I have whiplash from how polar opposite my feelings are between this episode and the last. You would think that because I knew exactly what was going to happen, I would not be the least bit affected by anything in the episode.
But, oh, how wrong was I.
I teared up. Yes. Seriously.
It was partly because I was so happy with how well they adapted chapters 31 and 32, but I also think it was the overall emotional impact of the whole thing.
In my last reaction, I briefly mentioned the limitations I see in the animated adaptation. Given the finite number of minutes the show has, covering every detail from the light novel’s pages is impossible. However, this episode highlights one of the most significant strengths of an animated adaptation: the incorporation of sound.
Or should I say the obvious lack of it? When the beam falls and narrowly misses Jinshi and Maomao, a distinctive moment of silence occurs before we get the pair’s reaction to what just happened. The shock is evident in Jinshi’s voice, as is the concern. His voice almost cracks after Maomao asks him for her reward. There’s no background music in this scene; just Takeo Ootsuka’s and Aoi Yuuki’s stellar voice acting.
Then, silence descends again right after Maomao passes out, and that silence is DEAFENING. A full shot reveals all the other attendees with their eyes glued to the altar. Finally, Jinshi peeks out from the center of the screen as music begins to play.
As the vocals come in (and someone correct me if I’m wrong, but this is the first time in the series we’re hearing this particular song, right?), the implications of what happened start to sink in for the audience. The person of high noble birth at the ceremony was Jinshi. The series has hinted at his status many times, and Maomao has even made conjectures about it, albeit just to herself. Someone just tried to assassinate him, and they would have been successful too if it weren’t for Maomao. Not to mention, Maomao almost failed, but not for her lack of trying.
I honestly didn’t think that the anime could top the way that the ceremony scene unfolded in the manga, but I was wrong. The urgency Maomao feels as she’s running towards the alter to shove Jinshi away. Then, the way Jinshi grasps Maomao’s face with both of his hands. Ugh. THE SCENE WAS SO GOOD.
By the end of the episode, you kind of forget how much humor the episode started out with. Jinshi’s jealousy over Lihaku and Maomao together. (Might I also point out here that they once again removed Gaoshun from this particular scene?) The way Maomao reacts to the ox bezoar incentive. How Gaoshun is just tired of Jinshi and Maomao’s antics. So many laughs! But then BOOM. Beam falls. Jinshi almost dies. Maomao sustains a serious concussion.
For me, the best shot of the episode by far is the one that I used for this post’s featured image: Jinshi, carrying an unconscious Maomao in his arms, walking past a shocked Lakan.
And the man was most definitely SHOCKED. If you watch enough anime, you know that if a fox-eyed character (Gin from Bleach, anyone?) is drawn with their eyes open? It’s a HUGE deal. I also loved the close-up shot of his face when he confronted the guard for hitting Maomao.
Lakan’s reaction to Jinshi threw me off because he definitely had an idea of what was happening. I pointed this out over on Youtube, but he’s the one who had been dropping breadcrumbs all along – the warehouse fire, the poisoned seaweed, the metalworker and his sons, etc. So why did he look so surprised when he saw Jinshi?
The way I see it, Lakan is very smart, but he probably didn’t think much of what would happen after Maomao ran inside. He knew she was going to figure it out and that she’d probably be able to stop the accident from happening. But there’s no way he could have known Jinshi would exit the temple with Maomao IN HIS ARMS. I don’t think Lakan is reacting to seeing Maomao passed out. He saw her get hit, after all. I’m sure he was aware of the extent of her injury.
Lakan knows who Jinshi really is. And it was confirmed for the audience in this episode that Jinshi is of very high noble birth. The series hasn’t confirmed his exact position yet, but he must be pretty up there or else he wouldn’t have led that medium ceremony in the first place. For someone THAT important to be carrying a servant, let alone Lakan’s estranged daughter, is quite a big deal.
By the way, Lakan’s reaction is not in the source material. The audience never sees him again at the temple because chapter 32 ends when Maomao passes out in Jinshi’s lap. The reader doesn’t see Jinshi princess-carry Maomao out of the ceremonial building. In the manga, there is a flashback in a later chapter that shows him carrying her, but that’s it. I have to say that I thought the long walk was a little much. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the dramatic effect of it, but I kept thinking, “BRO MAOMAO’S LEG IS BLEEDING HEAVILY. YOU COULD AT LEAST WALK A LITTLE FASTER.”
Anyway, I’m interested to see if they’ll add anything to the next episode in regards to reactions over Maomao’s injury. We get to see a little bit in chapter 33 (and therefore the next episode), but I remember thinking that there should have been more than what we actually get in the manga.
Okay, so, this might be a slight spoiler (but definitely not a consequential one), but the source material never mentions anything ever again about the guard who hit Maomao. My headcannon for that dude is that he “mysteriously” disappears. Now, whether it’s Lakan or Jinshi who’s responsible for that is a moot point for me. The guy had the audacity to hurt Maomao – and yeah, I know she provoked him – and he was going to do more if it weren’t for the other guard holding him back!
Ah, I’m gonna watch this episode several more times. I’m so happy they got it right this week! Let me know what you thought of the episode!
