Ao no Exorcist: Kyoto Fujouou-hen – 05
Great, now he’s THAT member of the family everyone has who’s been to jail
Watch yourself or Yukio will Ao no wreck-your-shit!
I’m glad Yukio is back, it’s about time Rin had someone on his side. Their bond with Rin is a huge part of what makes me enjoy Ao no Exorcist so much. Yukio is the one of the rare few who truly accepts Rin. Of course, there are some caveats to that statement, given Yukio’s bitterness about him being partially responsible for Shiro’s death. Although things are a bit rocky and the two always argue, at least Yukio is someone who will always be on Rin’s side. He’s a more solid form of support than friends, who can be fickle. Since everyone recently found out his secret and started to despise him (bar a few exceptions), it’s good to know Rin has someone who will be there no matter what. He’s not completely alone! Even if he was just thrown in jail…
I think it’s interesting how Yukio and Rin are close, but they have trouble understanding each other’s true feelings. Rin is desperate to catch up to Yukio as an exorcist, and he does so in his own, wild way. He sees Yukio as superior. On the other hand, Yukio is actually envious of Rin for being so naturally brave and strong – something Rin doesn’t catch on to. Yukio was a shy kid, so he has to put on an act to maintain his role as a high positioned exorcist. His charisma is calculated and his confidence evenly measured. As Shura notes, he’s an uptight ball of stress that’s prone to snapping at any moment. By being the “responsible” one, he’s also at risk of being the most dangerous. I don’t think Shura’s warning about his betrayal will go unanswered either. Maybe not this time, but the next time, or the next next time. Whatever the case, Yukio can’t continue this way without breaking at some point.
And he knows it.
Yukio seems grimly aware of his potential to be persuaded to the dark side of things. It’s especially stuck in his mind since Todo taunted him about it. Furthermore, Todo was able to convince Mamushi to follow him, and she’s just like Yukio in terms of being a stickler for rules and perfectionism. It’s interesting how these types are more likely to be the bad guys, as opposed to the drunkard monk or the rebellious kid who could set an entire town ablaze thanks to daddy issues.
Speaking of monks as drunk as skunks, we finally learn a bit more about Tatsuma this week! As expected, he had a secret (many secrets?) that he could not expose to anyone, for fear of breaking his oath. But now he’s starting to explain things in a letter to Rin, which I suppose is kind of okay since he’s not part of the same clan. Sort of. Anyways, I won’t comment too much on it until the whole cat is let out of the bag. Right now we can only see a head and some ears. I will say that I was happy to see Shiro again! Wow! I forgot how much I missed him. Next week’s episode should be really cool.
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Great, now he’s THAT member of the family everyone has who’s been to jail.
I’m sure a few months later, they’ll be laughing about it together like it was a silly joke.
“Hey, remember the time we totally thought Rin was evil & Satan’s agent, so we treated him like crap and put him in that cell? Ah, good times.” (*＾▽＾)
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Maybe it’s just me but if that exact sentence ever gets worded out amongst them, even if in that kind of manner, it would feel awkward. How would one respond to that?
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Update: Likely to be said by drunkest member of group.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Since Rin would be the subject of the sentence, I’d say Bon would be the likely pick to say it. He already mistook Shura’s beer for juice and got blind drunk.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Sorry for the late reply. I spent all last night into today’s early hours playing Final Fantasy XV. Doing more side quests and hunts than main objectives. They ate a lot of my time away.
The Okumura brothers’ bond is nice to look at but it also shows a contrast between the two. Rin is the carefree, loose type who follows his heart and learns from personal experience, hence him trying to get Bon to reconcile with his father. Yukio is the strict, “no mistakes allowed”, by the book idealist: The inflexible and most volatile type and they can only take so much. They can be the most dangerous people to deal with the day their perception and ideals break for various reasons. Hence why Shura said he’s the kind that’s susceptible to falling to darkness. Much like Mamushi and Todo before him.