Arum Journal

The way the family she built up with Fatima just came crumbling down after eight years really is tragic. I think what hurt the most was seeing all the family members die one by one until Sitara is the only one remaining. I think that hurts the most because I’d keep thinking that Sitara would maybe live together with Zumurrud and Anis in the nomad’s town despite the circumstances, but, nope, all hope that she clings onto dies like a candle fire. It’s just sad to see that Sitara could’ve had a future where she married Muhammad and officially became Fatima’s daughter, but that is all but a dream. The fact that Fatima called her her daughter before passing really showcased how close they were… I feel bad that she couldn’t get a proper burial. Though, I do feel like Muhammad might be alive, not only because the historical figure he was based on did live on until old age, but it’s because the boy himself is very intuitive and wise—his intelligence might have helped him escape. By the way, if you think Anis’s sudden death was abrupt, it’s not. She has always been the one to tell Sitara about what slaves can get to decide and she chose her path to die as herself and not as a prisoner to the Mongolians. Yes, it was cruel to leave Sitara all alone after losing Zumurrud a moment ago, but it is what it is.

The Mongolians really are cruel with how they just conquer and pillage. All the history books that detailed it feels very historically accurate. It just makes one hate Genghis Khan and his brethren even more. Though, I do wonder about that Persian boy that was with the Mongolian army. His shoes are similar to Sitara’s, making him Middle Eastern as well. However, he’s fluent in Mongolian and can speak Arabic/Farsi like Sitara (Yes, they’re speaking Japanese because this is a Japanese anime, but they’re technically speaking Arabic/Farsi because of the setting). I wonder what his deal is and why he’s working for them—I’m guessing he’s a hostage or a slave as well? I also wonder about the importance of Euclid’s Elements. Why did the Mongolian soldier seek it out when it’s in a language he can’t read?

Anyways, fun fact of the day: Tolui and some of the Mongolian soldiers are speaking actual Mongolian! The production staff casted Mongolian sumo wrestlers for the Mongolian speaking dialogue. Meanwhile, the Mongolian spoken by the boy Shira is done by Miyu Irino himself. I’m not sure if he can speak Mongolian, but he did take a hiatus a few years ago to study abroad, so he probably studied languages at the time. If you’re not familiar with Miyu Irino, he voiced characters like Tomoro Tenma in Digimon Beatbreak, Sora in Kingdom Hearts and Sugawara in Haikyuu. He’s one of my favorite voice actors, so to hear him in this episode was a real surprise; I did that Leonardo Dicaprio pointing meme when I heard his voice.

I feel like I’m kind of glad that the art style is very cutesy and whimsical because it’d be gorier if it didn’t have that art style. According to a merch picture, Sitara in this episode is around 13 years old. Since there was an eight year time skip back in Episode 1, that would mean Sitara was around 5 in the earlier parts of the first episode. Muhammad was 12 before the time skip, meaning he’d be 20 if he is alive. Anyways, I do wonder where the story will go from here. How will Sitara get the book back and what will her next objective be before she infiltrates the Mongolian Empire? Let me know your thoughts on this episode.

The story is basically about Sitara, a slave girl, who gets employed into a scholarly family and later becomes a successful woman in Mongolia due to her desire to overthrow the nation for losing everything she held dear by them. From the research I’ve done, Sitara is based on a real person named Fatima who was a successful woman in the Mongol Empire due to her intelligence. As you can tell from the names and setting, Sitara’s land is based on Persia which did get invaded by the Mongol Empire back in the 13th century.

Honestly, seeing a Japanese mangaka write a story about Islam and not have it be over exaggerated or romanticized is honestly amazing. Tomato Soup could’ve just used it as a backdrop and concocted some crazy orientalist story, but they didn’t. I’m not Middle Eastern myself, but I can see how much love and care the backdrop is put into the storytelling. The clothes and nuances feel so vibrant. Nothing feels offensive. It’s like a regular story that’s set in Persia. I feel like that’s the ultimate form of respect.

Anyways, onto the characters, the main character Sitara seems like a very witty girl. She has a rebellious side to her as she’s prone to running away from slavers, but ultimately develops a sense of loyalty towards the people who bought her as she understands the importance of knowledge. In a way, this is basically a story of an illiterate girl who later grows into one of the most intelligent women in the century. Still, I do love her wit as she likes to tease Muhammad for his shyness around her, mostly when it comes to her without her hijab.

The people who bought her and the other slave girl Anis are all very good people too. Fatima basically becomes something like a mother figure to her. Zumurrud is like an auntie. Anis is like an older sister and Muhammad is something like a mix of possible brother and possible romantic interest (too bad it’s not going to happen given the narration). The uncle also seems to be a good person too despite his exasperation with Sitara’s reluctance to learn earlier. I do like that they’re all intelligent people, so they don’t treat her like an idiot, but also makes sure she can read. Anis makes a good point about the live of a slave. While she’s being treated kindly by her mistress, freedom could be hard to earn despite pledging for it. Regardless, I do like that they all prioritize Sitara getting education as much as she can in order for her to get more opportunities. They’re all her guides in a way.

The voice cast is also pretty great! Akira Sekine voices Sitara; some of her roles include Sora Harewataru/Cure Sky in Hirogaru Sky Precure, Saki Aoi in Senpai is an Otokonoko and Moonlight Lunacy in Umamusume. Her mistress Fatima is voiced by Houko Kuwashima who is a prolific veteran voice actress; she voiced characters like Sango in Inuyasha, Kie Kamado in Demon Slayer and Presea Combat in Tales of Symphonia. The uncle is voiced by Tsuguo Mogami who voiced Keith Shadis in Attack on Titan. Anis is voiced by Mariya Ise who is also a prolific voice actress; she voiced Killua in Hunter x Hunter, Ray in The Promised Neverland and is going to reprise her role as Mitsuki Koga in the Green Yuri anime.

But there are also names I’m not too familiar with like Jun Saito who voiced Muhammad. He’s mostly an actor and his most notable role is playing Satomi in the live action movie adaptation of Let’s Go Karaoke. Zumurrud is voiced by Farahnaz Nikray who is actually a Persian voice actress and stage play actress based in Japan! I’m honestly surprised with the diverse casting from a Japanese anime in general.

By the way, Jaadugar means Magician in Persian. There are also sources saying that it’s also that meaning in other languages like Hindi, etc. This is also another piece of evidence showcasing how much Tomato Soup did their research. Anyways, the anime has a two episode premiere and I’ll be back to review Episode 2 later. Let me know your first impressions about this anime!

If I were to paraphrase this arc now that it ended, it’s basically Miharu throwing a tantrum over Chifuyu’s death and decided to play chunnibyou edgelord to get her revenge. I get that she’s a teenager, but it just makes the pay off a bit silly overall. She caused a lot of deaths and harm towards the people and only now she realized it after Tomoro put some sense into her about how her actions isn’t what her sister wanted. I do think they did a good job incorporating how Miharu is a shadow archetype of Tomoro in a way that he could’ve been like her if he didn’t have Glowing Dawn, but it did feel like the revelation came a bit too late.

The whole final fight with Mephismon was also lackluster in that it did look like they were going to evolve into its Mega form, but it didn’t. Man, what a cop out. It would’ve been so cool if they had to go against Gulfmon and since the power levels in this universe mostly relies on e-pulse power, it would’ve been cool to see the kids get a legitimate win against a Mega, even if it’s not stable like Pyramidimon.

I think the best parts of the fight are the smaller details like Lilamon poisoning Mephismon and how Tomoro’s e-pulse caused a reaction in both Mephismon and Chairman Wong. His e-pulse has been stated to be unusual, so, hopefully, it’ll be explained later on since Wong is acquainted with Dr. Tenma. While Rose and her goons aren’t as important in this arc, I do commend Rose’s intelligence on how she was able to find GIFT’s base; not having a Reina vs Rose rematch was also wasted opportunity.

I think the one thing I’m most curious about is what happened to Kishiwada. He wasn’t there when Miharu decided to turn herself into the ministry. Heck, he doesn’t even show up at the end. Just who is he? What was his connection to Miharu? He’s truly a man of mystery, for sure. Maybe it’ll be explained in the next mini-arc which will revolve around Kyo’s past. The former Water star also has been revealed, so maybe he’ll have some connections with him as both the Kishi in Kishiwada and the Shio in the newly revealed Souji Kuroshio’s names mean tide. Maybe Kishiwada is a Digimon? Who knows? I’m honestly more excited about the mini-arc than I am about how this arc ended up overall. Let me know your thoughts on this episode and the arc as a whole.

I’m honestly impressed with the fight scenes! Sakura may have hesitated to unsheathe her sword at first due to her insecurities, but seeing Hinagiku almost in danger caused her to draw her blade, showcasing how much her lady means to her. While she didn’t kill the insurgent, she did show mercy by knocking him unconscious, showcasing that she’s a lot nicer than she appears, something Hinagiku even mentions later in the episode. I’m also impressed with how Ayame fights because she mostly uses a dagger and martial arts. The fact that she’s elegant and graceful like a secretary but can give mean kicks in a pencil skirt and strategic swipes in the dark showcases that these guards go through insane training. On top of that, the insurgents use guns while the guards use blades, meaning that their training was definitely crazy; bringing a knife to a gun fight indeed…

After the battle is where the group lays low as the Summer estate still has no power and there could be insurgents outside of the area. Seeing Ruri’s powers is honestly cool because she can use them both as reconnaissance and combat. Speaking of Ruri, I honestly love her personality. She’s a lot more outgoing and clingier compared to the more subdued and calmer Ayame; she has prime little sister energy.

I honestly feel bad for the sisters in that they’ve been together all their life, but since Ruri was chosen to be the Agent of Summer, her life changed a lot; her parents seemed to have separated and Ayame decided to dedicate her life to becoming her guard so that she can still have family with her. It’s because of this that Ruri has become very codependent on Ayame; in a way, she’s a siscon. I honestly like their complex sisterly love because Ruri was given these powers without her consent and she’s only stable since Ayame’s around. Meanwhile, Ayame understands Ruri’s burdens and wished that she could do something to uplift them like wishing she’d be chosen instead of her. Regardless, I do like that despite the twins being codependent, they still have their own identities and love interests; Ruri also has a fiancé!

Though, there are some ominous foreshadowings like Ayame wishing she could be the Summer Agent and how Hinagiku tells Ruri to be kind to Ayame and not take her devotion for granted. Hinagiku once did that and it almost caused her to be separated from Sakura as the Spring Village’s higher ups found her worthless. It definitely showcases that Hinagiku’s trauma was very bad and that something bad could happen to the twins.

So yeah, expect to see slow uploads of these reviews due to the Summer seasonals taking some priority and that I just like to take my time with reviews. Let me know your thoughts on the episode!

I think what surprised me about this episode is how fast Navi is integrated into the story. While she doesn’t interact with Liko and Dot as much in this episode, she still has good interactions with Ult and Roy, especially with the former. Given how slow it took for Ult to integrate into the story, I feel like the writers understand the criticism of the slow pacing, hence why Navi is introduced and integrated fast.

Navi, as a character, is great! She has the youthful vigor that Liko and Roy had in the earlier Horizons days. I like her interactions with Ult as they act like antagonistic siblings, which is obvious since Ult is skittish towards new people and Emma technically adopted her while he was away; in a way, he’s like jealous sibling fighting for affection. The Dream Ball that is associated with her character is actually empty! It does make me wonder if Ditto will be caught in it. Regarding Ditto, its desire to help others is shown as it tried to apologize for spilling Navi’s favorite coffee milk and it also picked up her Dream Ball.

In order to promote Z-A, Ivor makes his debut. He’s a tall and bulky young man who walks around in martial arts clothes and also has monstrous strength as he destroyed his Rotom Phone and boulders. His signature Pokemon is Falinks that can evolve in Mega Falinks; the fact that he carries around a Falinks pouch is adorable. Anyways, Ivor recognizes Roy’s Lucario as the Yellow Blast, which is nice that it’s being respected. The battle does feel like it’s mostly there to show off Mega Falinks, which I honestly find cool as it’s basically a combined form. The way that it’s weakness is the poor struggling middle one and Roy aiming for it really hones in on his strategic sense of battling. While the rules are a little wacky, I do like that the fight isn’t dragged out too long and that the loss is reasonable. Also, Ivor’s sister Gwynn also makes a mention as she’s the one who found the missing Carbink that the group was looking for and that Ivor was trying to find its Trainer.

My only gripe with the episode is the lack of Liko and Dot screen time as they take a backseat as they’re visiting Lumiose for the first time and that Ult and Roy are of more importance here in terms of interaction and plot progression. I just hope Navi gets to interact with the girls later on. The only thing Liko and Dot do is accompany Emma on the search for the Carbink, which prompts the appearance of Emma’s running animation.

Navi is voiced by Yu Serizawa who is the current voice actress of Gardenia in Pokemon Masters as her first voice actress has retired. Outside of Pokemon media, she’s known for voicing Mona Kawai from Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms, Kotoko Ijichi from Gals Can’t Be Kind To Otaku and Nicole Demara from Zenless Zone Zero. Honestly, her voice does make Navi sound a little older than her appearance, but I like it. Ivor is voiced by Kazuki Ura who makes his Pokemon anime debut. Some of the anime he’s in are Isagi from Blue Lock, Shiki Ichinose from Tougen Anki and Haruo Kuroya from Daemons of the Shadow Realm. I think this is the deepest voice I’ve heard from Ura so far, yet his voice is still recognizable.

What amazed me the most is the fact that Navi’s pockets most likely contain a hyperspace dimension due to the sheer amount of stuff she carries in them like a notebook, telescope and a Unown F shaped magnifying glass. I wonder what else she’s holding in those pockets of hers. Let me know your thoughts on this episode!

I think the craziest part about Hana-Kimi is how casual love between men is mentioned. Kinuko doesn’t know that Mizuki is a girl yet thinks there’s something going on between her and Sano in the form of a young man in love with another. Sano even tells Kinuko that he returned to high-jumping in order to keep Mizuki close. Honestly, I don’t mind that! I’m glad that Kinuko is not homophobic. There’s also the “supposed” romantic love Nakatsu has for Mizuki in that he thinks he could be gay but doesn’t seem to mind now that he finally figured out his feelings. The way everyone just screamed in confusion when Nakatsu confessed was hilarious; I just hope that none of this sours the relationship between Mizuki, Sano and Nakatsu.

The other part of this episode focuses on Mizuki wanting to become stronger, so she requests that Kujo trains her in karate. While she’s not an official member of the team, she does train with the others. She does seem to be enjoying the practice despite how rigorous it is. Also, I do wonder if Kujo has a thing for Umeda since he goes to him for massages—sorry for looking at it through a BL lens; it can’t be helped in a story like this. 

Speaking of Umeda, I do like that he’s used as comedy throughout the episode. Kinuko is absolutely terrified of him as she was his junior back in college. The fact that Umeda gives Mizuki one of his nudes as a form of a repellent does make me wonder what sort of crazy life Umeda had as a college student. Why do you carry around naked pictures of yourself and why do you think it’s appropriate to give a girl one of them?

Other than that, I do feel bad for Komari as she seemed like a really sweet girl; she just met the wrong man. I hope she’ll find a better one! The preview for next week’s episode seems to indicate that Julia might be studying abroad in Japan at Nao’s school, so I can’t wait to see the circumstances about that. And before I end the review, I just want to say that Kinuko’s last name isn’t Karashima, but Karasuma. Let me know your thoughts on this episode!

But with the misunderstanding stuff between Sano and Mizuki finally over and done with, we get to see them becoming closer than ever, but where does that leave poor Nakatsu who has a crush on the latter and is also best friends with the former? Nakatsu is having a hard time accepting that he likes Mizuki, but there’s a girl who’s interested in him and even confessed! Yet, Nakatsu is still distracted by his feelings for Mizuki. I get that Mizuki is still considered a boy in the perspective of everyone except for Sano and Dr. Umeda, but I want to say: Nakatsu, pride month ended yesterday!

For Mizuki, her relationship with Sano has gotten better, but she’s still down bad for him to the point that the sports reporter Kinuko Karashima seems to be intrigued by her. While Mizuki is still on her guard around her, it turns out that all of the Sano articles that Mizuki read while she was in America were written by her! While her passionate love for Sano might be challenged by her, she’s still not backing down from a fight.

There might be some foreshadowing regarding Mizuki joining karate given how Kujo thinks she has potential; remember that Episode 12 stated how he only smiles towards those he thinks have good potential at karate. I wonder how that’s going to play out given that Mizuki has to change into karate clothes and it can get a bit handsy…

Anyways, I’m convinced that someone in the production staff is a fan of The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, because what do you mean Komari is voiced by Honoka Inoue? If you don’t know, Honoka Inoue is the voice actress of Kaoruko Waguri. This makes her the fourth voice actress to pop up in this anime; other Kaoru Hana VAs are Nakatsu (Shohei), Kayashima (Saku), and Mizuki (Subaru). So, when will Rintaro and Yorita’s VAs show up in this anime? In addition to Honoka Inoue, Kinuko is voiced by the one and only Nana Mizuki. Hana-Kimi staff sure is flexing their casting budget because you seriously got THE Nana Mizuki for this anime? Nana Mizuki voiced Seiko Ayase in Dandadan, Hinata Hyuga in Naruto and Anne Takamaki in Persona 5. I mean, given that there are other prolific voice actors and actresses in this anime, I shouldn’t be surprised, but I still am.

Given the opening, I wonder if the second season will be focused on Nakatsu’s feelings towards Mizuki. I know that Nakatsu and Mizuki won’t end up together given how smitten she is towards Sano, but I do wish it has a good conclusion at the end. Other than that, I do wonder what sort of shenanigans Mizuki and the others will get themselves into now that it’s still around Autumn as the Cultural Festival ended. It’s also a two-episode premiere, so I’ll be back later to review Episode 2! Let me know your thoughts on this episode!

While I’m mostly rooting for Gero and Kinosaki to get together, I honestly don’t mind if Kimie becomes end game. I feel like, out of the marriage candidates, she has the highest chance due to being interested in Gero AND confessing to him; however, she’s just not ready to get hitched yet, which makes sense because they only met again as adults formally and she still has a lot to do like looking for her brother and finding herself. I feel like that’s most important before choosing to settle down. So, I like her answer! I also like Ushio, so she and Himekawa would be tied for second and then Shiori—I don’t dislike Shiori, but I just think that she’s a bit too young for Gero despite her being a great character. Also, the part where Tonako suggested to be a marriage candidate for Gero is not to be taken seriously; she doesn’t look like she was serious about it and only suggested it out of a whim. While she’s beautiful herself, there’s something ominous about her.

I think the best part about the search for marriage candidates is that their stories help inspire Gero to become more charming so that he can become worthy of them. I honestly like that. He’s not afraid to let women be an influence in his life. In a way, Gero is a male feminist. I think the part where he and Kinosaki help with love advice was honestly cute. It was nice seeing the ups and downs of romantic relationships from third parties. The fact that some of the people who sought them out are connected to one another was cute! I think the girl who was lamenting over her live-in partner not proposing to her and the guitarist are together. The Spanish cooking class teacher and her male student seeking out advice separately was cute! Though, I guess my only gripe is that the people who sought out for love advice are only in heterosexual relationships. It would’ve been nice to have some homosexual relationships in the fray.

I also like that the Dogo Animal Kingdom arc also helped Piichi create some friendships as he seemed like a guy with zero friends and only a girlfriend. Marin seemed happy that he found some friends. This indicates that Piichi will show up again in the future as an ally. I like how Gero sees Piichi on a high pedestal due to him having a girl AND a satisfying life altogether. He’s basically a complete version of Gero in a way.

But yeah, the ending of the episode indicates that Teruaki is on the move. If you didn’t know, Teruaki is the adult version of the little boy that was with Akari and Gero during the flashback where the siblings went to see the Human Zoo. I thought he was their little brother at first, but given the context of the premise, he’s not a sibling, but a cousin. Given how Akari was warning about him being on the move, he does seem to be dangerous; heck, the fact that he was locked in a cage and was submerged in a vat of poisonous bugs indicates how much of a potential threat he is—no ordinary man would do that. He’s voiced by Yuto Uemura, who voiced Hotaru Yuyami in Kinokoinu, Phil in Moonrise, and Hiro in Darling in the Franxx. I honestly think this is a good casting primarily because this anime mostly casts voice actors who aren’t too popular but still has a good repertoire.

Overall, this was a fun anime! It’s a lot more entertaining than I expected it to be. The premise is zany, but I do like that it showcases that even stories that revolve around adults can be fun; it also shows that adults can go through growth. The battles are fun, even if they do get a little ridiculous at times. The animation quality never staggered. I like a lot of characters as they’re super unique; I just hope Naruko shows up again in Season 2 as he’s my favorite. It’s a solid 8/10 anime and I can’t wait for Season 2! I think I’m going to miss the opening song the most. While Marriagetoxin itself isn’t my top anime of the season, the opening is. Let me know your thoughts on the anime and the finale!

The final battle between Minato and the evil spirit is what I would expect from this story. While Minato is the one who saved the town, he also has to get a lot of help from those around him like Harima and the gods who show up. It’s not bad as it showcases how loved he is by those around him. I was surprised that Tenko showed up to help out given the animosity she and Yamagami have. My only big issue is that those exorcists didn’t get stricter punishment, but that’s just me not liking them.

Other than that, it was nice seeing all the characters showing up to showcase that the story is ending. All of the prominent human characters showed up at the festival and all of the prominent gods showed up at the Kusunoki house. I also like that time has passed and Minato has essentially lived in the house for a year now. I’m glad that the deity inside that sphere Minato rescued has finally hatched to form an adorable flying squirrel. I wonder what sort of god it was, but now it’s Yamagami’s minion.

Overall, this was a nice, relaxing show. If you like slice-of-life stories, this one would be up in your alley, especially if you like Natsume’s Book of Friends; I guess you can say that this is a more relaxed version of Natsume in a way. The voice cast is good and the music is also pretty decent. The animation quality is also good in the sense that I’ve never seen anything that looks out of place throughout the 12 episodes. I also just learned that the novels are available in English, so I might buy it to see where the story goes afterwards. Let me know your thoughts on the anime as a whole!

Anyways, there seems to be a festival called the Hojo Festival that is held every three years and it’s to celebrate Yamagami and such. However, despite everyone being excited, evil spirits are lurking about and much larger and stronger than before. Minato has to work together with Harima and his subordinates in order to stop the conflict. I like that they’re bringing back a lot of the human characters like Harima’s sisters and cousins, Ichijo, and even Katsuragi’s father. You know the conflict is serious when Yamagami and the minions are slowly vanishing due to the lack of prayers. The miasma is also causing the animals to migrate towards Minato’s house; honestly, that part reminds me a lot of Noah’s ark but instead of a boat, he got a house.

However, I do wish that Minato used his wind powers. All that training with Susano’o feels like it was pointless. I do give him the benefit of the doubt in that he was panicking and fretting over the conflict. He isn’t someone who thinks of a solution right away, after all. However, that part of his personality is a flaw that comes with risks like Yamagami supposedly sacrificing himself to save him—we all know he’s going to reappear in the last episode; I’m not falling for it.

Anyways, I do hope those two exorcists get their comeuppance because they’ve been really annoying. I do wonder how the conflict is going to end and what sort of spirit is causing the rampage. Let me know your thoughts on this episode!

Anyways, the highlight of the episode is definitely Susano’o’s introduction. He’s Amaterasu’s younger brother and a battle-hungry, hot-blooded man. He’s accompanied by Yamata-no-Orochi. His presence mostly exists to help train Minato with his wind powers. Minato is the first person to ever get powers from Fuujin, hence why Susano’o wanted to “fight” him. He seems like a nice guy, but a little hot-blooded. He doesn’t like being called old, however.

Harima also appears in the episode earlier to warn Minato about the fake exorcists and the increase in evil spirits. I do wonder if Susano’o had heard about it, hence why he showed up. Regardless, it does make me wonder if Harima is going to request Minato to help out later on… It’s cute how he brought gifts from his sisters and cousins to Minato. They’re all sweets. I also feel a bit bad that the gods like to tease him whenever he comes over, but he does his best to persevere.

Susano’o is voiced by Kisho Taniyama, who voiced Wirbel in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, and Himuro in Kuroko’s Basketball. I honestly could recognize his voice due to the gruffness that sounds like his voice when he sings. Yamata-no-Orochi is voiced by Takehito Koyasu who is basically a known name amongst anime fans. If you don’t know his roles, some of them include Adam from SK8 and Himejima from Hana-Kimi.

Honestly, I do hope those two exorcists get their comeuppance for tearing off the talismans and sort of contributing to the constant increase in evil spirits. They’re becoming annoying. Let me know your thoughts on this episode! 

But yeah, it was nice to see Minato making effort to get Yamagami’s spirits up by taking him out all day. On top of that, nothing bad happened to Minato! No abandoned realm dragging, odd god shenanigans and such! It’s really nice just to see Minato and Yamagami chilling out the whole day. Their trip to the publishers was cute! It was nice seeing the positive effects Yamagami has on others, whether it be encouraging magazine writers or growing back to his normal size due to an old lady’s prayers at his shrine. It just hones him how important Yamagami is as a deity of the town.

It was also nice to see that Minato isn’t the only person who can see spirits as there are a few others. The diner he was in was filled with people who could see gods and yokai. It would’ve been nice if Minato had befriended some of them instead of observing. His only other human friend is Harima and he can’t see spirits. It would’ve been nice to have Minato befriend someone who’s like him.

Anyways, the highlight of the episode was definitely seeing Ansho and his lackey Enno getting played with by the minions after breaking into Minato’s house. Like how Yamagami made scary illusions when Ichijo tried to disrupt the peace, the minions  played tricks on them by making each door they enter the same corridor until they muddle illusion world by breaking it and scaring them off. While I do feel like the minions should’ve been harsher, they’re still young, so they’re not as cruel as Yamagami.

Enno is voiced by Junji Tachibana who voiced mostly minor characters various anime. Towada, the journalist from the publisher, is voiced by Yu Miyazaki who voiced Itsuomi from A Sign of Affection. The president of Musashi Publishing is voiced by Koji Okino who voiced Real Steel in My Hero Academia. I think the name in the credits that stands out the most is Sayuri Hara as the restaurant waitress. She voiced Rinwell in Tales of Arise, who is one of my favorite characters in the Tales franchise.

The ending gives off an ominous feeling. An abandoned god’s realm only means bad things. Will it be talked about in the next episode? I just hope the fake exorcists won’t try to wreak havoc if they try to go inside… Let me know your thoughts on this episode!