kutcha-Ketcha and their cavalry are. What’s more they have the Evenkuruga swordswoman that is Touka. The Evenkuruga are a small race of people blessed in fighting who live in the highlands; even at the cost of their lives they will uphold justice.
-They figure out that the Kutcha-Ketcha have a strategic bridge somewhere in the mountains. Aruru knows exactly where the bridge is, but then gets in trouble for going out with Kamyu and Mukkuru. Turns out she went to Yamayura (their old village) and brought back flowers. She presents one to Hakuoro and he hugs her.
-Hakuoro leads an army to the bridge and finds Touka with some troops waiting for them. They kill all of the Kutcha-Ketcha, leaving only Touka. Karura fights Touka, and ends up destroying the bridge and sending Touka falling into the ravine below.
-On the way back, Aruru notices that Hakuoro is looking very wide-eyed trying to figure out who he/Rakushain is.
-That night, Eruru visits Hakuoro’s room and serves him lots of sake at his request. Hakuoro is thinking about he supposedly killed his own wife and child. Eruru doesn’t believe it, but Hakuoro isn’t so sure because he has no memory. Eruru promises to stay by Hakuoro’s side. Aruru is eavesdropping from nearby.

Preview:

I’m told that the continuation of that scene at the end there leads to some, erm how to put it, tender moments between Hakuoro and Eruru. I can understand why they elected not to include those moments, but at the same time I think a scene like that would add to the development of Eruru and Hakuoro’s relationship. Especially during a time when it seems like Hakuoro is losing his mind trying to figure out his past and all.
There’s a bit of a contrast in the preview for the next episode. It has shots of Aruru and Eruru smiling and yet the episode title is “The Battle Smeared With Blood.” Maybe the conflict with Kutcha-Ketcha will be ending soon.

8 Comments

  1. If we’re going to have some “intimacy”, it should occur far later in the series…otherwise, people will just get pissed off when newer girl characters get introduced and no development happens between them and the protagonist. Although I myself have no problem with Utawarerumono or its pacing, a number of individuals I have spoken to have voiced…disdain for the allegedly “boring” Hakuoro. I should note, though, that this series is simply remarkable…but I’ll hold my reservations until episode fourteen, the apparent “magic number” of seasonal Anime. Hopefully, Utawarerumono will avoid “jumping the shark” at that point.

  2. Re: Hakuoro’s past as relating to this arc
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Re: ‘intimacy’
    Show Spoiler ▼

    AC

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