Nige Jouzu no Wakagimi – Episode 09 Review

「わたしの仏様」 (Watashi no Hotoke-sama)
“My Buddha”

Here we have Part 2 of the battle for the village. Things look kind of hairy at first- what with Ayako and Kojirou’s fight against Shirou, and Shokan’s unflagging thirst for domination. However, we know better than the antagonists that our kiddos like nothing more than a good challenge, and everyone comes out ok in the end, even after Sadamune makes a surprise visit (though quickly turns tail when Yorishige shows up).

The main takeaway is- never underestimate your opponent. The bandits certainly did- Shirou let his guard down big time and Shokan gloated prematurely. Kids think differently from adults- bigger imaginations, reckless optimism, greater willingness to take risks, and all those things are a boon in this battle where the slightest surprise can turn tides, and that it certainly does.

Tokiyuki’s one-on-one with Shokan was a beautiful scene to behold, Tokiyuki’s movements fluid and graceful like a dance. I should know by now, but still, it catches me off guard every time Tokiyuki gets backed into a corner and what seems like a tremble of fear is actually gleeful anticipation. The same reaction from him and me, as in his one-on-one with Sadamune in the dog hunt. Like Shokan, I can’t help but admire this kid for his pure enjoyment of the chase. That’s really where the magic happens with these kids- they don’t see things from a normal perspective. A normie would size up the enemy and go into full on panic mode (or at least, I would). But what do they do? They laugh and just have fun in the moment.

The Demon Heart Buddha Blade, despite the young lord’s trepidation over it not being a deadly technique, fells the enemy in true Tokiyuki fashion and leaves Shokan, the bitter bandit, a new man. Things start looking up for the man who lost his land rights and sanity- while he hasn’t gained sanity (and I doubt anyone could with this cast of characters), bathed in the light of Tokiyuki, he has cast off the chip on his shoulder, and even been promoted to a proper warrior for Sadamune after being rescued from near death.

The question is- will the resurrected Shokan become an even bigger problem for the Suwa faction than he was before? I don’t think Tokiyuki will regret not being able to kill him- a Shokan 2.0 just means a more exciting playmate. Though who knows what kind of transformation he’ll make under the command of Sadamune- I’m kind of looking forward to that. I don’t think this is the last time we’ve seen Sadamune, he’s like a pesky mosquito who keeps coming back for more.

Shokan’s flunky Furan is no small fry himself. He just acts like one, hiding his skills beneath a clown’s mask to avoid getting sucked dry by the higher ups. This draws a stark contrast to Tokiyuki’s gang- unlike the bandits, Tokiyuki embraces, encourages his retainers to shine. No bullying of the weak here- as Ayako says, Tokiyuki has integrity.

Fubuki reveals an obsession with hidden treasures- and almost gets excited over Furan’s revelation- until he fails at his special curved blade technique. I almost feel bad for Furan who thinks he’s cooler and cleverer than he really is, only to look really lame. Luckily for Fubuki, with Tokiyuki, he’s stumbled upon the mother lode of secrets. So big- he does a massive rice-filled spit take when he learns Tokiyuki’s true identity.

I loved the reunion between Yorishige and Tokiyuki. After losing his family, Yorishige fills the shoes of a father figure, perhaps even more so than Tokiyuki’s original shell of a father did. The priest genuinely cares for the boy, prophecies aside and that is heartwarming to see. I also had to chuckle with Yorishige’s comically weird “Pick him! Pick him!” when wooing over Fubuki. And with that, we have one more member added to our happy band- a much needed member too. We have fighters and tricksters, but what was lacking was a mastermind (well, other than Yorishige).