This series really knows how to tell a story. The overall pace of this episode let alone this second season is slow-moving and not in the slightest rushed. This really feels just like how the first season had been. The writers here took the time in illustrating how people live in a village. The amount of detail put into the animation of the backgrounds here left it all so captivating and extremely refreshing. This was flourished with detail in that fishing was the primary way of living out each and every one of their lives. The importance of the roles that each person in the village had would greatly affect them. Such a dynamic and compelling story that at least left me wanting this episode to be longer than 24 minutes.

The episode direction had really stood out here! To show the inner turmoil of the village elder and his unsettled mentality on not being able to save the woman, resulted in the fail safes he set in place to keep a tragedy like it ever happening again. This allowed for some really powerful scenes with his character.

It did not help at all that an unforeseen disaster was to occur throughout the village, dismantling the bonds they had strengthened. According to Ginko, this disaster was proven by the power of Mushi. There were some very strong moments this episode. Especially when Sakichi was angry and left the village with his daughter Mina allowed a great development of the father and daughter relationship to establish even further! He didn’t even want Mina to spend time with other kids in the village! A harsh reality was set in stone here that greatly affected Mina.

It wasn’t until contact with a Mushi that ultimately changed the tone here. This allowed for a great parallel between Mushi and humans. She was affected by the Yadokaridori which resulted in her inability to speak. Great way to illustrate that as a family they were left alone in the world, not only by the death of the wife/mother yet by the village elder’s unresolved guilt. This was so down to earth and when you boil down to it all about human connections! Great episode here, and a fantastic push forward towards an ending that solved the remorse and pain that had begun in the first place by humans.

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 9/10

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