W00t, another Obi-themed episode! Oops I mean, erm… ah fuck it. You guys already know my favourite unreciprocated ship. (≧◡≦)
Zen, Shirayuki and the others are almost back to Clarines, but they get caught in a downpour so they stop at an inn for the night. While they’re there they partake 
of the bathhouse (separately of course, this isn’t an ecchi) and enjoy some relaxation time. Or if you’re Obi, you tease Zen about Shirayuki and show him too much skin. I’m pretty sure Zen never wanted to see that much of Obi, eh? Oh but it was such an amusing scene.
After they bathe, they have dinner together in the dining room. The mysterious long-haired brunette from the inn’s lobby comes by and asks Mitsuhide if he wants to spend the night with her. Kiki says she’s free to take him, much to Mitsuhide’s chagrin. She makes the same offer to Zen, but skips over Obi because he looks “dangerous.” We find out the reason for this later.
That night while everyone is sleeping, Obi is alone on the rooftop looking at the stars. The young woman from the dining room comes up behind Obi, and then briefly attacks him. It turns out they used to work jobs in the past together, as mercenaries (or something similar, as far as I can tell), and her name is Trow. She asks Obi for his help with her latest mission, and he eventually relents, specifying he must be back by morning.
They make their way to an abandoned mansion. Trow has to find some rich kid who ran away from home because he didn’t like all the rules, and was resisting the idea of succeeding his father. They break into the mansion, and Trow pushes Obi inside to do the dirty work of dispatching his guards while she ties up the kid in preparation to take him to her clients, who are the guards the kid hired to help him run away but then didn’t pay once he’d escaped.
Obi lets the first guard put himself out of commission. A second guard launches himself at Trow on the balcony, but while she evades his attack and retaliates with a nice kick to his face, she slips on the railing and it is only because of Obi’s quick actions that Trow is not more seriously hurt. They take a moment to catch their breath in the canopy, and then upon seeing a light moving around in the mansion…
They’re busted. Or rather Obi’s busted. Zen, Shirayuki, Mitsuhide and Kiki have all arrived, and are not super impressed with Obi. Zen in particular is pretty annoyed that Obi took off when he wasn’t supposed to, but it’s only because he was worried about Obi. Zen tells Obi that if he can’t understand that people will worry about him when he vanishes like that, then next time he won’t go looking for him. Obi suddenly appears guilty and apologizes. Shirayuki emerges to tend to the cut on his shoulder, and Obi apologizes to her as well.
Afterwards, everyone is gathered outside and waiting for Obi while he says farewell to Trow. She comments on how he’s changed, and asks him how he feels. He replies that he doesn’t know. But, he looks very satisfied.
Back on the road to Clarines, Shirayuki’s riding with Obi once more, and Zen’s all bent out of shape that she’s never ridden on his horse with him. Obi tells Shirayuki that he has no interest in the person he used to be before he met Zen, but Shirayuki insists that she’d like to know.
My thoughts: This is my new favourite episode! Not just because of the shipper moments and all of the teasing, but partially because this episode made me actually lol several times. And no this new favourite pick has nothing to do with the amount of shirtless Obi we got to see in this episode, although I’m sure as shit not complaining about that. Also, Obi’s seiyuu can read the damn phonebook and I’d listen; his voice is just that smooth. (~￣▽￣)~
I’m glad to see Mitsuhide’s relationship with Kiki getting some more attention. Again because I haven’t read the manga, I’m not sure if this follows existing material or not, but regardless it’s amusing to watch their banter and how they play off each other. Seriously, the look on Mitsuhide’s face when Trow was asking him if he wanted to spend the night with her was priceless.
I got the feeling that the theme of this episode was about family for Obi. Or rather, having a place where he belongs. The title of the last episode was about Shirayuki feeling like Clarines was her home, and in this episode it’s made apparent that Obi’s home is with Zen and the others. They own a part of his heart and he can’t get it back, but he doesn’t care because they make him happy.
Argh, I can’t wait for the season to be over so I can go read the manga. *impatient*
I’m looking forward to next week because Zen’s getting pressured about finding a wife, which means that there’s probably going to be more progress in his relationship with Shirayuki. At least I hope there will be. Guys, if you’re going to get married then at some point you’re going to have to consummate the marriage, yet right now you two are still shy about holding hands??
Maybe a princess will be chosen for him by his older brother ? Aaargh. I can totally see that happening
Ohhh, I didn’t think about that! I can too, ugh! ;~;
For some reason , I ‘m liking Obi. So, what I’m thinking when I watch the show, ” oh, please don’t have feelings for her, please. ” But , you know, it seems he’s starting to have these feelings. She is awesome , after all.
Yeah I’m pretty sure that Obi has feelings for Shirayuki. 🙂 But nothing can happen between them because she wants to marry Zen and vice versa.