“Hitomi-jagari” (Hitomi Agari)
“Happily ever after”
That was a nice little bow to tie it up network with. As the title clearly stated, it was indeed a “happily ever after,” and she had earned it at that time. Ichitaro exorcises the failed Tsukumogami, Sasuke and Nikichi survive, and Matsunosuke joins Nagasakia. I can’t say any of this was unexpected, but it was still satisfying.
One of my favorite parts is Ichitaro standing up to his parents and taking responsibility. He takes ownership of his future in claiming his heirs, something he had avoided before. Not only that, he put his foot down and insisted on welcoming Matsunosuke home. It’s been really rewarding to see the shy and sickly Ichitaro grow into a brave man who refuses to be intimidated by his elders. I would say he’s more mature than his parents, forcing them to take responsibility for Matsunosuke, something they’ve looked the other way for years instead of facing the consequences of their decisions.
It was also clear that despite putting in more effort the past day than he had ever done in his life, Ichitaro was not going down well. Many characters even noticed how he was performing better than expected. This confirms my suspicion that a fair amount of Ichitaro’s bouts of illness were due to everyone making a fuss and making him even more disabled than he already was. I don’t doubt that his health could be more fragile, but certainly not to the extent that everyone else acted. If he can rush into the fire and knock out the annoying youkai, then he’s a healthy enough young man.
That was a very bad scene, facing that youkai, throwing spells, and taking out that sword. Itachi was put in their places as well. While this makes for a good ending, not everything is sunshine and roses. As we see – the neighborhood is turning to ashes, and consequently, the job market is burning up, as Matsunosuke also attests in the difficulties he faces in searching for work. Unfortunately, this was a reality in Edo, Japan, and fires were common. At least the show didn’t cover that.
We get our first touching meeting between the brothers. It was very rewarding to see how Ichitaro’s pendant protected Matsunosuke, channeling Ichitaro’s care and concern for his older brother – we knew it all along, but the truth finally swept over Matsunosuke like a warm spring wind. Matsunosuke turns out to be a good addition to the Nagasakia family (as expected). I wish the best for the brothers and I am happy that we have reached a solution there. It was also interesting to see the yōkai forms of Sasuke and Nikichi, which is something I don’t think they’ve shown us before, although there’s been a lot of talk about what type of yōkai they were.
I want to mention the soundtrack, this episode’s music in particular stood out. The music during the final battle in particular was beautiful and whimsical. I don’t know why I didn’t notice it more before now, but I wish I had, it was a cool item. Overall, this was a nice little show. Nothing fancy, nothing innovative, but still a fun show to watch. It got off to a slow start and there was a lot of exposition, but that’s on par with most new mods. The slower pace suits the atmosphere of the show and makes for relaxing viewing, a nice way to unwind on the weekend, if you will. Ichitaro was a gem of a character – watching him grow up over the course of 13 episodes felt like a mother or older sister watching a little boy leave the nest – I appreciated how they worked that maturity into the pacing of things and made you care about him. A sweet show with more than just a hint of darkness, it’s one I’m glad I picked up, and I’m definitely thinking about reading the novel now too.
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