Well, aren’t I the blind squirrel who found the acorn.
It doesn’t happen often, so when I nail a hunch you can bet I’m going to crow about it (pun very much intended). It always seemed odd to me, this adversarial relationship between Natsuka and Nazukihiko (if I’m not mistaken, this is the first time we’ve heard Wakamiya’s real name). There wasn’t much hard evidence to back it, but my gut was telling me that was a ruse (as stated in earlier posts). I could hardly ask for the reveal to come out in a more satisfying manner, especially the way it ingeniously goosed Yukiya’s character arc.
Not since Shin Sekai Yori, maybe, can I remember a show where the episodes seem to fly by so fast. To have everything mean something yet not have things feel rushed is a mark of great pacing, and Karasu wa Aruji o Erabanai has it. First, we have Atsufusa seemingly pleading with Natsuka to to fire Rokon as an enemy of peace. Then Rokon attacks Atsufusa in a rainstorm, seriously wounds him, and is about to finish him when a lightning strike on an adjacent tree allows Atsufusa to escape. All seemingly straightforward – though I did wonder if it was Kin’u juju that engineered that strike at that place and time, to save Atsufusa.
Atsufusa winds up in a brothel in the red light district, Nazukihiko is told, getting his wounds treated and pleading to deliver vital information to the crown prince. Sumio is cautious – indeed, both he and Nazukihiko have always considered the possibility that Atsufusa was playing them. But the Prince agrees to go – accompanied by his only two real aides. And this is really the first time we’ve seen Wakamiya genuinely caught out. This was no scam, no triple bluff on his part – Atsufusa snookered him, and if it wasn’t for Yukiya it would probably have been the end for him.
Atsufusa never tells Nazukihiko who his “true foe” is, obviously. But that question is relevant given that Natsuka is not. Occam’s Razor suggests that it’s the Empress behind Atsufusa’s scheme, and that she believes Natsuka’s cover story, so that’s a decent working assumption for now. Yukiya, fortunately, is clever enough to hide when the assassins show up – and to flee for help rather than suicidally rush in and try to rescue his master himself. But help from who? He had his chance (a Chekov’s gun moment in hindsight) to learn who Wakamiya’s other allies were and chose for his own sake not to know. But now he has to figure it out on his own, with every second crucial.
Yukiya is very, very smart – that’s been clear from the beginning. There was also irrefutable evidence, as noted earlier in this space, that Natsuka engineered Yukiya going into his younger brother’s service. That as much as anything signaled the truth of the matter, as that didn’t make sense if Natsuka was Wakamiya’s enemy. The boy’s resourcefulness has already proved massively useful for the Crown Prince, but here it actually saves his life (Wakamiya’s own resourcefulness and constitution help too). He figures out (though it’s an all-in gamble he’s wagering everything on, including his own life) the truth and Rokon arrives just in the nick of time (though Atsufusa escapes, having left the dirty work to his hired hands).
Natsuka covertly working on his brother’s behalf is a smart strategy, no question about it. He gathers Nazukihiko’s potential foes around him, both identifying and monitoring them. He can subtly influence events to try and forestall any dire threats to his brother’s welfare. It’s Natsuka doing this that allows Nazukihiko to operate almost entirely under the radar, and it distracts his mother from directly attacking the Crown Prince (most of the time). And it allows Wakamiya to stay in a circle of absolute trust with the tiny retinue he does gather.
The problem for Yukiya is that, in fact, the brothers have known the truth of his ancestry all along. He’s the grandson of the Lord of the North – that makes him a very important figurehead in Wakamiya’s camp. Yukiya has been under the impression that his value to Wakamiya lay in his personal qualities – intelligence, courage, loyalty. And Yukiya is a child, let’s not forget – he craves acceptance and affection as any child would. He left his family (which he left his birth mother to join in the first place) to join the Azukihiko entourage, and now he’s discovered that he’s there for political reasons. There’s more to it of course – the Crown Prince very much does, in fact, value Yukiya for his character, But having seen the nature of this world he now inhabits, why would Yukiya believe that?
animealex
June 9, 2024 at 9:09 pmI also pinged Natsuka as a member of his younger brothers camp, but I wasn’t so sure about Rokon. I entertained the thought, that he could be more interested in his masters ascendence of the throne than his master himself. But of course in hindsight, when Atsufusa opposes Rokon and vice versa, then it’s clear who is the bad egg.
In the last episode, the Empress ordered her aide to bring her “that man”. We now can be nearly sure, that man to be Atsufusa. The “game” doesn’t go well for the Empress. One of her pawns (Hamayu) deserts, while another get’s caught. And one of her key pieces (her own son) plays for the other side. I wonder, if she suspects her son of his duplicity? If not, how will she react, when she finds out?
Btw. Enzo, my subtitles said, that “Atsufusa of course doesn’t talk, but some of his followers got loose tongues”. For me it indicates, that Rokon apprehended him. Oh well, let’s see next episode.
In the back of my head, I always wondered when Yukiya’s family situation would come into play again. If the anime told us before that his mother was the daughter of the Northern Lord, I must have missed it. But I always suspected, that Yukiya’s noble heritage, would make him a key piece in Nazukihiko’s plan to keep the throne, once he has inherited it. I mean it is one thing to get on the throne, quite another to keep siting on it. The future Emperor needs the support of all four Houses. One he gets more or less for free for marrying the daughter of one of the four. How to secure the other three? Now we know the North House may be won over by the fact, that the grandson of it’s lord is the closest advisor of the new emperor. But what about the other two? The south may be disgraced if the whole extent of their scheming comes to light and they may have to lay low for a generation or two. Or Nazukihiko marries Hamayu (I like her most of all the princesses truth to be told) to undermine any support from within the Southern House for the current empress and her ambitions.. Two possibilities to manage that faction; there may be more, but this speculative post is already long enough, if someone even bothers reading it in full.
So now I wonder, what will the Crown Prince do about the West and the East and their princesses?
Guardian Enzo
June 9, 2024 at 9:13 pmGood point, I forgot about Rokon’s “loose tongues” comment.
Scampi
June 10, 2024 at 12:30 amI went back to check the earlier episodes and I’m pretty sure it’s the first time they mentioned Yukiya is the grandson of the Northern Lord. Kiei was about to mention something at the match but Yukiya cut him short. There was a one frame flashback where a bunch of nobles took Yukiya away from his mother by force, but it’s hard to discern whether she is his real mother or surrogate mother. The way the Northern Lord interacted with Yukiya also didn’t really do much to suggest he’s his grandson, and when Shiratama received news of the Prince’s new attendant Yukiya was only referred to as “a child of a lady of the Northern House” so either they’re hiding his identity to protect him or there’s a scandal involved with his mother. It’s kind of weird how so far there’s no string attached to Yukiya at all from the Northern House, so I think the Northern Lord is actually respecting Yukiya’s wishes to be his own person when he put absolutely no pressure on his family in Taruhi to gain influence with the Prince. I know Shiratama’s actions didn’t come off in a good light, but Yukiya had it pretty good from Northern House compared to her, so no wonder he’s so set on returning home.
Also I’m sure people must have mentioned it before, but the background and settings are absolutely gorgeous. I was so busy trying to figure out what the shells by Atsufusa’s bed were that the incense burner (which was also gorgeous btw) completely caught me by surprise. In hindsight I’d guess the shells were used to hold ointment for treating Atsufusa’s wounds. They were such impractical pieces of random curio but fitted so much with the court backstabbing drama carrying out in the foreground I’m just digging for more. Despite Yatagarasu’s fantastical setting, apparently they also called in an actual historical advisor who also worked on Heike Monogatari, and the devotion to detail really shines through. Personally Yatagarasu is easily looking to be the most beautiful anime of the year for me.
animealex
June 10, 2024 at 2:26 amYukiya’s family situation and relationship with the Northern House was something else I wanted to talk about, but my post was already long enough. Thanks for summarizing the events. Let me just add one thing: I absolutely admire his adoption family for their treatment of Yukiya. I mean, his father is his father no matter what, but his mother and siblings show him so much love. I also wondered if there’s a scandal in his birth involved. If I remember correctly, when Yukiya was taken away, one subtitle said something like “he is too much of a burden for you”. I’m also confused, that there was no fallout, when a married minor noble seduces his lieges granddaughter or whatever else happened then. But perhaps the preview hints towards some answers.
Scampi
June 10, 2024 at 1:05 amForgot to add that the Northern Lord had three grandchildren shown up so far: Yukiya, Shiratama, and Kiei. Kiei is so mature compared to the other two I didn’t realize he’s in the same generation as them until I went back and saw his description as “lineal grandson of the Lord of the North.” Has it ever been confirmed how old Yukiya is? He looks even younger than Shiratama. When Shiratama was four she got taken in as Nothern Lord’s third daughter, so the Northern Lord actually only had two daughters, with Yukiya’s mother as his youngest. So either the Lord had his mother late or his mother had Yukiya late? Is that why he let Yukiya run free?
The prince turning his hand into claw or wing is also interesting. No other character has done it so far, so maybe this kind of special transformation is something only kin’u can do? Rokon seems to dwarf everyone in pure strength transformed or not, so maybe what’s special about the Prince’s transformation is not just physical prowess, but control over the transformation itself? Okay I’ll stop spamming speculation now, thanks to anyone who bore with my all over the place rambling.
Beato
June 10, 2024 at 1:38 amYukiya’s age has never been confirmed in the story proper, but according to a bonus pamphlet included with the first edition of the 5th novel (I sadly do not have this pamphlet myself) he apparently “reached the age of 14 during the course of the second novel” so at this point of the story he is either 14 or close to reaching it.
Scampi
June 10, 2024 at 2:34 amThanks for the information! Do you also know how old Wakamiya and Natsuka are at this point in time? It’d help me greatly in mapping out a timeline, such as when the last Rite of Ascension happened.
Beato
June 10, 2024 at 4:00 amSure! Nazukihiko is stated to be 17 in the same pamphlet. Natsukas age is a bit more unclear but as it’s stated that Izayoi (Nazukihiko’s and Fujinami’s mother) was called upon to become a second wife 6 years after Oomurasaki-no-omae’s pregnancy, he should be around 23 or so at this point in time
Guardian Enzo
June 10, 2024 at 7:18 amThat’s about what I would have guessed.
animealex
June 10, 2024 at 2:41 am“Okay I’ll stop spamming speculation now, thanks to anyone who bore with my all over the place rambling.” Heh, it’s nice to meet someone with the same problem. Dynastic power struggles and court intrigue just scratch an itch for me. My only hung-up is, I’m so fixated on finding dirt on Asebi, that I may not be seeing other possibilities on the “women’s side” of the story.
Scampi
June 10, 2024 at 6:59 amHi five fellow speculator! I just ran through all the episodes again and thanks to Beato’s help I think there’s something interesting about Asebi and her mother, Ukigumo. I wasn’t sure when Ukigumo married the Western Lord, but the Emperor took Izayoi as concubine around the same time Asebi is born. Such response suggests that the man is heartbroken.
However, Masuho said that the love story between Ukigumo and Emperor was told to her by Izayoi herself, and Izayoi described it to her niece like it was a match made in heaven. And even after all that Ukigumo seemed to still be welcome at court and became Fujinami’s tutor, so was there still something going on between Ukigumo and the Emperor? Also I’m not even sure how to fit Futaba into all this, is Futaba also Ukigumo’s daughter? But Futaba looks nothing like Asebi, the Western Lord doesn’t look like Asebi, and Ukigumo herself also doesn’t look like Asebi, so how did Asebi pop out looking the way she did?
Scampi
June 10, 2024 at 3:32 pmTimeline complete, including flowers in season as reference. If there’s any mistake please let me know.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k3hgy6djEh4p3VSFpYy2T_Ku51JAyZnMR4EZpqxswZ8/edit?usp=sharing
Guardian Enzo
June 10, 2024 at 3:35 pmThat’s awesome! Mind if I link it in my next post?
Spoiler-free, right?
Scampi
June 10, 2024 at 4:33 pmOf course! Yes, it’s spoiler free, I’ve put in all the episode reference where I can. The NHK link animealex provided before was also really helpful in sorting out which lady is which and I think it’s the only place where it’s mentioned that Ukigumo was Fujinami’s tutor.
animealex
June 10, 2024 at 5:36 pmWow! I confess I never thought about the flowers and their significance for the time nor would I have the energy to make something like this! Very well done!
Nadavu
June 11, 2024 at 7:47 amMad respect to your hard work and dedication.
One small suggestion: I feel it makes more sense to designate one particular event as t=0 and time everything in relation to it. As it stands, “16 years ago” might soon become “17 years ago” as time progresses in the show.
Scampi
June 11, 2024 at 5:06 pmThat’s a good point! Episode 1 and the start of the current rite is now set as t=0. Since we don’t know the exact dates, the birthdays are considered to happen at the end of the year.
The brother’s births were difficult to place because Izayoi became concubine 6 years after Natsuka was conceived but the brothers’ age difference was stated to be 5 at the start of the year in episode 1, where I’d assume none of them had their birthday yet. Since there’s no broods of kids at same age like real birds, I’d guess the yatagarasu gestate for 10 months. Omurasaki could not have conceived Natsuka too early in the year, so he would have to be born a year later. Then Izayoi would have to conceive Wakamiya right after becoming concubine, or the age difference won’t fit. In that case the brothers’ birthdays have to be rather late in the year, which is why I broadly set everyone to grow a year older at the end of the year. If the gestation is not 10 months then everything’s out of the window though. All I can safely conclude is that the Emperor was really good at planting the seeds in one shot, if nothing else, and Omurasaki was lucky in that regard.
Nicc
June 11, 2024 at 7:57 amYep, my main complaint so far are these five-minute episodes. As before, there’s a ton of stuff going on. First, we get an update on what has been going on at the Cherry Blossom Palace as fall rolls in. Nothing, it seems, except that it’s been made official that Hamayuu is out for good. Shiratama is still barely getting by, Princess Fujinami has stopped coming over and the Cherry Blossom Palace has pretty much become a dead place.
As a storm rolls in, we see Atsufasa beg Natsuka to kick out Rokon. Natsuka, as usual, just goes with the silent treatment. Atsufasa leaves and he’s confronted by Rokon, who does seem to seriously injure him. A lucky lightning strike allows the wounded Atsufasa to slip away. Sumio passes on the news to Wakamiya about Atsufasa (Huh, so we didn’t get a follow up about the injured crow from the end of the last episode) and that he’s got some vital information for him. There’s already been an attempt on Wakamiya’s life at the red-light district and so this time everybody goes along.
All seems quiet where Atsafusa is resting and Yukiya is outside while the other two have a chat with the wounded Atsafusa. Perhaps because I’ve seen such a scenario before, but the burning incense seemed suspicious to me. That’s when the trap was sprung as Wakamiya and Sumio collapse. Indeed, Yukiya was clever enough to hide before the assassins arrived, though he was discovered later. Rokon attacked Atsafusa with enough force that he was actually wounded even with the dead chicken in his robes. It’s rather impressive that he wore it for that long. Things get busy as Yukiya makes a run for it and Wakamiya is able to recover enough to fight back, though the effects from the incense is still slowing him down.
Yukiya finds himself in the tunnels out in the mountains. He is able to put it all together and figures out where to go for help. In the meantime, Wakamiya is struggling against the assassins as they decide to burn down the place. Slipping on that dead chicken almost does him in until Rokon and others from his side show up. The confrontation comes to an end and Atsufasa is captured off-screen.
Right, so Natsuka was always on Wakamiya’s side, or his real name Nazukihiko. That’s the first I heard of it too and along with a few other reveals from this episode. It seems that Natsuka being silent has done a good job of creating plausible deniablity on either side. With that settled, we turn our attention back to Yukiya. From how Natsuka explained it, him working for Wakamiya was the plan all along. He also has good pedigree. Wait, what? It’s news to Yukiya that he’s the grandson of the Lord of the North, a little something that Wakamiya knew about but didn’t tell him. Yep, he’s got some explaining to do and it’s time for a heart-to-heart with Yukiya. Whew, what an episode.