Hanyou no Yashahime S2 Episode 21

Watching this episode has given me the confirmation that Kirinmaru is an ABSOLUTE IDIOT! Not only that he didn’t even notice in the slightest bit that Rion has sneaked into his room while he was asleep, but he’s also easily let himself be manipulated by Kirin?! Are you serious, Kirinmaru?! And let’s not forgetting how he never once thought that his actions were selfish! I gave props to Kirin for flat out telling Kirinmaru how he has been ignoring Rion’s true wishes. BUT, what made me rolled my eyes was Kirinmaru acted like he didn’t know that what he did actually the complete opposite of Rion’s wish. Rion already told him directly that she was against him to the point of trying to kill him, and he has the gal to actually ask her if it’s true?! URGH! I’ll be blunt, Kirinmaru is one of badly-written antagonist I’ve ever seen! Not the worst, but still bad!

And then Kirin. As I feared, Kirin also held strong love for Rion, one that’s unfortunately as much misguided as his original self. Being Kirinmaru’s right arm, Kirin loved Rion dearly as any father did to his daughter, and Rion was able to sense the kind father she had loved in the past within Kirin. From this brief flashback and Rion’s reaction, it was clear that Kirinmaru wasn’t as bad as he was in the present. He’s much kinder, and this Kirinmaru was the father that Rion missed and loved. The bad news was, Kirin took his love to the extreme by merging Rion with the Grim Butterfly to free her from her otherwise inevitable demise due to using temporary vessel, at the cost of Rion being used as a core of the yokai to annihilate the demons and lose her sense of self. In the end, while Kirin’s way was less selfish than Kirinmaru, it’s still ended up leading to a disaster for our main characters.

On the topic of the Grim Butterfly. I’m irked that there’s no further explanation about the Grim Butterfly. The Grim Comet turned out to be some sort of cocoon and its real identity was the Grim Butterfly. I don’t think there has been any some foreshadowing or hints of the comet’s true identity. And why the comet hatched into the butterfly using the Kyuyokon Fruit? There weren’t enough or even any hint about the comet’s true identity, it feels it just came out of nowhere. I know the butterfly was shown in the opening, but it’s not enough. Making the butterfly some sort of the final enemy didn’t feel right.

I would have complained much more about this episode if not for the parting moment between the girls and Souta’s family. This parting was especially hard for Towa and Souta, who have been together for ten years living as a family. Even though Towa didn’t know her real parents until recently, she still have familial attachment for them, enough to want to keep the promise of giving her real parents a hug as she knew how much her real parents loved her and Setsuna. And Souta only wished for the best for Towa, so he accepted and supported her decision. Ever since knowing that the gateway to the Sengoku era has been closed and Souta revealing Kagome’s experience when she left for Sengoku era after three years, they both knew that just like Kagome, the girls returning to Sengoku era would mean an eternal farewell for them. It’s so sudden, they only have one night until morning to share one last moment together. Not being related by blood didn’t matter, they were still a family. Towa would forever be grateful and love Souta for not only helping her looking for Setsuna, but also had raised her to become the person she’s now. Similarly, Souta would forever consider Towa as his beloved daughter. And I’m sure the rest of the Higurashi family felt the same way. It’s a bittersweet moment that touched my heart.

Sesshomaru has recovered, but he couldn’t take more rest as Kirinmaru immediately challenged him to settle their score. But rather than the confrontation between Sesshomaru and Kirinmaru, what caught my attention was how Sesshomaru told Rin to watch him. Before, he would always told Jaken to take Rin away to protect her from the danger. This time, instead of telling her to hide, he told her to watch over his fight. Maybe this was just me being biased towards Sesshomaru and Rin, but I think this moment was a powerful one as it showed how Sesshomaru, as a head of family and a husband, told his wife to bear witness to his final fight against a strong adversary, one that must never be forgotten. And Rin, being a faithful wife she is, willingly obeyed his command, taking responsibility as his wife to etch this battle with honor and pride into her memories.

Overall though, I’ve already grown tired, and just want this to end already. Not even my curiosity to know the end of Towa and Riku’s romance is enough to attach me longer to the series. But, since it’ll end soon, and as I’ve reached this far, I must write until the end.