Katanagatari

[Kraco]

Despite the name and the alternative wielding style it was pretty clear this sword's special attribute was the weight. A tungsten sword.

[Buffalobiian]

I felt a little cheated with this month's sword though, not only was its special attribute boringly obvious but the meaning behind the name as well. I mean sure you can hold it both ways, but why the hell would you want to?

The spiky end may be heavier for all we know (though I myself find this unlikely too). If that's the case though, then one can alternate between speed and extreme force. A rather useless thing to have though, considering the attributes of the sword.

What the hell was the guy thinking anyway, making something only superhumans can carry.

I'm greatly enjoying Shichika's development. He's fooled around with Togame even more so than last time, the crafty fellow. He also chooses the best timing for his catch phrase.

I like how they showing both siblings' progress as they learn more about what's off their island, with Nanami lonely walking down a much more malevolent path while Shichika walks another with some support from our "Cherrio!" friend.

I on the other hand choose to believe their preview - not necessarily the visual cues, but the words that "Shichika will kill his sister next month". The troll episode announced the Needle-sword fight in a similar fashion and it happened - they just didn't show it.

[masamuneehs]

all i know is i can't get enough Maniwa Houhou. That man make fire freeze. Togame practically begged him to not fight Shichika (that's what it seemed like to me), and seeing as how she knows so much about the other Maniwa ninja, she's got to know plenty about Houhou...

the narration at the end of the episode. wow. i have a feeling grandma isn't trolling us, because they really haven't built Shichika's sister up as that big of a character yet, and, after these last two "let 'em live" battles (and Togame's super soft words about how she might have been holding Shichika back, alluding to his "true power" being something he can do only when he doesn't kill someone...

This show needs to have people dying in it. I am not watching it for the love story or fan service, and they don't put enough humor inside 50 minutes for that to be the sole motivation i could have to watch this show.

i thought this episode was pretty dull. Body Possession of little children, the amateur kid is sick nasty. the interaction with Togame and Shichika was allright but, again, that's not what i'm watching this show for...

basically, if this show gets too heavy on the trolling, too light on the action, and too "killing people in battle is wrong" moral, i'm fucking going to lose it.

[fireheart]

I found the whole revenge thing quite funny when she started talking about all their fallen comrades considering the only one Shichika killed was Koumori the other 5 were killed by someone else after all.

[Ryllharu]

I thought the one really weird thing was when Kyouken possessed Konayuki. A memory that even horrified her (2000 years old and all) with the level of brutality. They struck on it earlier wondering how an avalanche could occur at the apex of the mountain where the village resided. Upon further review, 36:32 shows a silhouette. Rather unmistakable. Nanami.

Perhaps she killed off the village in an attempt to get the sword, only to discover she lacked the physical strength to carry it. She learned how to wield a sword from the Maniwani, something Shichika has an immunity to due to not having the same learning capacity Nanami does. She is most likely succumbing to the allure of the deviant blades.

Nanami has definitely turned malevolent.

[Archangel]

Makes sense, Shichika was as pure as snow when he was in the island but slowly began changing through this whole experience

Nanami probably went through the same only she had nobody to guide her through it. Or worse, she did and they led her wrongly

[Buffalobiian]

Makes sense, Shichika was as pure as snow when he was in the island but slowly began changing through this whole experience

Nanami probably went through the same only she had nobody to guide her through it. Or worse, she did and they led her wrongly

She was already developing a less-than-pure mind from the start. She felt neglected from her Father, who put all his time into teaching Shichika. From Nanami's account, it seems she felt her father feared her.

She's also had someone (her mother?) tried to strangle her from memory, which really doesn't help a young child feel loved.

Whatever poison's tormenting her is supposedly strong enough that Bee's Caltrops are nothing by comparison.

All up, she's been a pretty unfortunate character who's probably drowned herself in the one thing she does best (and can find enjoyment in) - sword hunting and all the people she can kill while doing it.

The next sword's the "Evil Sword", so all the more reason for her to walk down that path so quickly.

What confused me about Konayuki's memories was why she hid that fact. Did she think it would frighten Togame & Co. off? Did she want to hide the fact that her tribe was eradicated by a single girl to mantain their pride as the strongest tribe ever?

She didn't seem to care about things like pride (it's her first time knowing humans are so weak after all - and it's Shichika we're talking about), and she only confessed her lie about the "prove your worth" scenario.

[shinta|hikari]

I hope Shichika never goes back to settle things with Konayuki. I'd hate to see her get killed.

[Archangel]

I hope Shichika never goes back to settle things with Konayuki. I'd hate to see her get killed.

Settling the fight doesn't necessarily mean he'd have to kill her

[shinta|hikari]

He would probably have to, since he lost and got his arm broken when he didn't try the first time.

[Archangel]

It's not that he didn't go for the kill it's that he did go for anything at all, he couldn't even hurt her in any permanent way and then she got a lucky shot in

[shinta|hikari]

He didn't go for the kill. He was ordered not to. He had to keep her alive to carry the sword. If that were not the case, Shichika would have killed her. Shichika himself said that he underestimated her. At the end of the episode, even Togame said that such a loss would not happen again.

[Archangel]

That's my point exactly he underestimated her AND wasn't allowed to harm her in any way that made her unable to carry the sword

Should they fight once again i'm confident he could beat her even without having to kill her

[shinta|hikari]

But he lost when he did those things. If he didn't have such disadvantages, he should be able to win, but not easily. Shichika was never able to beat really strong opponents without killing them since he had to go all out, and Konayuki is plenty strong. He even said that he would have certainly died if they continued to fight with his right arm injured. She certainly is not an opponent he can beat without going all out.

EDIT: Of course, I am not saying that it is certain Shichika will kill her, but that is the likely outcome. If he holds back, it is likely he will be the one to get hurt or even killed, and I doubt he is willing to take such a risk again after being given his first loss.

[Archangel]

I disagree with you on pretty much every aspect but i just realized this whole discussion is pointless, they can't have a rematch now that Konayuki doesn't have the sword anymore

[Kraco]

Rather unmistakable. Nanami.

I was considering that and even went back to the scene and paused the video. There remains one problem, though: Nanami with her extremely poor health would never survive the trip to the mountain. It almost killed even Shichika. So, I thought it was somebody else.

But maybe it was Nanami, and she had just rented a palanquin with a brazier...

[Archangel]

I was considering that and even went back to the scene and paused the video. There remains one problem, though: Nanami with her extremely poor health would never survive the trip to the mountain. It almost killed even Shichika. So, I thought it was somebody else.

But maybe it was Nanami, and she had just rented a palanquin with a brazier...

The fact still remains that she has what's apparently an immortal body so... maybe she just passed out a couple of times on her way up?

[David75]

For those who watched Kemono no Souja Erin, Mt Odori is the same moutain we had in that show. Or at least it's very similar.

Regarding the avalanche killing everyone from the Itezora clan, of course it was impossible at the top of a mountain... but more than that these clan members are so strong and resistant there's no way they'd die from a mere avalanche. Konayuki even said that the snowstorm Schichika has trouble resisting is nothing to the Itezora clan and is even part of themselves.

And that was before the flashback, wasn't it?

[Buffalobiian]

And that was before the flashback, wasn't it?

Yes. Why do you ask?

[David75]

Yes. Why do you ask?

I just meant that it was quickly obvious Nanami was the culprit, even before the flashback, but I can't remember anymore why I strongly wanted to make that point. We say Goldfish memory in France (maybe elsewhere too?)