#yaomei

Let’s start with the discussion of my first theory. Why I think  Kowloon is a simulation is because of the previous episode. The characters talk about how Kowloon never changes and such. Since it’s revealed that Kudo and Kujirai-B had heart-to-heart moments of them under the sky without Generic Terra, it probably means that the actual Kowloon did break down in 1994 and that the one in the present is a simulation but made into a more modern setting while keeping the retro aesthetic. Why I think that is because some aspects of the present Kowloon looks too high-tech to be retro. For example: Yaomei’s door. From what we’ve seen in other buildings, they use regular wooden doors with knobs. Why is Yaomei’s door so high-tech compared to the others?

My second theory is that Kujrai is a clone of Kujirai-B. Hey, this is a sci-fi story so it’s a very plausible idea. However, I’m not too sure about this for the sheer fact that Kujirai-B’s death is unseen. Is she dead, though? Or did she get involved in something that caused her to lose her memories and have her voice changed? This also goes hand in hand with my simulation theory because Kujrai is currently 32 but Kujirai-B was 32 when she first met Kudo. How long ago did Kudo move to Kowloon and how does he look the same?

My third theory stems from the fact that, like Yaomei’s door, Hebinuma’s clinic feels very clean and modern that contrasts the setting. It’s all white and clean, as if it doesn’t belong there… On top of that, Hebinuma’s computer looks very modern, especially with how the monitor looks. Computers from the olden days were like blocks. On top of that, Hebinuma is a doctor, so he definitely gives off suspicious yet important vibes. Is he the one who created this supposed clone of Kujirai or was it is father? I’m leaning toward his father as Hebinuma was stated to have taken over the family business only recently…but how much of that is true?

This episode introduces to a lot of new characters. First, there’s Yaomei, a woman of mystery. All we know about her is that she has gotten a full body plastic surgery to run from her past. She gets along well with Kujirai despite it only being a day since they first met. Yaomei is someone who’s supportive of Kujirai’s love of Kudou, yet at the same time, she’s not with how often she doesn’t look too happy whenever Kudo is the subject of Kujirai’s talks. Because she’s mysterious, I do wonder if she has something to do with Generic Terra as she’s the one creating the mascot dolls.

There’s also Xiaohei, who’s a little girl, yet she appears older than she is as she was the one calling Kujirai, a real estate agent, instead of her parents, meaning she’s an adult, or at least old enough to fend for herself. Heck, when she went to the free counseling place, she was by herself too.

Next is Kujirai-B. She is possibly the real Reiko Kujirai, but there are three major differences from the current Kujirai. She has her ears pierced but Kujirai doesn’t. Their voices are different as Kujirai-B is voiced by Yuriko Yamaguchi of One Piece fame. Most of all, their personalities are much different as most of her mannerisms have been adopted by Kudo such as their love of soup dumplings and the idea that nostalgia is love. Anyone can tell Kudo had loved Kujirai-B so much because of this. He takes her quirks as a form of nostalgia, yet it’s also something he’s shackled by. The way he reacted towards Kujirai when she came to work with earrings similar to his lost love is proof of that. I do wonder what Kudo feels towards the current Kujirai…

Last is the very suspicious and creepy Hebinuma. First off, what is with his tongue? I get that it’s to fit his snake motif, but my gosh, that tongue… was he born like that? I wonder what his deal is. Why does he know so much about Kujirai? There’s something clearly unusual about him that’s for sure…

The voice cast for the new characters is stacked. Like I mentioned, Kujirai-B is voiced by Yuriko Yamaguchi, who’s most notable role is of Nico Robin from One Piece. It's did mention that usually veteran voice actresses will voice women in their 30’s and the choice to make the two Kujirais have different voice actresses only fuels up the mystery behind them. Yaomei is voiced by Aoi Koga which surprised me because I didn’t expect Koga to voice an adult. She’s known for voicing Kaguya from Love is War, Paimon from Genshin and Princess Ellee from Hirogaru Sky Precure, which they’re all of young girls. I think this is the first time I’ve heard Koga voice an adult. Sayumi Suzushiro voices Xiaohei. I’ve been seeing her name around a lot in anime recently. She’s definitely a rising star. Hebinuma is voiced by Ryotaro Okiayu, who’s known for roles like Byakuya Kuchiki from Bleach, Terra from Kingdom Hearts and Kokushibo from Demon Slayer. Okiayu sure did an amazing job amping up Hebinuma’s creepiness that it made me react the same as Kujirai…

Overall, I still love the mystery aspects of Kowloon Generic Romance. Since it’s only the second episode, not having anything answered makes sense. I do wonder when answers will start forming because I want to know what the heck is going on. Let me know your theories and speculations for this anime!