There’s an interesting dichotomy going on with Demons of the Shadow Realm. Its mythology is very much centered on polar opposites. Black and white, yin and yang, Break and Seal. But in terms of plot and morality it seems to be anything but. There are many opposing forces, not just two. There’s a continuum here, running roughly from good to evil, but even there the problem is that these things can be subjective. Taking the kids out of the equation it seems like everyone has a lot of shit they shouldn’t be proud of. But that doesn’t mean all sides are created equal.

That said, to me there seems a very clear distinction between the Kagemoris and the Higashi villagers. At least the villagers themselves, who appear to be pawns in a larger game and considered expendable by at least one side of the conflict in which they’re embroiled, and maybe both. Yuru – and now Ken – are in Dera’s hands now. Nominally of course that means the village’s hands, or whoever is controlling it at least. But Dera comes off as something of a free agent. And his concern for the kids’ welfare seems genuine, though I don’t think we can totally take anything for granted in this series.

Things start of idyllically enough, with Ken watching Yuru make arrows and then asking to be taught how to use a bow. Dera may be his biological (half) brother but in practical terms, it’s obviously Yuru who makes the most sense in an “aniki” role. Quickly, though, we segue into one of the denser and darker episodes so far. At the Kagemori estate, Makoto is called in to help search for the phantom West Gate, and reveals that her tsugai are kidnap specialists. The fox can shapeshift into human form, and the tanuki… Well, he envelops the victims in his giant ballsack. Needless to say Asa and Gabu are grateful it never got to that stage with them.

Asama is obviously part of a dissident power base within the clan – he’s perfectly open about it. Whether Shingo Hayato (Saitou Setsuji) really is his uncle I don’t know, but he seems to be operating as the head of Asama’s faction. The yakuza vibe is stronger than ever here, and “Uncle” could go either way as a title. Shingo wants a twin – any twin – in his clutches very badly, and chafes at Asama not moving faster to procure him one. Asama for his part is very clearly humoring Shingo, and in his own mind using him for his own purposes. Hiding in the bathroom at Shingo’s suite is the Miki Shinichirou character we met earlier, and his name will later be revealed to be Ivan Yasano.

Hana’s missing research finds a listing for Kinjou Nagisa, the twins’ mother. The obvious link here are their grandparents in Okinawa, who Nagisa and her husband were traveling to visit when they disappeared. Yuru wants to visit them and seek info, but Dera wisely nips that in the bud. The grandmother calls Asa but is apparently a puppet (and probably no longer a living person), something that Asa has already picked up on. Rather than follow that thread, Dera tries to find info on his predecessor (and father), which leads him to the “shaman”. This is Yama (Kiuchi Hidenobu) and he’s clearly a major player in the story.

I’m not quite sure what to make of Yama. I vibed that he was playing Dera, and that Dera might have been aware of it. Maybe this is a little dance the two of them do. Nevertheless Dera asks for Yama to help in finding his father, and entrusts Yama to go to Higashi Village in his place and administer treatment to the wounded. And vaccines to the kids, which is apparently a regular occurrence for him. Yama is clearly trusted by the villagers, who are still in shock after the Kagemori invasion. Unfortunately, Ivan has hitchhiked inside Yama’s body – the work of his katana daemons, surely – and the villagers are once more collateral damage in the eternal struggle they’re caught up in.

The tone of Yomi no Tsugai is often mismatched to the substance, and so is the case this week. When you step back and consider this story, it’s incredibly dark and depressing. And it’s hard to feel like you can really trust anybody, even the people who appear to be decent and honorable. The children and the exception (and even there one might quibble about Asa), but they’re basically pawns in a larger game they have no control over. There’s an awful lot going on here, and even a full cour in, it still feels like we’re just scratching the surface.