| As they lie in bed at night, a smiling Rina mentions to Shiika a new source of inspiration which she has found for her artwork. Haji meets Kasuo, an SEPB operative from the Central Branch, and her two companions. Kasuo declares that her team will take over the mission of capturing Winter Firefly/Fuyohotaru. There's clearly no love lost between the two of them, as Haji is cuttingly sarcastic while Kasuo accuses him of incompetence and suggests that even Kakkou has "lost his edge". Later, Kasuo (once a citizen of Ouka City) confronts Kakkou as well. Haji assures Kakkou that Kasuo's arrival is just part of a "power game" involving Central Headquarters. Kasuo recalls a not particularly happy encounter she once had with Kakkou. Meanwhile, Rina has started work on a new painting, and Shiika is pleased to see how cheerful she has become. At the Journalism Clubroom, Asami is using her newfound ability to immerse herself within digital photos to study scenes from the incident at Kaihin Park--and she recognizes a person in one of them... |
I went into this episode nervous as to whether it would be able to maintain the superb quality of the series up 'til now. I needn't have worried; I was left excited--electrified is the word that comes to mind--at the end. How do they do it? All sorts of new characters and plot twists, yet clearly a solidly-designed long term plot is coming together as planned. One of the many cool things about Mushi-Uta is that there are all sorts of tantalizing clues narrowly missed by the characters--like Shiika not yet being allowed to see Rina's new painting, which she would recognize as a portrait of Daisuke-kun (maybe she still will). Another thing I love is the witty banter between characters--sometimes funny, sometimes intriguing, always good. And then of course there are the clues we're being fed as the plot unfolds. "I haven't forgotten my promise" Haji says to Kasuo. "When you become stronger than anyone else, I'll save you". Why does she need to be super-strong? To replace Kakkou as Haji's star agent? What does she need to be saved from? Her Mushi? Haji pays a visit to an unconscious girl in a hospital (probably his "younger sister"); "I'm broken" he says to himself. What does it mean to be "broken"? And what did he do while in the room? It's a strange and clever twist that Haji, who seemed such a two-dimensional ass---- 'til now, is in deep trouble himself. He is having his dreams "eaten" by the "one I love most"; no doubt she's a Mushitsuki who he is keeping secret in spite of his job being to round such people up. Somehow he is using videos to preserve his dreams; more details later, I hope. Later Kakkou also describes him as "broken", and Haji replies "The same goes for you". Kakkou recalls a girl (Chiharu?) who once offered to protect him from bullies; she's still alive, he says--when will she show up? I didn't expect Asami to become a major character. Kasuo's parents wound up "tragically"; didn't I say everybody seems to have an unhappy past here? But I should mention that Mushi-Uta never gets really depressing--if it had, my enthusiasm would have dried up long ago. One last thing--whoever did the character designs for Kasuo's male assistant must have been a fan of the character Okakura in Busou Renkin!
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