Kaya-chan wa Kowakunai – 04
First mirrors, then dolls – can clowns be far behind? Kaya-chan wa Kowakunai is satisfyingly creepy to be sure, but it’s definitely more than that. There’s a lot going on here, including smart writing and top-notch direction (that sequence with Kaya-chan jumping rope was chef’s kiss). It’s pretty fearless, doesn’t seem to have any third rails, and does a pretty good job keeping its secrets. Especially where the recurring plot is concerned. It’s in the Patron Pick poll and has a chance there, but it’s making a strong case for it not to matter.
We first get very dark chapter about a missing girl, who has something following her. Kaya’s daddy tries to help the girl (he seems nice but something is just off there) but she runs away. Eventually Kaya-chan intervenes and does her thing. But the punch line here is the explanation for just what this specter was. We then jump to the aforementioned doll sequence. The Encho-sensei being a cheap-ass seems to be the source of a lot of this kindergarten’s problems, and the pile of toys she recycles from another contains a doll that clearly ain’t right. This is another really creepy chapter, as doll stories tend to be.
As good as this bit is, the most important part is the last shot, where Kaya tosses the doll into the trash with a disgusted “I don’t like babies”. This is foreshadowing as subtle as a kick in the solar plexus, especially with Chie-sensei’s home visit coming up. Mob-ojisan has told her that there’s “nanika’ in Kaya-chan’s house. And when Chie-sensei arrives (this is when that glorious jumprope bit happens) Kaya tells her in no uncertain terms that she cannot speak to her mother. But she does – and to her, Kaya’s mama seems perfectly normal. And oh by the way, she’s pregnant.
This is a truly fascinating development. Just what the heck is going on here? My initial thought was that Kaya’s mom really was perfectly normal, and Kaya-chan was projecting the whole specter thing because she was freaking out and jealous about the baby. But the fact that Uncle Mob can see it too suggests that might not be the case. There are several possibilities here, including the one I suggested. Maybe the specter is the host, as Mob says. Or perhaps the mother is possessed, even if she’s not exhibiting the usual symptoms. And of course the $64,000 question is just what’s inside her womb. If Uncle Mob – creeper though he be – is that terrified, it’s good reason to worry that something really is seriously wrong.
Jigokuraku Season 2 – 04
All in all this was an ep that felt a lot more like the first season of Jigokuraku. That’s not innately bad – I liked it enough to finish it (even if it did win the poll, I had to put it in there in the first place). But we are back in full guro and chaos mode, and I think on balance I like this show better when it’s more measured in the manner of S2.
The arrival of Shugen, Jikka, and the new band of Yamada – and Iwagakure – on the island in the big drink shaker this week. Shugen is strong enough that the others on the island seem to quite deeply respect and fear him both. As for Jikka, all he’s done so far is mug for the camera but the fact that he reminds Shugen he can’t draw his sword suggests something deep and dark hidden with him. There are also two newbies, a whiz kid named Kiyomaru and a female warrior named Isuzu (she’s a trooper). As for the ninja they pledge total loyalty to the samurai – to the point where the leader kills himself on Kiyomaru’s command – but their secret mission is actually to finish off the assassination of Gabimaru.
No question these new guys are insanely strong. But the Asaemon on the island (among whom Shion seems to have taken on the leadership role) fear Shugen is too rigid in his ways to become their ally. Shion offers everyone a choice – follow him in seeking the elixir of life, or go off on their own. Everyone chooses to follow, though no doubt in some cases (like Yuzuriha) it’s clearly a question of improving survival odds. He also suggests that the team split up (yeah, always a wise choice there) with one group continuing to search and one looking for a potential escape route.
We’ve clearly entered a new phase of the story now, so Hell’s Paradise becomes a bit of an unknown for me. Let’s see how the next couple of episodes play out before I decide on which side of the bubble it lands.
