I’m sure there’s a bit of a “blah, blah, blah” element to my constant praising of this adaptation by now. How many times can I say it? But that doesn’t make it any less true. This episode itself is functionally a setup piece, so in theory should be short on standout moments. But it contains not only my favorite comedic moment of the entire series but echoes of another great scene to come, this one much more visceral and violent. Of course whether we see that in anime form is still very much an open question, as depressing a prospect as that is.

The conflict the entire series has been building towards is finally imminent. Not quite upon us but the final preparations are well and truly being engaged. The dual assassination attempts in Kyo – while failures – have achieved the desired result. The capital is in an uproar and, what’s more, Emperor Go-Daigo has ordered Takauji to summon his bannermen to protect the city. That’s very convenient for Yorishige of course, as his plans lie elsewhere. And none of that is a coincidence. You get the feeling that Takauji is very unused to being outflanked, but he’s starting to realize he should never have let that tyke who tried to kill him escape.

The first question is the matter of which route to take in attacking Kamakura. The options are two – a shorter mountain path to the south, or a longer and flatter route through enemy territory – including Nitta territory – to the north. Yorishige entrusts Tokiyuki to decide, as this battle is being fought in his name. The commanders favor the southern approach but the Young Lord chooses the other. When Yorishige asks him why, Tokiyuki says that the discontent he heard among the samurai class in Kyo – especially Nitta retainers – suggests they’ll be unlikely to unite against him. As well he’s heard that Nitta Yoshisada set out for Kamakura with a tiny force, which only swelled because Takauji entrusted his young son to him. If one child symbol can inspire such intense support, another can too.

Slowly but surely Tokiyuki is learning how to be a leader and a strategist, not just a symbol who’s good at fleeing. And he’ll need every ounce of that, because Suwa-san is entrusting the defeat of Shoukan to him. Sadamura the Lord of Suwa will take on himself, but Shoukan is the wild card he can’t plan for, and Tokiyuki knows him better than anyone. And the Sadamura forces must be dealt with before an assault on Kamakura lest they attack the Suwa armies from the rear. But to defeat Shoukan one must defeat his army as well, no small task. Tokiyuki will have the Kamakura Party – a group of 100 loyalists who’ve waited and trained for two years in preparation for this moment – under his command (which they’re none too thrilled to learn).

Yorishige reminds his charge that not only is protecting the Houjou identity for as long as possible crucial, he must learn to command loyalty and respect without relying on it. Still, even Shizuku’s secret plan to take down the Shoukan army would require 300 troops by her estimation. That leaves it to Tokiyuki to reflect on some way to bridge that gap. To do so he tries to lean on the wisdom of Kusunoki Masashige (if not his indecipherable handwriting). He counsels to reflect on the lessons one can learn from everyone they’ve met in their life, but that only reminds Tokiyuki that “All my memories are of weirdos!” – for my money one of the funniest moments of the decade in manga (all the better as the anime sets up the reveal to the first season OP), and a sharply self-referential turn for Matsui Yuusei.

We haven’t seen much of Shoukan since his duel (a generous description from his perspective) with Tokiyuki in S1. It’s a long list but that may just be the best sequence of the series so far – it’s beautiful and terrifying and haunting, and so is Tokiyuki in it. If we ever get a third season there’s a somewhat reminiscent scene that evokes it to look forward to. Shoukan was clearly changed by that encounter – profoundly and utterly. The old Shoukan would surely not have told his men “The moment we go back to being bandits, we give up any hope of dying as warriors”.

The paradox of Shoukan’s existence is the sense of enlightenment he feels from that experience. He has a terrifying vision when speaking with a young girl who brings him pickled melon. “When light shines, it exposes the sins of the past”. He tells the girl he had his heart cleansed by the Buddha, and his life saved by his present lord (Sadamune). “To repay the debt I owe my lord, I must kill the Buddha”. It seems likely Shoukan does not consider himself someone worthy of salvation, which perhaps makes deferring to his honor easier to justify. But if that honor compels him to kill Tokiyuki, he seems the sort of man who will embrace this new sin unreservedly.