FallLover

Lots of handsome Him this week:

They really made him extra cute (and smarmy) in the anime (though he has more gutter-like eyes in the manga, at least until like the middle of the upcoming arc). It's fun because villains are often associated with butterflies in manga and anime (e.g., Sousuke Aizen, Koushaku Chouno). I don't think I've ever heard of why, precisely, despite looking it up years ago. Other than it's just a thing that has become its own reference at this point, particularly in shounen? My gut is it's something to do with queercoded villains, but I don't really know that's true. Butterflies are sometimes used for heroes (e.g., a few characters in Demon Slayer), but the bottom line is that while Asuma is not a villain (though he is sort of an antagonist in moments), the butterflies are potentially another way Arakawa was trying to make people think he is one.

And we get to hear Asagiri speak :3 The voice modulation is nice (it kind of screwed with things in Masters of the Universe 2026 so I'm please it's not horrible here). I imagine Yozakura is going to sound gruffer? I don't know. We'll see.

I wonder if Asuma keeps his daemons close because - outside of just how dangerous his life is as the second son of the Kagemoris, so bodyguards are important, especially with his uncle around - they're one of the main attachments he has to his mother. At once both a reminder that they weren't with her to stop her (either because she gave them to him first or gave them up entirely beforehand), but also they were with her for some time before they got to him (and they're a big reason he was born: after all, her connection to them is why Gonzo found her). I still wonder if, despite the fact it likely wasn't their fault at all due to the circumstances, he blames them for not being there to stop her. He seems to care for them and like them from what little we've seen (or at least he's polite to them and they care for him, and know his moods well), so I imagine, if anything, it's a mess of things. Or maybe he just appreciates that although she's gone, he still has them, and can kind of always remember her that way.

The way the anime poses Yuru aldkjlaj Okay.

Yes, Yuru may be merciless, ma'am, but you work for an organization that keeps a blonde mass murderer seemingly teenager(?) on staff as a bodyguard, who helped slaughter his village lol I think he's allowed to be suspicious of other children. Especially one who had people eaters as daemons. He is also very capable of murder and a child. He knows how dangerous kids can be.

I love how Dera looks at Yuru in confusion for a long time, and Yuru points at him, and Dera keeps staring at him. Like "wait... huh?" aldkjlaj It's funny.

Dera's long pause has always been hilarious alkdjaldja I want to know if it's because he so rarely sleeps with people who could become pregnant in a setting where they could become pregnant (like maybe they do things that don't involve a way to become pregnant or one/both of them uses protection) or he does it so often he doesn't remember alkdjalj Alternatively, he has at least one relationship where no one used protection/it failed/they were trying and he thinks the other person lied, maybe...? Or he knows he has a secret kid somewhere but not their identity...? Like the other parent ran off with them/Dera left them?

Also the question of: has Dera just only slept with Japanese people and/or he knows he's never slept with someone who's Ethiopian alkdjalj

Alternatively, Dera has slept around, but only on one occasion slept with someone who could become pregnant. Not all women can become pregnant, and some men can, but it opens the possibility of him only sleeping with men, just saying <.< queer Dera fans riseee.

His seiyu did a great job with this alkjdlaj I will say: I do think the anime does this in a very funny way. I just think the manga framing of this is funnier. It's nearly 1:1, which is interesting, but I don't know... the smaller format is slightly funnier. I do think the back and forth between Dera and Ken is more understandable in the anime.

I also like Ken's seiyu :3 He sounds cute! And I appreciate in this story about pairs, even though Dera and Ken are not twins, they are still siblings lol Wonder if Hana is going to suddenly obtain a sibling randomly somehow. ...Is Ivan going to get a sibling? (I'm purposefully not thinking of Gabby because probably trauma there, though, given what little we know of Ivan, I feel that probably has trauma, too)

Left's face alkdjlaj

Considering the white hair streak that Dera and Ken both have, I imagine that's what Roei is going to be as well (he has the little white tuft in the center of his forehead).

In re: burials: the placement of corpses is also a warfare tactic. You can poison water sources that way. Of course it can also backfire if you share resources with whoever you're trying to hurt. Kind of a scorched Earth policy.

I love that they animated Right digging rather than just having it off-screen like in the manga alkdjlaj He's so happy about it, too lakdjlaj And Yuru is so impressed! He loves his daemons :3 It'll be interesting to see what he thinks of Seal if he ever meets them...

Poor Ken T-T The way he looks at Ryu, this person he's heard about but never known in all 13 years of his life (who looks like a younger version of Roei, considering what we've seen of Roei's face), and knowing they're half-siblings but strangers. And Dera doesn't let him use honorifics T-T But at least he allows first names! You know... That's not bad! And Dera doesn't know this kid from Adam, so it's not surprising he's distant.

I need anime onlys (and manga readers who haven't reread in a bit, I guess) to know that in the manga, when Dera does this, there are little hearts in his speech bubbles:

Like yes, it's clearly meant to be threatening flirtation, but also aldkjalj

Dera just nodding along understandably with Ken's story like it's familiar lakdjlaj I want to know more of Dera's backstory so badly alkdjlaj Is his mother still alive? Yeah, his parents separated at some point presumably before Roei met Abeba, but did his mother later pass away or is she still around? What was she like as a person? What did she think, if she knew/knows of Dera becoming a mercenary and going overseas? Did he do that because of something that happened to her or just get into the life because of Roei? And if Roei wasn't monetarily supporting them (or at least Dera), was Dera's life a lot harder as a result? Was his mother able to make ends meet? How early did Dera have to earn a living to support himself, and possibly also his mother? Or did Roei send them money but not enough? Or did Roei try with Dera's mother, but she rejected it, and Dera never learned that?

I've seen some weird posts about Mine and Nagisa and I think people forget the fact that Mine and Nagisa seemingly left Higashi Village as soon as they could, like the village tried to gaslight Nagisa into thinking she had a mental illness and was imagining her life before the village until she caught on to Roei after he lost his contact lens, and then she blackmailed him into helping. It also seems like they planned to leave later than they did for a more optimal time, but had to move up plans that Yamaha interfered with, hence why Yuru had to be left behind. Blaming them for not leaving sooner, as if Yamaha wasn't the one trapping everyone inside the village, and the closed environment meant Nagisa had no support and Mine had pressure not to cross lines (and neither of them seemingly had daemons!), is bizarre (please actually try living in a small town before you judge how people act inside them, especially one, you know, with a magical forcefield that kept you trapped inside it). Do they maybe feel guilty they didn't leave "sooner"? I mean maybe, in terms of how horribly Asa was treated, but I also imagine, given their plans and how things worked - that they literally couldn't escape possibly until right before they did - they're aware they had little choice in the matter. Mine wasn't keeping this information from Nagisa, he didn't know either.

Anyway, Nagisa is badass and we love her.

I love that the housewife and Hana have the same problem with Yuru's decision-making and Hana is more skilled than Dera in demonstrating in a way that gets across to Yuru XD

They're not sitting as close to each other as this makes it look, but I still think this is cute. The way siblings and partners in this story kind of range around each other is a lot of fun. Also, a Korean fanartist did fanart of this and I love it alkdjlaj

Also Ken, I know you're 13 and just lost your mother and your father is missing and you don't seem to have any other support system, but they're exploiting you, please be suspicious alkdjalj (I trust Hana and Dera to an extent BUT STILL). At least they try to do right by Abeba as best they can (graves are expensive!). Also, my respect for anyone letting a large cat sit on their head: cats, even small ones, are heavy, and necks are not really that strong, and Kotetsu is huge alkdjalj I know Hana is inhumanly strong, but Ken, what is your training regimen aldkjlaj or is Kotetsu just lighter than it looks????

Ken is good boy, though. We love him.

Next week we meet two assholes:

(Yama was the one sending assassins after Yuru for years). Gonna have to get used to white-haired Haruto. I just figured he was blonde like Asuma (though, since he's older than Iori, and she was in Gonzo's generation, and Gonzo is white-haired, it makes sense). The wonders of having everyone in color.

I'll say one thing for Yama: he's decently written, and Arakawa includes so many fat characters that having one evil one doesn't make a trend. Hikaru is still best boy and the housewife is great. Plus, for all Yama's an asshole, he at least supports vaccinating your kids!

But is okay, we also get more Asuma.

He looks like blonde and Japanese Brendon Park from The Pitt in this shot alkdjalj

Given Yama's presence, the title, and the preview of Asa on the phone, I imagine we're also going to see Asa and Yuru's grandmother, so if you have arachnophobia, please be warned for next episode!

Overall it was a great episode! Looking forward to Episode 12: Retainer and Shaman!

Other thoughts:

Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episodes 8-9, Episode 10, Episode 11 (you are here)

An Ivan/Asuma fanfic

Read the manga by Hiromu Arakawa as tankobon, individual chapters are on Manga Up

Website for the series