Kyoukai no Kanata – 10

When I’m gone, dream a little dream of me.

Hello folks! Did you miss me? It’s not like I haven’t blogged last week on Metanorn but it’s been a while since I reviewed my namesake of a series. This episode reveals one of the most important cruxes of this series with some of the things finally making sense to wrapping up the plot. I am glad that we didn’t have to tiptoe through the tulips again to arrive at the juncture of the umpteenth stabbing of Akihito by our very own Mirai.

Girl with a bleak future

I was very glad of this episode even when the staff tried their best in keeping us guessing with disjointed scenes of a dream within a dream. It cleared the disappointment of the previous two episodes, which were very weak in explaining what was going on. Granted, some of the action was good but because I don’t even bother remembering the name of the Association spy, his evil grins and faceoff with Izumi was nothing but bland for me.

However, I am fine with things making sense even if remotely with the heavy burden of effect taken over by Mirai, while Nase family provided the cause. The slate is wiped away with Mirai hard at work over something she has been contemplating for some time. Yes, I remember, a lot of people have been calling her a fluke character but I’m not of the same opinion. From first episode, we have been slowly learning about her. Therefore, the reveal of her being a Nase tool in the beginning does not come off as a surprise. Of course, there was something going on with her when she kept on refusing all attempts of friendship from Akihito, not to mention randomly stabbing him every chance she got. But a lot happened from the time she first met him in person at the school rooftop to the time he jumped in to save her from the Hollow Shadow. Let’s be alone together was one of my favourite moments of this series and we saw Mirai slowly opening up afterwards to extent that she was even able to clear things up with Sakura. Including the filler episodes, we witnessed everyone bonding to the effect of almost complementing each other but of course, it was the calm before a storm.

The flashback helped in putting the pieces of puzzle together but I still wonder why Mirai accepted everything Izumi manipulated her into. She could be slow sometimes but her completely trusting Izumi or even the Nase family influence seems pretty gullible. Sacrificing own life is no easy task but I can totally see it as her attempt for redemption over what she did to Yui, even when it wasn’t her fault. And surely, the fact that she loves the broken boy in Akihito, who tries his best in normalcy with his megane-fetish and actually calling Mitsuki, Hiro’omi, Ayaka and Ai his friends when they are mostly his guardians to police him. Her decision however did not feel like a plot-convenience rather something that she was building up to from the moment she laid eyes on the human version of Akihito and got to know him with time. Her confession was sweet but came at a precarious time of uncertainty. I hope she doesn’t disappear rather gets another chance at a life where she is actually wanted.

Boy trapped in a dream world

Coming to Akihito, man he sure has it rough. It seems in the anime he is credited for the scars on Hiro’omi’s back when this isn’t so in the novels. Anyways, since the Hollow Shadow visited their little town, life has not been that hunky-dory for our meganebu-wannabe MC. Top it with Izumi playing maestro over his inner-mojo and we have him almost at the brink of death due to beyond the boundary youmu and the last nail in the coffin is with the fact that it’s at the expense of the girl he loves. No, we have come far off from the point of calling this friendship or infatuation. This is definitely love, willing to lose everything for the one. Therefore, I don’t think Akihito will keep lying around in a daze between weather changes, rather fight his own demons with his own will.

From whatever I could glean from the dream within a dream, it seems that Akhito is trapped inside his conscience. Mirai has tried her best in channeling off the beyond the boundary youmu off of him but was not fully successful. The reason he’s still in a comatose state fighting within himself for either getting rid of the last remnant of his youmu or filling the gap left by it. However, his inner time is not relevant to outside and thus there’s a switch between summer and winter between which his soul de/activates. Mirai is his guide due to her blood being fused with his, while others are just placeholders from his memory of them. Though, I don’t think Mirai is completely gone with what we witness in the preview.

There are still a lot to be resolved and concluded, but of course, Akihito is at the center of it all being the key in a power struggle between Association and Nase family. Being from the beyond the boundary or most probably channeling something similar to the concept of Akasha, maybe it is either somewhere youmu go to get their concept of heaven or higher enlightenment, which makes them powerful. This might overhaul the gem (which we glimpsed along the bonasi in the club room), value sky high and the reason behind all the hoopla of acquiring it. I swear, the adults need to get their act straight and involve in this almost chuunibyou fight under which Mirai and Akihito are struggling. Someone really needs to kick the Nase adults’ collective butts right about now.

Extra KyoAni Porn Show ▼

This was the most melancholic episode of this series to-date. KyoAni did try with their usual brand of joking around Mitsuki and Hiro’omi but it didn’t last for long. But this is the much needed development after all. The fear of loss is not felt until it actually happens so in both cases of Mirai and Akihito, they have gone through the pain more than once and are definitely hurting real bad. Though, their despair will not finish until beyond the boundary youmu is dealt with.

The dream sequence made me question the concept of youmu on how they are made of human emotions and nobody wants to talk about their origin except for heard conjecture. We know they originate from dark emotions, something comparable to original sins concept but can’t they be neutralized with good emotions? This makes me curious about how Akihito is a half youmu. Was his mother attacked when he was in the womb or she was going through much grief that it affected him this greatly? Being a powerful yet a cuckoo youmu hunter, she has been a cosplaying mystery till now but she must know his true nature. From whatever we have found out, none of them know the true power of it so let’s see what conspires between our main pair, whose story should not end here, in the next episode.

Preview:

It’s not over yet…