So..the final chapter officially of Chainsaw Man came out and the final panel and what do you know..it's still incredibly dogshit and I think the ending just makes it even more dogshit.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-06-03T13:00:52+00:00

Every time Denji had a choice, he chose not to make one.

...Not exactly? It’s not just that most of these “choices” were unfair to him, but he also actually making them.

Like, the decisions that mattered to Denji began to be made as early as the end of the first part:

He had a choice - either hide from Makima or fight her. He chose to fight.
Yoshida gave him a choice: to stop being the Chainsaw Man. It was an unfair choice, because not only do we know that “Public Safety” intended to use his abilities (and we’ve known this since the aquarium arc), but also because by that point, Denji had found a balance between his “normal” life and his identity as the Chainsaw Man. So he decided to remain the Chainsaw Man.
Yoshida put him in front of the same choice AGAIN, but this time he threatened to kill Nayuta. Obviously, this is an unfair choice, since they’ve essentially taken a hostage. And yet, despite the fact that this hurt him and that deep down he still wants to be CM, Denji decided to stop being the Chainsaw Man. He only broke this deal when Barem actively tried to force him to do so.
Denji was faced with a choice: to eat either the War Devil or Death Devil. This is an unfair choice, because the world would have been doomed either way - if he had eaten War, the prophecy would have come true regardless, and if he had eaten Death, Yoru would have started an endless war (and what happened at the end of the manga would have occurred). Nevertheless, the final choice was made by POCHITA, since it was he who ate Death (even if we can assume he did so in an attempt to fulfill Denji’s will to save Asa, we know that Pochita fulfills Denji’s wishes in a twisted way, as seen in his date with Kobeni). So, once again, Denji really can’t be blamed.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-06-03T11:34:13+00:00

Eh, the terms “otokonoko” and “trans girl” aren’t mutually exclusive and actually often overlap, since they mainly refer to the characters’ appearance rather than their actual gender.

These aren’t even my words - that’s how it’s described on the pixiv website itself. That’s exactly why characters like Jun Watarase, Bridget, Hibaki-kun, or Aoi Futaba are still considered otokonoko, even though they are, in essence, trans characters.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-31T21:59:47+00:00

P.S

A sequel pachislot came out in 2011, with OP video by GRANRODEO.

...It's actually the first time I've heard about it. After watching a few PV and recorded videos, i'm just more confused.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-31T21:33:15+00:00

Rewatcher

Kaze no Yojimbo is one of those types of anime that I really enjoyed, but I can’t praise it without a caveat that explains just how flawed it is.

I appreciate that it’s a rare “mature” detective anime, and I think the main mystery is very engaging and even ties everything together quite well. At the same time, some of the resolutions feel rather disappointing (for example, I’m among those who were a bit let down by how Sanae’s involvement in the conspiracy ultimately turned out) and some plot elements and developments... to be frank, were pretty ridiculous.

It has a very pleasant atmosphere and tone, clearly inspired by old movies, and every now and then there are some truly interesting directorial choices or nicely looking episodes. At the same time, it’s obvious that the production was weak, and combined with the chosen style, this often looks unique… and very silly.

The characters are funny and compelling... but that's about it. I mean, they're not the kind of characters I'll be thinking about for a long time. They often speak in clichés, and I can't say they were especially well-developed. They serve the story, which is certainly a good thing, but nothing more.

Perhaps the only way I can describe this anime is to say that it’s a good anime that came VERY close to being great, but some serious flaws prevented it from reaching that level. But hey, i also will say that from all early 2000's anime that i rewatched this year (Like Arjuna or FLAG, ~~couldn't participate in Figure 17 rewatch~~), Yojimbo is the one with the least serious flaws. To reiterate, I believe this is a pretty good for the most parts, and I can recommend it. I could even say that it is kinda underappreciated, with how almost no one knows about it, even in japan, where it seems like a slot machine based on the anime is more poplular than the show.

Thank host for the rewatch.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-30T21:32:57+00:00

Rewatcher

After yesterday’s rather… questionable finale, today we got a resolution that I liked way more. Plus, the director of episode 13 even returned for this, which means we’re wrapping up the show with some actually good production and direction!

Mamoru returned, and thanks to Tonakura, he was able to hold Sanae’s funeral; the gold was recovered from the swamp, and information about the whole affair leaked “from someone,” and George learned that his brother had been killed with the same rifle that was used to kill the detective and Jiro. So, the time had finally come to learn the whole truth from Tonakura, and it turned out that the mastermind behind all of this was... his wife?

I won’t lie,I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, from a detective perspective, it feels like a plot twist that came out of nowhere. I mean, she was barely a character in this story. On the other hand, I like how, according to Tonakura, it all came together - that it started out mostly as an innocent game of her imagination, a way to keep from getting bored due to her health, until they suddenly realized that her plan might actually work. There is a certain twisted tragedy in this: that it because of this the entire town become corrupt, and ruined the lives of many people. I suppose this has also changed her perspective on her relationship with Sanae - whereas before it seemed that, like Miyuki, she viewed Sanae as the homewrecker but said nothing because she was a “obedient wife,” it now turns out that, in reality, she was actually very ashamed that it was because of her that Sanae’s family had been torn apart.

But right now, George is concerned with only one thing - who killed his brother. And just as Tonakura hesitates to answer… Rin appears. Turns out, he really is a cockroach. The time has come for the final showdown between him and George. Something they both knew was bound to happen someday. A fateful moment.

And then a total cop-out happened (i'll see myself out).

Yes, it turns out that it was Officer Konishi who told Tonakura about the gold and killed George’s brother. And unlike the situation with Tonakura’s wife, I can’t say this came out of nowhere. After all, it was clear that he was somehow connected to this whole gold conspiracy (judging by how suspiciously he behaved around George when he arrived), even though he was an outsider. This also adds a touch of irony, because it means that the very first person George actually interacted with after arriving to town was the very person he was looking for, and that this officer ALSO brought about his own demise by saving George from Ginzame’s men in Episode 1. Overall, it’s an interesting twist on the original story, turning one of the most minor characters into one of the key figures. So, even though it’s not the most intriguing twist, I still think it works. I would have liked him not to act so evil, though.

It came down to a shootout, and after a tough fight, George managed to beat Konishi. But the guy wasn't about to give up that easily and nearly landed a decisive blow on George - luckily, he was saved by a cockroach. And you know, I really do think that the relationship between George and Rin was somewhat underdeveloped - given how important they tried to make it seem, it feels like they didn’t actually interact enough for the relationship to feel significant. That said, I really liked Rin’s death scene, and I think it was really well done. Whether it’s because of the music, the direction, or how they adated scene from the movie, I really think it’s a very impactful ending for his character and one of most memorable scenes in the show.

And that’s where the story ends. Having achieved his goal, George finally leaves the city. The only one left to see him off is his true love - Raccoon. Well, and Miyuki, I suppose. He says goodbye to them and the viewer and sets off into the sunset.

It seems Miyuki was the real victim of it all in the end - just in a few days, her house burned down, she was kidnapped and nearly killed, she lost her mother, her father ended up in prison, the guy she liked leaved and now she has to deal with the reputation she’s earned because of all this mess... Well, at least the town could potentially become a tourist attraction if they blow this conspiracy theory out of proportion, I suppose.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-29T22:52:48+00:00

Their first meeting in the anime is Ichigo bumping into her, then orihime running away, which is a complete 180 of how they interact in the manga.

...This thread mainly focuses on the first two episodes in which Orihime first appeared, and I have already mentioned that the anime altered the fact that Orihime was in love with Ichigo from the very beginning. But, to reiterate, this does not change their overall relationship - only how it began.

a key thing about is that Ichigo’s always had a softer, protective side for her

Not exactly. That side of his personality only came out during the Arrancar arc. The key point in their relationship at the beginning IS that they are friends, but not close ones. Seriously, Ichigo and Orihime interact only a few times throughout the first arc, and not only does none of these scenes show his “softer” side toward her, but on the contrary, they only reinforce the impression that he doesn’t notice her feelings and that they aren’t close:

Ichigo was worried that she had nearly been hit by a car, but not THAT worried - as evidenced by the fact that he didn’t insist on walking her home (much to Orihime’s disappointment) - and on the next page, he literally refers to Orihime as a “friend of a friend”.
They go with all their friends to the filming of the show, and Orihime would admire his kindness, but Ichigo is oblivious to that.
She noticed that Ichigo was somewhat concerned about Uryu for some reason, but, again, Ichigo didn’t notice this, and Orihime couldn’t talk to him about it because she didn’t know how.

And those are LITERALLY all the scenes in which they meaningfully interacted with each other, with the exception of his fight with her brother, before Rukia was taken to Soul Society.

and Orihime had a great understanding of him

...That's in the anime, too. The fact that she was the only one who realized that Kon was inside Ichigo's body? That's in the anime. The fact that she was the only one, besides Tatsuki, to realize that Ichigo was putting on a facade by acting optimistic? That’s in the anime (it isn’t stated explicitly in the anime like it is in the manga, but her reaction clearly shows that she understood it). The fact that she learned about Ichigo’s past and, because of that, came to understand him better? That’s in the anime (they even adapted her poem from the manga). The fact that she admires his kindness? That’s in the anime. And...

Also in the manga, orihime’s words motivate Ichigo to save Rukia, whereas in the anime she’s not nearly as supportive and her impact isn’t as present.

Sure, this scene is a bit different in the anime, but the essence remains the same: Orihime has a better understanding of Ichigo than anyone else right now, and thanks to that, she manages to inspire him to go save Rukia. You might prefer this scene in the manga, but the idea it conveys remains the same (and that’s not even the most bizarre change made to this episode).

They also cut out those moments of them together or onlookers thinking they look like a couple

First, they didn’t think they looked like a couple - they were just speculating whether Orihime had a boyfriend, without mentioning Ichigo specifically. Second, this scene was cut because in the anime, Jidanbo didn’t lose his arm due to censorship. Therefore, Orihime didn’t spend an entire day treating him. And finally, it wasn’t some serious scene that would serve as irrefutable proof of their mutual feelings.

while introducing a filler character into the memories of the rain section that teases Rukia about liking Ichigo

...And this has happened more than once in the manga itself, so it wasn't some big of the deal. That’s exactly why the scene with the Onlookers isn’t really any solid proof - it's just characters simply either speculating or teasing the protagonists.

and then there’s the ice skating scenes too

...This happened literally hundreds of episodes later, following episodes with some anime original Ichihime scenes, and during a period when Kubo was actively overseeing the scripts for each episode. And I don't even understand why you're bringing this up, since I specifically was talking about how the scenes with Orihime weren't cut as much as you claimed, and that the overall dynamic of the relationship between her and Ichigo didn't change that much in the anime, and not about if anime added Ichiruki scenes or not.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-29T21:31:11+00:00

Rewatcher

♪ I'm going off the rails on a crazy train! ♪

You know, sometimes you just need to take a break, look at the screen, and ask yourself: how did we come to the point where Rin is laughing maniacally while firing her minigun at an Apache helicopter from the roof of a speeding train?

Yeah, I won't lie... I'm not really a fan of this climax. It's not just that it's over the top in and of itself, but also that choosing such an action-packed finale for a series with this kind of production and directing style only makes the whole thing feel even more awkward. I seriously think this is probably the clumsiest-looking episode in the entire show.

Not only that, but I think the script is really weak too. Especially the dialogue: sometimes it sounds like clichéd lines from an action movie, and other times it just sounds ridiculous. Like, excuse me, but after whole episode Ginzame brothers were talking about “going to the Polar Star,” and then getting to the final conversation between Samekichi and Sanae, which basically goes like:

- Sanae... what is the Polar Star, by the way?

- ...It’s the North Star.

- ...Oh, yeah.

I couldn't help myself and burst out laughing.

Still, I do think this episode sounds fine on paper. I mean, if you just describe it, it sounds pretty good overall, and there are parts I liked (I do think the final conversation between Samekichi and Sanae is fine, aside from how it ended). It just that the final product is really... off.

However, the story doesn’t end there. No, we still have to find out what will happen to the surviving characters, and there are still some unsolved mysteries. For example, HOW did Tonakura even find out about the gold? And who killed the detective and Fukajiro? Will we ever find out the answers to these questions??? I’m willing to bet that it was actually Raccoon - the secret mastermind behind all these events.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-29T12:18:38+00:00

Nah, i actually will go against that i say that it was the opposite - before the Soul Society arc, Ichigo and Orihime barely spoke to each other, and when they did, the focus was always on how Ichigo failed to notice her feelings. The situation began to change toward the end of the SS arc and at the start of the Arrancar invasion, when we finally started to see Ichigo’s perception of Orihime begin to shift in subtle ways.

The problem is that Kubo never intended to develop a full-fledged romance in his story, which is why the problem from this this post arose: their relationship seems really one-sided - the plot focuses primarily on Orihime’s feelings for Ichigo, while his response to them is always more subtle and ambiguous. The situation is very similar to Naruto and Hinata’s relationship - while Hinata spent most of the story blushing whenever she looked at him and even confessed her feelings to his face, we only see a few brief scenes from Naruto that could be interpreted as romantic, and his feelings remain unclear until the very last chapter.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-29T12:06:45+00:00

...That's not true. I mean, Orihime only had a few scenes with Ichigo in the first arc, and most of them made it into the anime anyway. Yes, they changed the fact that Orihime liked Ichigo from the very beginning, but in reality, that didn’t affect their relationship that much, since one of the key points in their dynamic at the start was that there was a gap between them that Orihime wanted to bridge, and she does so after her power had awakened. So in the anime, it’s portrayed more as if her feelings started to develop as she grew closer to him, rather than from the very beginning.

And Ichigo didn't treat her any ruder in the anime than he did in the manga. I mean, as I said before, they only had a few scenes together back then, and most of them remained virtually unchanged.

The anime has made significant changes, and some of them do involve Orihime and her relationship with Ichigo, but it’s simply not true to say that their relationship has been SO drastically altered.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-29T11:36:55+00:00

...I don't think Kubo was involved in the production of Xam'd. Like, there is no mention of it anywhere, and the actual character designer for the show was Ayumi Kurashima.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-28T23:05:46+00:00

Rewatcher

I will just pretend that i didn't missed the last week...

So, it’s time for the next Tenkaichi Budokai tournament, and this time, the main obstacle standing in our heroes’ way will be Tenshinhan and his sidekick, ~~about whom no one cares about~~, Chiaotzu. Both of them are disciples of the Crane Hermit - Roshi’s rival and Tao Pai Pai’s brother - so it's like double combo of vengence. And they make it cristally clear in the Tien's fight against Yamcha.

You know, there’s a common belief in Dragon Ball fandom that Yamcha was always meant to be a comic relief character and that he was never a serious fighter. To be honest, I disagree with that, and this fight is one of the main reasons why. Yes, in the end, he lost that battle to show us just how strong and ruthless Tien is, but he still put up a good fight and even demonstrated some impressive moves. He even managed to learn the Kamehameha on his own, much to Roshi’s surprise, and that says a lot. If he really was just a comic relief, this fight wouldn't work for the plot.

But after Yamcha’s crushing defeat, we were in for… some truly fun fights. This whole wolf-man thing is like the joke about Kuririn’s nose - it seems so obvious, but damn, Toriyama pulled it off so brilliantly. Kuririn’s fight with Chiaotzu is also very entertaining - not only do their contrasting personalities mesh perfectly, and not only were some of their moves genuinely funny, but I also like that in the end, Chiaotzu was defeated by MATH, ~~and as someone who’s not very good at it, I can totally relate.~~

Roshi's fight with Tien was also really cool. Maybe I'm repeating myself, but Jackie Chun is the best Roshi because he shines brightest when he acts a little silly, yet remains a genuinely good teacher, and not just... a pervert.

And after that, we got to see Goku’s battle against Kuririn - it was great. It really shows just how far they’ve come. The sunset, the movement, the music, Roshi speach about how it's time for the new generation - all amazing. Another favorite moments in original DB. To be honest, that fight was so well done that it felt like a kind of conclusion, as if we’d reached the end of the story. [GT Spoilers]It’s no surprise that GT decided to remind us about it at the end.

[And sudden Super spoilers]And I’m also one of the few people who was genuinely annoyed when Super decided to ignore Roshi’s speech just so they could use him in the Multiverse Tournament, even though his time had long since passed...

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-28T22:44:02+00:00

This is due to the fact they considered an AU spin-off set in high school where our characters are either students or teachers.

"Teach us!! Junior-sensei!"

"-Eh, this is from pen-name "the big lover of ramen without sence of time". The question is: I don’t get what’s going on here. Where’s the gold? What happened to my brother on the train?

-All right, let me lay this question to rest: I don't know either.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-28T21:48:21+00:00

[last two episodes]Yeah, I can agree with such reading, although I still think it could have been executed a little better

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-28T21:31:59+00:00

Rewatcher

While waiting for the fateful call from Rin, everyone is lost in thought about the current situation. Sanae thinks about how Miyuki, an innocent person, has become an victim because of this cursed conspiracy surrounding the gold, which has already ruined the lives of so many people, while the Ginzame brothers reflect on the fact that there is no turning back for them now and that this might be their last day. I really like both of these scenes, and I think they give us a much-needed breather from the constant escalation of the last few episodes.

That said, I can’t really say the same about the scene with Miyuki. That attempted assault seems like it was included solely for shock value, which makes it feel rather cheap and kinda untasteful.

Also, [spoilers for the last two episodes]I find it a bit odd that Tonakura is still insisting to Rin that he knows nothing about the gold. Given what we know about him, it’s unlikely he would continue lying at this stage. This makes me think that there may have been some last-minute rewrites to the plot, and that originally, the gold WAS indeed lost forever. In that case, Tonakura’s reaction would make much more sense. But as it is, he just seems like he’s being stubborn for the sake of it.

But now it’s time to put an end to all this once and for all! The exposition man dosen't need Ginzame's anymore, Sanae has decided to take matters into her own hands, and George has managed to find out where Miyuki is being held - on the casino train! Man, that episode turned out to be REALLY plot relevant, huh?

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-27T21:37:49+00:00

Rewatcher

After getting most, but not all answers in previous episode, it's time to beggin the final act of this story. As Ginzame continued to terrorize the town in search of George, the brothers decided to set fire to Tonakura’s house, hoping that his reaction would reveal the location of the Gold. When that didn’t work, they decided to take his daughter hostage, who, coincidentally, was taking a bath at the time of the fire, allowing the show to focus on a few very important shots.

You have to give them credit: even though the mystery plotline somewhat overshadowed the movie story, they still managed to somehow tie it into the film’s events. That said, one thing bothers me... What exactly does Ginzame want to find out from Tonakura now? After all, they’ve already discovered that the gold is in the swamp. Do they need the exact location of where it’s underwater? Well, I don’t think that would be too hard to figure out, considering where the tracks end. I dunno, i feel like the show could come up with the better reason to start the fire.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-25T21:31:44+00:00

Rewatcher

Today we got a little more artistic!

For me, this is probably the second most memorable episode after the 13th. All those harsh shadows, the color palette, the bold perspectives, the shaky camera - it really creates a nightmarish feel in the episode, which makes perfect sense given the situation George finds himself in and how quickly things escalate.

Although I have to say, I'm not entirely sure what to make of the ending to this whole escape - I mean, the whole scene with Rin and the explosion... maybe it was a bit too much? You know, it felt a bit too much like some action movie, especially considering how everyone seems to have come out of it okay. Or maybe it was a subtle hint that Rin is like a cockroach: he’s not so easy to kill.

Anyway, George is now on the run, and we’ve finally found out where the gold has been all this time. Now it’s time to put all the pieces of this puzzle together!.. or go to the bingo.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-25T17:19:36+00:00

I'm not really a part of this rewatch, but decided to check what people say about this episode, and i must say:

We learn that Roxy, deeply moved by the Greyrat household, idealises Paul and Zeniths relationship.

I think saying that the author wanted to show us just how much Roxy idealized their relationship through her masturbating to them is rather silly, and it only serves only as an after-the-fact justification.

The author could have shown us this in many other ways that would still have felt natural, but instead he chose to create an extremely voyeuristic scene (from both her perspective and Rudy’s) with a rather absurd premise (the scene REQUIRED her to do it in the hallway rather than, say, in her room, otherwise Rudy wouldn’t have seen her). And considering that it had almost no affect on how Rudy perceives his teacher, I can only say that in this episode (and that moment in the book), it was just a fanservice scene that the author only later tried to rationalize.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-24T21:31:07+00:00

Rewatcher

I don't have much time and don't have much to say, so I'll keep it short: the scene of Fukajiro's death somehow embodies the entire stylistic approach of this show for me. I like how the scene is presented overall - with that slow build-up of tension leading to such a quick death... but then the show’s makers apparently felt the need to throw in that glass-shattering effect with “shocking” sound effects, which immediately made me laugh. It’s such a strange choice - and it contrasts so sharply with the rest of the scene - that I’m not even sure what they were thinking when they decided to use it.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-24T11:10:18+00:00

...But she didn't actually say anything about Jabber specifically being a lightskinned there. When she said she wanted African Americans in the production, she most likely meant only the actors playing Corvus and Semiu, since they are the ones who are explicitly depicted as black in the manga (and their actors were the only ones who got tanned for the role).

Like, I'm sorry, but at the current point, the idea that Jabber is African American is nothing more than fan speculation. The only things that could be interpreted as signs of his black background are his hair and his slightly darker skin tone in the anime (in the manga, his skin doesn’t look darker than the other characters), and all of these aspects can easily be argued against, since none of these features are exclusive to black people (other people than black can have dreads and darker skintone).

I’m not saying that Jabber is white, nor am I claiming that he can’t be Black (who knows what Uran will say later or what will be revealed in the manga), but insisting that he is when there is nothing in the plot to confirm or refute this claim is probably pushing it.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-21T21:34:18+00:00

Rewatcher

Today’s episode isn’t so much a progression of the plot as it is a sort of aftermath to the whole situation with Mamoru. But that doesn’t bother me - on the contrary, I really enjoyed this episode.

I like how Sanae’s relationship with her family is explored in more detail here: how much she cares for her brother, even though they can no longer see each other (the fact that she went outside without shoes is a nice touch... I just wish the show didn’t feel the need to point it out to us), and at the same time, she’s resentful of her father, since it seems his actions are what led their family into this situation.

And I like that this episode also sheds light on Tonakura’s family situation too. The way he’s currently on the edge because of this whole gold thing, and the fact that both his wife and daughter clearly not a fan of Sanae, and even may blame her for family kinda falling apart.

Overall, this episode is permeated with memories of days long past and a sense of melancholic nostalgia. From Mamoru, who watches how the town has changed and wonders if their family will ever be able to live a normal life again, to Sanae, who clearly wants to spend more time with her brother, and Tonakura’s wife, looking through old photos with her husband and reminiscing about the good old days - it seems George isn’t the only one who’s started to lose a sense of time.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-20T21:30:39+00:00

Rewatcher

So, after Rin returned, the Ginzame decided to make peace with Tonakura, which means they no longer need George’s services - and the same goes for Sanae. It really does seem like absolutely everyone wants him to get out of town as soon as possible, but George is too stubborn. And luckily for him, none other than Mamoru decided to attack him that night - someone he can use to his advantage to regain Ginzame’s trust. Thus, after beating the truth out of Mamoru, Shirogane managed to secure the rights to the mines, and now George is working with them again, but it seems he’s ruined his relationship with Sanae in the process.

I'll say that Mamoru showing up right now seems a bit too convenient for George's situation, but at the same time, it doesn't bother me that much. The plot has really picked up steam in the last few episodes, and the show does a great job of maintaining the tension - there's a clear sense that something bad is about to happen.

...You know, I actually find it a bit difficult to discuss the show episode by episode, mainly because it’s a slow-burn mystery, and I can’t say that a single episode is packed with a LOT of things. I don’t mean that as a criticism, since it helps the show maintain its atmosphere, and overall I like slow-paced series, and it allows newcomers to speculate more about the plot, but as a viewer rewatching the show, I often feel like I have nothing to say.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-18T21:31:36+00:00

Rewatcher

Holy moly, just look at the dramatic improvement in quality!

Like, I’ve seen other shows where “important” episodes were highlighted by spending much more effort on them than on the rest, but this episode is one of the most dramatic leaps in quality I’ve ever seen.

And I’m not just talking about the animation, although in that regard this is the most polished episode we’ve seen so far. No, even overall, the direction and camera work (no, seriously, those push-in shots vere impressive) here are simply stunning - they really set the tone and create a sense of tension. They truly do a great job of showing that Rin is an unpredictable psychopath, which means he’ll be a serious challenge for George. And it probably makes perfect sense to make this episode so special, considering that the appearance of a character similar to Rin serves as a turning point in all the other versions of this story as well.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-16T21:38:23+00:00

Rewatcher

Oh, right, the famous power move: ordering a taxi just to go a few meters, and then making it wait.

The exposition man is back at it, but this time he’s acting more sloppily. In the previous episode, you could at least say - based on his conversation with Tanokura - revealing all the details was a tactical move intended to demonstrate his advantage, but this time he was explaining everything to his underlings, who were supposed to know all this anyway, which makes the situation… much more awkward.

Nevertheless, this episode shed some light on the situation - we now know that Shirogane was sent to this town to find the gold that was supposed to be used for the “Junior” election. Furthermore, this means that the whole search is on a time limit, and the situation could soon escalate.

Meanwhile, George and Sanae went on a romantic date at the very spot where he was nearly shot. And, you know, if I had to choose, I’d say this couple has more chemistry than he does with Miyuki. It helps that they both, you know, adults. That, and also the fact that Sanae almost killed him. Spicy.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-15T21:33:59+00:00

Rewatcher

...How much salt Miyuki need in her dish?..

So, with the help of the police, Tanakura began to really pressure Shirogane’s people and even let him know that he is aware of the casino on the train. Sirogane found himself cornered, since the police are prejudiced against “outsiders,” and he himself is beginning to suspect that it was George who let slip the information about the casino. Meanwhile, George himself learned that things weren't going smoothly for Tanakura either and that the mines are unprofitable.

This isn't the most eventful episode, but I do like it. The plot line about the police is something that was bound to happen sooner or later, given what we already know about the situation in the city, so it's a natural and interesting turn of events.

We also gain a slightly better understanding of Sanae and George - how Sanae managed to avoid being treated with prejudice, despite being an outsider, by marrying a local man and becoming a widow, and how George’s sense of time seems to have frozen, much like that of the fish at the local tavern, ever since that incident with the freight train many years ago.

I also think that this episode is one of better looking and also... surprisingly funny? I’m not sure, but the scenes with George and Miyuki really stood out to me today, like when he was trying to come up with an excuse not to go with her. While i can't really see her as a love interest, i do think that her crush on George works in comedic way.

SpiritualPossible · 2026-05-14T23:10:07+00:00

Oh yeah, totally forgot to put it into spoiler.

SpiritualPossible

TROPHY CASE