There are times when I think anime has a tendency to try too hard to show both sides (indeed, this may not be the only time today the subject comes up).  While I give Mayonaka a pass to an extent for the reason that it’s been pretty consistent in its dualistic view of Another relations, I really wanted it to just come right out and say “Arata’s right, Kanoichi’s wrong”.  Not in words, you understand, but in its actions.  I get that there are two sides here – I just don’t need to be constantly reminded not to embrace one of them at the expense of the other.

While yesterday’s Kimetsu no Yaiba blew that whole “most unlikeable character of the season” thing out of the water in decisive fashion, Kanoichi still gets on my nerves in a big way.  There may be risks to Arata’s approach but Kanoichi’s is beyond risk – it’s the near-certainty of disaster with no real upside.  That extends to cutting his way out of his cocoon and threatening to kill Manari-sama (that’s the silkworm princess’ name).  Fortunately Senda-san has broken out the big guns from the bureaucratic arsenal – he’s wrested jurisdiction over the Olympic Stadium away from City Hall as the price of getting Arata involved, which means he can tell Kanoichi to go fuck himself.

He doesn’t literally do that of course – nor does Arata punch his lights out – but there is at least nominal satisfaction in seeing Kanoichi’s indignation at being told to stand down.  The scope of the problem Kanoichi has created here is pretty huge – these cocoons and the babies inside were to spin silk into thread for the offering to Oshira-sama at Izumo.  Without it Manari-sama can’t receive the blessings of the sun, and she and her children won’t survive the winter.  That means she’s going to curse Tokyo, and probably turn into a Tatarigami.  And if you know anything about Japanese mythology, you know Tatarigami are one thing you want absolutely no part of.

That leaves Arata as pretty much Plan A, B, C and every other letter.  That’s another key difference between he and Kanoichi – you could always find another douchebag to indiscriminately kill Anothers, but Arata is the only one who can actually talk to them.  The first order of business is to stop Manari-sama from going Old Testament on everybody right then and there, and while she recognizes Arata as Seimei that doesn’t seem likely to stay her wrath.  He manages to buy himself till dawn with a promise to find alternative means to spin the silk into thread, but then there’s the problem of actually being able to do that.

Arata’s plan is classic Arata – rely on the goodwill he’s built up to have Another like the Angels and Tengu pitch in along with employees from the all the Occult Services offices to spin the thread.  Again we’re reminded of the downside of this and yeah, we get it – owing a favor to an Another is probably not a great idea.  But what option was there, and why was he forced to do it?  Getting others in your debt is a major thread (pun intended) of this episode, starting with Senda putting Arata’s life on the line to try and fix the mess City Hall made of things.  He’ll surely call in that favor someday, just as Tarobo will, but that’s still better for the affected parties than the alternative.

Manari-sama proves herself the bigger person than Kanoichi (not surprisingly).  She’s not going to forget what was done to her children, but because “Seimei” delivered what he promised – imperfect though that delivery was – she agrees to forgive the sin.  As for Kanoichi, he gets off pretty easy if you ask me – a big hit to his expense account, though hopefully there’s going to at least be a vociferous dressing down from his boss to go along with it.