Yato teaches Yuki how to draw a Borderline between him and Phantoms, and is amazed to see how proficient Yuki is at this. Hiyori is not satisfied with the care Yato is giving Yuki, though, and invites Yuki to stay with her, treating him to a warm bed and bath. However, Yuki is afraid of the dark and shares a bed with Hiyori, and tries to feel her up. Yato notices and reprimands him.
While shopping with Hiyori, Yuki runs off and loses track of time. He encounters a young girl who has died, but doesn’t know it and is still waiting for her mother. Unfortunately, she becomes possessed by a Phantom, and Yato and Yuki are forced to kill her to free her from the eternal Hell of possession.
Overall, this episode was quite enjoyable. Now that the bulk of explanations are out of the way, and we’ve established the dynamic between Hiyori, Yato and Yukine, we can have episodes focussed on their characters and interactions. The three are getting closer, and despite Hiyori’s impatience with Yato’s general being, it’s clear she cares for him to some degree. The relationships between all three characters are bright and make viewing easy; you’re not bored or turned off by any of them, which is great. I think the humour also really helps, especially the shots of Yato which are off model, like his cat face when stealing food.
There were also a few interesting tidbits in relation to the mechanics of the world. Temples are actually protected from Phantoms, which explains why Yato would camp out in them, rather than just sneak into a penthouse or something. Phantoms may also play into people’s fears, as when Yukine was confronted by one, the streetlight flickered out to further fuel his fear. On that note, the Phantoms really freak me out. It’s voices mainly, but they way the look and move is also quite unsettling. Not nearly as unsettling as the little girl with the Phantom eye; I really felt terrible for her, especially when one considers that being possessed by a Phantom is a living hell.
Which obviously makes it difficult for Yukine and Yato to make the decision to kill her, but in the end, I suppose it’s the kinder option. However, what is the secret behind Yukine’s power? I’m sure Yato knows more than he is letting on, but I am genuinely interested to see if there’s a decent explanation behind his natural strength. What I do enjoy, though, is the doubt Yukine is displaying over his worth to Yato, which a typical tennaage thing. Despite what people say to the contrary, we as teenagers often experience doubt over our worth and abilities. This adds realism to Yukine’s character, and makes his doubts and concerns over Nora much more relatable.
We were also introduced to the blonde woman featured in the OP. She’s obviously a goddess, but I’m not sure which goddess she is. Why is her Regalia monitoring Yato? Is she a threat? I mean, they fight in the OP. Perhaps she and Yato fought previously.
In terms of the future, I wonder if there’s going to be an overall plot, or if we’ll just continue watching Hiyori, Yato and Yukine go about their lives. However, I would like answers about Yukine; both about his past and his powers. And at the end of the day, though, the characters are all quite charming, and I would be more than happy to just watch them run about the city, making fun of Yato.
It is a bit of a shame that they skimmed over this emotional aspect of yukine’s character development during this arc. But you know what it could have been worse, so i am hardly complaining. That said i am satisfied with the way they handled it. Had we been given 26 episodes instead of 12, they probably would have included it. After the anime is complete I recommend you read the manga (better off waiting until the anime finished because only 14/39 chapters are translated), not to mention- IT’S SO ADDICTING!
In terms of plot, yes I am confident that BONES will get to the that point which comes along with Bishamon (the lady with the lion), and hopefully BONES will keep the arc as dark as it’s supposed to be.