「喪失乙女」 (Soushitsu Otome)
“Forfeit Maiden”

The episode we’ve all been waiting for is finally here, and I must say, watching this was difficult for me. Such cruelty, such a tragedy – I feel so sorry for Yuuko! There was only one moment of relief for me throughout the entire episode, and that was the fact that Yuuko wasn’t raped as many of you had assumed. I don’t know what I would’ve done if that’d happen…

With all the hints we’ve been given throughout the show, it wasn’t a surprise that Yuuko was sacrificed by accident. But accident or not, it’s still cruel. I tried to control my emotions when the elders of the village talked about sacrificing a child. The elders make way for the young, that’s how the society has been, and still is. This whole act of sacrifice may bring up some discussions about morals – is it okay to sacrifice for a better future? For me, this depends on the subject. In this case – no, an innocent child should not fall victim for something because its elders did something “wrong”.

I actually think the elders are making sense because the time they were living in was harsh. Japan had many problems after WWII; during times like these, it’s easy to fall into depression and make irrational decisions. In this case, not only war was involved – we have religion too. Unfortunately, religion is a vast subject and while many people share the same beliefs, their views on it are different. I’m not blaming religion here. It is a life stance, not law; the man still has the ability to make a choice. So I can understand why the elders made this decision, but that doesn’t make it acceptable for me. I’m not criticizing religion because there is nothing wrong with having a life stance, I’m criticizing some superstitious people’s selfish decisions and irrational actions, and I don’t mean to offend anyone, I just couldn’t stand the cruelty Yuuko had to face.

What’s even crueler is the fact that Yuuko probably cared about the village more than anyone. How could such a nice and gentle girl be sacrificed like that? I wonder, if Yuuko would’ve listened to her little sister (Kirie’s grandmother) – Kanoe Yukariko (Satou Satomi) and ignored saving Asa, what would happen? It didn’t seem like Asa was meant to be a sacrifice. She was used as Akahito instead, and ended up being the reason why Yuuko was chosen by accident. I don’t blame her, but I can understand Yuuko’s pain. Being down there, suffering alone, no wonder Shadow Yuuko was created!

I find it amazing how Yuuko can be so strong willed. Being in that situation, struggling for life while the candles went out (lack of oxygen), but still trying to force the negative thoughts away – that’s impressive and makes it even more tragic to see her die. I wonder if this will change Teiichi’s impression of Yuuko. Will this make him pity her, or perhaps love her even more? I know I love Yuuko even more now, not because I feel sorry for her, but because I admire her strength and passion for humanity. She is so young and healthy, cares about the well being of others around her in times of depression – she truly is an admirable character.

SILVER LINK did an amazing job with this episode, the visuals were amazing. I loved how everything was seen from Yuuko’s point of view – clip that fringe! The entire episode felt so personal, even though it actually was Teiichi reliving Yuuko’s memories to the extreme point of actually feeling her physical pain. Besides the pain, he got a glimpse of some other fancy things too, he sure is a lucky guy (I’ve said that way too much)…

Now that Teiichi knows everything, and I really mean everything, how will the story move on from this point? Shadow Yuuko who apparently loathes Yuuko for creating her is still out there and the preview is way too vague for me to base any assumptions on it. Why can’t it be next Monday already?!

Full-length shots: 10, 17, 30

 

Preview

44 Comments

    1. The manga seems to be getting more and more closer to the ending, but yes, it all points to the anime ending and the manga to keep on going for a little while. Definitely not the same ending on both of them since the show hasn’t shown Yuuko’s sister as much as the manga has.

      Sacchi
  1. two feelings this episode:
    hnnggggg

    and RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE…

    seriously – Silver Link did some pretty awesome work here. Paranoid people are evil – superstitious people are worse.

    As for a possible Ending:Show Spoiler ▼

    Lets hope for the best and be prepared for the worst

    Salomon
  2. …….Okay who put bits of Zero 4 and 2 in Tasogare?

    Srsly tht wht I 1st though of when “girls sacrifice for religious purpose” pop up. Good thing the ghost here is nice (except ShadowYuuko).

    D-LaN
    1. Closer to Fatal Frame 2?
      – One of the sister has to be sacrifice in order to complete the ritual.
      – Especially, with all those old bags talking crap in the background.

      We just need the town to be wipe off from the map and had everyone kill…

      I still remembers a scene from that game. Great game.

      tylon
  3. I know I love Yuuko even more now, not because I feel sorry for her, but because I admire her strength and passion for humanity. She is so young and healthy, cares about the well being of others around her in times of depression – she truly is an admirable character.

    I agree 100%. Yuuko showed tremendous empathy and concern for the people of her village, and acted as a pillar for those in need (Asa). She also demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility when she decided to join the elders in their meeting. Overall, Yuuko was a selfless, kindhearted girl with a good head on her soldiers. These are all definitely qualities to be admired. This is coming from someone who wasn’t initially a fan of her character, since most of the time she just seemed to be an annoying cock-tease.

    sikvod00
  4. Yuuko sure love to SLAP people who disagree with her hmm?

    So her blind optimism, no matter how good the intentions were what got her killed, I was glad to see that she risked her life for a friend (that she end up blaming in the end but denied that too) but it just that she seem to “deny” that her friend could be infected or that she was incapable to getting sick herself

    Medicine was scarce back in those days and proper medical diagnosis was iffy at best too, Yuuko seem to think that she was always right too, “passion for humanity” I find a little inappropriate to describe her, she’s young so in a sense naive, apparently no one close to her haven’t died yet for her to still keep such a “positive outlook” of things even though people around her are in despair and dieing left and right

    She denied that NOTHING could go wrong, denied that what was happening could be AVOIDED and that it was NOT her fault that she was sacrificed. Those people ware the elders AND authority figures of the village and telling the other villagers would be the best option yet will lead to chaos but in the end most people will start believing that a sacrifice will be needed out of fear. someone would have still died either way

    Sure Yuuko is cute, SURE she’s likeable but her flawed way of thinking was made manifest when she opened the shrine and (was Cursed?) saw what the harsh truth of what reality had in store for her… she denied it, no she REFUSED to accept it and pushed that memory somewhere ANYWHERE but herself and then, Shadow Yuuko was born.

    1. Agree. I wonder if not for the fact that she has a pair of breasts on her, would people view her as well as they do. Hell, she is (in this episode) the female Teichii, in terms of holding a naive and limited view of how the world works – believing their compassion can pull the people around them and themselves out of any situation. However, simply put, they have yet to really face any form of tragedy that has forced them to confront their own darkness. In reality, neither of them want too. Yuuko refuses to accept her past and darkness, while Teichii, it seems, wants to turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to Dark Yuuko’s pain – because it means accepting that the Yuuko he knew/know might not be the real Yuuko.

      Grandier
  5. This show.
    It’s literally an embodiment of how good presentation can carry something a long way. It’s not much of a plot and it’s almost banal at times, but the direction has been fantastic. It’s a really impressive feat because they managed to make flash over substance work with a limited budget no less.

    Pleiades
  6. Be it in the Manga or Anime adaption, this question still has not been answered –

    Show Spoiler ▼

    tylon
  7. https://randomc.net/image/Tasogare%20Otome%20x%20Amnesia/Tasogare%20Otome%20x%20Amnesia%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2004.jpg

    Move over, Bright Slap! Yuuko Slap is taking charge!

    Anyway…

    Still, as much as I don’t like how the elders acted, it’s understandable as well.

    People can change quite drastically when it looks like death is staring you right in the face, especially constantly like in the face of a plague outbreak. After all, look back at the Black Plague and all the religious fanaticism that spawned during that time, witch hunts, purges, etc, all in an attempt to appease (a) god in hopes that it’ll make the plague miraculously go away and save everyone.

    Also a pretty common theme in the post-apocalyptic scenario (which is, as mentioned, pretty much what post-WWII Japan was like for years after all the firebombings and the atomic bombs) where people can quickly fall into depression, make irrational decisions, and/or turn to something to believe in, even if it’s old-fashioned. Something to guide them because they just don’t know what to do in such a situation.

    Or inmates on death row, have life sentences, or something and end up converting to a religion.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
  8. It’s ironic how a liberal girl in her time, ended up as a supernatural being…it may happen to any of us skeptics. The animation depicted very tenderly Yuuko’s last moment. I was moved indeed. And I was forgetting…Woah!! Yuuko-san uses don’t-slap-me-bitch slap! It’s super effective!!

    Hououin Kyouma
  9. Sometimes, you gotta call it like it is. I don’t believe their religious beliefs had anything
    to do with their crime. This is a common ploy – blame God – used by many cowardly evil men.
    This has gone on for as long as history has been recorded, and is happening now in different
    parts of the world.

    Although fictional, IMHO I believe the writers were trying to say this, quite effectively in this
    episode. They did an excellent job of communicating the events surrounding Yuuko’s murder – it’s
    not a sacrifice.

    The only redeeming features (as Stereoman mentioned) is that she wasn’t raped and she didn’t die
    of starvation. Excepting for the pain of the broken leg, CO2 poisoning is like going to sleep.

    Excellent episode – what happens next…?

    mac65
  10. I think it is important to note when Yuuko actually creates Shadow Yuuko at the end. Yes, it just seems like she is forcing away negative thoughts like Stereoman says, but it she also “breaks” or goes crazy because of the dark isolation. Seems like she became schizophrenic at the last second and created the Shadow Yuuko personal to push away her hate. Also, it looks like the Shrine Mirror gave Shadow Yuuko some supernatural help in manifesting.

    I don’t remember if the Mirror is still intact or not when they went to check, but maybe that would have something to do with the ending.

  11. It’s truly a relief that she wasn’t raped, but anyway this episode was too sad. And I believe that keichi is gonna love yuuko more and more, as I do. She is adorable. And about her split personality that born in the verge of death anyone, I believe that keichi gonna accept shadow yuuko like persona’s shadow.

    Ichigomaru
  12. So, if Yukariko is grandmother to Kirie, then Asa (in the anime continuity) is grandmother to… whom? Maybe Yuuko Kirishima? Maybe… Teiichi? Wonder if they’ll try to track ASa down next episode?

    dbm
  13. Well, this show has been pretty weak most of the time but I still enjoyed it.

    I am actually VERY glad they’ll be going the anime original ending route because as much as I like Yuuko, I don’t know if I would watch this another season.

    This was a great episode though and really fun to watch.

  14. The last minutes before death… Looking back at episode one in which I was laughing time skip to episode 10 I was scared. I felt the horror, the cold of the cave, the pain of the broken leg, the fea of the darkness as each candle died away. The desperation of Teichi trying to support Yuuko in her last moments. The madness blaming everyone and her last words “I hold no grudge” …
    For me there’s no way for a happy end for Yuuko at the moment. Most ghost stay behind because “unfinished business” So, if her shadow and her “reconsile” could mean she will finally move on and we will lose her. Really looking forward to were this story goes. Maybe she can become a youkai and stay with us.
    I demand a happy end for Yuuko I will even accept a “duex machina” with a resurrection ritual!!!!!

    Yes!@

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