Shinrei Tantei Yakumo – 10

Everyone lives moving towards death~

This episode was so friggin’ cute and sad – I just don’t even. So many exciting revelations and touching moments. What a fantastic start to the final arc of the show.

The episode begins with our exorcist shot from the preview. The ghost of a young girl is seen hovering over the bed of a hospital patient. She asks but one question: When will you die? She then procedes to eat his face. This promps Makoto to make an inquiry at the hospital. While there she meets Yakumo’s uncle, Isshin, and daughter Nao. He’s there for a check up as he’s been getting headaches recently. While Isshin is with the doctor Nao comes across a girl in a wheelchair outside, she talks about the frailty of life while looking upon a dead fish in the pond. Instantly she makes me think of the ghost in the opening, but maybe that’s just what I’m supposed to think…¬¬

Moving on, Yakumo agrees to help Makoto and investigate the hospital but they’re choosing to go through proper channels this time instead of just barging into places so they have to wait to get permission. Yakumo goes off on his own and incidentally meets up with Gotou and Ishii at the mad doctor’s place. Is he forensics or something? I dunno.

Anyway, Yakumo asked him for more information regarding that picture he took of Yakumo’s Dad and Nanase Miyuki the day they were at the crime scene of one of the drowned girls. The doctor says that Yakumo’s Dad has the same atmosphere as a corpse! Ishii also brainstorms that Yakumo’s Father could be like Takeda in the sense that normal people can see him, but he is in fact …a spirit! Le Gasp! Back at the hospital, Yakumo’s uncle is receiving the results of his brain scan, where the out look isn’t promising.

We see Nanase Miyuki trying to run from the police but she is captured and brought to the station. In her cell she quietly says that “he’ll come for her, and deliver her to freedom once again.” Even when she’s incarcerated her badass level doesn’t decrease. That takes skill.

While looking for Nao, Isshin meets the girl in the wheelchair who at first seems cold and harsh, regarding the scenario of life and death, but after talking to him for a while admits that she’s scared of death and doesn’t want to die. You picked the wrong anime to be in then, sunshine. Isshin encourages her not to lose hope and when Nao appears the two become friends.

Yakumo and Haruka get the okay to investigate the hospital but on the way they stop off at Isshin’s temple to get the car. (Wait, can Yakumo drive?) They bump into Isshin and Nao outside and the four of them go up into the house where there is a package from Keiko, Haruka’s Mum, waiting for them. What follows is probably the cutest thing you’ll ever see. Your eyes might melt right out of your face at how cute this scene is. Ready? Okay. CUE BABY PICTURES!

In the parcel was a photo album containing pictures of Azusa, Takeda and Yakumo when he was a baby. At first Yakumo finds it a little hard to deal with but he soon gets over it when he realizes that at one time he did have a real, loving family.

I guess we’re just ignoring the fact that she tried to kill him then?

After fully understanding what he lost however a majorly pissed Yakumo returns to the room where he nearly stabbed his red eye out, only to be stopped by Isshin. It’s there that Isshin tells Yakumo that whatever cliche anime illness he has is terminal and he only has, at most, a year.

The episode ends rather dramatically with Nanase Miyuki, back at the police station, declaring that Isshin will be killed and Yakumo’s Father will be the one to do it. The possible spirit in question is seen standing atop a building, smirking evilily…

Alright Nature, the race is on.

Baby Picture Spam:

“His cheeks are so squishy, like marshmallows!”

This is the cutest one. DAT SCARF. *squee*

Though I do have to admit this new side of Yakumo is slightly off-setting compared to the current one.

Last one. Frolicking~

End Thoughts: This episode was absolutely stunning. Almost perfect, I’d say, in terms of set up at least. I do think the ghost at the beginning might be the girl in the wheelchair, I know she’s not actually dead yet but she could be astro-projecting or something like that. I’m a total nerd for things like that so I’m interested to see what they do with it. The scene where Isshin is talking to her annoyed me though, for a few reasons. For one I thought it broke up the action for so long that it ended up becoming boring. Also, it seemed like they were painfully trying to shoe-horn in some character development for him. I know that we’re supposed to be interested in whether or not he’ll die because of how it will effect Yakumo, but at the same time I can’t help but think how much more impact that revelation would have had if they’d built up his character a bit more during the series instead of trying to cram a whole load into just one scene. And even having done that, I still don’t really care about him. XD His voice creeps me out, it’s too soft and quiet and “hey do you wanna see some puppies?”

Something I noticed when Yakumo and Haruka were talking; she just ignores his insults now. Completely. I think she’s in denial. I actually started to like her again when she would just continue talking like he hadn’t said anything. It was really funny. That and when they were standing outside the temple and Isshin suggests Yakumo is going to take her on a drive, Yakumo’s reaction is priceless. Yakumo had a lot of new expressions this episode, it was nice to see since his face is usually the definition of impassive.

DEM PICTURES. My God. It took me about 10 minutes to stop laughing. I felt so damn bad for Yakumo, anyone whose had their baby pictures showcased to their friends knows the horror and deep embarassement that comes with it. They tried to play it serious though, I have no idea why, it was hilarious. I was with Haruka and Nao, just squeeing and going d’aww! By the way, am I the only one who thinks of Dante when they see Yakumo’s Dad?

Preview: Looks like Isshin’s getting attacked next episode, they sure aren’t wasting any time. Ohh~ I’m excited!