I definitely didn’t see that coming.
Plot twists can be a mixed bag. If they feel manufactured that can damage your suspension of disbelief a lot. But while the Bureau of Traditional Music being traitors caught me off guard, I can say it doesn’t seem realistic. In fact maybe I should have suspected, though for the most part I thought their act was pretty convincing. It certainly changes the dynamic in various ways, though perhaps most interestingly in that it forces Kadamori-san to commit his cards one way or the other.
The Bureau colluding with the paper umbrellas explains a lot, most obviously the rash of strange tsukumogami calls that keep most of the Kadamori saenome occupied for the day. Things seem idyllic enough – Botan is winning friends and influencing people, and Hyouma is a little jealous (how cute is that?). We meet “Sakkun“, the saenome mascot character (“sai” is Japanese for rhino) Taiju thought up that’s obviously based on himself. But we already knew that the Nagatsuki trousseau had been ambushed on the highway, and eventually Taiju puts the pieces together and figures out what’s happening.
So is the Yachimata clan in on this conspiracy too? It seems likely based on how that situation played out. Confronted with this new reality, Taiju has to make a choice – his non-committal attitude towards Botan can no longer hold. And as I always suspected he would, when the chips are down Taiju reveals himself to be an honorable man. He’s a pragmatist to be sure, but he does ultimately have the goal of protecting the people of Kyoto – and Botan is, he cannot deny, one of them. It’s interesting to see this framed as a confirmation of her humanity by Kadamori-san, but that’s undeniably the key to his decision.
So if the Bureau and the kamikasa want Botan-chan, they’re going to have to go through Kadamori and everyone at his command – and Hyouma besides. The odds certainly don’t look great, but there are a couple wild cards out there. Tsubaki is conspicuously absent for this entire episode, and Kushige is on the mend – if he gets back into the fray he can tilt the balance back all on his own. At the very least, I’m looking forward to Taiju go at full power – something as of yet unseen in Mononogatari, and I suspect a pretty formidable prospect.
SeijiSensei
August 16, 2023 at 2:22 amI’ve been rewatching Hikaru no Go. Sai means rhino, huh? Makes sense given Sai’s headwear.
The Bureau has always felt a bit ominous, but like you I thought their warming relationship with Botan and Hyouma was real.
I would think every malevolent tsukomogami gang is trying to capture Botan all the time, for the reason Taiju said, she could pose a serious threat if she falls into the wrong hands.
That said I also think Taiju’s observation, that she seems mostly human, played a part in his decision. I wouldn’t say that about Hyouma.
Guardian Enzo
August 16, 2023 at 2:43 pmHyouma’s decision is rooted in the fact that he’s in love with her, and I don’t think you need to dig much deeper than that.
SeijiSensei
August 17, 2023 at 4:24 amNo, I meant I wouldn’t call Hyouma “human.”
Guardian Enzo
August 17, 2023 at 9:03 amReally? A jest, or are you suggesting something else?
Bnk
August 17, 2023 at 4:31 pmLol, nope. Hyouma is human.
Nicc
August 16, 2023 at 4:19 amThe Bureau of Traditional Music being traitors? Say it ain’t so! That was my reaction too and considering that they did seem to have a genuine affection for Botan. But, being performers, maybe they were just acting. That’s not the only big reveal from this episode. The Nagatsukis’ aren’t just ambushed by one, but three umbrella tsukumogami. Including Karasaka, whom the Bureau also unsealed, it means there’s four of them. If going by the clues in the OP, that’s probably the final number.
And, this is when Botan is having a good day too. In just one day, she managed to win over pretty much everybody at the Kadamori compound and, yep, even Hyouma seemed a little jealous. It kind of suggests that Hyouma may not have done that well in the friendship front back in his school days due to the permanent scowl he wears and his general attitude too. It seems that Taiju has been trying to push some merchandise too, but with no success. This opportunistic side of Taiju is fun to watch, like the modeling shoots or trying to sell stuff. We also meet a female Saenome besides Tsubaki and it appears that the profession is heavily skewed towards males.
While all this is going on, the Kyoto Saenome are having a busy day with lots of stray tsukumogami to deal with. They eventually catch on that there’s something unnatural about this. That’s when Taiju puts two-and-two together and try to recall everybody, but it’s a little too late; the betrayal has started. Taiju finds himself face-to-face with Tsuzumi, the gathered Saenome faces Fukie, while Botan and Hyouma find themselves between Karasaka and Tsumabiki.
You’re also right that it forces Taiju and the other Saenome to put their cards on the table and they reveal that Botan is worth protecting and fighting for. However, everybody is in a tight spot. Tsubaki does show up in the preview. If she’s itching for a good battle, she’s going to get one here. I too look forward to seeing Taiju’s full powers too. And, frankly, Karasaka too. Once we learned about what happened to Kushige, I always wondered if she may have held back. After all, her primary objective back then was to occupy the Nagatsukis’ long enough while her other colleagues handle Kushige and then she “surenders” to the Bureau. And, then there’s Hyouma. He’s still getting reacquainted with his door pulls and so he’s definitely at a disadvantage as he’s not able to fully tap their powers yet. However, he’s got the resolve now and should put up a good fight.