Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen – 09-10
The horror!
Well whaddaya know, Utawarerumono brings back even more characters from the first season!
Family, Pt. II
Attack of the older sisters!
As I feared, the show chose not to show us more of Haku’s exchange with the emperor(?). Instead, we get a visit from some more of the original cast. And this time it’s Aruruu and Kamyu, who arrive in Yamato as messengers from Tusukuru. So basically episode 9 serves as another opportunity for bonding with members of Kuon’s family, which is nice in its own way. We learn that Aruruu and Kamyu act as older sisters to Kuon. This makes sense, as those two are a bit too young to be considered as adoptive mothers (sorry Karura, you’re not included in this group). Additionally, the dynamic duo are tremendously overprotective of poor Kuon, who has to deal with being treated like a little kid in front of the rest of the gang. This makes for an understandably embarrassing experience for the heroine, prompting her to run away. What follows is a game of cat-and-mouse (complete with close encounters) throughout the capital that, while highly entertaining, isn’t really much to write home about. I guess if there’s anything to take away from this episode, it is that Kuon definitely has a rebellious streak and wants to stand on her own despite the concerns of her family. And, we also get a brief glimpse at some political developments near the end when Aruruu and Kamyu pay a visit to none other than Anzu to establish a relationship between Yamato and Tusukuru.
Love and a Thief
What’s a kiss anyway?
Episode 10 continues the light-hearted tone with two stories that eventually merge into one. On the one hand, suffice it to say that Anzu escapes again to pay the gang a visit. This time, seeking love advice as she has a thing for Oshutoru (to Nekone’s chagrin). On the other hand, we get a run-in between two goof-offs, Haku and Nosuri. It turns out Nosuri isn’t actually linked to Oshutoru. Instead, she’s just the stereotypical righteous thief, who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Though her efforts at charity usually end hilariously in property damage. Anyway, Haku and Nosuri have an encounter in the sewers, where they proceed to get down and dirty. Hilarity ensues. Things then escalate quickly when Haku returns home to hear Anzu’s plight and proposes that she pretend to be kidnapped to get Oshutoru’s attention. Of course, Nosuri can’t help but overhear, and she bursts through the floor of all places to nab the willing princess. I will admit that the scenario where a righteous thief appears to oblige a princess by kidnapping her (destroying property in the process) is so ludicrously absurd that we can’t help but laugh. But I feel that in the end the events of the last two episodes dwell too much on inconsequential laughs while spending all too little time on the important things, like what’s going on between the two countries of Yamato and Tusukuru, or the mystery behind Haku’s background.
Obviously the next episode will wrap up the princess “kidnapping” incident, so I don’t expect much in the way of real development there. I suppose there’s a chance that Oshutoru might get involved since this deals with the princess of the country he serves after all. Things might get serious then. But I’m guessing the most that’ll happen when all is said and done is that Nosuri will join Haku’s merry band of friends.
Nosuri makes a grand entrance.
About Sumairii
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
An
Izuna-tanAruruu Is Fine Too. AndTetKamyuu. Most of all, we get to see the skyTiger! 😛POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Personally, I could deal with having less of Anzu’s “spoiled brat princess” character. Just one of those characters that commands too much attention and I find annoying. I liked the second story with Haku dealing with Nosuri pretty well, although how does Haku end up in the same bath with her? A lot of that just feels like “Let’s beat up Haku cause it’s ‘funny'” and when you do that too much, it’s not funny. I was actually kind of hoping that Anzu would have fallen in love with Haku, thinking that he was Oshutoru, cause that would be at least somewhat interesting (with the “people believe Haku is Oshutoru” angle), rather than just bratty spoiled princess crush.
Kuon just needs more confidence to stand up to her family members and say “This is who I am now, this is what I’m doing now, I enjoy my life, and I’m a good person.” Eventually they all understand this, but I don’t really like to see Kuon worried about it all the time.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
I have to agree, I find the bits with Anzu quite tedious. Hopefully her character either matures a bit more, or we just plain get less of her in the future. Perhaps there is a chance for the former in the coming kidnapping incident, since I can see it turning into a huge uproar, and all because of the princess’s whims.
As for Kuon, the whole “family butts in and treats her like a kid” thing has been done twice already, so it’s definitely high time that she starts to stand up to them. I think she did make a good start with telling Aruruu and Kamyu that she doesn’t intend to go home in episode 9.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
The anime’s still following the game events, but the execution’s different.
The anime omitted most of Haku’s playable agent jobs in the game, and occasional references to Haku’s past. This together with the slice of life events was most of the story’s 1st half.
Instead, the anime seems to be strongly focusing on slice of life events, and introducing all the central cast, for the series’ 1st half.
Gameplayers say shit will definitely hit the fan in the 2nd half though.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Well whaddaya know, Utawarerumono brings back even more characters from the first season!
It’s clearly for the fans. Anyone who played Game 1 or watched the anime will be fangasming hard right now.
Btw, “Utawarerumono 3 : The 2 Hakuoros” game has been confirmed for 21 Sept 2016, the final entry of the franchise.
Game 3′s main story and music is almost complete, and the plot will have more volume than False Faces had.
A new character’s also been confirmed, Fumiriru. This character debuted as a baby in an earlier Utawarerumono OVA.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
While these episodes were enjoyable on their own merits, I have to agree that they did little or nothing to advance the main story. However, if they are introducing characters who will figure in the second half and setting things up for that half, then there is more to them than meets the eye at present. I guess it’s part of how you can’t judge story elements in isolation when you’re less than halfway through a story. Things that seem insignificant at present can take on meaning later in the story.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Kuon sure has a lot of patience putting up with her sisters’ overprotective smothering. Most would’ve already blown their top and told them off as opposed to continually trying to avoid them. I understand her reasoning but personally, she was being much too considerate.
They’re just as bad for not getting it in their heads that Kuon is no longer a child. Both total cases of being trapped in the past.
Anzu is cute and all but her spoiled attitude is killing that.