Impression
It’s clear that this second issue, the unleashing of desires is proving itself to be just as problematic (if not more) than the body swapping we had for the last arc. Already things are falling apart, people are having violent outbursts both physically and verbally and if I had to sum it up, shit would most definitely be hitting the fan. Heartseed must be so amused.
Compared to the others, Iori has it fairly easy this time round. Having desires such as randomly going “Yahoo!” is what everyone must be wishing they wanted, since her desires seem to be more trivial – since she takes life easily, and goes with the flow. Perhaps that’s a hint as to her real personality, the one she’s always displayed so far; the easygoing girl that appears bright and cheerful. I hadn’t thought of her needing to stay away from Taichi, but it’s a valid point. They may end up doing things they’ll regret later if overwhelmed by their desires too much, and they won’t even remember any of it – so what’s the point?
I fully stand by what I said about Taichi getting himself into trouble in the future, and Heartseed seems intent on showing him exactly what that means. Though I admire how honest he is with actually wanting to help people out, it’s far too reckless to harbour a desire so strong that it overtakes your body. And even if he does attempt to help, he might not be able to do anything. There’s a line between helping and being nosy, and he has to appreciate that sometimes, leaving people alone to sort out the problems they have with their personal lives is the best way to go.
In terms of Himeko, it’s evident that she’s got a lot bottled up inside her, and there may be a reason for that especially when we know the least about her and her life. Inaban’s my favourite character, both for the Sawashiro Miyuki voice and her personality, so I don’t want to see her in so much hurt, least of all over revealing to Taichi that she lusts for him in a way that I approve of, being a shipper of those two. Lashing out at Yui revealed a darker side to her (I think all the lashing out is revealing the worst in people) but I completely understand where she’s coming from, as well as Heartseed’s reply to how shutting yourself up may not be the best solution. Himeko seems to have realized where Yui’s coming from though, since she’s suddenly acting in a similar way. Though the androphobia may be part of why Yui’s locking herself in, I don’t think that’s all, and there’s something more that she’s either gone through, or is scared of going through in terms of her desires.
I’ve heard that this arc is focusing on Himeko more, and the new ED seems to suggest that as well. One thing for certain is that the ending of this arc will leave the five even closer to each other than before…but at what cost?