Kabitzin on February 4, 2009 · in Shikabane Hime 2

Summary:

It’s been six months since Keisei died, and the Shichisei are tired of just killing CP. The Shichisei inform Akasha that they wish to see the special SH they created before she dies, and Akasha is surprised that the Shichisei consider Makina extraordinary. In Hokuto’s eyes, Akasha is young and constantly crying, and when he tries to touch her he gets an intense pain down his arm. As Hizuchi explains, Hokuto was born to die without any life experience, and touching her feels like a sword going through your body.

Makina is not willing to let Keisei go, and the Run in her body is rotting and attracting shiryo (souls that could not become shikabane). Silly otaku SH Fresh Backbone overhears Sougen talking about Makina’s fate and informs Ouri and his teacher, Umehara Kanechika. That night, Akasha kills the three monks that are guarding Makina, and summons the Shichisei to his location. Although Sadahiro tries to stop Akasha, he is distracted when Kurai rises as a shikabane, bound by his hatred of SH. Fortunately, Ouri appears and tells Makina Keisei’s loss has become an attachment for both of them. Makina accepts some of Ouri’s Run to defeat the shikabane and then tearfully apologizes to Ouri for failing to protect Keisei.

Reaction:

As usual, this episode was stuffed with information. The Kougon Cult continues to be divided, and it was no coincidence that Kurai became a two-faced shikabane. Just like Shuuji, many of the monks pretend to hate SH when they really just want to make out with SH. I really want to know the truth about SH that Akasha spoke; I found it odd that Sadahiro believed that Hazama killed Akasha’s SH. I was intrigued that Kanechika said Ouri couldn’t see the light of the En at first because Ouri had grown up blessed and didn’t need the light. This seems to contradict the creepy cat that follows Ouri and the words of Kowaku.

I was not, however, prepared for all the blatant fanservice. Kanechika seems to be just as bad as Keisei when it comes to being an otaku, and he even contracted with an otaku who died on her way to Akihabara. The way that Ouri and Takamasa talked about Kanechika’s ability to supply Run to both Fresh and his resting SH, Touma, sounded like they were in awe of his ability to handle two women at the same time. Apparently this skill takes a lot of training… I also appreciated Kanechika eschewing the typical Kougon secrecy in immediately going to Itsuki to tell her about Makina.