After the previous action-heavy episodes, this week we returned to something more comically light-hearted and some bits of focus to the progress between Hyoma and Botan’s relationship. We also learned a bit more about Tsubaki.
Like Hyoma, Tsubaki is in pursuit of the paper umbrella tsukumogami who killed Hyoma’s older brother and sister. She’s known as a prodigy, managed to master all of her clan’s techniques at the mere age of 8. She’s almost like I imagined her to be. She considers everything as a game to her, including hunting and fighting tsukumogami. The reason she’s after the the paper umbrella tsukumogami was because the tsukumogami took Hyoma’s siblings, her entertainment, away from her. She holds on the belief that her father and siblings shared, but she prioritize her own amusement. Knowing that Hyoma is targeting the paper umbrella tsukumogami, she invited him to join her clan instead of staying with the Nagatsuki.
As tempting as it was, Hyoma refused the invitation, which understandably shocked everyone including Yuu. They all know how vengeful Hyoma is in regards to his siblings’ killer and his goal to find and kill the tsukumogami hasn’t changed. Furthermore, Tsubaki’s family has wider information network to find his target. However, other than revenge, it’s revealed that Hyoma also swore in front of his siblings’ graves that he’ll become strong in both body and mind to stop any tragedy by tsukumogami’s hand. That said, I believe that the real reason Hyoma refused Tsubaki’s invitation was for Botan’s sake. Knowing her situation, Hyoma chose to stay with the Nagatsuki to protect her with the pretext of staying with the Nagatsuki would help training his body and mind. I like how Hyoma slip in his concern for Botan without revealing much, showing how he has grown to care her. And not just Botan, for the first time, Hyoma actually said from his own mouth that he acknowledged Botan has a good family, proving that Hyoma has accepted the Nagatsuki tsukumogami.
The choice that Hyoma made seems to have profound effect on Yuu, especially after listening his reason, but she’s still unaccepting of him when it comes to being Botan’s future husband. Still, I’d like to believe that her opinion on Hyoma has improved somewhat.
After the battle, the Nagatsuki household held a celebration for Botan’s three years in university and Hyoma’s three months stay. The household has some sort of tradition to have a hotpot party every time they believe there’s something to celebrate. It’s an event that everyone in the household looked forward to do and each got their respective job to prepare for the hotpot party. Haori used this opportunity to have Hyoma and Botan becoming closer by appointing them to find the self-serving pot necessary to cook. Thus, Botan and Hyoma were alone at the warehouse to look for the pot. I thought that Haori would went as far as locking them inside, but even she won’t go that far no matter how much she wish them to be a couple.
While Hyoma concentrated on finding what they were told to look for, Botan was nervous because Haori forced her to get closer to Hyoma in more intimate way, even make a list of things that she must do to find out more about him. As the result, every time she and Hyoma are close to each other, Botan couldn’t help but becoming self-conscious in making a physical contact no matter how little it is. However, her shyness grew to irritation when Hyoma didn’t seem to be bothered being left alone with her while she was the only one to think much. In a typical manner, Botan dropped the list and it was picked up by Hyoma. Reading the list, Hyoma gave her assurance that he understood and tried to look for the pot instead. However, what Hyoma himself didn’t realize, he has a habit of speaking in old Japanese way when he’s flustered. Having been informed about this beforehand, Botan used this opportunity trying to look at Hyoma’s flustered face because she deemed it unfair that he’s the only one who got to see her embarrassed.
Botan’s attempt, as I expected, led to the typical accidental push down (with Botan on top and Hyoma at the bottom). Botan got her wish of seeing Hyoma’s blushing face, but that position cutely made it even more awkward for the two of them and Botan herself blushed again. It would’ve been better if they’re being in even more blushing mess. That would’ve been even cuter and funnier! Alas, Yuu just have to interfere between them. Ooh, why must you interrupted them when things get good, Yuu?! XD
Next week, sadly, we’ll return to action again based on the preview. I wish we’ll have more Hyoma x Botan moment for at least one more episode before returning to the fight. But I’ll let this slide because I’ll finally see certain two tsukumogami in action.
