Otakuan

This episode was the very fitting midpoint of the twelve part series. And what an episode it was! I haven’t been quite this interested in Shigurui since the third episode.

It starts off with Iku tied up in a shack. Ushimata is there watching over her. It turns out that Kogan has become very aware of Iku and Irako’s love affair and betrayal. Her nipple was cut off as punishment, oh….and Ushimata eats it. Yeah, from the drool coming out of his face cuts, I’d say it was pretty tasty. He then states that it is time for Irako’s punishment to begin.

Outside it switches to where we left off. Ushimata is there now too. He says that Irako must test his skills against him before he can learn Nagereboshi. Things do not go as Irako predicts, Ushimata jams his wooden sword into his chest and when Irako is on his kness he seriously wounds him my stabbing his back. Thus the punishment begins.

It is Fujiki’s turn now, Irako is very disturbed by this as he is badly wounded. Kogan asks if he wants to stop. Irako, thinking that this is still a Nagareboshi training session, summons up his strength and faces Fujiki. An epic slow motion sword battle occurs. Irako and Fujiki seem equally matched; however, blood is about to drip into Fujiki’s eyes. Irako tries to use this as his advantage, but it does not work out.

Irako seems to go into a dream land where Kogan is crazy again (and eats a sake cup), he is the successor of the Dojo, Mie loves him, and his mother moves in with him. When he wakes up from such delusions Fujiki is punching the ever living shit out of him. And for once! It is not in slow motion! And it is b-e-a-u-ti-ful!

Irako passes out and is woken up by Iku stabbing him with a hot poker (this wasn’t her choice, of course) he rolls outside where the landscape is surrounded by blue fire and the moon is red. This time he must fight Kogan himself. Back at the dojo Mie is smiling. She is obviously happy about whatever she thinks is happening.

After Kogan states that he knows of Irako’s betrayal he…does Nagareboshi (I believe) and cut’s Irako’s eyes. There is some great insight after that where Irako screams in Iku’s arms. A monster was born that night. Apparently two monsters were born, which I assume would be Fujiki, whose due to lose an arm now anytime. What an awesome episode…

Alrighty, long time no see Shigurui~ Finally more episodes started appearing on Crunchyroll, and they are as mind-raping as usual.

The episode starts off with Irako and his barbaric ways. He’s fighting someone, and if the lower quality didn’t effect what I was watching, I believe he beheaded him. Definitely killed him. Other than that it is a fairly mundane day at the Kogan-ryuu dojo. At night, however, is when things really heat up. It turns out that Iku and Irako are having an affair.

A affair behind master Kogan’s back. Irako mentions that she would be his mother when he marries Mie, so he decides to not have anymore flings with Iku. Iku doesn’t much care for this idea. As much as I dislike Irako, I’d rather have him than a creepy old man.

Oh, I forgot to mention. Irako is not the son of a swordsman, but a dyed cloth merchant. The next scene shows him going to a woman’s house and brings her food. She’s gawd-awfully ugly. >_> I doubt she is a whore though. From the dialogue he says to her later, I wager she is Irako’s mother.

Now the thing that happens next confused me. Why? Because I can’t tell if the woman is Iku or Mie. It could be either one, actually. The whole scene is about some girl who’s pregnant and she’s had the child inside her for ten months. The women about town think it has died in the womb because it is the child of a demon. When she finally gives birth, she is alone and…ugh…Birth scenes have never been so graphic. The crazy thing is that the baby crawls up it’s mother and opens it’s eyes. Yeah.

Obviously that wasn’t real, but still. I don’t know if it was Mie or Iku. The scene switches to Iku with spiders crawling all over her naked body, symbolizing Kogan’s hands on her. Kogan stops and goes to his sword. He’s noticed that Fujiki has take good care of it. Then Iku comes over and he does his bean splitting technique on her.

Guess where? Yeah. Her nipple. I lulz’d. He then gathers all the student at the dojo. Fujiki goes to fetch Irako, Irako than arrogantly tells Fujiki to call him ‘Young Sensei.’ -_-

As they reach the top of the dojo, Kogan is dressed in full samurai gear. He states that he will now teach Irako the secret Nagereboshi technique. Irako is pleased. =/

The episode ends with the pine cones Irako put in a child’s snow man falling out and blood pouring from the holes. Foreshadowing? I think so. I smell a little betrayal coming from Kogan.