[Shikijin]

Last one for Nise.

Spoiler for chapter 5 (Senjougahara):

-Araragi said he had a good news, although he admitted that for a certain group of maniac fans it was a sad news. Anyway, Senjougahara has been rehabilitated. Senjougahara, the one whose catchphrase was "spin three times and die, or die three times and bark like a dog", the second coming of the mad tiger Tiger Jet Singh. Senjougahara had lived two years as a highschooler without talking to anyone. Even if Araragi did managed to get her problem solved, the fact she has been hurt didn't disappear. Senjougahara's personality fundamentally became the one she ended up with after the crab. While before she feigned friendliness though, now that the crab problem was solved she lost her motivation to do so, and so she was found out by Hanekawa. She received from her a personality rehabilitation program. Araragi didn't know this, as he didn't know Hanekawa was giving him the strengthening version. Anyway, for Araragi what really rehabilitated Senjougahara was the fact she faced Kaiki. Araragi had complained Kaiki had been useless, but in the end he gave Senjougahara a sort of shock treatment, although it was her who wrested her rehabilitation from him. That said, Senjougahara became dere. She was so dere Araragi had to fire her as her tutor. She started sending him idle mails full of emoticons and giving him cute nicknames. She doesn't pluck flowers and crush insects anymore. And she uses stationery in the way it is supposed to be used. She started wearing shorter skirts and lighter dresses. She finally laughed more. It seems she wasn't like that not even in middle school. More than dere she was doro (syrupy). Tsundoro. He felt like it could all be an elaborate form of harassment. And she also cut her hair. She said that if there are people who cut their hair for a broken heart, there could also be people who cut their hair for love. It could be that Senjougahara took Hanekawa (who turned into a more normal girl) as role model. Anyway, both Hanekawa and Senjougahara couldn't continue to be extreme like that forever. Senjougahara managed to overcome her complex. Hanekawa once said that Senjougahara had become an ephemereal beauty in high school, but she added that the current Senjougahara was the one she liked the most. Araragi agreed. He thought this day would have come. He prayed for this day to come. He believed in this day. And finally it's here. Congratulations. Leaving aside the fact a life-threatening danger has disappeared, he is really happy for her. In fact, he is a bit envious because he still hasn't overcome his complex with the kaii.

Spoiler for chapter 10 (phoenix):

-The phoenix is the kaii of the cuckoo (lesser cuckoo), although in Japan people associated the phoenix with the image of the peafowl. The cuckoo was once considered a bird that migrated to the underworld. In Japanese poetry, where it is emphasized the season, the cuckoo was a symbol of summer, well fit the period Tsukihi Phoenix was set in. The Japanese are very familiar with the cuckoo, and gave him dozens of names (really), among which "shide no taosa", where "shide" is "death, and entering the hereafter". When Shinobu mentioned the myth of the phoenix involves old birds throwing themselves into the flames, Araragi was remembered that the cuckoo was also a bird associated with moon (the Japanese cuckoo, or hototogisu, is often shown flying across the face of the moon. This image signifies honor and advancement in status, and refers to the story of the samurai Yorimasa, who, while being awarded for slaying a monster, saw a cuckoo flying in the night). Moon + Fire = Tsukihi. Araragi thought it was a stupid pun. Araragi also remembered the urban legend of the Rolls Royce which never breaks down as told by Hachikuji. He though it was just idle talk, but it was a pertinent metaphor of the phoenix. Shinobu asked Araragi if he ever thought there was something strange with his sister. He did. He even noticed that very day she had no scars anymore. Shinobu explained the phoenix increases the regeneration according to the gravity of the wound, so small wounds heal more slowly, while big wounds heal instantly. This also on the purpose of blending with the surroundings. Araragi had noted Tsukihi's hair grew too fast, as did her nails, so she kept going to hair salons and bathing. He never minded because it was family, but he felt something he couldn't quite point the finger at. Not even Shinobu realized the true nature of Tsukihi though.

Spoiler for chapters 11-12-13:

-Karen had just said that that was a very memorable day in her life, and from now on she won't have any surprise anymore... until she saw the entranceway of her house has been destroyed.
-Karen complained her key now could only be used to cut vinyl tape. Araragi thought her brain was like a bee's nest (i.e.: full of holes).
-Karen said she left Kanbaru's house early because being with Kanbaru-sensei made her too nervous, and she felt her head was boiling and she was starting to stutter.
-Karen said Kanbaru had a strange habit of puffing her cheeks, for example when Karen got her face close or when they had a little skinship.
-Karen and Kanbaru played street basket at a public park. Kanbaru was strong a basket, but weak at rock-paper-scissors.
-Araragi thought he was right in hiding Kanbaru's peculiar inclinations, Karen might have really offered her her virginity. He was also thankful to Kanbaru for restraining herself.
-Karen then noticed it would be better to talk about the destroyed entranceway. Araragi reprimended her saying that Kanbaru would certainly feel disappointed if Karen changed topic midway while talking about her. Karen agreed, and added that they played a game of tag at the jungle gym... then pointed out that the destroyed entranceway was way more important (noritsukkomi, playing along with the joke at first).
-Araragi felt like the faithful dog Hachiko for guarding the house like that.
-Araragi first answered that syndacate pursuit teams really came. Karen cussed at them. Then she thought she was talking like Korosuke (a character created by the author of Doraemon). Then she started wanting to eat korokke (croquette). Then she decided she will have oden for dinner. In the end she realized she didn't know any syndacate.
-Araragi thought that in the end he did study that day, if one includes life as subject.
-Karen said that she would have guarded the destroyed gate as Cerberus, or as Dekamaster. Araragi commented she really liked Dekaranger. Karen said she aimed at entering the Fire Squad, although since she can do the handstand well she is probably Green.
-When Karen answered immediately saying she would die for him, Araragi thought he would fall in love if she weren't his sister.
-Araragi not only carried the unconscious Tsukihi to bed, but he also changed her clothes. He says changing clothes on an unconscious person was very difficult, although a Japanese yukata made it easier. He ended up tucking in the right side under the left (which is done only for the dead), he thought it was ironic, considered Tsukihi was the bird of the afterdeath (shide no tori).
-Araragi thought it was also ironic that until now he called many times his sisters fake, and yet his sister Tsukihi was really a fake.
-Araragi said this development was too sudden. Just this morning he was playing piggyback with Karen, and now his sister had been assaulted.
-Araragi said that the kaii in the end are just a transient phenomenon. Tsukihi's will and consciousness are her own. She thinks of herself as a human. If she didn't, she would be incomplete as a fake. She was born and raised as the original Tsukihi would, and she will live and die as she would. She was a fake that was the same as Tsukihi. Araragi asked himself where was the difference with the real thing. Everything was the same as the real thing, yet she was a fake. She was like an artificial diamond. Hanekawa taught him about the uncanny valley, robots that are scary because too similiar to humans. Hanekawa doesn't know everything, just what she knows; in comparison, Araragi doesn't even know what he knows, he didn't even know of his sister. In Spring Break, after he became a vampire, he did everything he could to turn back into a human, even though he didn't completely return a human. Tsukihi though had nothing to turn back into, she was born a kaii. Just by existing, she was deceiving him and Karen. And then he kissed her.
-Araragi said that the way Tsukihi immediately woke up was like the princess in Sleeping Beauty, although in the fairy tale the prince is not thrust away with all one's strength.
-Tsukihi was crying that her first kiss she wanted to give to her boyfriend had been stolen by Araragi. Araragi commented Tsukihi's reaction was the same as Karen. Tsukihi had thought the relationship between Karen and Mizutori-kun recently had become complicated, but she never thought that was the reason. Araragi said she should mind more the fact her reaction has been the same as Karen. Tsukihi replied it was natural since she they were sisters. Araragi, hearing it was natural because they were sisters couldn't bear it anymore and started laughing. Tsukihi got mad at him laughing, saying he certainly assaulted Karen while she was sleeping too. Araragi corrected her, saying that unlike Tsukihi he took advantage of Karen's illness. Tsukihi announced there was a brother who sexually abused her sisters in her home. Araragi replied that he would properly explain things to their boyfriends. Tsukihi remarked that if he really explain it to her boyfriend she would break up with him.
-Tsukihi doesn't remember anything of what happened at the entranceway because her brain was destroyed. Araragi thought it was better if she didn't know things like the blond loli or the dangerous duo, or the fact she was a phoenix.
-When Araragi tried to get out, Karen stopped him saying she couldn't let him pass even if he was his brother. "If you want to defeat this place, you'll have to pass through me". Araragi was wondering what she meant. In what way should he pass through her, and if he defeated that place, wouldn't the home be completely destroyed? Karen said it was just a line she just wanted to try saying since Karen Bee. She did a bridge once again. "If you want to pass through this place, you'll have to defeat me". Araragi fondled her breasts. It was very effective. "Very well, you defeated me! First trial passed! The guard on the second gate won't be as soft as me though. Be surprised, he is our brother!" Araragi replied that he has no brother, just two little sisters. Karen replied he should have gotten along the joke by saying things like "I-Impossible! He died five years ago while protecting us!".
-Araragi said to Karen he was going out buying reference books. Karen trusted him. He thought her faithfulness to him was scary.
-Araragi asked Karen what was justice. Karen replied it was being right. Araragi then asked what was the enemy of justice. Karen said evil, like the ominous guy met recently. Araragi agreed, but said that villains as easy to understand as Kaiki are a minority. There aren't that many people that persist in being evil. The majority of people can't bear being a villain without aesthetic or legitimacy, so they try to assert their own righteousness (Kaiki in this regard didn't try to assert his own righteousness, saying things like "those who are tricked are at fault"). Araragi said that the enemy of justice is then another justice. Wars are a prime example of that. Even the Fire Sisters one day might become enemy of justice. Karen for example dislike cowards, but for weak people strength is cowardice (the word used mean also unfairness and meanness), and the reverse is true. Even being right for the evil is cowardice. Only evil is not coward because he fights with nothing to start with. Karen complained she couldn't understand, but for Araragi this was a wall she would have hit sooner or later, so he explained in the most simple terms he found. "Just by living, people make someone their enemy". Karen asked then what one should do after becaming an enemy of justice, while still thinking of being right. Araragi replied that if you can find an answer to that you are an ally of justice. In the end not even Araragi knew the answer. He is not on the side of justice, of humans, or the kaii. He is just on his sisters' side. Araragi left her saying to not let anyone in. Karen said she won't disobey his brother's order. Because Araragi was the one who both created in her a heart that hate the evil inside her and a heart that love the justice inside her. Araragi wanted to say to not push responsibilities on him, but he could only smile. She was receiving his influence, like Tsukihi. Araragi also told her to not let Tsukihi go out; in case she should put her to sleep with a judo technique.
-Shinobu was saying if Araragi wanted to fight she would have had to fight too to protect herself, so she was forced to help him. Araragi told her her tsundere was annoying.
-Shinobu said she was not like her early character anymore, and she wasn't taciturn like in her middle period either. Her current self is a mascot character who loves any kind of donuts.
-After saying she wanted to repay the moon, Shinobu added that was her official stance. Araragi offered to buy her donuts to thank her, but she said it wasn't needed since she was doing it of her own will. She resented Ononoki who called her an old person and wanted to teach her their difference in status.
-Now that she lives in his shadow, Shinobu doesn't need to drink Araragi's blood that often, but if he refused to do it she would die and he would then turned back into a human.
-Araragi and Shinobu bit each other's neck and tried to such each other's blood several times until they managed to find the best balance.
-Araragi noticed that Kagenui wouldn't tread on streets, but she could stand on the floor of rooms. He even noted her way of standing was unnatural, the axis of her body was a straight line, like it was fixed. Now that he had become stronger he could also assess better Kagenui's real ability.
-Shinobu's 18 years old form was partly copied from Karen. She had her hair in a ponytail, and she was wearing high class clothes resembling a tracksuit and high class snickers.
-Shinobu told Kagenui to not stir her up because she could kill them on the spur of the moment. She didn't want to betray Araragi. Ononoki here said her resolution was poor, they were full of killing intent instead. Kagenui said that Araragi and Shinobu didn't understand how much of a brute they were (the word brute is written "outside + road". It also means heretic). Araragi thought he understood it from seeing how they attacked his house. They were justice, but nothing else.
-It seems the room where Shinobu was fighting was the same Araragi used when fighting Kanbaru.
-Araragi noted that even if Shinobu said that she would make so that Ononoki couldn't have a posed look anymore, Ononoki didn't have one to begin one.
-Araragi said that Shinobu using his blood as battery was not bind to his shadow anymore, although there was a limit to how far she could go away from him. Fighting on the same coordinates, just on different floors, was fine. Araragi compared it to Nadeshiko and the Aestivalis.
-Ononoki said she was off taking care of the elder, and Kagenui replied she will leave it to her. Ononoki said to not rely so much on her. Then Ononoki spoke to Araragi and asked him what he thought of this world, but without giving him time to answer she continued saying that this world full of fakes should perish. Then she went out of the room. Araragi was reflecting on what Shinobu and Ononoki's battle would look like, when midsentence Kagenui closed in on him saying he shouldn't look away, their battle had started from the moment they were born. Kagenui kicked his knee with her right heel, and Araragi's leg was cut like with an electrosurgical scalpel. Araragi's surprise was bigger than his pain. He could accept to take a blow because he was careless, but he didn't thought the blow would have such destructive power. "Did you think I would have exploited vampire weaknesses? Did you think I would have attacked internal organs? Did you think I would have brought cross and holy water? Did you think I would have sprayed holy water with a water gun?" Kagenui punched him in the chin with her left. Araragi said her punch would have decommissioned a light motor vehicle. It was like taking at point blank range a strong fast ball throwed by a major league player. His brain wasn't shaken though, it's just that his jaw was taken away. Kagenui said she was Japan's first battle onmyouji. It seems she doesn't like incantations. Then Kagenui hit him on his right shoulder with her left palm. His right arm was pluck off just from the pressure. Araragi thought she was not on human level. She was not an onmyouji or anything, it was like they remove from a human everything but the fighting ability. It was no wonder Shinobu was vague about her, there was no way to describe her. Araragi jumped back with his remaining leg. Kagenui didn't chase him, because she was a pro. Araragi thought that Kagenui's power was so strong it saved him though, there was so much pain that it wasn't painful anymore, and then the regeneration kicked in. As he is not able to regenerate his clothes, he felt he looked a bit like a punk. Araragi tried to calm down, thinking that tomorrow he could fondle her sisters' breasts as much as he wanted, so it was worth it. Kagenui then said that the reason she specialized in immortal kaii was that there was no overdoing it. Araragi had calmed down in vain.
-Araragi tried to remember. He thought that even Oshino was supposed to be able to do the same things Kagenui does, he just didn't do it.
-Kagenui said that with Oshino, Kaiki and a senpai they played four people shogi. Araragi remembered Kaiki talked about shogi before. Kagenui said Kaiki wasn't the type that made moves to win, but to make a profit. He loved to arrange his pieces so that they form a column. Araragi commented Kaiki was even pointlessly ominous (forming a column of pieces is considered ominous in shogi. Maybe it's because if you capture a piece in the column you are captured back). Kagenui said Oshino loved shogi problems. He bullied her with problems in which there are both kings under threat. He often created problems that required close to one thousand moves to solve. Araragi commented he didn't seem to have friends.
-Kagenui said that Oshino and the senpai were the ones really studying occult things, they trascured the others because they played shogi too much. She said that the occult club have been probably closed after they left. With that she meant Kaiki and Oshino left university midway, she was the only one who graduated.
-Araragi noted that Kaiki took money out of him but didn't leave him with accurate information.
-Kagenui said that Kaiki fetched a big sum from her for the information about the phoenix, but surpisingly the information he supplied was true.
-Araragi remembered that Kaiki told him that more than a coincidence it seemed like there was an evil intention behind. His evil intention. Possibly Kaiki didn't even meet Araragi by chance, but he knew Araragi would have visited Mr. Donuts. He wasn't petty, he was more like a a biohazard. It became reasonable for Senjougahara not wishing him to become involved with Kaiki. He lauded her for facing him a second time.
-Kagenui said that the "ki" character of Ononoki comes from Kaiki's name. Unlike Oshino, she didn't have the courage to bind a kaii with her name. Araragi was thinking Ononoki was just his name stuttered.
-Araragi said that Kaiki had not met Tsukihi yet, so he shouldn't know she is a phoenix. Kagenui said that Kaiki excelled at seeing the hidden side of things. Just by seeing two siblings, he would be able to know the third.
-Kaiki didn't just hide the fact Tsukihi was Araragi's sister (Araragi was made known as a harmless vampire by Oshino), he purposely misled Kagenui into thinking they just had the same surnames.
-Kagenui said Kaiki specialized in fake kaii. The phoenix overlaps with both Kagenui and Kaiki's field. The best occultist was Oshino though. He was surrounded by girls and nobody ever saw him studying, but everyone was calling him a genius. Even Kaiki couldn't deal with him. Araragi reconsidered Oshino for the fact he made Kaiki uneasy. Kagenui said he missed Oshino, so she visited this building.
-Kagenui said that that place was a power spot. It felt like a room where Oshino lived. And even Araragi felt like a person saved by Oshino (yeah, Kagenui knew even the usual Oshino catchphrase "you saved you by yourself"). She wondered if Oshino ever knew Araragi's sister was a phoenix. Araragi didn't know. No matter what he said on his sister though, if it came to it Araragi would even make an enemy of him. After all since Spring Break he always made an enemy of himself. He never forgave himself. The battle was starting once again.
-Kagenui thought it was funny a cuckoo (the phoenix) associated with an araragi (Japanese yew tree).
-Araragi wasn't thinking Kagenui could have had even an incredible defensive power. She restrained him while even chatting nonchalantly.
-Kagenui kicked him with her tiptoe. He managed to dodge it somehow by swaying, but his face was scraped. Then Kagenui's foot came down in an axe heel. It was the same technique once used by Karen, but speed and power were totally different, besides she was holding his wrists so he couldn't dodge back. She gouged his clavicle. By then his face had regenerated, but then Kagenui hit him with a headbutt. Then she released his wrists, swept him and while he was in midair hit him with a countless number of fireworks-like attacks. Araragi felt like he had become a drum. He felt like he was pushed into a hand mixer and turned into a smoothie. If this was a beat-em-up game, the letters "YOU WIN" would have appeared over Kagenui.
-Kagenui quote a proverb from Confucius that says that one must estinguish a fire while it's small, or it will eventually become too big.
-Araragi thought Kagenui wasn't angry, she was just raising her voice to strengthen her blows. He thought some of his words had stirred her up. He didn't know which though. He also thought it was paradoxical for Kagenui to take along with her the kaii Ononoki. It was a situation similar to his (Ononoki calls Kagenui "big sis"). At this point Kagenui actually said "Sho-ryu-ken!". She smashed his heart while lifting him up and making him knock the ceiling. The concrete of the ceiling received his body print. Araragi even thought he would have broken through the ceiling. For a short while he was stuck on the ceiling, then he fell down on the floor face up. Araragi felt like he had been cooked on both sides. Then Kagenui wanted to see how Ononoki was doing, and she started punching him. The punches were piercing through him and hitting directly the floor. He compared it to Lupin's Goemon Ishikawa cutting floors with his sword, although Kagenui was less refined. Araragi was hit by roughly 500 blows (he had nothing to do so he started counting them midway).
-Araragi arrived on the second floor. "Second floor, battle scenes".
-Shinobu felt all the punches that hit Araragi, but it seems it was no problem for her.
-Ononoki's clothes and hair were all torn, but Shinobu didn't have any wound. Shinobu appeared to have toyed with Ononoki, who had teary eyes. Araragi thought that if it was like this Shinobu could have come helping him.
-Shinobu refused to fight Kagenui because she said her master was drawn back from the fact she bullied Ononoki too much, and she didn't want to be disliked more. And her master still hadn't lost.
-Araragi said that no brother would leak a little sister's embarassing secret. As said by Hachikuji, the courage to keep a secret.
-Araragi wanted to talk with Kagenui while striking a cool pose, but his body still wasn't moving.
-Araragi said that he doesn't need to leave to others a good impression. He is fine with being the lowest of humans. He said with a posed look.
-Kagenui explained a bit the theory of innate goodness of men developed by Chinese philosopher Mencius. From wikipedia:

The feeling of commiseration is the beginning of humanity; the feeling of shame and dislike is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of deference and compliance is the beginning of propriety; and the feeling of right or wrong is the beginning of wisdom.

Men have these Four Beginnings just as they have their four limbs. Having these Four Beginnings, but saying that they cannot develop them is to destroy themselves.

-Kagenui at first pulled the worn out Ononoki by her hand, then she thought it was better to carry her on her back.
-Araragi asked her where she is going. She said that there are as many immortal kaii as one likes, so she can allow to overlook one.
-Kagenui was annoyed at being ripped off by Kaiki, but she also seemed happy somehow.
-Araragi explained that with Oshino there was an atmosphere where it seemed silly to become serious.
-From her pronunciation of "sayounara", Araragi thought Kagenui didn't really come from Kyoto.
-After getting out of the building Kagenui walked on fences and the like while carrying Ononoki on her back. Araragi then sucked blood from Shinobu turning her into her usual child form, then he returned home with Shinobu in the basket of his bike. Since Araragi's clothes had been destroyed during the fight and he didn't want to come home naked, before returning a little girl Shinobu used her matter creation power. It took time to compromise with Shinobu's fashion sense. Araragi insisted for normal clothes, while Shinobu said that her pride didn't allow for casual fashion.
-Once returned home, he found Karen disputing with their parents. She wouldn't let them pass, only her brother. It took Araragi some other time to explain his parents why the entranceway was destroyed. Well, while Karen seemed to not have swallowed his story, his parents had a more realistic approach and they wouldn't be able to imagine supernatural monsters. In the end they seemed to think it was all a prank by Karen (even Araragi was puzzled at that). In fact, their parents appeared more bothered by the fact Karen lost her ponytail. Karen had already forgot she once had a ponytail though. While her parents were scolding Karen, Araragi sneaked out to see Tsukihi. Tsukihi had changed with the yukata she used as a pajama. She had her right side tucked under her left, copying what Araragi did before.
-If Tsukihi were to receive a big wound, her secret will be discovered, but until then Araragi won't tell it to anyone. He thought Tsukihi had lost the requirements for justice being unfairly immortal. He thought Kagenui was probably right. He himself had a bad impression of the cuckoo and his brood parasitism. There was a difference between a cuckoo and Tsukihi though, Tsukihi never pushed them out of the nest.
-Araragi was once asked by Ononoki what he thought of the world. He answered here, he said that even though the world was full of fakes, he still finds it wonderful. He had to agree with Kaiki.
-Tsukihi said that she was thinking of stopping his eventual kiss with her tongue. Araragi commented she would be like a monster (there are Japanese monsters with long tongues).
-Tsukihi asked him how long she should sleep. She said she persisted in sleeping because Araragi told her so. Araragi told her to sleep until tomorrow, and then wake him up as usual.

Spoiler for addenda:

A bit of things about the themes of Nise had been lost, either because of the translation or the adaptation, so I felt like I have to add some explanations.

-The kanji of "nise" (fake) was used in many words here, like hypocrisy (fake + virtue), or artificial. This is lost if you don't read the books, but overall it's very minor, and I think it can be inferred (though I don't think people who watched the anime can infer Kagenui was faking her accent).

-Justice was the other main theme of Nise. In particular, the Fire Sisters were pretend-play (i.e.: fake) "allies of justice", whereas Kagenui was the real "ally of justice". In the CR translation, Kagenui was called "good guy". Justice was also involved in many dialogues and monologues. For example while talking with Hachikuji (first episode of Nise), Araragi said that being an ally of justice fundamentally means being an enemy of everyone else (you can't ally yourselves with all the people).

-Nisio has also a bizarre sense of foreshadowing, which matches his sense of metanarrative humor. In the middle part of Tsukihi Phoenix Araragi wondered if all the occultists he met that day meant he was going to meet Oshino once again. In fact, he discovered the foreshadowing was there, just in the most unexpected places. Tsukihi talking in Kyoto dialect was foreshadowing for Kagenui. Araragi riding Karen piggyback was foreshadowing for when Kagenui was standing on Ononoki's shoulder (scene that got modified in the anime). The phoenix was foreshadowed by the Rolls Royce urban legend told by Hachikuji (cut in the anime). Even the fact he abused his sisters was referenced when the told Kagenui he didn't care about making good impression, or to be right. Well, I think the idea of disseminating foreshadowing in the midst of nonsense came off as a bit weak, and dragged the book too much, but nevertheless it cannot be denied Nisio tried to do something original. The scene of Hachikuji making lots of pointless talk and then saying that since Araragi didn't like pointless talk it was time for her to leave was master trolling. Also Nise1 and Nise2 referenced each other. In the end Araragi managed to kiss both sisters. In Karen Bee Araragi also said Tsukihi was a follower of the latest fads, foreshadowing the mimicry of the phoenix.

-More importantly, the theme of the mentor. Although it could be thought as an outshoot of the theme of justice, this was the real main theme of Tsukihi Phoenix. Kagenui said that people who are easy to ask the way (like Araragi) are like mentors. Conversely, nobody ever asked her the way, a sign she is not fit to guide people, and that's why she doesn't walk on roads. The novel made a point of how Araragi was having an influence on people near him, like Shinobu. Karen ended up loving justice (after being bullied by him) and Tsukihi ended up copying Karen, showing that Araragi after all had a good influence. Xun Zi said that people are inherently selfish so they need rules from above to become good, whereas Mencius said the people are born good but they can then be misled by society so they need mentors to learn how to bring out their original goodness. Mencius and Xun Zi's ideas are fundamentally similar, as for both ultimately people need guidance, regardless of whether they were born good or bad. Kagenui recognized Araragi as a worthy mentor, as proved also from the fact he taught her the way once, so she will leave his sister be.

Overall Tsukihi Phoenix was actually a deep book, despite being over the top in some parts. I liked how Kaiki was somehow rehabilitated with a piece of neat philosophy in the end despite being still a lying bastard, and I like the reason Araragi kissed Tsukihi, to prove she was indeed his sister because he felt nothing from a kiss with her. It still had its flaws as a book, but I think its merits have been downplayed. The anime in this regard was not able to truly make it shine, although I have to say I liked how they rearranged the plot in the chronological order, making it easy to understand (compared to Karen Bee which had a convoluted plot in the book that didn't work well in the anime). I still wonder how came Tsukihi Phoenix was only 4 episodes. Maybe because it had no Hitagi?

If anything, the anime feels somehow consistent with itself, but the books took their own path, and now the adaptation felt a bit like turning Gintama into Rurouni Kenshin.