Kemono Jihen – 06, 07

Episode 6

Episode 7

Episode 6

「覚醒」 (Kakusei)
“Awakening”

Never be too quick to judge. Apparently, the whole line of coincidences I thought I pegged right in my previous post is no longer valid. Inari is playing the long game when it comes to Kabane, perhaps explaining why Kon happened to be in the park where Kabane took a seat. If what Nobimaru (Shimono Hiro) says is true, there’s a chance she was tailing him. Nobimaru is Inari’s new lackey who seems to be playing a game of wit and trust with Kabane as well, naming himself as well as others who serve Inari as “bake kitsune.” I quickly looked into it and it essentially means cunning foxes. So I wonder if Kabane is at the center of a tightly woven manipulation circle. Whether it be via Nobimaru or Kon (who will forever worship the ground Inari walks on), Kabane will lose his lifestone.

The second episode to this brain-eating-mosquito arc ends with Kabane harnessing his kemono power and Shiki overcoming his post-traumatic fears, all thanks to Mihai no less. There’s a stark difference in the way Mihai and Inugami treat the kemono children but Mihai’s ‘tough love’ ways are borderline abusive.

Turning my attention to Mihai, however, I do wonder why he continues to live under Inugami’s care. Or is it meant to be a prison? There’s still a lot to uncover there especially after that exchange between the two.

I did watch these two episodes back to back needing to catch up but I was pleasantly surprised by the severity of the events that unfolded in this particular episode. The lead sister turning on her sisters, Nobimaru burning their corpses to a crisp, and Kabane’s powerful reveal all felt energizing, as though the series got a little bump. And I think the next episode speaks directly to this. There’s no slowing down now.

Episode 7

「故郷」 (Kokyō)
“Home”

The last two episodes built Shiki’s arc nicely, teasing his backstory by sharing bits of his trauma and as well as some clues to his parents’ whereabouts. And this episode did a great job in plunging us into his history.

I think I mentioned something in my review of the first episode about the characters being adorable and this series being wholesome but it’s clearly time to backtrack. Things are getting dark and grim just the way I like it. To be clear, it’s not the torturing or the gutwrenching events that Shiki’s mother had to experience that I enjoy, rather, it’s the idea that Shiki, Kabane, and Akira’s journey won’t be as easy as it’s been laid out so far. I guess what I’m really trying to say is that I’m finally seeing the series bear some fruit ripe for picking!

Shiki, poor Shiki. The trauma he experienced forced him to block out part of his memory. But now back in his hometown, he finds his way back to the scene of those horrid memories involving his mother, his uncle, and his father. Fortunately, Kabane was by his side when the memories came flooding back but I do wonder if Shiki’s anger will have lasting effects on his existing personality.

I would personally appreciate en evolution in Shiki’s personality after this series of events rather than his return to normal when they get back to the city. Adding that kind of depth would make for more interesting confrontations between foes but also between friends as Kabane begins to absorb the ethics and morals behind his actions.

At the moment, Kabane’s thought process is quite linear. Everything he experiences is taken at face value meaning that he blindly trusts, supports, and acts regardless of the consequences of his actions. I do wonder if this will shift as he faces more complex situations. Again, thinking far ahead but there’s no stopping my brain now that I’ve admitted to truly enjoying the series.