天下制覇

Poorly handled romance between tertiary characters.

Impressions:

This was a much weaker episode than last week, mainly because it was centered around two characters that we’ve been given little to no reason to actually care about, and was devoid of any decent action whatsoever. The art was also really dodgy this episode, and I’m not sure if they redesigned You over the break or what, but you can actually sort of see her curves now and it’s vaguely unsettling, honestly. Tohru was also behaving absolutely nothing like she has in any previous episode, so it felt contrived as all hell. I just can’t bring myself to care about the drama involving two characters that have had maybe 30 lines between the two of them in the last 14 episodes, one of them which wasn’t even introduced/given lines until two or three minutes from the end of the previous episode.

Some of the other stuff was interesting at least. I think it’s a pretty safe bet that Tomo’s dream was the fate of the 1st world’s Misao, I was getting ready to sleep when I wrote this, so I’m slightly crazy, although it’s still not really clear what Kurogane was using his power all alone in an empty field. Probably tearing open space/time. Ex-handlers gaining an immunity to practically everything is also somewhat interesting, but so long as they keep Tohru hitting stuff with her sword instead of some lame Touma Imagine Breaker stuff, I think it’ll be okay. I’m still not all that happy to have a trump card wandering around… two or even three actually if you count Reishirou and 1st world Tomo, but going back to episode 13, they did show that it’s not a total immunity at least.

Kurogane charges up his power as Tomoharu begs Misao to stop. She appears before him and fades away. Kurogane powers down, empty.

Tomo wakes up from his dream and decides that he needs to talk to his brother.

The gang is getting ready for tanabata. Tomo asks Shuuri about Naotaka, but she’s no help whatsoever.

The Royal Dark Society comes up in the conversation and they remember that Tohru’s part of it. Shuuri offers to talk to her for them.

Tomo rushes to school and barely makes it on time. Mahiwa tries to show up late on Vivian, but Tohru bars his entrance and starts lecturing him. Shuuri explains to the other two that because Tohru’s an ex-handler, she’s basically immune to all otherworldly attacks.

After classes, Tohru stops by the club to lecture the koala (Tokiya). It plays dead, so Nia tries to slap life back into it. Tohru scares her aside and then cuts the top of its head as it jumps back to life to try to stop her blade. 

Kurosaki sews him up and they learn that the koala is actually a remote body for the real guy who just refuses to leave his house. They try to ask him more about it and its relation to burial dolls, but he plays dead again.

Tomo asks Tohru about his brother, and she says that she’ll look into it if they can get Tokiya to come to school again. Tomo agrees, but Tohru’s a bit too happy about him agreeing to it, which confuses them.

The gang runs into Reishirou as they’re leaving. He’s taking back Hisui’s trunk back so that a new person can use Hisui. Tomo wonders if that means that somebody had Kurogane before, but Reishirou brushes him off.

The gang arrives at Tokiya’s house to find that it’s some kind of magical bomb shelter. Tohru and You show up too since she lives next door.

Misao tries to phase through the walls, but there’s a magical barrier. Tohru abruptly excuses herself and leaves. You says tells them that she’s really sad about Tokiya and explains Tohru’s past with Tokiya and Tokiya’s sister Aki. Aki was Kurogane’s previous Burial Doll and she was eventually drained, thus leading to Tohru becoming an ex-handler.

Tomo loses his temper and starts pounding on the house, begging Tokiya to come out.

Nia hangs up the koala to dry off after being washed. Nia and Shuuri wonder why Tomo hasn’t made a wish yet. Elsewhere, Misao offers to make wishes for him and tells him that she’s happy with how things are right now before floating off to go to bed. Tomo thinks to himself that he wants to change the destiny of handlers and burial dolls.

Shuuri explores an abandoned building, looking for Naotaka. She finds a strange woman instead who taunts her and then flies off on a white phoenix. 

At school, Tohru runs to Tomo in a panic. Tokiya’s missing and he’s apparently gone to Aki. Tohru collapses in You’s arms. She tells them that Tokiya may mean that he’s gone to where Aki died.

Everybody goes to that place, but they can’t find any sign of him. Tomo asks You about Aki’s last moments as a burial doll.  

They were fighting an Asura Cryin’. Tokiya was using Hisui Oh hey, there’s Reishirou hiding under Hisui’s leg… Tohru had Kurogane. After they won, Aki suddenly vanished.

Tohru gets up and starts searching again in a panic. They find Tokiya standing on a cliff. He tries to run away from them, but Tohru stops him. They both blame themselves for making the other sad before hugging and calling each other dumb for making the other worry. Tokiya breaks out some cheesy Japanese mythology while Tohru breaks down in tears.

Misao appears next to Tomo, slightly out of sorts.

Back at the clubroom, Tokiya’s filled the room with books. Tohru couldn’t find Naotaka… and Tokiya’s in his koala doll again because he’s at home watching anime in his underwear. He tells Tomo that he heard his Tanabata wish and will help him make it come true. Tohru finds the koala and administers punishment.

Preview:

Uh… beach episode?