Subculture Anime Blog

Recently, some concerns about the shift in focus in this show have been brought up. All of these concerns can easily be addressed, however, by the main premises of the series. This would of course be….boku boku boku boku boku boku boku boku….

Summary:

A young Fumika plays in the forests, talking to herself as Mika and Fumi-chan. She claims that they are one, and together. In the present time, Kirameki fires at his daughter. Confirming that Fumika is in pain, he expresses how dangerous her gun is. Kaname quickly assaults Kirameki, and Natsuka runs to Fumika’s aid. Despite Haruno’s attempts to stop him, Kaname eventually locks Kirameki inside one of his own rooms. Natsuka is amazed to see Fumika’s wounds heal before her eyes soon afterwards, just as Kanaka had suggested. Natsuka covers Fumika up while Kaname and Haruno return, but they are surprised when they hear Kanaka speak. After Kanaka explains that Fumika will not die and introduces herself, Natsuka asks for Fumika to tell them about herself. In the Shigo world, Chiaki discusses with Matoma about how different Fumika is from her. Matoma decides that this means she is still a child.

Kaname is confused as to how Fumika and the hospitalized Mikawa can both exist, but Natsuka convinces him to let Fumika explain. Fumika confirms that Kirameki is her father, and that her mother had left before she could get to know her. Haruno knows that this woman’s name was Isawa Kirei, who is currently married to someone else. When Fumika was a child, she was treated well by her father. Kirameki was kind because he loved himself, and he loved that which was created from him. However, the days came when Kirameki began using Fumika’s body for what he called art. He would write about the Shigo world on her body, unable to accept words like “beautiful”. Deciding on the word “traitor”, he caused his daughter an extreme amount of pain as he continued to write on her back.

Fumika feared these frequent events, but she could only endure it. She was confused when Kirameki screamed out that he hated her, as she tried to reply that she loved him. Fumika could not believe that her kind father would do such a thing to her, claiming that she was not herself. As Kirameki continued to yell for his daughter to disappear, Mika was born by splitting from her other self. The Mika who split from Fumi would cheer her other personality up while she was in pain, and the two became best friends. She was her only friend in the world.

The two managers from earlier meanwhile discuss Kirameki’s strange behavior and his daughter. While Fumika gets back up after becoming fully healed, she confirms to the others that no one met her because she was always in the house. The only other human she knew was her father, until she started going to school in Junior High. This was the first time she had seen so many people, and it was frightful. However, remembering people like a young Natsuka, she recalls that it was not all scary. When Fumika states that it was Fumi that attended school, Natsuka confirms that Fumika was the one called Mika. Fumika even brings up that it was Fumi who turned Kaname down, and explains that it was only because she was afraid.

Natsuka gives Kaname a hard time about this, so he tries to get aid from Haruno. Haruno is in the room further away observing the Shigofumi, however, when a rumbling noise erupts throughout the building. Fumika realizes that this was Kirameki’s doing, as he has broken himself free. While Kirameki searches for a gun, he notices that one is missing from his wall. He remembers his daughter reaching for a certain gun, when Fumika enters the room to wonder if he has remembered. Fumika states that it was her who shot him, as she locks herself inside the room before Natsuka and Kaname can follow.

As Fumika begins charging towards Kirameki, he attempts to defend himself in fear. As Kaname and Natsuka desperately try to get inside, Haruno arrives with Kanaka who suggests for them to use her. Kirameki claims that he hates Fumika despite how much he loved her, but Fumika states that Fumi had loved him until the end. She recalls the time when Kirameki suspected her of betraying him. As he attacked his daughter repeatedly, Mika feared that her other self would die. Mika took over to fire at Kirameki, but this resulted in Fumi’s shock.

As Fumi cannot even hear Mika’s voice anymore, Fumika threatens to end Kirameki’s life. The others burst in to stop her, as Kanaka warns Fumika about the consequences of killing a human being. Fumika could care less, still pointing a glass pen at her father. Haruno stops her, however, coming up with a simple solution to stop the conflict. An explanation would be made for Fumika and Kanaka, and Kirameki would continue writing. Kaname expresses his surprise towards Natsuka’s sister while walking outside afterwards, as does Kanaka towards Fumika. Kanaka refuses to let Fumika go on her own the next time, as they are partners. Fumika agrees, while remembering her promise that she would always be together with Fumi. Natsuka and Kaname wonder if they can wait as well, as they also like Fumi. A bit surprised, Fumika is only able to smile and thank everyone.

Preview: Fumika and Chiaki enjoy some hot springs action.

Impression:

Wow. I am in love. Ok, I was already in love after the first episode…but I’m still in love. This episode was simply amazing. As suspected from the last episode preview, we were basically given the full course on Fumika’s background this time. It was kind of hard to keep up with names for a bit during this episode, but Mikawa Fumika was basically split into two personalities. There was Mika, the cheerful and protective side gone courier, and the pain stricken Fumi-chan who now lays in a hospital bed. Watching Kirameki attack at his daughter was a visual treat, as we got some very dramatic displays of his writing all over her body. Of course, it was only a matter of time for this to be revealed after the hint in the first episode. It looks like Natsuka and Kaname will become a regular part of Fumika’s life as well, but this was also building up to happen. I certainly think it works, and the storytelling this show offers just continues to amaze me.

Although a lot of us already suspected the possibility of there being two Fumika’s, the introduction of this episode did come off as kind of confusing. Coming back into the present time with an instant Street Fighter like upper-cut didn’t help. I can’t tell you how much I laughed at that. I have new respect for Kaname, seriously. I know I wasn’t the only one who appreciated the wonderful imagery with Kirameki’s insanity, and I definitely got some Tekkonkinkreet vibes from that. Although this episode clearly experimented with different styles, just a few parts did seem awkward. Natsuka and Kaname’s interaction seemed a bit forced at the end for one. Although I am really loving these developments with Fumika’s character, I do wonder if they will continue to give us episodes like they had in the beginning with the few episodes they have left. It’s hard to tell from the next episode’s preview, but maybe that’s because I was only concerned with my boku goddess and Chiaki in the hotsprings. Oh, it’s so wrong…..but it’s so right! If you can’t tell from that, I can’t wait for next week. Shigofumi love forever!