Status of soul: shocked. With the secrets revealed this week, I’m actually pretty confused/angry rather than emotionally moved. But in terms of the story alone, we get lots of new answers — many of which were unexpected. And it only intrigues me further as to how this series will end.

All righty then … given the title of the episode, I expected it to be about Hinata’s late younger sister, Hotaru. Well this is mostly true. Hotaru was effectively killed years ago, but by none other than the Kagura elder. The girl once known as Hotaru now lives as Hinata, the one who really died.

I kinda don’t believe the drowning story. So she slipped and fell, but I didn’t know ponds/lakes were that deep right off? It’s as if she slipped and fell into a chasm or off a bridge .. for her to end up sinking to the bottom of the center of the body of water where her sister couldn’t reach her. Ah well…

So am I supposed to switch names now? I’ll stick with Hinata for the rest of this entry and change for the next one (except in the nonspoiler teaser paragraph if I can help it) if this continues. I’m just rather fearful of that grandfather now. The f—er had to drag her across the floor by her hair .. and then cause all this mental trauma in poor Hotaru-now-Hinata’s brain. Now wonder she’s been so timid this whole time.

Put your hair back down, plz

Everyone else in school is respecting Hayami more now, recognizing her skills in class. Yui gets a cute moment staying in denial of it but obviously needing Hayami’s help, too. It shows how impressionable this town is. First all the adults rally to off the Kohinatas. Then they somehow believe (before or after the fire) that Hotaru is now Hinata, despite her younger look and larger eyes. All the schoolchildren formerly spat upon Hayami but now love her. And now Hinata goes back to being Hotaru, and apparently everyone is cool with that, too.

Does that mean this newest generation never knew a Hotaru ever existed? Because I’d be asking, “Wait, why are you calling yourself your dead sister now, Hinata? …Oh wait, you’re Hotaru?!” But then I’d probably be too smart a person to live in this village.

So confusing! Now I can raise the level of my “suspension of disbelief” conditioning and just accept the twisty plot as “whoa OMG” and continue with my soul-rocking… but this is my place to rant a little about the real logic involved.

I still think people do know that Hamaji is a guy and therefore laugh at all the jokes, like in this episode where he tried to get Takuma to grab his nonexistent breasts. But I guess I’ll believe it, too, if everyone has really been oblivious. The girls ought to have noticed Hamaji not in the girls side of the hot springs (especially if Yuki was there), and with how easily Hamaji revealed himself to Takuma, I wouldn’t find him so secretive of his gender.

But anyway, I’m putting the trappiness aside and enjoying how cute Hamaji can still be. I’m just not letting my imagination go any further than that. Promise.

The artbook talks about Otoha and the Promised One; I find that really interesting. And there’s the inspiration for the real Hinata’s spirit to come back in the form of Otoha, to live out her sister’s story. So those who predicted that Otoha was the deceased Kagura sister were right .. but probably wrong about the actual identity. ^^; Well I’m finally happy to see where Otoha does fit in the whole story. And she’s playing her part well by inserting her Promised One into the community and helping him to return peace to the village.

Although really .. the only peace that can come is if all the adults are killed off (or just the Kagura elder) and these kids can start everything over again fresh. There doesn’t seem to be anymore schoolhouse conflict: people are addressing Hinata as Hotaru just fine; Yui’s not malignant; Hayami’s one of the gang again. Everyone’s forgiven.

Something’s gotta happen to Takuma still. Otoha’s warning of his time running out still foreshadows something. I have a bad feeling the Kagura elder will blame either Hayami or Takuma for all this, and somebody’s going to die. Meh.

Other notes: I like Hayami’s secret note in the yukata she made for Hinata. Those were her true thoughts and emotions, and I’m glad they’re really rebuilding their friendship. Plus she quotes Takuma saying the “You mustn’t think that you can’t” line that Otoha likely told him. And so Otoha achieves an indirect way of getting through to her sister. There’s also the original “Candy is the flower of happiness” line. And I now apologize for making fun of Otoha’s long title back in episode 1. As it is part of the sketchbook story, I see where it means something now.

Overall, I’ll keep watching this only to see how it ends. If that grandfather dies, my soul will be successfully rocked with justice.

~Crisu