| Aboard a ship in Tokyo Bay, Chief Chin is told that nothing can be done to save Master Li. Later, Ryou slips aboard the ship and recognizes the dying man as Li Qian De, who he rescued 22 years earlier while working for the man's twin brother, Li Jiang Qiang. With his last breaths, De confesses that he and his brother have done something terrible, but Ryou will have to go to the brother for the details. Back at the Cat's Eye, Qiang admits it was a reference to the theft of Kaori's heart. He explains that he needed it to save Glass Heart, who he had by chance learned is in fact his own daughter! The girl had been missing since a car crash 13 years ago, and somehow was inducted into the Suzaku Unit. He only wants for her to live a more-or-less normal life, but admits that's probably impossible--"She's been steeped in that darkness far too long". He blames himself, and begs for Ryou's forgiveness and help. Ryou refuses, since he makes a point of not accepting jobs from men--but he recalls that Glass Heart was apparently seeking his help as well. "It doesn't matter how many memories of Kaori's she has in her heart" Ryou says; "it doesn't make her Kaori... as long as I know her heart isn't being used for something worthless, that's enough for me". |
| The twist of Glass Heart turning out to be the daughter of a major syndicate figure was kind of a stretch (he he!), but I thought the skillfully written dialogue, music etc, made it possible to genuinely sympathize with her father. I may need Forbin's help with this, because I am confused by just who is dying--the leader of the syndicate, or his twin brother double. In the last episode, it was implied that the dying man (Li Qian De--I think) was "Master Li's" double; In this one he's described as "Elder Li" (Does being the elder--of twins--make him the syndicate leader?). Zhou makes the comment that he can die in peace, because "I'll make the syndicate even bigger than it ever was under you!". Thus, my conclusion is that the dying man is indeed the syndicate leader, not the double. It would be easier to sympathize with Glass Heart's father (Li Jiang Qiang?) if he was only the double, not the leader of a massive criminal organization! |
