I’ve got one problem with this episode. The case this time is focused on Watanuki, instead of a customer. The episode is about superstitions. At one time, Watanuki’s clipping his toenails, after having heard that you can’t clip your toenails at night, because if you do, you won’t be with your parents when they die. His parents are dead, so he ignores this. Because of this, he gets attacked by a giant pair of scissors.
Well, the problem I have lies with Yuuko’s explanation. The people who came up with these superstitions were trying to prevent people from doing something. They knew you’d be attacked by a giant pair of scissors if you clipped your toenails at night, that’s why they subtly tried to warn others. But that doesn’t make any sense, as why is Japan the only country who believes in this? If this really were true, rumours and stories like these would appear over the entire world.
But now that I think about it… the scissors could also have been Yuuko, who tried to make Watanuki believe in superstitions.
Watanuki basically had it right: there is no such thing as superstitions. When you believe in things like these, you start paying attention to the details. For example, when you break a mirror. Every time you have bad luck, you notice it, and blame it on the mirror. Tons of good things may have happened, but you don’t even notice these. You just keep focusing too much on the bad parts that you loose your view of the overall picture. Most of the superstitions work like these, and that’s also the reason people are still believing in them.
I think that this episode was just one big attempt of Yuuko, trying to play with Watanuki’s mind. First of all, Watanuki never turned into a cow. His body just got heavy. I think indigestion problems can be blamed. His obsession with Himawari’s ribbon was just something psychological. He already was a bit ill, so he couldn’t concentrate on things properly. He then focused his eyes at Himawari (logical, as he has an eye on her), and concentrated on the most attention-catching aspect: her ribbons. His mind, meanwhile, told him that he was a cow, and for some reason, he began to think that cows chase after red, moving things. He probably was at the point at which he began confusing cows with bulls. And at the beginning of the episode, at which Watanuki tripped over his own shoelaces was also some good timing by Yuuko. She just made him forget about tying them, which can easily result in him tripping over them.
Still, Watanuki’s story about how the death of his parents made him stop believing in superstitions really was touching. He also reached a nice conclusion. It’s always nice to believe in them, as long as they’re fun. Overall, the episode was nice, but frankly, it dealt with a theme which has been a bit too much overused (that, or I just watched way too many American cartoons when I was young).
A comment on the nail clipper creature. The simple answer is cultural centric views. Chances are, the average person in Japan doesn’t realize that other countries don’t have that superstition. That’s likely, I think, because the nail clippers superstition is pretty well held in Japan. It’s like the hand waving, palm to the side, in front of your face. In Japan, that gesture means “No” or “That’s wrong” or some other form of negative response, but we don’t have it here. But I’ve read Japanese narratives that had foreigners doing that as second nature when they clearly wouldn’t have, and my teacher mentioned that with a chuckle when the class seemed confused by the character’s choice of action. It’s like nodding with your hand.
Also, not mentioned in the episode, but you hide your thumbs because the thumb is called “parent finger” in Japanese, and if you don’t hide it, your parents will die soon. Maybe thats why he doesn’t beleive anymore.
Plus, i think those pliers-like clippers may be what calls it. Scary things. the little clippers you see in the US with the 2-plate spring-loaded and a lever plate on top maybe don’t attract them. 🙂
Hmm .. I’m not sure with other cultures/countries but in my country (Phil), there is a superstition that tells not to do nail cutting/clipping at night. Although I know quite a bit of local superstitions, I admit most of the superstitions shown in this episode where new to me :).