AHHHHHHH MY EMOTIONS!!!!!!!
I am so happy I am able to pick up this show! This episode had me choking up with emotions. Aoi meets the Tengu Elder Matsuba, who had fallen off a ship drunk and landed in the yard. (Ouch!) She takes him in and feeds him a meal, where she learns he was friends with her grandfather.
Oh man, I wasn’t expecting to get all teary, but Matsuba made me cry. He is such a precious soul, who shared with Aoi about the friendship he had with Shiro, and how the man had once saved his life. The unique thing about Matsuba, is despite Shiro’s horrible reputation among the Ayakashis (who regarded him as a scrum, lower than themselves), he still liked the guy.
But the worst part was how Matsuba had no idea Shiro had died. He thought he was still alive and well, so when Aoi broke the news, my heart just broke into a million pieces.
And with that, Matsuba has unofficially become Aoi’s new guardian. After learning she is Shiro’s granddaughter, and how he had recently passed, Matsuba immediately accepted Aoi as one of his own grandchildren. He even offered to pay off the debt so Aoi could be free, and live a more peaceful life at Mt. Shumon, along with the option of marrying one of his sons (should she wish to do so). He was also the first to stand up for her, calling the Tenjin staff, and the Master of the Inn out on how they have the nerve to claim her as his fiancé with the poor treatment/reception she has been receiving. Matsuba won’t stand for her being neglected, and even spoke out on her behalf by reminding the Ogre-God that she is not the blame for Shiro’s action, so do let their history affect her.
This made me so emotional because Aoi doesn’t have anyone besides Ginji have her back (nor does he have the power to challenge the authority), and to have such an influential figure who is at par with the Ogre-God himself, is huge. Best of all, this is only just the start of the extended family Aoi never had.
Matsuba encourages Aoi to open up the restaurant, and promises her he will be a regular customer (I have no doubt), and before her parts with her, he makes sure she accepts and keeps the promised fan that Shiro never took (the reward he had intially requested to receive after having saved Matsuba from drowning). Although Aoi tried to refuse it, Matsuba stubbornly made sure she accepted it. A precious, irreplaceable gift that is the Tengu’s treasured fan.
I appreciate we got the chance to learn more about Shiro as an individual and how he died. It shines more light on his character, the things he would do, but at the asme time, it also not looking very promising about. Matsuba kindly shared how Aoi resembles her grandfather a lot (so much he had initially thought she was his daughter). She and her grandfather share a similar face, vibe and even her spiritual power (which means, she might actually be able to travel between realms as her grandfather had!).
Shiro was widely regarded as a “Wild Human” who frequently traveled between the two realms ever since he was a young man. Much like in his origins world, he did not have the greatest reputation. While he was well-liked by many Ayakashi, he also had many who were trying to kill him. He was a free-spirit, shameless, irresponsible, rule breaker (ie: fishing in the river that forbids fishing since the ancient times), unreliable, and considered as a low-life, and found the food in the Hidden realm to be incredibly bland. But he will go out to help those in need, but not without a reward: but will forget about it if one doesn’t have the thing he is interested in on them.
And despite his wild spirit, people cared for him. His funeral was like a festival, with a long, long line of those coming in pay their respects and condolences.
What is even more interesting however is that it sounds like the history between Shiro and the Ogre-God is a lot deeper and complicated than initially thought to be. Aoi is not simply a collateral in debt, but by the sound of it, with Shiro’s sudden death, it seems the two have unfinished business that must be dealt with. Although it could be a red-herring, it seems Shiro had caused some serious trouble with Ogre-God, that Aoi may have unknowingly become the figurehead to direct the blame.
Truthfully though, I don’t think Ogre-God has been treating her badly because of whatever conflict he had with her grandfather. He immediately became cold around her when she made the hurtful point of refusing to marry him, especially because he is an Ogre. Something I think he took very personally.
And while we’re on the topic of the Master of the Inn, once again, the Ogre-God did not have much presence this episode. The lack of him being around makes it hard for us to learn about his character, but luckily for us, we have nothing but time on our hands. I also do like how he is just letting Aoi do her own thing, not breathing down her neck everyday like some other characters whose proposals have been rejected. He is a mysterious guy who definitely has a soft side, but the right now we see him treating her indifferently, coldly, or being an ass (like calling her an eyesore) towards Aoi. That being said, I look forward to how the relationship between the two will develop, especially since it’s looking like it will be one heck of a slow-burn one.
Aoi took a bit of a back seat this episode, mainly serving as a host catering the guest (Matsuba). She has become accustomed to Ginji’s shop, a safe haven where Aoi can comfortably rest without being ridiculed by the Tenjin’s staff. Fortunately by the end of the episode, she has made up her mind to open the restaurant, and was able to stun the Tenjin staff silent by being able to resolve the chaos between the Tengu Clan and the staff, and earn the respect and friendship of the Tengu Elder himself. Better yet, in addition to Matsuba, Aoi made another friend:Kasuga, the adorable shapeshifting tanuki! I can’t wait to see the two interact some more, it will certainly warm my heart!
But one of the important things Aoi did (besides for the sake of the story) is showcase that even if the conditions are not favourable to her, despite being offered a way out, she is determined to follow through with her promises. While she is fierce in her own way, she is one who likes to stick with her promises and it undoubtedly will likely turn out to be far more dependable and trustworthy than her grandfather. This is a stark contrast to her grandfather, who based off his character, probably would have accepted the bail-out, especially if he really did put Aoi as a collateral for his debt.
