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「しょうけい」 (Shoukei)
“Yearning”
If you know anything about the Edo period, you may be aware that fires were a huge problem. Which, even just from episode, you can see how that would be so- a bunch of wood buildings close together spells disaster. I found it fascinating, watching the firefighters do their thing. I never knew before what those decorative poles were for. I’ve seen the firefighters in real life- participated in a parade with them, actually, but I just assumed it was for show. Which is a thing here- every year in the beginning of February, there will be an flashy acrobatic performance “Dezomeshiki” put on by the firefighters. But from watching this scene, I gather that the poles were not pure decoration, but to show where the fire was and which crew was tending to it. I also think the white streamers may have been dipped in water to spread the water around the fire as the guy was flinging it around, but don’t quote me on that.
The buildings were not the only thing on fire- Ichitarou’s eyes were practically on fire (with determination), the way he stood his ground and insisted on facing the danger to stop the failed tsukumogami from taking more lives. He looks and acts nothing like the frail invalid everyone at Nagasakiya has been making him out to be. The desire to do the right thing runs in the family- Matsunosuke returns to Azumaya despite being AWOL, because he worries about the family’s fate in the inferno. He even goes so far as to risk his life searching for the heir, Yokichi. Which, in my opinion, you don’t need to go that far for them- they’re willing to throw you under the bus, but Matsunosuke is too nice for that. I was half expecting the whole “Yokichi is missing, please find him” thing to be a ruse on Azumaya’s part to trap Matsunosuke in the burning building, thereby killing him off and getting rid of an inconvenience. What we get is a twist of a different nature.
The current host for the failed tsukumogami is none other than Yokichi, aided and abetted by the itachi (weasels, which are another shapeshifting creature akin to the kitsune and tanuki), who love setting fire. Ichitarou’s final show down was epic- I was cheering him on the whole way. He taunts the yokai with talismans he pretends are the “medicine”, then baits him with the fake incense (clever idea to mix the talisman with it), then topping it off with the final ace up his sleeve in the form of the special dagger.
Ichitarou ends up being saved himself from flaming building pieces by his yokai guardians, at bodily harm to themselves. I know getting trapped under a burning infrastructure is enough to do anyone in, but these are the same yokai who bragged about being a cut above the rest, so I highly doubt they’re dead just like that and wouldn’t be surprised if they came back in the finale next week.
