#yang li

I did theorize that every character aside from our girl Kujirai is suspicious, which includes Yaomay. However, this episode disproves all potential suspicions on her. She is the least suspicious person and probably the one who is least likely to betray anyone not named Kudo. Yaomay’s purpose in this story is to be someone who accepts her current self and is a stepping stone for the current Kujirai to do the same. She is the only other person I trust in this story now.

Her past is that she used to be a famous nepo baby actress who is the daughter of a renowned veteran actress Yang Li. Her mom is very controlling of her in the sense that she controls everything from what she wears to what her accessories would be. It suffocated her as she kept living as a ‘replica’ of her famous mother—as if her mother wanted her to become her so that her legacy wouldn’t die in a way. People only accepted her as the daughter of Yang Li or the second Yang Li and not as Yaomay. She had no identity of her own, which was why she got plastic surgery and ran away from that life. To be honest, I can relate to her. I used to live like her in a way. My own mother wasn’t a famous actress but she did often control what I wore and bought clothes that she thinks I’d like. Fortunately, I was able to develop my own identity and was able to talk back to my mom and stepped my foot in when she was being too meddlesome. Living a life where you can’t decide for yourself is definitely an awful feeling.

Other than Yaomay’s past, another unusual aspect of this episode is seeing a very high tech city where Hebinuma and Guen live. In the TV show Hebinuma’s in, he’s introduced as the person in charge of Generic Terra, so I’m assuming he’s not the creator but it’s handler, right? Given that the episode ends in a bombshell cliffhanger that Kowloon is a destroyed, ruined wasteland with the ominous rhombus floating above them does align with the simulation theory. Given that there are frequent earthquakes in the imaginary walled city and that Kudo could be the source makes me wonder if he is somewhere in the wasteland sleeping and dreaming about Kowloon. If there are earthquakes, does this mean that something erratic is happening in his body or whatever system he’s in? 

I believe that Generic Terra could be a dream simulator and that Kudo’s memories of Kowloon is the simulation as he wanted to see his deceased lover again. I think that maybe he’s been dreaming for so long that everyone inside the dream is starting to form their own sense of self? Are we getting some sort of Final Fantasy X vibes here now? On top of that, who is Guen? Is he someone who watches over the second Kowloon on Hebinuma’s behest?

This anime never fails to impress with their voice cast as Yang Li is voiced by Mie Sonozaki whom you might know as Jeanne from the Bayonetta franchise, if you play it in Japanese, Violet from One Piece and Sora from Yugioh Arc-V. Another veteran voice actor makes a brief appearance towards the end in the form of Shinichiro Miki who voices Hebinuma’s father.

My favorite aspect of this episode is seeing Kujirai, Yaomey and Kudo go to the bookstore. As a bookworm myself, I love anything that has a bookish setting, so it was mystifying to see them go to a bookstore. Other than that, I seriously love the unpredictable nature of this show. It keeps my brain stimulating! Let me know your thoughts on this episode!