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「交錯する悲劇 TRAGEDY COMES WITH SMILE」 (Kousaku Suru Higeki TRAGEDY COMES WITH SMILE)
“Intertwining Tragedies – Tragedy Comes With Smile”
Through trials, their commitment grows.
The Truth of the Hinatsuki Tragedy
There’s no arguing that Sousei no Onmyouji is a by-the-books shounen story. That’s not necessarily bad, the formula works, but it’s hewing to it reliably. That means it’s no surprise that I and several commenters anticipated where this was going—Yuto is alive, he’s a villain, Rokuro did kill the other Hinatsuki kids but there was a reason for it beyond “Rokuro went crazy,” etc. But, well . . . good. These tried-and-true tropes are used for a reason, and the writers did a good job of making Yuto despicable and menacing. I would have loved a new take on the old formula, but Sousei no Onmyouji need not bow to my wishes. It was still enjoyable, and I’m excited about where the story will go moving forward.
Together
As usual, it all comes down to the characters of, and the relationship between, Rokuro and Benio. I’m glad the misunderstanding didn’t last for long, and Benio—well. I must admit to some trepidation, because it felt like the story was sidelining her in favor of Rokuro when her nii-sama showed up and completely ignored her. Then he laid the emotional smack down on her, which was one of the moment which made Yuto seem the most vile. That’s when I realized that she’s not being sidelined at all—she’s just going to have to use every bit of her power, determination, and grit to force her older brother to respect her as an exorcist, and damn do I want to see that! Unlike Rokuro, who has a special power, she’s just gotta get better at all the classic stuff than any other exorcist. I love characters like that.
The glowing moment of this episode was undoubtedly the last scene, where Benio apologized to Rokuro and they vowed to get stronger together. The relationship between them has deepened, and they understand each other in a way that neither of them ever understood Yuto. Unlike in some other stories, their relationship really makes sense. I can’t wait to see how much they grow.
tl;dr: @StiltsOutLoud – The truth of the Hinatsuki Tragedy is revealed, the villain appears, and Rokuro & Benio grow closer still #sousei 09
Random thoughts:
- I appreciate the relative simplicity of Sousei no Onmyouji’s magic system. Talismans do magic, so when Yuto does it without a talisman, we didn’t even need Seigen to tell us it’s important. Then Rokuro does it, and his arm starts laughing. That’s probably not a good sign.
- Rokuro and Yuto have the classic red oni/blue oni (trope!) setup. It’s probably not a coincidence that Benio’s hair is purple.
- Another great moment: when Benio stops Rokuro. She might have broken down for a minute, but she quickly realized who was worth acting for. She’s a tough gal.
My first novel, Wage Slave Rebellion, is available now. (More info—now in paperback!) Sign up for my email list for a FREE sequel novella. Over at stephenwgee.com, the last four posts: I love sales jobs, Good realism is character realism, Dying idols, and Frictionless routines.
Preview
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*makes note* Adults are useless, check.
Yeah, despite promising to keep mum about manga spoilers, I could already tell from the comments and commentary in the previous entry that people already had a pretty good idea where things were going. Not that that’s something one can lay on the anime’s feet, mind. Readers knew where it was going when this was in the manga too. Though, I gotta admit, it was kinda funny seeing Yuuto pretty much just walk in and reveal everything almost right after the opening credits. It just seemed all the more hilariously sudden when there were no pages to turn.
And I agree on the Benio apology scene being my favorite in the episode. Especially Roku’s gently saying that she didn’t need to bow to him nicely but not self-consciously calling back to when Benio told him that he would never need to lower her head to her to ask for her help. Nicely framed. That, and anything to fan the sails of muh ship. =P ⛵
The battle would have been over before it even started if only he could fight.
https://randomc.net/image/Sousei%20no%20Onmyouji/Sousei%20no%20Onmyouji%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2003.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Sousei%20no%20Onmyouji/Sousei%20no%20Onmyouji%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2032.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Sousei%20no%20Onmyouji/Sousei%20no%20Onmyouji%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Sousei%20no%20Onmyouji/Sousei%20no%20Onmyouji%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
I really loved how this scene really epitomized Benio’s earnest personality.
Whether it expressing her strong convictions about protecting others from Kegare, honestly and openly stating Rokuro’s good points (and his bad ones), or her overwhelmingly remorseful apology to Rokuro for the pain that the actions of her brother have caused him; Benio is always unhesitatingly honest and sincere with her opinions and actions.
Agreed. I love that about her character.
I really do like that scene. It’s more genuine and shows the development between the two characters
Word is Sousei may go on for more than 1 cour, since they’re announcing new OP and ED songs for the anime. There’s further rumours it may go to 50 episodes, but there’s no official confirmation yet.
Of course if they do this, they may either stretch out the material more or make an original ending, since the manga story hasn’t progressed very far yet. This reveal with Yuto was the climax of the manga’s 1st half.
I could see a 2 cour run here, but 50 episodes? No way in hell. IMO sounds more like fan wishes than meaningful consideration.
Of course I can always be wrong, but 50 episodes would be some serious investment with a temerarious disregard to profit margins 😛
Well, that’s three major deviations in this episode… Spoilers ahead:
Show Spoiler ▼
Ugh I have no idea why the spoiler tags didn’t take there. If someone could please cover that (or just scrub the whole thing if need be), it’d be much appreciated.
Fixed. Sorry something happened there and it didn’t take. Though you were kind enough to mention what the spoilers were ahead of time, so I didn’t read them, so not all is lost! *thumbs up*
Have to give props up to Murase Ayumu for making Yuuto utterly despicable. Please Murase-san, keep your light boy voice for as long as you can. Well, at least until Haikyuu!! ends 😛
I remember watching this scene thinking, hmm, the brave thing for the writer to do at this moment would be the natural thing, which is to make them, idunno, hug?
https://randomc.net/image/Sousei%20no%20Onmyouji/Sousei%20no%20Onmyouji%20-%2009%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
oh well.
No, a hug would have been wrong at that moment. Hugs have a certain emotional overtone, and with both of them worked up like they were it wouldn’t have fit the mood at all. Now, if there were a third person who wanted to comfort or calm them down, then a hug might suit, or if one of the two wasn’t upset and wanted to calm the other down. But with both of them tense emotional states, a hug wouldn’t have worked. A handclasp of some kind, though, to symbolize their unity of purpose and their new understanding of each other, that might have been appropriate.
Agreed. Hand clasp at most, though I think this was the most appropriate.