The first and third words of the title have been obvious from the beginning, but the middle finally got name dropped this week. All in all it was a less frenetic week exposition wise, which I’m heartily glad of. The excess of Hebinuma and Gwen in the A-part didn’t absolutely thrill me as I find them considerably less engaging than Hajime and Reiko. But all in all this was a step back towards Kowloon Generic Romance at its best.
For starters, Kudou-san and Tao-san (Gwen) had an interesting conversation which leisurely filled in a few gaps. After they ran into each other at the site of the “collapse” which ended last week’s episode, Hajime apologized to Gwen for “disappearing”. Gwen made reference to Hajime being an outsider in this Kowloon, and encouraged him to get out as quickly as possible. It’s pretty obvious something bad is happening structurally, but Kudou is disinclined to leave, and Reiko is clearly the reason. Whether it’s love or not, he clearly feels a sense of responsibility for her.
It was confirmed that the second Kowloon was demolished (by Hebinuma Inc.) three years ago. And that it was an illegal copy (I’m not even sure how that works). Hebinuma makes a trip inside and instantly feels sick, which supports the idea that the place is breaking down. He passes out and winds up being carried to a burlesque club called “Flower Garden”. At this point he asks about a dancer named Sihan, and while it’s not confirmed it seems pretty safe to assume that’s his mother. Given his illegitimate status that certainly fits.
Everyone keeps talking about becoming their absolute selves, and that certainly includes Hebinuma and Reiko, who coincidentally (or not) stops by the club as a representative of the company (just as the power in the dressing room goes out – but only the dressing room). Again, we get more low-key exposition here, and while it is by explanation at least it makes sense – Reiko absolutely should be asking Miyuki these questions. She’s not a Zirconian, he says. Nor is she a clone. So what is she? There’s no word for it, and even he doesn’t seem to know exactly. But he coins a term – a “Generic”. And tells her it sounds like she’s doing a pretty good job finding her absolute self, even if she still hasn’t gotten Hajime to accept it.
Thanks to Wong-sensei and Yuulong (who breaks into his files to check out Kujirai-B’s history) we also find out that she killed herself. Why? Kudou-san’s conversation with Tao suggests that it was because with Kowloon about to be torn down, her life was as good as it was going to get. That was why he planned to propose, though whether he actually got around to doing so is unclear. Reiko tells Yaomay she’s decided to move out of Kujirai-B’s room and let Hajime decide what to do with it, but a midnight visit from him on the anniversary of her death convinced her otherwise.
The last big bomb dropped here is courtesy of Yaomay’s invitation to Reiko to join her for a shopping trip to Honk Kong. It’s pretty easy to see where this is g0ing. Fortunately Gwen winds up at the exit at the same time because he’s ordered a pizza (after Miyuki told him not to eat the food in Kowloon, itself interesting). I’m wondering if all these coincidences are really coincidence, but be that as it may it seems very likely that without his intervention Reiko would have disappeared. She’s like this Kowloon – only real to certain people, but to those people as real as any flesh and blood human could ever feel. All of this still doesn’t make conventional sense, but the nature of the nonsense is finally starting to become clear.
Nadavu
May 18, 2025 at 11:49 pmMy biggest complaint this episode: Gwen’s one-leg roll up fashion sense.
Every time they say the 2nd Kowloon is an illegal copy of the first I imagine a giant 3d printing machine churning out these ancient looking building in the dead of the night.
Guardian Enzo
May 19, 2025 at 6:59 amLOL, I noticed that pant leg thing too.
Also Kujiraii-B being treated for insomnia is interesting.
Vance
May 19, 2025 at 8:11 amGuardian Enzo, it seems you’ve forgotten some details. We already know Kudo did in fact propose based on Episode 1 with it being revealed that he and Kujirai B had been engaged in Episode 1 and that they had been recently engaged before Kujirai B died in Episode 6, and Kujirai B already said that the Second Kowloon Walled City was an illegal re-creation of the first in Episode 4.
Episode 6 pretty much confirms that the current Kowloon is neither a simulation nor a dream world like I thought it was given no simulation would be so pointed in its direction, but it’s also not a dream world since only certain people can see and experience this re-creation of Kowloon.
I’ve had a cursory look at feng shui concepts since Episode 6 aired as having some basic knowledge of feng shui may be crucial to understand the story given it was brought up, and a story like this where Chekhov’s gun applies suggests that they’re going somewhere with that mention.
What stood out to me is that feng shui focuses a lot on balance, and qi is basically believed to be an energy that exists in all living beings. A fundamental element of feng shui is polarity as in the interplay between yin and yang. Copying something I read in a Google search, if qi is what toggles people’s internal balance, the polarity of yin and yang is the fulcrum against which it is placed. The complementary aspects and interdependence between opposites is argued to be important as one cannot exist without the other.
How this may factor into Kowloon Generic Romance is that Kudo is a guy who’s very set in the past and is adamant about keeping things the same whereas Reiko is a forward-thinking person who has no past. Reiko also exudes warmth, positivity, and a clear idea of what she wants (Kudo) whereas Kudo is moreso cold, negative, and denies what he actually wants (Reiko). This dynamic is also seen with Miyuki and Guen in that Miyuki wants to live for revenge ’cause he’s stuck in the past whereas Guen wants to live for the future and is a more warm person in contrast to Miyuki’s colder, less caring nature and decision to cut off Guen ’cause he cares about him. Whereas Reiko has no past and has some desire to know more about Kujirai B, Yaomay fears her past and runs from it, showing a similar dynamic between opposites.
Thus, I believe Episode 6 shows that to exist in this illusory re-creation of Kowloon that you need someone to oppose you thematically in some way. The reason Yulong can’t enter this re-creation of Kowloon is likely that he doesn’t have someone who is his counterpart. Xiaohei probably has a counterpart in someone who hates working and doesn’t love Kowloon, merely working so that he/she can make ends meet whereas Xiaohei really enjoys working. Maybe this would be the Branch Manager of the Kowloon branch of the realty firm Kudo and Reiko work at who always clocks out right on time and doesn’t love Kowloon based on how he said the Second Kowloon is an uncomfortable place to live in Episode 1.
So basically, the current Kowloon may be a special manifestation of Kowloon based on feng shui. That would explain why there’s a mixture of new and old (the high tech nature of Yaomay’s apartment unit’s door), ’cause of yin and yang. If that’s the case, we perhaps shouldn’t be thinking of it as being sci-fi after all like most people thought the story was. Based on how the world so pointedly made the case to Kudo that Reiko isn’t Kujirai B in Episode 3, how Kudo seemed to have some control over the world based on how a “Sai On Tower” prompt popped up after the real Mr. Chan left Kowloon in Episode 4, suggesting that a fake Mr. Chan manifested again, and how the world itself began to shake when Kudo’s turmoil started in Episode 5, I believe this re-creation of Kowloon has a direct connection to Kudo’s existence.