Tonari no Youkai-san has already sported a pretty yawning tonal gap over its first eleven episodes. Just between the two main wings of the story (Mu-chan/Jirou and Buchio/Takumi et al) the difference is quite stark. So as dark and violent as this episode got, it doesn’t really come as a surprise. Especially given that it was pretty much locked in after last week’s closing moments. When the apocalypse is literally on the horizon, that tends to pretty much level the playing field across the board.
The rift and giant ray of light is scary enough, but soon enough it’s raining oni. And they’re a violent sort, too. Oni have been teased as a big bad in this mythology, but this is an interesting take on them. The evidence is that they used to be people – in fact, it will later be revealed that one of them was Mutsumi’s father. How is it possible that he’s both an oni and Ma-san, the red-headed Betobeto-san who popped out of a shadow last week? Was his being somehow split into two parts?
Based on that development, it seems most likely that humans who get pulled into the Void take the form of oni. That tracks with the notion that the world on the other side of the rift is “Niente” – or Naught, or just general nothingness (as it means in Italian and Spanish, more or less). But oni are the least of our heroes’ problems, as the collision between the worlds is having all sorts of unpleasant side effects. Among that is Sanmoto-san being reduced to a chibi version of himself (from being cut off from his main body). But that’s really just a symptom.
Indeed, it seems that the kotodama of this world is fading. Kotodama is a big concept but basically, it’s the belief that great spiritual power resides in words and names. And it seems to be at the heart of what makes this particular reality one where mythical creatures and humans coexist more or less peacefully. If the spiritual power which drives their existence is cut off, youkai and other spirit beings will presumably fade away. Indeed, that seems to happen to Wagen, who as we leave him appears to have reverted to being a 1970’s beater and nothing more.
In the meantime it’s survival mode (I quite liked the way the Setsubun “Oni wa soto!” – words of power? – bean throwing was worked in). Takaumi’s mom entrusts her boy’s safety to Buchio, who pledges to do everything to protect him. That includes transforming into a human form when Takumi is about to be attacked by an oni (while trying to bring Wagen back to life). Back at the village the tengu are as ever tasked with protecting everyone, but eventually Tazenbou gives Jirou what he really wants – his blessing to dedicate himself to protecting Mutsumi and her family.
That’s where the aforementioned incident with Mu-chan’s dad occurs. Somehow he’s able to revert to his human form, but only for a few moments before fading away. Not before making physical contact with Ma-san though, who then passes out. I suspect he’ll somehow be more “whole” after that (like Betobeto-san) but we’ll see. But the propeller-heads have apparently figured out that the net result of this disaster is that the world is going to be “inverted” – and while we don’t get any details on just what that means, it seems a safe bet it won’t be good for anyone we care about.
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