Mirai Nikki – 23 & 24
Gives new meaning to the term “self-harm”
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Episode 23
As suspected, Murmur is more than she’s been letting on. Not just a mere minion, she’s after Deus’s crown and kingdom, and aims to become the new God in his place. She prolongs the life of the planet until the 28th, but predicts it will still end – this is reiterated by Yuno and Yuki’s diaries. So Yuki and Yuno are taking refuge at her house, pretty much just waiting for the end, taking baths and Yuki is trying not to let his suspicions of Yuno cloud his judgment. Meanwhile, Yuno is having trouble suppressing her womanly urges…
Yuno – “For the love of God, Yuki! Just sleep with me!”
With one day left until the apocalypse Yuki gets up early to go to the ruins of his house and the school, on a memory trip and to try and sort his feelings for Yuno. And that night he indulges in Yuno’s romantic nature. The two take a bath and spend the night together. THEY HAVE SEX. After that Yuki feels this is the perfect time to call Yuno out on lying to him about being about to bring people back. Great judge of mood, as always Yukiteru. Sigh. She pulls an axe out from under her and wedges it in the floor in a bizarre fit of aggression. Then she calms down says she was only trying to console him by saying that.
Well, nice to see that the awkwardness is gone.
Oh no, wait…there it is.
It’s then Yuki brings up Akise’s dying message; “This is a second world. Gasai Yuno has already once become God and gone back in time.” Upon hearing this Yuno attacks Yuki with the axe, much to his confusion. He runs outside where Murmur pushes him into the corpse hole and he emerges in a flashback. She guides him through them, and offers the reason why Yuno is trying to kill him – While on the outside Yuno desperately tries to stop Yuki learn the truth.
That there are two worlds, and the one Yuki is existing in at the moment is the second. He’s shown a vision of himself and Yuno lying side by side, having committed a double suicide after killing all the other Diary holders. Vision-Yuno gets up however and spits out the pills, she opens her arms to the heavens and declares she’ll become god and bring Yuki back. We know this is impossible however but First World Yuno did not. So, using her new found powers, Yuno asked Deus to return to a past where Yuki was still alive. This had complications however as Yuno had to kill herself when she went back in time, because two of her around would be difficult to explain. So it sinks in for Yuki that the Yuno who said she’d be his wife was dead. Yuki emerges from the corpse hole extremely pissed and ready to face Yuno.
Episode 24
With 20 minutes to midnight the world is still being devoured C style. Murmur gets both Yuki and Yuno on a raised platform so they can talk. Yuno explains that if Yuki won’t kill her then she’ll just kill him and do all this over again with a third Yuki. Murmur let’s Yuki drop off the platform so Yuno can win and become god, but Yuki is caught by none other than Ninth!
This is apparently Deus’s doing, who saved Ninth from the vault explosion and split his knowledge and power with her. The two have chased Yuno and Murmur into the past – thus creating a third world. They’ve gone back to when Yuno was still kept in a cage by her parents. Except this time she only has her mother, who leaves her. Tsubaki is still alive as well. Yuki and Ninth find the third world Yuno in time for the first world Yuno to appear. Ninth manages to get them all away, and once safe she questions Yuki on who he really wants to save.
Scottish translation: “STOP BEING SUCH A FUCKING TOOL!”
END THOUGHTS
What a couple of episodes. When I heard speculations of time travel I was seriously hoping it wasn’t going to happen, I thought it would be just too silly and too out there, but I stand entirely mistaken. It actually did work within the context of the story, and ended up being really clever. Infact, Yuno (the first Yuno), her motivation and situation was fantastic. The only thing I don’t get, or I think is a bit weak was Yuki’s reaction to Yuno killing the other Yuno. He claimed that she was the one who promised to be his wife, and that they were different – surely this isn’t true?
Yes, the second Yuno would have said that to him before the first Yuno killed her, but the first Yuno also said that because she went through all these events before. It is really complicated, all these different worlds. I get how Sixth is alive and Ninth’s return, but does that mean that in the third world (the one they’re in now) Akise will be alive? Or because he was a Deus creation he won’t exist anywhere else? Ninth’s miraculous appearance is slightly unwanted from my point of view. After everyone is “dead”, I don’t really welcome them back.
It does something to the atmosphere to have a minor character return so near the end when it felt right for it to be just Yuno and Yuki. And them chasing each other through a myriad of timelines has endless possibilities and senarios I don’t really want to get into when we’re so close to the end. I just hope the resolution isn’t jepordized by this new, very bold move and massive leap in the story capability. I’m a little nervous about it now, if I’m honest. Still, these past few episodes were mostly exposition, and the exposition was satisfying and kept at a dizzyingly fast pace.
About Hime
Metanorn's resident perverted princess and porn critic; she covers the overlooked, the underrated and the down right stupid. No anime is safe from her critical eye, but throw something Jun Fukuyama related in her direction and she'll turn into a useless puddle of fangirl goo.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 144 comments
I think I know the most important question: Did Yuno commit murder or suicide?
While Ninth’s return is kind of an smack in the face, I like her character so I don’t mind it too much. Also, we never did see what Deus planned for her back in the episode where she died. I guess they did leave it wide open for a return.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Deus’ plan was to use Ninth to keep Murmur from unfairly supporting Yuno, messing with the survival game’s original setting and causing another chain of violence because he knew Murmur was acting on her own agenda influencing the players while he was falling apart.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 144 comments
Yes, I know. And that’s why it made sense for her to return. She never carried out that task, or anything like what Deus might have commanded, back when she died. 🙂
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
So Yuno went back in time to correct her mistake causing a doppleganger. I hoping there wasn’t going to be a time travel bit but apparently it was needed. At least this explains the two Yunos fighting each other in the two OPs. Yuki has manned up a lot since the beginning. He’s the first ever weak type male lead I’ve ever seen in anime who has managed to get the nerve to have sex with the girl he likes. I’m still baffled by the fact.
Seeing Ninth back in action was a pleasant surprise. Deus chose to give her what was left of his powers, explaining her flying, time travel and teleportation powers because she has a grudge against God and so he said she could be trusted to put the game in the right direction.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 243 comments
This show is completely off the rails now. Do I care? Not a jot. It’s still heaps of fun, particularly Flying Uryuu: Defender of the Universe.
I’m wondering what Sixth’s role is going to be, since if she’s not going to do anything she’s a bit of an odd choice to give screentime to now. Given that her father is still alive, so this is pre-rape Sixth, I’m thinking she’s maybe going to end up spared from her tragic backstory?
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 50 comments
“He claimed that she was the one who promised to be his wife, and that they were different – surely this isn’t true?”
I also found this pretty weak in the story. It’s not like he actually knows the second Yuno. He knows only one Yuno and that’s the first Yuno. That’s why he didn’t care that she was a fake. But now that he learned that she killed the ‘real’ Yuno (the one of his world) he suddenly starts to feel sorry for the latter. And only because she was the one who promised to be his wife, even though the first Yuno prolly done the same in the first world. But ok, I guess Yuki reasons in his own very special way. Just like he so easily forgave his father for killing his mother…
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 243 comments
Yes, his response here about the two Yunos is completely irrational. But that probably makes sense given how confusing and effed-up the situation is. I mean, what would a rational emotional response be? Is there even one?
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 144 comments
…disregard females, acquire currency?
Although that should have been the response about 20 episode ago. Trying to rationalize anything at this point is akin to trying to stop the Hoover Dam with a common bottle cork.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 323 comments
hahaha ….the hardest part of animation ,I always want to know how they do it ..but this part is hard as hell ..i mean i’ve read the manga and noticed the hard part and i always wonder how in the hell they are gonna do now ~~
by thw way ,I love Snazzy new icons from Ness!~~~ヾ(＾∇＾)♪
POWUH: 400-499 with 489 comments
yea… this anime is filled with mind FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU
POWUH: iLurker with 16 comments
Just think about it. You would be in tears too if you found out that you’ve been loving an alternate version of your wife after finding out that version kill yours, calling for your help during her last moments. Yuki’s reaction was completely realistic in my opinion.
Also, lol, these episodes showcase that I’m a better detective than Akise. Yuno’s creepily awesome planning and the revelation of the third skeleton (along with the opening scene of Yuno getting axed in the first episode) made it waaaaay too obvious that the Yuno we get to know was a time leaper.
POWUH: 700-799 and Parkouring Fanboy with 776 comments
Man, Future Diary just keeps on getting more and more nuts. I’m still awestruck by how well it manages the insanity, always able to top or build on itself in some way. The twists and turns of the last few episodes have been so unexpected, yet so fitting for this series. Multiple timelines? Why not, things are more fun that way.