About the only thing I don’t love about this show is how many damn screencaps it makes me take every week…

I love Miira no Kaikata, but then – how hard and broken does someone have to be to not love it?  This is a show of such warmth and good humor that it does as good a job of fulfilling the “healing” role as any anime I can remember.  But that said, this episode was an another level – even after seven really good ones, this ep stands out as a masterpiece of its breed.  Where this sort of anime is concerned, it’s hard to do it any better (almost impossible even to do it as well) than Miira no Kaikata did this week.

I don’t want to dismiss the importance of cute in the success of this series, because it’s undeniably an important element.  And Miira no Kaikata is astoundingly, unbelievably good at kawaii – even the human kids are adorable in an entirely appealing way.  That’s not even to mention the mythical creatures, who take center stage this week and really life that kawaii factor to new heights.  But it’s not all about the cuteness – the way the anime uses sound effects to foster non-verbal communication is freakishly effective.  I’m sure this is a very good manga, but it’s hard for me to imagine Miira without hearing Mii-kun and the others “speak”.  And that’s emblematic of the general superb job 8bit and director Kaori are doing with this adaptation.

The premise this week is a sort of magical day care, prompted (as is often the case) by Conny acting out – in this case going off to visit Isao on his own after Asa-chan heads for school.  She overhears two shady-looking guys talking about shady-sounding stuff where youkai are concerned, and takes concern herself – which in turn prompts Sora-kun to propose a solution.  He has someone who can watch over the “kids” during the day – and while I had no idea who he was referring to at first, it makes a lot of sense.

That turns out to be the Kami at the local Shrine – assisted (to the extent an unmovable being can assist) by Jizou (it figures he’d be sympathetic, as he’s the deity of travelers and children).  For Sora speaking to a Jizou statue and a God is as normal as taking tea (which he does, with the Goddess) and she seems all too happy to watch over the magical munchkins while their elder siblings are at school.  And while Mii-kun especially is a bit crestfallen at being parted from Sora (and vice-versa) the blow is softened considerably at the idea that he can play with his friends all day.

Everything about this setup – about this entire episode – is pitch-perfect, and absolutely wonderful.  The antics of the mythical quartet, their interaction with the Kami, and what happens when Mii-kun accidentally gets locked out of the Shrine (after chasing a ladybug).  Another oni child shows up, and assuming Mii-kun is alone and lost (or perhaps just because he’s lonely himself) leads Mii on a stroll through the rainy forest to his home inside a dead tree.  This forest is a stunner, a gorgeously realized canvas of beautiful beasts from the Shinto pantheon – you can almost feel the magic in the air watching it on-screen.  And indeed, there’s something unique and mystical about forests in Japan – walking through them, especially in a light rain, it’s so easy to imagine that this magical world is almost within touching distance, hiding at the edge of your field of vision.

The little oni is such a good host – he provides a leaf umbrella, he encourages Mii-kun to take a bath and warm up, even tries to feed him a toadstool when Mii starts sniffling. But he’s also scared of lightning  and thunder and clearly, happy to have the company.  Seeing what it means to Mii-kun to return home of course the oni leads him back to the Shrine, but he stays in Mii-kun’s thoughts – so much so that Mii draws him a thank-you card and lies awake at night, thinking about the little oni.  But surrounded by a forest and inhabitants of such magical beauty, it’s hard to worry too much for the oni – he lives in a world far more enchanting than the real one.  That, I suppose, is the real magic of Miira no Kaikata in a nutshell.