Short Synopsis: Lots of things happen, among which is Akine’s backstory.
Highlights: Hard to talk about without spoilers.
Overall Enjoyment Value: 8,5/10
Oh my god… this episode is exactly why I’m watching this series. One episode might seem to suggest that this series goes nowhere, and then episodes like this one come and the entire plot makes a complete 180 degree turn. If you’ve yet to see this episode, you’d best not look at the rest of this entry. ^^;
I’ve forgotten the name of the glasses-guy, the one that gave Chiko the hint that Nijuu Mensou was still alive and who gave her his treasure. With this episode, it’s obvious why the guy would have all this, because this episode reveals him to be Nijuu Mensou himself. It’s quite sneaky: the attempts at foreshadowing this plot-twist are deliberately done a bit too obvious to take seriously. Both Chiko and Ken note how the guy resembles Nijuu Mensou, so through reverse psychology, there has to be more to the guy than just that. Well, no.
This episode continues to pull tricks like that throughout the episode. The doll-person also shatters the head of a tome-statue in this episode. Obviously, Tome didn’t die, but she was inside this statue, below the head, nonetheless. At the end of the episode, the puppet-woman (yes, woman) also makes a controlled Chiko stab Nijuu Mensou in the back. Thanks to Ken’s smokescreen, we may have to wait five more episodes before we find out how Nijuu Mensou survived that blow.
But really, I’m still surprised at how this series holds no punches at all when it gets serious. Heck, on top of all of that, Chiko ends up kidnapped at the end of the episode, and the puppet woman turns out to have been some sort of part of Nijuu Mensou in the past, suggesting that he abandoned his crew more often in the past. This does explain why all of these supernatural people are suddenly after Chiko: they’re probably all things that Nijuu Mensou left behind and was too lazy to clean up.
Also, what was this about Akine? Why did he use two different names for Chiko: Chiko and Chizuko? Up till now, I just saw him as a rather unlikable lazy guy, but as it turns out, his bond with Chiko (or at least the younger Chiko) turns out to be deeper than suspected. If I understood correctly (and correct me if I’m wrong) during the war, Akine once took Chiko to a foreign country and then lost track of her. Nijuu Mensou then was responsible of bringing her back. If this is true, then Nijuu Mensou did more than just pick a random talented girl off the street…
So he was the glasses guy after all? When I first saw the character, I figured, there’s no way they’d make it that obvious, and dismissed him as being Twenty Faces. Wow, guess they really did go the obvious route. Still, it won’t stop me from watching though, heh. For all of its plotholes and deus ex machina, this show and its characters remain likeable.
As for the Chizuko/Chiko thing; I thought it was just 20’s crew shortening her name for simplicity’s sake, sorta like a nickname or even an alias for her during the time she was with them, and the name just stuck. As for the fat, lazy cop, I figured he’d play a larger role sooner or later seeing how he’s featured in the ED.
I don’t think that was Chiko in Akine’s past – I think it was someone who looked a little like Chiko. I heard him calling her Chieko.
I’m hoping it was Chiko in Akine’s flashback. Great way of getting Akine, a side character more involved in the plot.
When that doll woman show up (can’t recall the eps.) she chiko acted different when he save Ken! Since then I been thinking something must have happen to her while she was under the boss…. seems like I was right! I love this anime how they sub it fast!
This anime blew me away. At first, it was the English title that caught my attention and I thought it might be interesting. I watched the first episode and I couldn’t stop watching the rest because within each 20-25 minutes episode, so much has happened. I like the pacing of the anime very much…it doesn’t drag on like some animes or have a whole bunch of filler (ie Naruto). And within 10 episodes, Chiko has grown two years older. So this makes sense to me that it took a while for her to gain her skills and agility as a thief. It’s an awesome anime and I can’t wait for each episode to come out…it’s agonizing!!!
Where do you watch it? I’ve been dying to find it, but I can’t! >.
Definately not pulling a punch, especially with Koito. I think Akine was just identifying Chiko with his sister who got lost during the war.
If I understood correctly (and correct me if I’m wrong) during the war, Akine once took Chiko to a foreign country and then lost track of her. Nijuu Mensou then was responsible of bringing her back. If this is true, then Nijuu Mensou did more than just pick a random talented girl off the street…
He’s over laying his desire to see his SISTER again,a lady he feels he’s responsible for losing in a crowd ages past,onto Chiko.It was not Chiko he was traveling with in the flashback.That is very obvious,if nothing else.
He’s still a greedy self centred peiece of crap.Also its not a matter of Twenty Faces being too lazy to clean these things up,its that he felt they wee going in the wrong direction research wise.HEe wanted no more part in it all,and left,but he DID TAKE measures to bury what was ongoing(some of those quite drastic),in the research he was involved in.
Chiko picked Twenty Faces,not the other way around.