I rather liked this episode, but it’s a reminder that Mononogatari feels very much like an unfinished product.  I’ve always had the sense that this adaptation was never doing more than skimming the surface of the source material.  That suggests the source material itself might have a lot to offer, but it’s unlikely we’re ever going to see much of it realized in anime form.   A classic “read the manga” ending seems inevitable, but I suppose we’ll wait another week before making the final call on that one.

This time around the MacGuffin is Hyouma going to collect a special set of Saenome clothing (hilariously catalogue-modeled by Taiju and sons) – offered out of a sense of duty by Kadomori-san – with Botan in tow.  It’s another layer in the fabric of the mythology (pun intended).  The clothes are regular cloth, but woven and crafted by tsukumogami – in the process absorbing some of their will and becoming “living garments”.  They have to choose their master – no problem for Tsubaki (who’s hanging around the shop to catch a peek at Hyouma).  But Hyouma as always makes a bit of a meal out of with his unshakable sense of seriousness.

Hata-san, the tailor, seems bemused by the battle going on inside his shop, which you’d think could cause considerable damage.  But that’s nothing next to the real battle, which goes on outside while Hyouma is being fitted.  Tsubaki makes it eminently clear to Botan that she intends to sink her claws into Hyouma (who’s “cute”) and not let go (even if Botan is cute herself).  She then makes a report to her dad, who’s quite unsettled to hear how well Hyouma and Botan – who’s changed markedly from the little girl he once met – are getting along.  Everything between Hyouma and that family is a tangled web indeed.

Afterwards, we get our most extended look at Botan’s college life.  She’s asked Hyouma to come in and help the Hyakunin Isshu Club set up for the culture fest – indeed, the two of them are increasingly casual about such things and hanging out together is becoming quite natural.  Botan is something of a  natural at karuta it seems, and clearly throws herself into her muggle existence with full abandon.  But you get the feeling her past is an unstoppable force always just behind her, which not even her tsukumo-family can protect her from.

Finally, we get the return of the armor tsukumogami Kai.  Bored as ever he’s turned his attention to Hyouma.  He talks a big game but I think Kai is really just sizing up the kid here, curiosity being the real motivation – I don’t think he’d actually do him any permanent damage.  Kai is the elephant in the room in Mononogatari, theoretically a prisoner but an entity who no one seems able or willing to say no to.  He’s another element of this series we’re only skimming the surface off, so I guess in that sense he fits right in..