Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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A lot of information about specters are dropped but, with only Majima even having an inkling of a clue of what is happening, we’re mostly left in the dark.
| Network | ||
| Amazon Prime | ||
| Director(s) | Yoshimitsu Ohashi | |
| Writer(s) | Seita Horio | |
| Air Date | 1/21/2018 | |
| Catch Up or Follow Along [External] | ||
| Characters Introduced | ||
| Shiomi | Yuya Uchida | |
Episode Focus: Jii-San Isn’t The Only One With A Trick Up His Sleeve| Juri, Majima, Grandpa Jii-San
A hand on her neck, life seemingly escaping, and then reaching out in one last feeble attempt to stop her killer – well, it ends up not so feeble after all. You see, Juri apparently has this power, which Majima explains to us, which allows her to expel someone from stasis. The gist is, the specters, the glowing jellyfish things, they merge with a person and allow them access to the stasis world.
Now, when the specter is expelled, that person becomes one of “The Stalled.” However, it isn’t made clear how much damage is done from the specter being forced out. We see some of Juri’s assailants bleeding from the nose, so there is some internal damage. Majima even makes it sound like it could be worse than it appears. However, she remains rather cagey about facts.
Yet, what is clear is that Sagawa brought at least one to two dozen people over to the stasis and the deplorables certainly outnumber the faithful. One group, which is stealing from a convenience store and flipping skirts, including pulling down underwear, spot the freed Juri and Grandpa and pursue. Leaving us to wonder, are Juri’s newfound powers solely when her life is at stake or nah? Especially considering she is about to take a knife to the back.
Commentary
All eyes are on Majima right now. She clearly knows more than she lets on and with this idea of there being multiple stones, powers given by specters, and things of that nature, you have to wonder why did she need Sagawa to get back? That alongside if she has powers of her own she is keeping under wraps?
Subplot 1: The Master Stone and Subservient | Sagawa, Takafumi
We are presented with more information which requires further explanation in the form of being told Takafumi’s family held a master stone which the Sagawa family’s was subservient to. Now, what does this exactly mean? It is hard to understand. Yet, what is clear is that Sagawa, knowing Grandpa Jii-San and Juri have powers, is in more of a negotiation mood now than before. Especially as it becomes clear their god, The Herald, is becoming weaker for reasons unknown.
So, with them wanting to do this spell and it seeming like time is running out, there is a good cop and bad cop situation. Sagawa plays the good cop, who seemingly is willing to cut a deal, which includes money, for Takafumi to Shibata being bad cop and making Sagawa seem like the nice one. Now, whether Takafumi falls for this is up for conversation.
Subplot 2: HE LIVES! | Makoto, Tsubasa
As an experiment, to see The Herald again, Sagawa sets one of his people up to be killed. After they are killed, their specter finds Makoto and revives him. Now, why, out of all of the people stalled they choose this child? I don’t know. However, when Makoto wakes up, you know he is asking about the kidnapping and Tsubasa is trying to lie.
However, Makoto isn’t stupid and despite the rather traumatic thing which just happened, he is having a ball in the stasis. The kind which is a bit much for Tsubasa since he has been so committed to being a NEET, that keeping up with a kid is too much on his body. But, cramp aside, if they are preparing to return home, they both better be ready to run.
Commentary
Do you think maybe, with some families, specters are just more attracted to them than others? If not, with Jii-San using his blood for them to enter stasis, they can just sniff out that person’s lineage with ease? If not, as I think grandpa said in the first episode, the specters themselves are ancestors?
On top of that, what is going on with The Herald? Could it be that appearing takes a lot out of it or just everyone being there for so long is messing it up? Also, why when Sagawa tasted the dust left from its disappearance, it tasted like sand?
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Could it be the people who control the two stones are related? The stone itself seems like it broke in half and it could be the head of the Sagawa and one of Jii-san’s ancestors once worked together until a tiff broke them apart. Thus creating the situation we have now.
Highlights
Diving Deeper Into Stasis Mystery
The complication of specters, another power they bestow being revealed, the Herald getting smaller and smaller, and the specters traveling from one person to the next. What started as a kidnapping to increase one family’s power is becoming more complex than I thought it would. Especially as Majima presents herself as a representative of a third family who had access to the stasis – maybe even their own set of powers.
But on top of that, we have this master and subservient stone thing. Which makes you wonder, considering how many people Sagawa brought over with his stone, what could the master stone be capable of? Is that the reason Jii-San and Juri have powers and we have yet to see Sagawa’s people do something like that? I can’t wait to find out.
Low Points
The Name Game
Outside of Sagawa and Majima, is it wrong to say I can’t tell any of Sagawa’s people apart? I don’t know if it is because they look similar, don’t have much personality, or aren’t given any noteworthy background, but even with this new cat Shiomi, if they add another person in a suit, besides Sagawa, I’d need them to say his name to know it was him particularly. Hopefully I’m not the only one confused here.
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This show is curious. If it manages to answer all our questions it could be quite good but it could also really fall flat if the answers aren’t that interesting.