「見えざる刃 PART2」 (Miezaru Yaiba PART 2)
“The Invisible Blade Part 2”

Well can safely say Munou na Nana plans on going out with a bang. While there won’t be any particularly egregious shock and awe that completely throws this story on its head (at its core Munou na Nana is as it always was), I’m loving how willing the show is to indulge in the chaos it presents. From Nana to mystery killer and now administrative intervention, it’s all coming together (as it falls apart).

First on the list is naturally the murder of Ishii Ryuuji, and right off the bat anyone thinking the culprit has to be Sorano Fuuka should probably hold their horses. Yeah the girl has the necessary attack, personality (never assume tears mean innocence), and lack of alibi at the time of murder per Kyouya’s reasoning, but any good mystery always has a false lead, and Fuuka screams it to me. Well, mostly; given Ryuuji’s ability, his worn clothes at the time (who goes to bed in a school uniform? Apparently Kyouya), and the manner of his attempted escape (he was likely throat slashed first before being hit in the back), there’s plenty suggesting his killer was very familiar with him to be able to get him in that state, of which we only know of Fuuka so far. My bet though is on someone else considering how popular Ryuuji is—i.e. girl magnet—and Fuuka being his long-term pairing. Just think back to our little necromancer; romantic jealousy can often be to die for.

Besides Ryuuji, however, we also have Michiru to top things off, albeit in a more understandable fashion. This is a situation I firmly believe Nana is overthinking: Michiru could have hidden intentions, but she would have a ridiculous time hiding them just given her innocence and naivety. Personally I believe her offer to Nana was genuine out of a sense of sympathy and desire to give Nana back a bit of what she lost—but Nana, given her current employment, growing moral quandary, and the obvious trauma from her past cannot see the forest for the trees. At least until wholesome cutie pie diary and shower-time collapse enter the picture. Michiru probably isn’t dead (as that would be too easy), but I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if this twist is due to the downside of her healing ability finally catching up with her. Whether Nana wants it or not, I suspect her increasing hesitation about what to do over having to kill Michiru is about to come to a head and demand immediate resolution.

And when she makes her choice, well, then Munou na Nana’s real story begins in earnest.

 

Preview

7 Comments

  1. This story is gradually changing. While it can still be outrageous, this episode wasn’t as wild or as contrived as previous ones and actually made sense. It’s almost solid detective, closed-room mystery work in here. I do hope this change in story direction will be for the best as I think the old format of “who to outsmart and kill next” was getting already tired after a few episodes. I wonder how they will end this series considering the ongoing source material.

    WavePlus
    1. Fully agreed, this was arguably one of the best episodes of the season so far. Also I think the change in narrative direction will remain, Nana cannot go back to previous strategy given Jin is now a thing and Kyouya is one serendipitous discovery away from knowing the truth. It’s no longer just about killing off the class, and I fully expect the ending will reinforce that point if running predictions about the stopping point are any indication.

  2. Well, that was a cliffhanger.

    I like how Nana’s immediate response to the news that the ‘administration’ is sending someone over was: I better hurry and get some more kills in. But how easily she is side-tracked.

    For what was virutally an all talk, all the time episode, it was enjoyable.

    Mockman
    1. I think this episode works because there’s now quite a bit going on and it’s not clear what the outcome will be. Before with just Kyouya the sleuthing was boring arguably because we knew he wouldn’t ever catch her, but now it’s only a question of who catches her next and what they do. It forces Nana off her game and forces her to think fast, something which helps reinvigorate the tension and suspense bleeding away before.

  3. Kyouya’s relentless approach means that every excuse or rationalization that Nana makes cuts off some future path, and she is compelled to do things differently as a result. For example, how she disposed of the poison.

    For myself, I didn’t mind the earlier episodes as I felt they were necessary building blocks to get here.

    You’re right though, with the administration visit pending, and who knows what with Fuuko, and then Michiru, there is a lot more going on than the ongoing simultaneous hunters and hunted that have driven the show so far. This has gotten fun.

    Mockman

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