ASKDJHASDJKAHSD ALL OF MY HEADCANONS CAME TRUEEEEEEEE~
This episode was freaking fantastic. The first half of the episode was such a treat! We must thank Hideyoshi for rudely waking Aoi up so she would have a reason to get up early. It was because of that she was able to catch Oodanna secretly preparing everything for her! HEEHEE! It cracks me up how he just greets her as if it’s life as usual!
Ever since the old inn was established, I had hoped it would become a secret place for Oodanna and Aoi to meet up. But what I didn’t expect was to see Oodanna come in a disguise as a fish peddler! He hid his horns, and is sporting a mask. He is used to disguising himself whenever he travels to the Apparent Realm, so it’s pretty easy for him to accomplished. But without his horns and the heavy outfit he usually wears, he really does look like a college student! And it’s refreshing to see him a different and lighter outfit, it’s nice to see him dressed more casually.
And it was so sweet to see him deliver Aoi the food. She was growing concerned about having no money to go out shopping to get more to create dishes for Matsuba, and meals of her own. The first day he did it, she was able to figure out his hand-writing, but thought she must’ve been delusional to think he was actually there. It was also one of the first nights in a while where she had to eat alone, and she realized how lonely it is. Seeing Oodanna again, made her happy and miss him all over again when they had to part ways. But they agreed to secretly meet early in the mornings, I hope we get to see more of that because it gives me life! Also it was so cute how Aoi cleverly came up with the idea of hanging a bucket with ice in the front with a bento hidden inside.
I find it so endearing how Oodanna loves taking care of her. He came prepared, by bringing her some comfortable clothes more suited for the warmer climate, food, and even attends her foot making sure it’s all bandaged up. And the way he he blushed when she said she likes her hair ornament and vowed to get it back, IT WAS SO CUTE, I DIED AND CAME BACK AGAIN! He was also sure to ‘update’ her Ogre Fire pendent. We don’t know what he did, but perhaps he added additional protection. Additionally, I also like how Oodanna isn’t keeping too many secrets from her. He explained why Ginji can’t return to Tenjin-ya until they complete the ceremony. And the truth is, while he joked how she is acting like she is Ginji’s mother, it probably stung to hear that she wasn’t going to leave until Ginji returned.
Oh but he is sure a mischievous devil, wanting to help her changed and claimed he couldn’t just stand outside because of the employees! Pffth, he couldn’t have stood in the hall? What a weak excuse!
Aoi is such a tough girl. She is so done with the harassment from Orio-ya’s Employees, but she doesn’t let it get to her head. Her patience is rewarded when Tokihiko advised the twin chefs (black and white cranes) Kai and Mei to ask for her help. They have only been working at Orio-ya Inn for a year, so they could care less about its history and tensions with Tenjin-ya Inn. These two are absolutely hilarious, and their fist bumps are absolutely adorable. It is nice to see Aoi finally find some new allies in this hostile environment, along with Tokihiko rising to the occasion to help her out. He really is a nice guy. As far as we are concerned, since Ginji can’t really rebel against Ranmaru given the circumstances and responsibilities they must fullfill, it’s just Hatori and Tokihiko who are actively challenging Ranmaru.
Thanks to Oodanna’s arrival, we were able to learn a lot more about the circumstances around the Fireworks Ceremony. Because of the cursed land, it is a mandatory event that must be done once in a hundred years, and they must successfully carry out— or else there will likely be grave consequences. There is a lot riding on the line, so that’s the main reason why everyone at the inn is on the edge. This is also why Ginji cannot return to Tenjin-ya until he fulfills his task. Right now, he is too busy to take care of Aoi, and he and Ranmaru needs to gather several things akin to national treasures.
And speaking of which: the second Oodanna mentioned the “National Treasures”, the first thing that crossed my mind was the pot Shiro had broke. If this pot so happened to be a crucial relic to the Hidden Realm, that is meant to be used in the ceremony, it would be no wonder why Oodanna and many others would be pissed off at him. I wonder what became of it? I get the feeling it is going to be brought up again.
Another thing I would like to touch up on is the general lifestyle in the Hidden Realm. We have learned that a lot of the employees who work at these inns come from very poor backgrounds (such as O-Ryo and Shizuna), and it seems that’s just the way of life for most ayakashi. It’s normal for children of the poor to be working, and it seems the Inns play a crucial role in boosting the region’s livelihood by providing jobs for the kids, as we learned today, Taichi (and his elder brother who works at the harbour) are responsible for supporting their siblings, and he is grateful for Ranmaru hiring him. It seems its’ a tough life no matter where the ayakashi goes, both in the Hidden and Apparent Realm.
I choked up when Akatsuki thought Aoi had finally returned, only to see she hadn’t. He doesn’t like to admit it, but he sure misses her, as does everyone else. And seeing everyone at Tenjin-ya Inn taking care of Moonflower on Aoi’s behalf mad me all emotional knowing that Aoi never really had that kind of support. Sure her grandfather showed her how to cook, but we also know he was a troublemaker and she’d have to take care of him. Tenjin-ya has become the family Aoi never had, and I can’t wait for her to return to their open arms, especially after all the shit has has to go through at Orio-ya. (Though things will likely start to look up when they realize how helpful she can be by simply cooking!)
That being said, I can’t wait to see how Aoi will force her way into contributing to the cause by doing what she can to appease important individuals such as Yodoko, the Rain Woman, who they need to make sure they please or else she may make it rain during the ceremony (and they can’t have that, or else they won’t be able to host the fireworks).
Extra note: THEY DID UPDATE THE OPENING!!!!!!!! Oh my god, it look so much better and complete! They polished it up real nicely!!!! 😀 I am so relieved!!! ; v ;
