(CR) Malevolent Spirits: Mononogatari

[FlareKnight]

In the end staying around doesn't present any real conflict for Hyoma. He can still chase his intended goal of taking over his clan and getting the information on the opponent he wants to find if he stays as planned. Even if Botan's situation gets more complicated that's just something to deal with as it happens. And there is a legitimate desire to protect Botan so it's all fine from his perspective.

Of course logically Botan has no real reason to worry about telling Hyoma things. He's as far from a normal person as you can get. His own circumstances leave him able to take in her situation without being phased too much. But when her whole life has been about people distancing from her when they pick up on her situation...it's hard to shake that fear. Plus I suppose she could always worry about Hyoma because his background leaves him able to appreciate how dangerous it is to be with her. But, Hyoma won't shake in his stance and won't abandon either her or his own goals for something like that.

Good for Botan that she got that comfort. And this proved to be a pretty solid episode to advance their relationship. Even though they didn't directly interact for much of it . That scene at the end was sweet. Botan's smile is a treasure and it's one that Hyoma can certainly protect.

I still hope he does get his revenge. I know he can't live for it and needs to accept that the bond of this family can happen and is legitimate. But I still think he's more than justified in getting some revenge along the way.

[Alchemist007]

Show has some nice backgrounds.

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[Frontier]

Hyoma and Botan are having a nice pleasant morning greeting together! Gotta appreciate a girl who wants to make sure you're warm during you're winter morning exercises. Though Aogi is a much less welcome sight at the Nagatsuki household .

Suzui is a good negotiator! Especially when he can effectively play hardball with his smiling face .

Most are willing to lay low and not make a fuss regarding Botan and Hyoma's relationship, but the Sonbengi clan, the Saenome of Kyoto, and the three great Tsukomogami of Kyoto all seem determined to make their move with the potential of something significant happening to Botan .

That woman with the umbrella voiced by Yoko Hikasa...could that be the Tsukumogami who killed Hyoma's siblings? Especially since she was asking about him ?

The Kadomari Saenome seem pretty methodical and normal at first glance, but they're also pretty ruthless and cold to Tsukumogami. They see the Nagatsuki household as a bunch of monsters and Botan a ticking time bomb waiting to happen, and want someone on the inside to seal her. Would they change their minds if they knew there was a prospect of her marrying into the Saenome ?

Though regardless Hyoma cares too much about her and the rest of the Nagatsuki's to go along with this, but that's not going to stop the Kadomari from trying to control him .

Those guys were cocky and condescending towards Hyoma that it was so satisfying to see him show off how capable and powerful he is. Especially when he's practically shirtless. I'd love to see Botan's reaction to his abs .

Although Tsubaki seems pretty interested in Hyoma now too...and she's Kadomari's daughter, and probably a lot more dangerous than she looks at first glance. It might work out for Hyoma that she thinks he's too cute for her to fight. Although pink hair...she's probably going to end up being a yandere, isn't she ?

The Kadomari thought they could overwhelm Hyoma with all the Tsukumogami they control, but they didn't count on the fact that Hyoma would revel in more Tsukomogami for him to kill. I guess I'll just have to believe they had it coming even if they didn't have a choice in fighting him .

[Alchemist007]

The writing sure wants to have him get his ass kicked severely one of these days, relatively lightweight stuff so far.

[FlareKnight]

I do kind of appreciate that Hyoma really has no patience for politics . If he's not going to do something then he's going to make it clear right away. Not necessarily the best approach to get out of there without conflict, but such is how it goes.

Honestly it feels more like this group is the one that's too naive. A bonus stage without a boss, eh. Well there was definitely a boss. Though I guess it's fair to say it's not one that's locked down. Since good chance the mysterious figure approaching Aogi is the one that Hyoma is after. Still, safe to say he found his outlets for conflict and violence regardless of the reputation of the region that he came from. Picking a fight with Hyoma is going to cost them quite a few assets.

Safe to say the Tsubaki girl is the strongest one there and it's a good thing she's decided to stay out of it. Will see if she really sticks to that or not. But she's definitely got her eyes on Hyoma which will likely create troubles in the future.

I like the fact that the whole family was pretty peeved at Aogi for hurting Hyoma . Kagami wasn't even hiding it and everything was left to Suzui. Since he was the only one that could mildly contain his displeasure. And only to the degree of threatening to have Aogi beaten on his way back home if he didn't cough up information.

Is clear though that this situation really is a ticking time bomb. Botan's situation is uncertain, but how many sides are going to snap if they find out the intention to have Hyoma and Botan get married? Plus there's Hyoma's nemesis hanging around. The second she makes a move he really will lose it and probably won't stand a chance on his own.

[FlareKnight]

That was quite the eventful episode. Hyoma really handled himself just fine there. Also good bit of information drop. He didn't grow up in a peaceful region without a boss in it. He kicked that boss around and made it into a region like that . Also interesting that this Tsubaki girl knew his siblings. So while she seems a bit...unusual she may not be all that bad.

Good growth anyways by Hyoma trusting his gut and saving Yagan. He could have taken her out easily or been left in a no-win scenario. But instead he found the one way to win and made clear that he wouldn't be intimidated here.

Sweet moments with Botan as well. I'm glad she was given that background. It'll give her more to understand about Hyoma. Plus it will make his position all the more understandable. No surprise that his siblings were so darn elite. It just makes them getting killed all the more shocking. At the very least these two are understanding each other better and naturally building up interest in each other. Not quite there "yet" but things are definitely developing between them.

[Frontier]

Hyoma's been fighting Tsukumogami since he was 12? Beat a major one at 18? Hyoma's definitely hardcore .

Kadomari you scumbag! Controlling Yagen and using her to give Hyoma an opponent he'd actually feel conflicted about slicing up because he knew her! Although it's exactly because Hyoma didn't want to slay her that he was able to win by taking her hit, freeing her, and then turning his strength against the ones who actually deserved it .

Tsubaki looked pretty cute as a little girl! Also is her pink-haired dyed? She had darker hair as a kid. And she knew Suzui and Hayato too, they told her about Hyoma. She's even kind of a parallel to Hyoma working with her father and siblings as the main Saenome family of that area .

I love how Yagen is freed from her brainwashing and her first takeaway is how disheveled her clothes are. Though I guess she wasn't really conscious of what happened to her .

I see Kadomari knows not to mess with his daughter...and he knows when he's beat. He also spins it around that he was just testing Hyoma, and Hyoma is enough of a dork to actually believe him. Though he also knows his threats against Botan were genuine .

Watch out Botan! Tsubaki seems genuinely interested in Hyoma! She even gave him her number! Though just seeing Botan is enough to put Hyoma at ease, which is very sweet...minus the point where she catches him and a Tsukomogami girl in a state that begs a lot of questions about what they were doing .

Oh hey, Kushige came back! And is still perpetually drunk because he was forced to drink for days. Poor guy .

Haori just couldn't resist pushing Hyoma and Botan together rather than just let Hyoma have an outing alone with Yagen. She's not wasting time with these two .

So Tsukumogami have some recollection of their past memories being used in their physical states, and those that used them, but it's like memories of a past life. But it was enough to make Yagen truly love and cherish the world of the living. It's kind of sad seeing her go again because she's really cute and likeable, but hopefully the Kunato will treat her better .

Hyoma and Botan being an obvious couple is adorable. Also Hyoma said they're not in that kind of relationship "yet." priceless .

Not only did Hyoma and Botan learn more about Tsukumogami and how they think, but they also learned more about each other. Botan finally finds out why Hyoma hates most Tsukumogami and Botan is able to make Hyoma realize how much he's changed since he started living there and she seems quite keen on this version of Hyoma .

A lot of Tsukumogami are staring at Botan, including the Nagatsukis...though Yu is just staring daggers at Hyoma for the impunity of being on a date alone with Botan. Botan is too young to be alone with a man (despite being a college student)! And then she's about to charge at him for daring to use her first name. Though did he actually do it? I hope so .

[Frontier]

The Kadomari are being attacked? Couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch. Though I guess a gang of rogue Tsukumogami (who are sourced from weapons/torture devices, which explains a lot) is more concerning .

Botan really is a doting girlfriend/wife for Hyoma at this point, seeing him off and making sure he doesn't get himself severely injured again. She also basically trained him into saying her first name, because she was just that determined for it to happen, and he's even saying it without an honorific! Not that Yu is happy about it

I didn't expect Tsubaki to be all over Hyoma so soon, she's definitely acting pretty close to him or like she wants their relationship to be a bit more...though it seems like their shared desire for revenge against the Paper Umbrella Tsukumogami that killed Hyoma's siblings is what connects them and makes Tsubaki feel such an affinity for Hyoma. Also, Tsubaki is coffee buddies with Yu, so expect Yu to use that against Hyoma to sabotage his relationship with Botan. Poor guy .

I love how Hyoma completely misses the situation regarding the Sogenbi and just thought Aogi was cool for finding out where their base is. You almost have to appreciate how simple-minded, earnest, and honest Hyoma can be at times .

Aogi tries to bail on fighting the Sogenbi but Tsubaki straight up puts a control seal on him to make him fight. Though when he and Uchiki get insulted they actually put their A-game on and win their fight...though too bad about Shimono, not often we get big muscle-y ladies in anime. Though now Uchiki (who apparently has various layers of bodies) is easier on the eyes in their female form .

I kind of wanted to see more of Tsubaki's fight...

Yu looks good with her hair down! And when she looks fierce! I love how she winked a message to Hyoma and he completely misread what she meant...I mean, they still beat the Tsukumogami, but it's just hilarious how it came out of a misunderstanding rather than actual planned teamwork. But I guess that fits Hyoma and Yu to a T, and how much of a dork Hyoma is .

[FlareKnight]

That's pretty cool. Seems like Tsubaki is on the same kind of path of revenge that Hyoma is. And that makes sense. She seemed to really like his siblings and I'm sure hearing that they were killed by Tsukumogami really hit her hard as well. And she grew up in a place that had pretty negative interactions with them in general. So outside of her acting out too much I'm sure her family was totally ok with her being as angry as Hyoma.

Honestly if she's going to be a love rival that makes her quite the interesting one. Since she's on the side that Hyoma has been leaning towards for a long time. While Botan provides a more stabilizing element that can round him out better.

Regardless though, this episode had some nice moments. It is hilarious that Botan was actively training him to say her name . Even more hilarious is that it actually took that much effort. Probably not going to be happy that he'll be coming back with more injuries. But honestly he looks to be in better shape than last time...

The Sogenbi were pretty dumb though. I guess suppressing their bloodlust without actually developing led to them being unable to handle it. Any excuse was a good excuse and as soon as they snapped they lost any ability to be rational. It should have been obvious that taking on two of the future heads of Saenome families, Yu, Aogi, and Uchiki at the same time was beyond reckless. They had no real plan or goal. They just wanted to torture. In that sense they were the perfect target for Hyoma. No remorse or hesitation in going after them.

The finisher was hilarious. Yu intended to do it by herself but Hyomoa had to throw himself into that mix . He's such an idiot in the best of ways. He and Yu do make a solid team though.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

They had no real plan or goal. They just wanted to torture. In that sense they were the perfect target for Hyoma. No remorse or hesitation in going after them.

That's because they are tsukumogami forged from torture devices. Their purpose is to torture, just like Botan's trousseau tsukumogami are destined to protect her.

[FlareKnight]

Tsubaki becomes more and more entertaining as time goes on. Certainly warped in her own way. Both seeks out that paper umbrella as a source of entertainment for herself and because it took away things she found entertaining. No question she would have loved to spar and get to unleash her full talents against Hyoma's siblings. Which can definitely make her an interesting threat. If Hyoma can reach the level necessary he'll become even more appealing.

Though she's definitely not a romantic threat. Hyoma's a bit dense and so far only Botan has really gotten him shaken up in that way. I don't think Tsubaki has a move ready to quite match that.

Good second part of the episode with focusing back on that main ship. Lot of good moments there. Nice work by Haori in moving things along. The mutual interest on both sides is steadily building up. Just really cute moments between them.

Fingers crossed that we might get a visit from the paper umbrella before the season is over. But might only get another tease at her presence and nothing more.

[Frontier]

Y'know I almost feel kind of bad for the torture Tsukumogami. They were just so defined by the nature of their vessel that they didn't know what else to do but fulfill their function in their new lives...and then they got used and discarded by the Kadomari. I mean, the world is probably better off without them, but still .

So Kusui and Hayato were both pretty proficient as far as Saenome go! To the point that Tsubaki idolized them. Also, Hyoma's big sis was stacked !

Tsubaki makes a pretty enticing offer...until you realize that she views the entire world and the people in it as a game for her to fool around with and have fun, so she's not really someone you can have complete faith in. Although Hyoma turning her down seemed to shock her silly, which was pretty funny .

Yu might never 100% accept Hyoma, but him turning down Tsubaki because he's still committed to the Nagatsuki's and Botan seems to have really improved her opinion of him. Though now Botan's the one mad he got beat up again .

Time for the Nagatsuki Family Hot Pot! And a perfect excuse to get Botan and Hyoma alone so they can get to know each other better. Haori isn't letting up or letting Botan off the hook there .

It was fun seeing the Nagatsuki's in casual clothes and using their abilities to go grocery shopping. Especially Yu. I envy Nagi getting to have a drinking battle with a tall, busty, Tsukumogami lady .

Botan's a little frazzled that she's seemingly the only one self-conscious being alone with Hyoma and about the nature of their relationship...until Hyoma gets all stiff and talking in old-fashioned Japanese to the point where Botan pounces on him to see him blushing. And of course they end up on top of each other with the absolute sweetest of blushes on their face. And did I spy Botan eyeing Hyoma's lips? Too bad Yu had to show up at the exact worst (best) time .

So not only did Haori give away the hot pot so Botan and Hyoma wasted their time...but all the Tsukumogami have different drinks of choice so Nagi wasted his time for Japanese Sake that only he wanted. What a crazy and loveable family !

So we found out Kagami has an adult form she can transform into and Botan is a very affectionate and energetic drunk. Not to mention Hyoma opening up to Botan about his family while recognizing the Nagatsuki's as Botan, which feels like a big step up for their relationship. And then their drunken family drags them in for more fun !

Next week looks like the final boss for this season is going to be Kai .

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by Frontier

Y'know I almost feel kind of bad for the torture Tsukumogami. They were just so defined by the nature of their vessel that they didn't know what else to do but fulfill their function in their new lives...and then they got used and discarded by the Kadomari. I mean, the world is probably better off without them, but still .

I get what you mean. Although in some ways I agree with the need to put them down. They simply couldn't see beyond their vessels. I think that flaw would mean the end for any Tsukumogami. They aren't just the objects they inhabit. It's sad that they couldn't see beyond being tools of torture. But probably all the more reason they needed to be stopped.

So Kusui and Hayato were both pretty proficient as far as Saenome go! To the point that Tsubaki idolized them. Also, Hyoma's big sis was stacked !

It kind of sets up the threat level of that Paper Umbrella even further. Those two weren't just average, they were prodigies. Even if they had their guards down...it still says a lot that they were killed so horribly and could barely secure a chance for their younger brother to escape. For various reasons I further grieve the loss of Kusui .

Botan's a little frazzled that she's seemingly the only one self-conscious being alone with Hyoma and about the nature of their relationship...until Hyoma gets all stiff and talking in old-fashioned Japanese to the point where Botan pounces on him to see him blushing. And of course they end up on top of each other with the absolute sweetest of blushes on their face. And did I spy Botan eyeing Hyoma's lips? Too bad Yu had to show up at the exact worst (best) time .

I'm glad we got moments like this. This ship gets more enjoyable by the episode. All the more so with Botan's side. She's lived a life where most people have either rejected her or she's had to keep the truth of her life hidden from them. But here's a legitimate love interest that knows the whole story and isn't shaken by it. Glad she was fired up enough to create that happy accident .

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

I get what you mean. Although in some ways I agree with the need to put them down. They simply couldn't see beyond their vessels.

Reminds me of the cancer cell in Cells at Work. It's not his fault that he mutated into a malignant cell, but having done so, he has to be eradicated by the body's immune system. It was hard not to sympathize with the cancer cell; his fate was hardly his fault. I had the same conflicted feelings for the weapon tsukomogami.

[FlareKnight]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

Reminds me of the cancer cell in Cells at Work. It's not his fault that he mutated into a malignant cell, but having done so, he has to be eradicated by the body's immune system. It was hard not to sympathize with the cancer cell; his fate was hardly his fault. I had the same conflicted feelings for the weapon tsukomogami.

I didn't feel as strongly for the torture devices since we barely got to know them. But Cancer Cell did show how effective that kind of story can be. It's a tough spot. They were put behind the others by inhabiting a vessel that...is problematic. They have to reject the nature of that vessel to exist in the human world. Didn't help that they clearly had no help. Weren't going to get any kind of emotional support to overcome their nature from a group that only sees Tsukomogami as tools.

[Frontier]

Everyone's passed out drunk, but Botan wakes to memories of her hairpin...involving a dead woman...Botan didn't have her parents around, so who was she? That relative that used to visit her? She seems like a really significant figure in Botan's life .

So the Kyoto Saenome have their own fashion catalog of magical clothing...which they also model in. Including Taiju. Does Tsubaki model? I'm asking for a friend .

Tsubaki got drip! And she's also as forward and clingy to Hyoma as ever, which Botan definitely notices, though she's also quick to get along with Botan and point out the obvious between her and Hyoma. You never quite know how Tsubaki is going to act .

It really shows how far Hyoma has come that he's willing to wear special clothes made by a Tsukumogami and he wanted to fight said clothes man-to-cloth so they could have a fair and equal relationship. It's pretty unconventional but it fits Hyoma's development and how he's changed over the course of the series, and it snags him some magic new duds .

Yeah, it would be pretty exhausting meeting a girl like Tsubaki and have her basically declare herself your love rival (or that she plans to get closer to the guy you have your eye on) while Botan's still trying to make sense of her own feelings for Hyoma .

Huh, so Botan used to be a lot more closed off and serious, at least back when Taiju first met her. Was that a car accident ?

Hyoma finally visits Botan's college and even helps out at her club! And of course her clubmates enjoy his company and teasing Botan about him. Though they're totally relatives...by way of Alabama, if you know what I mean .

Suzuri and Nagi are trying to find contacts at the college so they can know what's going on with Botan although a part of me just thinks Suzuri need an excuse to hit on girls .

Kai escapes his prison so he can have a personal confrontation with Hyoma, and as good as Hyoma is, he seems way out of his depth against one of the three great Tsukumogami of Kyoto. And while he's battling Kai, Nagi and Suzuri battle Itsuki, and Botan...is just having a fun time playing karuta and wishing Hyoma was there. Typical Nagatsuki problems .

[FlareKnight]

While I get regions like Kyoto are especially combat intensive, I'm kind of surprised this kind of magic armor isn't an option for Saenome all over. Not to say that it 100% would have made a difference in the case of Hyoma's siblings (though this episode would strongly hint that it would have). But you'd think after two of their rising stars were murdered that Hyoma's grandfather would have looked into all possible means of protecting his fellow Saenome (not to mention his remaining grandson). Admittedly it's not confirmed that they weren't wearing such armor when they were killed. But at the very least it's safe to say it's not a common thing for Hyoma's region considering he'd never heard of such a thing before now.

I'm sure the Kyoto Saenome would want to hold on to some secrets and such. But that really seems like something that there should be major pressure to have spread around the entire country. At the very least getting on that before he loses any more grandchildren would normally be what you'd expect. Really wish we had a flashback for the grandfather. You'd presume the deaths of his grandchildren would have been horrific. But the killer is still clearly freely walking around and the only response we've seen from him is trying to curb Hyoma's bloodlust. Not a bad thing, but not the only thing he should be up to.

Not sure Botan needed to go with the relative excuse. But I guess when there's one reliable excuse that's been used on repeat it's easy to just go back with that. Will be good fun when she's got to be a bit more honest with them down the road .

I guess we'll see how things play out. Seems a given that Kai will try to anger Hyoma enough to get a berserker mode out of him. Admittedly that might be a necessity to hold his own here. Guess we'll see if Nagi and Suzuri can take care of that Itsuki girl and shut down the fight before the durability of Hyoma's new outfit is truly tested...

[Stark700]

Second half airing July

https://twitter.com/mononogatari_pr/...75624681553922

[FlareKnight]

Good last (for now) episode. Lot of good little things going on in this one. I like the hint that Hyoma has another weapon more suited to him and currently he's kind of weakening himself by using weapons that don't suit him. Though I'm not sure it's because of sentimentality or wanting to remember his siblings. I could see it as being a form of revenge. That when he kills that paper umbrella he'll use the weapons of the siblings that were cruelly murdered.

Of course the reality is that Hyoma just isn't strong enough right now. A scary concept that even with him going all out that he still isn't on the level of either of his siblings. Now again, maybe the paper umbrella caught them offguard. So him being weaker than them shouldn't matter as much in that scenario. But if it brutally killed them while their guard was up...that's scary.

Whether Botan is connected I'm not sure. Though it is possible that in her grief and rage she 'summoned' something. It would be a cruel irony. That not only were the ones seeking to use her killed, but she brought forth something so immensely powerful that it killed Hyoma's siblings. But that's not a certainty. The odds aren't bad though since it would be a good narrative punch.

I don't think training will make the difference here. It does seem like he'll have to give up on using his siblings' weapons and instead hone his own.

Good "girl in love" stuff for Botan. No matter how she views herself, the reality is that she already has plenty of trust and love for Hyoma inside of her. She just can't believe or recognize that. But it did allow Hyoma to really rock her world a bit . No question that this guy is way too awkward to manipulate her, is too stubborn to die, and has the kind of straight forward approach that can only further shake up Botan .

Good episode and really sets us up for great moments going forward.

Originally Posted by Stark700

Second half airing July

https://twitter.com/mononogatari_pr/...75624681553922

That's great news . Honestly I thought this would be a one and done series. But glad we'll have another season. There's a lot of stuff I'd like to see and at least there are more episodes to actually see some of it.

[Alchemist007]

It was pretty good, with an MC that I find little to begrudge almost any inherent quality of, and yes there's room for growth as well. This is classified as Seinen but it hit some shounen beats as well, hard to judge with only a partial story revealed, and I wish there was more about the character of the Umbrella.

7/10