One other 5 minute episode of Yatagarasu within the books. Or no less than that is the way it felt. You understand a present is sweet whenever you preserve taking note of the time, hoping there’s extra left than there really is. When confronted with such good anime, I have a tendency to simply sit there with a shit-eating grin and let it wash over me. It isn’t laborious to grasp why Miyu Irino, who not often performs anime roles on TV as of late, selected to just accept this one. I am simply glad Kyougoku Yoshiaki and Pierrot remembered him – it could be simple to neglect Irino, irrespective of how little we hear about him as of late.
The 2 plotilnes (and subsequently in reality the primary two novels) get kind of equal time this week. The princess sequence wasn’t as fascinating – or as fleshed out – because the one with Wakamiya and Yukiya. However this actually clicked on each fronts. We begin with Fujinami and Samomo, and the previous seems to be sick. After the credit, we bounce to the Crown Prince’s hut, the place final week’s cliffhanger left off. What’s Atsufusa’s recreation right here? He claims to be loyal to his grasp Natsuka, however worries about what’s being completed in his identify. He affords a deal: if Wakamiya will defend Natsuka after changing into Kin’u, Atsufusa will assist along with his ascension.
Wakamiya is clearly proper to be suspicious right here. For starters, Atsufusa might or will not be actual. And even when so, he could also be giving his grasp an excessive amount of credit score – is Natsuka actually divorced from the extremism that emerged beneath Rokon? Natsuka is actually a Sphinx – he appears to be making an attempt to provide himself believable deniability above all else. Nevertheless, I am unable to shake the vibe of him taking part in his mom, the Empress. The Crown Prince places Atsufusa to the check, an opportunity to show each his sincerity and his usefulness. We aren’t instantly informed what it’s, however on the night time of Tanabata the whole lot will change into clear.
Again with the princesses, Tanabata brings their politics to a boiling level. I admit that at this level it has change into a bit tough to maintain all these cardinal route homes straight, however it’s clear that Asebi (East) is the wood spoon of the group. Fujinami is clearly in her camp, however as Cha-no-Hana (North) factors out, Fujinami is predicted to stay impartial in all of this. She has organized for Asebi to be current along with her gifted (and apparently notorious) koto to play for the opposite women on the Tanabata gathering, and some eyes are opening with Asebi’s efficiency. However the truth that it occurred clearly violates some sort of aggressive protocol.
Cha-no-Hana makes it clear that one thing uncommon occurred to Asebi’s mom up to now. And she or he tries to attach it to the story of the mortgage of the ‘Girl Raven’ – who got here to the palace to seduce the prince and was murdered. Asebi’s woman clearly takes offense to this, and as soon as once more the bickering culminates in a near-confrontation. Privately, Fujinami confirms to Asebi her need to see her win her brother’s hand, and the latter makes a request to the girl Samomo (whom they each appear to worth as their chief confidante) to enter her service for some time.
In the meantime, the Crown Prince and his two followers watch for some sort of sign on the night time of Tanabata. When it would not work out, he and Sumio go away for the Cherry Blossom Palace, leaving Yukiya with solely a kumquat for firm. However that sign will come; this was clearly Atsufusa’s job. It’s an invite from Tooru (Head of the Southern Clan and Atsufusa’s uncle) to attend a gathering within the Southern Palace. It was solely supplied after the prince had been seen to have left for Tanabata on the Cherry Blossom Palace, pondering that it could subsequently be inconceivable to just accept. But it surely’s clear that Yukiya is aware of precisely what the plan was when it arrives. A fast switcheroo in mid-air is carried out and the Prince leaves for the assembly. Yukiya, as traditional, continues to carry the bag (and do the soiled work).
There’s lots to unpack right here. Yukiya’s message to the offended girls about Wakamiya’s letters is clearly pointed. Is it true, or a trick? For Wakamiya, this all appears to revolve across the probability to confront his brother in a discreet setting, the place issues might be mentioned brazenly for a change. And among the many princesses, Shirotama (North) confronts Girl Hamayuu (South) and affords favorable remedy if Hamayuu helps her in changing into Wakamiya’s bride. When that’s rejected, Shirotama shortly turns to blackmail: she threatens to share the older girl’s ‘secret’ except she withdraws from the derby.
Oh what a tangled net we weave…. There’s a lot deception being woven on all fronts right here, however there are indications that Wakamiya is perhaps higher at it than anybody else – this recreation is being performed on his turf, it appears. However is that sufficient to beat the drawback he clearly has by way of the sheer variety of allies? High quality over amount is his mantra there, and it appears he has a a lot tighter management over his faction than Natuska does over his (or the Empress’s, if certainly they aren’t one and the identical).
