Well so much for avoiding Zakuro eh? Aoi couldn’t bear to see Takechiyo feeling so alone again that he had no appetite, so she quickly made herself known so she could deliver him the macaron. Unfortunately for the two of them, Zakuro and her guard had popped by to reveal she has been assigned to manage his meals and snacks. This prompted an opportunity for Zakuro to get a taste of Aoi’s cooking and vice versa, but frankly speaking, it didn’t go very well.
I really didn’t like that Zakuro’s request to taste Aoi’s macaron was actually a test. So when she revealed that was the case, and what was at stake, it came off as though she was mocking her for failing to live up to her standards of what qualifies to be a passing grade. The worst part about it was when she quite frankly taunts her when she reveals had Aoi’s cooking stirred her heart, she would’ve vouched for Odanna since she does owe him and acknowledges that he was the only one who appreciated her. But hearing that only ticked me off even further considering she refuses to vouch for him despite the fact! It’s truly terrible!
The problem with Zakuro’s test is that her standards of what qualifies to be good is not the same as Aoi’s. The fundamental reason why Zakuro seemingly decided to leave Tenjin-ya and return Daikokushi Confections is to relearn the basics. She was frustrated with how her customers got tired of the novelty of her confections, once she returned to the traditional practice she had once abandoned, they all came back running and her confections can stand the test of time.
That’s why she sees her past self in Aoi at the moment. But there’s a flaw in that line of thinking. Sure, the novelty of Aoi’s cooking may be eventually forgotten, but you know what sets them apart? Thanks to Takechiyo’s defence, Aoi’s realized she’s okay with that. For Aoi, when she prepares meals for others, it’s about creating an joyful experience, a memory, and even if for a moment can give someone comfort while in grief. As Byakuya said, for the ones who felt they have been saved by Aoi’s cooking, contrary to what Zakuro says, they’ll never forget her because she touched their hearts.
Also props to Takechiyo for standing up for Aoi. When Zakuro went on about how she was going to be his caretaker from now on, and how Aoi’s cooking while good, falls short– it was Takechiyo who explained why Aoi’s cooking is special. But not just that, speaking his mind really put into perspective of how hypocritical Zakuro and the others are towards him too.
It was a surprise to see him actually evolve, to the point I’m not sure if his hair will go back to blue again. Either way, his evolution makes him officially resemble the King, and asserting his authority was enough for a brief moment prompt Aoi to make a run for it as he told her to. (Though it was laughable how Aoi goes to run, but she doesn’t even get to take more than two steps before Akaguma caught her). Fortunately with the help of her macaron, Sasuke was able to use his abilities to the fullest to quickly get the two of them out before they could be arrested.
Needless to say, it’s just really sad that nobody’s asking what Takachiyo wants to do, especially after ignoring him for so long due to the birth of his half-brother… He’s sick of these wishy-washy attendants, and nobody can blame him for it.
Meanwhile with Byakuya, he confronted the King and as expected, it did not go well. Although he rightfully called out on the utter hypocrisy of how the King is choosing to trust Raiju, (who’s known for his notorious habits of stirring up trouble over Odanna who had been someone he considered as a brother), the King still declared he had committed treason for keeping Odanna’s true form a secret and Raiju used the same trap on Byakuya as he did with Odanna, the Form-Revealing mirror, which then revealed Byakuya’s true beast form.
It was then when Raiju dropped a new lore tidbit revealing that both he and Byakuya were originally from the Eternal Realm. And one of the interesting things, is that the Eternal Realm is a place where both humans and ayakashi co-exist side by side. Odanna mentioned this back in Season 1 Ep 17 when he spoke about the rainbow clam shell they picked up at the beach at Orio-ya. It’s said to be a foreign land where humans ruled in some eras and ayakashi ruled in others. We later learned in Season 1 Ep 24 that that shell is actually a petal that belonged to the Hourai Gem Tree, which means it was originally from there as well.
But we learned about something unexpected: Something terrible had happened in the Eternal Realm that caused both Raiju and Byakuya to leave it. So for that reason, Raiju (who’s also a hakutaku)— which means my wild and expected dead-end theories goes into the bin, LOL)) claims that he’s the necessary evil to lead them to peace— though frankly I call bullshit. He didn’t do shit to help Orio-ya, instead orchestrated their destruction. Necessary evil my ass. More like an excuse to justify his actions so nobody can hold it against him. He’ll have to do a lot more to convince me he’s actually trying to save the Hidden Realm– though, it could also be a problem that Raiju’s standards of what the Hidden Realm should be like, may not be aligned with everyone else.
And while we’re still on the topic of the Eternal Realm: There has been multiple occasions throughout both the first (and mentioned in Season 1 Ep 17 entry) and now second season when the thought crossed my mind that Odanna may either originally from there, or due to be taboo species, he roamed across worlds looking for a place to belong. My top theory at the moment that I’ve been waiting to see if it pans out is: That in one of these worlds in the distant past, Aoi’s previous incarnation had saved Odanna, and he’s been waiting for her to reincarnate ever since. The nature of their relationship in this theory has always been vague in my mind, but the core of it highlights Byakuya’s promise of ayakashi never forgetting those who have saved them.
Overall this was yet another slow episode, but we’re consistently getting enough information that’s helping move the plot along quite well. I like how the the Form-Revealing mirror was used to explain how he was able to expose Odanna in the first place, as well show how it does take a toll on the subject who has their mask torn off. Byakuya was getting beaten up by Raiju while he was unable to move (what a fucking coward), and was put in that position so they could throw him into prison for treason of failing to tell the King about Odanna’s true form. It was Aoi’s macaron that gave him the boost he needed to bust himself out, alongside Sasuke and Aoi when they all had to make a run for it.
This effectively makes them all fugitives, which is probably one of the reasons why instead of going back to Tenjin-ya or Nuinoin’s place, they will go to the Northern Lands with the help of Ranmaru and Ginji. And of course, Aoi’s food truck the Nighthawk was brought along for the ride to serve as her portable kitchen so to speak! I suppose it is technically going on a road-trip after-all, hahahaha! Anyhow, it looks like they’ll be seeking assistance from the new Hachiyo to hopes he could vouch for Odanna, but it feels like it’ll be a potentially uphill battle varying on how soon the King will make Odanna’s true form known to the public.
