Part two of the disappearance and probably the most unsettling episode of them all. I mean, I thought the one in the rain and with mostly silence was unsettling but wow. I have to say, this was taken to a whole new metaphysical realm. As the old Yuki’s memories slowly return, what will happen to the new Yuki? As of right now, the Yuki of this world is sleeping within her own body, however, as she wakes up. What of the Yuki that has taken her place?
As we see this Yuki look in on the others memories, see her eyes sparkle as she reads, and watch her develop her own feelings for Kyon. She seems more and more like a person of her own and we become worried for what will happen to her.
There was actually a part in the episode, after the large dream sequence when their hands merge into one another that I was slightly afraid that the ‘new’ Yuki had vanished.
It’s an odd feeling, knowing that she doesn’t belong and that her friends would like the old Yuki back, but also fearing for this new one. The use of static and light tones in the dreams gave them this almost unreal feeling. Which was very good. Also, for the first time in episodes I had to pause every so often to squee about how cute Yuki is.
One of the things i liked the most in the episode other then the dream like sequences was the flashback, well i guess it was one of the dream sequences. Where we get to see in full the moment that Kyon and Yuki met at the library for the first time. When she was having trouble going to check out a book because she was so shy and was afraid to ask for a library card.
How he approaches her and helps her, she goes to thank him and he totally brushes it off. High-Maintenance people he can’t leave alone huh? That sounds like his sister, this worlds Yuki and maybe a little bit of Haruhi.
While that might be what I liked best, I think the major point of this episode is fear. Fear of being forgotten, of vanishing, of no longer existing. Rejecting wearing Yuki’s glasses despite them being fixed, it’s the new Yuki’s way of rejecting vanishing. For her, how is being replaced by the old Yuki any different then dying? Humanity fears death, and this part of Yuki that is threatened by being erased is feeling that base fear of death.
We head on into part three of this series of episode, even more unsettled then before. What is going to happen to this Yuki? What about the old one? As the summer fire works approach, will the old Yuki be back to see them with Kyon? So many questions, well next time, we’ll find out more.
~Midnight