That certainly wasn’t the first time Dekin no Mogura has gotten very dark. I would say dark is its usual motif, in fact, but what sort of darkness varies from week to week. This week’s tale had a disturbingly grimy, realistic feel to it. It ties in very much with the “seeing is noticing” idea that seems to be a mantra for Momoyuki. The things we perceive as ghost stories and horror tales gain their traction over our psyche by their connection to real life (just like myths and legends).

Siblings are very much the theme here (and next week too, “Brothers and Sisters” being the episode title). In fact the little brother Kuriaki referred to was in fact the kid from Kyoushirou and Shio’s school. His name is Umeharu (Nagano Yuusuke), and we already knew that Kuriaki professes to dislike him. The reasons become clear soon enough. Umeharu is a smooth talker and popular with girls (in fact he “had his eye on” Inukai-san), both things Kuriaki clearly is not. There’a also a strong hint later that Umeharu is their parents’ favorite, though that may be normal older-younger sibling dynamics at play.

The subject of Umeharu’s message about dolls was his girlfriend (of the moment) Miya (Terasaki Yuka). A visit to her family home proves highly disturbing, as they have a doll they seem to treat like a living person. What’s more Umeharu sees a spirit on the way out the door, a new experience for him. Mogura-san is sharp as a tack about these (and most) things of course, and asks the boy some very pointed questions. He puts together a puzzle picture that seems pretty accurate – a sister who died, a family who can’t let go, a spirit tied to the doll. He also makes a Midsommar reference – I definitely didn’t have that on my anime bingo card, but Eguchi gonna Eguchi…

“Not that scary” in itself, Mogura says. But when Umeharu has a conversation with Miya, he changes his tune quickly. Miya tells Umeharu (the others are eavesdropping) that her older sister Maya died when they were eight and seven, respectively. Maya was prettier and more favored by their parents, and their uncle – now hospitalized – said “Why did it have to be the cute one?” within Miya’s earshot. That understandably messed with Miya’s head in a big way, and she’s been living with the complex ever since. She even admits to Umeharu that part of her isn’t sorry Maya is gone, because she would always have been outshone by her (including where Umeharu is concerned).

No question about it, dolls can be pretty terrifying, for historical reasons Mogura spells out quite eloquently here. Anything being used as a symbolic substitute for a person is rife with psychological peril, even if you discount the paranormal side of things. The karmic baggage people carry with them naturally seeks out a receptacle, and that can spell trouble in myriad ways. I think a recurring theme here is that Magi-kun is actually quite lucky in many ways but can’t see it for all his self-pity, something I suspect Momoyuki is going to help him realize over time.

This is a rough situation to be sure. Kuriaki’s resentment towards his brother is understandable, but on balance Umeharu isn’t a bad kid. He’s shallow (his dedication to big boobs grates especially hard on Yaeko), but most 17 year-olds are. The dynamic in Miya’s house is far more unsettling. What the uncle said was absolutely awful, but it falls under the umbrella of thoughtlessness more than abject malice. Momoyuki correctly deduces that the result has been a situation with Maya’s spirit that’s unhealthy and dangerous – it’s about to get very much both for the uncle, but for Miya too.