We get some flashback to how Chika made Shiba’s life worth living, and after Chika left Shiba was so damn bored he jumped off a roof and killed himself. However, a mysterious committee seems to be interested in making self-aware zombies from people with strong emotions. In return for the “freedom” of the black ring and the ability to summon a sweet homing knife (which he trained with by cutting up all those women), Shiba agreed to help create new self-aware zombies like the Shoplifter that Chika killed.
Now Shiba just wants to show off his lame butterfly tattoo and lick Chika’s chest, but Michiru is surprisingly against yaoi and uses Shito’s gun to shoot Shiba. Shiba purposely stumbles off the edge of the roof and is “reaped” by a Shinigami. Afterwards, Michiru follows Shito and Chika around to see what goes on in the aftermath of guiding a zombie. Chika explains that zombies only have a year to pay off the loan, or else there is an extremely high renewal fee. With only 6 months left, Chika worries about how his emotions seem to be dying the longer he is a zombie and yet he still fears death. Meanwhile, Shito wonders when he stopped wondering what death was like.
This episode was a bit strange in that it was divided up into 2 parts. The Shiba fight was pretty lame, and I don’t really buy that Shiba is dead since the Shinigami didn’t cut him. No one in anime ever dies while falling, especially if you don’t see a body. I wonder if there are actually four sides at play in this mysterious struggle, though. Michiru continued to be totally awesome by contributing to the fight as needed. She was also smart enough to get a second job, even if it is as a janitor in the Z-Loan Office.
The second part of this episode was philosophical and moving. The music was great, and it was incredible when Shito mentioned how bit characters die all the time in dorama and manga just to spice up the plot. However, in real life everyone is mourned, and it was very touching how even Bekko is very generous in giving money to the families of those who have been Guided. I was also intrigued by the ramifications of taking out a zombie loan, because as stoic as Shito seems now, his room makes me wonder if he was a completely different person while alive!
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This post was written by...
Kabitzin – who has written 1940 posts on Sea Slugs! Anime Blog.
One of the founders of Sea Slugs, I handle most of the blog admin tasks while wearing my I AM BOSS shirt. I like my action series well choreographed, and my romance series extra trashy. I also have a soft spot for puns.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Michiru continues her anti-yaoi campaign with GREAT JUSTICE! The more that I think about it, I don’t think Shiba is really dead either. Everyone has been trying to convince me that he isn’t too :S.
I guess I am just cynical, but Shiba fell off on purpose, and then he was not seen again. Considering Shiba didn’t really die the first time he jumped off the roof (lolz…), I expect him to show up 8 episodes later with a new name and a dorky mask.
Besides, all the characters that have died so far have met with a pretty gruesome end, and have been guided. Wouldn’t the Shinigami have chopped Shiba’s head off instead of catching him? I do, however, want to know if Shiba and the Shinigami were always working together, or if the Shinigami will press Shiba into service. Hmm, perhaps they are dating?