- Now that Izuko has arrived on the scene, I kind of regret how I wanted to see her again. Why? It’s because I forgot how she loves to talk everyone’s ear off. Even the wise Shinobu gets annoyed by the know-it-all putting words into her mouth and spouting her long history.
- I don’t see Shinobu sharing a solid conversation with her in the future: that’s fine by me though. While I’m okay with the archetype playful auntie character in shows, there’s only so much one person can take, in my opinion. Even with her vast knowledge overpowering the others (even convincing Shinobu that she is Meme’s younger sister when she isn’t), she is certainly on the ball. Koyomin, Shinobu and Suruga want to know exactly what they’re up against, and who else to provide the answers? She even threw in how well she knows Shinobu:
Kiss-shot Acerola-Orion Heart-under-Blade, the iron-blooded, hot-blooded, cold-blooded legendary vampire, the King of Apparitions…a rare species.
- A clear reference to the names of the upcoming movies; the first subtitled Blood and Iron…and so on. I’ve said a million times how much I want to see the movies, so I won’t say anymore about it.
- But this was a time to show not only how well she knows Shinobu, but how she sees how both this energy-draining apparition is the doing of both Shinobu and Koyomin…mostly Shinobu though. He has no name (so far), but he became her first minion 400 years ago, serving as a sort of colleague…the same way a vampire would attach themselves to a human, in effect. After bursting into flames in sunlight, he turns into a pile of ash, but even if Shinobu watched him die, that doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t come back. His own ashes, it is revealed, has taken roughly 400 years to revive and bring him back, effectively, and demand Shinobu’s sword back. It is Koyomin’s senior, so it is obviously more powerful for him alone, but just as Izuko says, even Shinobu can’t take him on alone either, due to their past connection. Thus Izuko chooses an ‘outside’ specialist; someone who isn’t Kaiki or Yuzuru or Yotsugi.
- After watching both of these again though, it’s shown how much both of Shinobu’s minions mean so much to her. While we know little about minion #1, she did mention that it was someone she could trust wholeheartedly, and be someone to fight apparitions alongside her with Heartspan/Kokoro Watari (the sword, in case you didn’t know). It also seems that he was the one who forged it too, hence why he is so desperate to have it back……with Koyomin being minion #2, she has quickly confided in him too in this short time, and is willing to let him use the sword whenever it is needed. He has even made a promise to her that will die together; something that has put Shinobu at odds a little, because behind her tough attitude, she greatly cares for her ‘master’, and gets incredibly jealous. She may say ‘master’ but her superiority complex clearly proves it is the other way around.
- Both Izuko and Shinobu are the type to know a lot more than what we expect, but I love the fact that Shinobu treats Koyomin more as someone who is more willing to treat him as a person, instead of Izuko who seems content to be self-righteous and put blame on those who know less than her…which seems to be everyone in her eyes.
- There’s been a lot of inactivity in these 2 episodes, largely because since both apparitions made their appearances, Koyomin (I have to call him that now), Shinobu and Suruga have had to put their brains together and find out what they’re truly up against. Hence lots of talking and explanations (along with more contrasting and SHAFT trademark artwork) are in order. I think however, after repeated watchings of both episodes, Shinobu Mail has had to be the most complicated arc I’ve seen. Don’t get me wrong; the Monogatari series has its fair share of arcs where the viewers’ thinking cap has had to be put on, forcing them to concentrate and actually pay attention. Perhaps it’s that reason why the Monogatari series has become such a Marmite show; you either really love it, or you really hate it. It’s a philosophy I can totally understand, because not every anime viewer wants complicated plots that are not in chronological order. We’ve already had arcs stretching from the beginning of the series, and the end (when Koyomin, Hitagi and Tsubasa have long graduated). Would the series have been better if were in chronological order instead? Well I suppose once this is all over, the viewer can make the effort to achieve such a thing, like when Kyoto Animation decided to bring back Haruhi Suzumiya in 2009 (aside from one episode).
- …but it is nice how, ultimately, they have parodied themselves, of a sort, in Suruga’s demand of a BL light novel. A light novel that needs to get to volume 21 to let the reader know the tiniest of things; a trait not unseen in Monogatari.
- So at this bookstore, where he is pleaded to buy a BL book for Suruga, Koyomin bumps into someone who clearly know Shinobu as Kiss-shot. This person could most likely be the ‘outside’ specialist Izuko spoke of. I’m hoping that this one will be the type to skip to the end, instead of forcibly putting blame on Koyomin and Shinobu like Izuko has done. Maybe we’ll see Izuko again in this arc, maybe we won’t…I don’t think it’ll matter, quite frankly; with this new person that will hopefully fix everything, all will be back to normal so Koyomin can disappear off with the sword and look for Tsubasa (re. Tsubasa Tiger).
- Shinobu Mail has left me at odds a little, to be honest. It’s answered a lot of questions regarding Shinobu’s past, and yet the way it has done it has not entirely been straightforward. Or maybe that’s just me. Something happen…please let something happen…