Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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We dive into Chise’s past and through her getting to understand her mom, it seems that may lead to the path of her reconciling with Elias. Maybe even understanding Joseph.
| Network | ||
| Crunchyroll | ||
| Director(s) | Norihiro Naganuma | |
| Writer(s) | Kore Yamazaki, Aya Takaha | |
| Air Date | 3/10/2018 | |
| Characters Introduced | ||
| Chika | Kikuko Inoue | |
| Yuuki | Shinji Kawada | |
The Good Times: Chise, Chika, Yuuki
We have gotten hints and glimmers of when things were actually good for Chise. When it was just her, her mom Chika, father Yuuki, and little brother Fumiki. Then things were good. Her mom, like her, was a sleigh beggy but her dad would fight off those tempted to mess with his family. And with that, her mom was able to present the idea there truly was nothing to fear. Yet, with seeing a black shadowy cat, and thoughts still unexplained, Yuuki packed up Fumiki, seemed tempted to bring Chise too, but ultimately decided to leave her and her mother and never return.
Commentary
We still remain without a complete answer to why Yuuki left. Was it just because he got tired of dealing with various kinds of apparitions? If he was able to see and grab them, doesn’t that make him a sleigh beggy too? Doesn’t that mean he is cursed with facing them his whole life, Fumiki as well? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to stay with his wife and daughter? Especially knowing how frail Chika is and Chise being a child?
But, then again, who knows if Joseph, if not another being like him, took over? Sadly, this is one essential question to Chise’s past that goes unanswered.
The Bad Times: Chise, Chika
With Yuuki gone, Chise can’t be this frail and hopeless thing anymore. She takes on multiple jobs, I could at least 3, and works herself into going from broke to just in poverty. Then, one day something whispers to her about it being Chise’s fault. Why not kill Chise? It isn’t clear if this being might be the same which may have convinced Yuuki to leave or not, or if Chika just had a mental breakdown. All we know for sure is it’s influence led to Chika choking Chise until she snapped out of it, saw Chise breathing once more, and the guilt pushed her to suicide.
Commentary
In past episodes, it was made clear that Yuuki abandoned Chika, but what wasn’t filled in was what happened between that happening, the abuse, and suicide. My theory was, especially before we learned the whole family could see apparitions, is Yuuki left because of Chise, Chika blamed Chise, and was abusive to her to deal with being stuck. To the point, eventually, she killed herself to get away from Chise or an apparition, one of the friendly ones Chise dealt with, maybe caused her mother to kill herself.
Well, that wasn’t the case. The stress of being a single mom hit Chika hard, as well as the, strangely not noted, having her baby boy kidnapped with probably no means to find Yuuki. Leaving us with a more understandable mom for, just imagining struggling money wise, and then apparitions messing with you, trying to eat your child, and everyone probably thinking you are crazy, it is easier to understand why she ultimately snapped.
The Reconciliation & Understanding: Joseph, Chika, Chise
The reason why Chise had to go through all of this was to hold up her end of the bargain. Joseph seemingly is desperate for a way to die, or perhaps figure out some means to evolve, and he needs Chise’s dragon cursed arm for that. But, before major surgery, he decided the two needed to swap eyes. So he pops out his, takes hers, and has them switch – don’t ask how that worked for they don’t tell us.
But, while Joseph’s cursed eye forces Chise to relieve all these memories, it also produces this fragment. One which asks for something, maybe to kill Joseph or force him to remember his past – if not true form. It isn’t 100% clear what this thing wants but the next episode should answer this.
What perhaps matters the most is Chise’s conversation with her mother. Similar to how Chise has conversations with Nevin, despite being in the afterlife, it may very well be that Chise got to have a very frank conversation with her mom. One which acknowledges all the pain and what she did, but doesn’t let that erase the good times or the fact she found it in herself to let go of Chise’s neck. Because of that, she has met many wonderful people for that she thanks her. Doesn’t forgive, nor forget, but has at least reached the point where she can say, if Chika didn’t do what she did, the life Chise has come to appreciate wouldn’t exist.
Commentary
I wonder, in a way, if the fragment wants Chise to do for Joseph as she has tried to do for Elias. That is, help them find, and/or regain, some sense of humanity. For all of this, despite it being Joseph’s way of torturing Chise, also seems like a test. For back when he was battling Renfred, Elias, and Alice to a point, it was clear that Joseph would like to die or at least that was the vibe I got. So with him keeping a careful eye on Chise through Stella, and perhaps the others who have attacked or been part of her life, maybe he wants her efforts to be used for him.
After all, you have to assume that a lot of these sick experiments of his are either born out of boredom or trying to figure out a way to dispel his curse. If not drown whatever pain and sorrow he is in. Hence him treating himself like he is Mr. Potato head. To escape whatever it is in his past which haunts him, he is building an entirely new person and, as the fragment noted, he has come to a point where the people or person he was is suppressed and all that matters is the pain.
Pain which we seemingly we’ll uncover in the remaining episodes.
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- So, did Chika really not try to find out where her husband and child went? Granted, money was probably major issue, and she might not want to have upset Chise but, your husband leaving with your maybe, 1-year-old, in the middle of the night, wouldn’t you get the cops involved? Unless you feared maybe cops digging into your life and taking the kid you still had. After all, it isn’t necessarily clear what Chika’s life was like and if she has a record or anything.
Collected Quote(s) & .Gifs
I won’t forgive you. I won’t forget you yet, but I’m going to leave you and move on.
Highlights
- Getting the full story, as Chise knows it, of what led up to her mother committing suicide.
- Joseph in all forms: This crazy being who ripped out his eyeball, Chise’s as well, and swapped them. A being who has fragments which can enter other people’s memories and have private conversations, alongside someone who goes from smiling and childlike to slit you open and stuff you with animal poo to joke about how you are full of crap.
Low Points
- Still not having any real idea why her father left, where he is, or if he ever looked for Chise or asked about Chika.
On The Fence
- There are two episodes left and who knows if an OVA may follow. It seems they are going to have to pack a lot for us to get to know Joseph’s demons, have Chise reconcile with Elias, and also have that birthday party.
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Previous Episode’s Recap
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