Zetsuen no Tempest - 15

"You Seem to be Plotting Something"

I think that when you're having fantasies about touching someone's ears, it should be obvious that you're in love... or a fetishist. Also, the Power Rangers called. They want their black suit back.

For all the serious undertones, I had a lot of fun with this episode, and for good reason. From New Year sales to Hakaze gushing over Yoshino, from Evangeline grabbing everyone and driving for dear life to Mahiro getting called out on his sister complex, there was plenty to laugh about. The humor in Zetsuen is never over the top, and that's what I like about it; it manages to be funny without having to hit you over the head with every snide joke or reference, and it's fun in good taste. It's wittier than it is laugh-out-loud hilarious, but it does the job and it does it well without distracting from the seriousness of the situation.

That being said, this was an episode about preparations; Samon is unwilling to drop his suspicions on Yoshino because Hanemura, mage powers aside, is about as murderous as a fluffy, white kitten (which can actually be pretty nasty if angered, but you get what I mean) and he's not convinced that Yoshino doesn't have some sort of ulterior motive in staying at Hakaze's side. Of course, this isn't really Yoshino's decision as much as it is Hakaze's choice to have him keep her company as she wanders the country, but unlikely as it seems, maybe Samon has a point.

Yoshino is a clever person, someone not unwilling to make sacrifices, and because we don't know too much about him, it's not completely out of the question that his role in Aika's death wasn't more than we think it is. That seems like a stretch though, and I hold firm in my belief that Aika hasn't finished her part in this tale yet (there seems to be talk of ghosts in the preview for next week). In any case, Samon's new subordinates want to test Hanemura and the Trees, and he somehow manages to get Hakaze's easy OK on the plan while Mahiro is busy trying to beat a confession out of Hanemura (though more than anything, I think he just likes being a bully, an angry and self-righteous one). Hanemura himself remains an enigma, a very nervous and naive one, but perhaps there's more than meets the eye here as well. Why, for example, did he refuse to let his ex-girlfriend, Yuu-chan, confirm his alibi? He says he doesn't want to involve her, and that he's too afraid to call her up now that they've just broken up, but could there possibly be some other reason to why he won't let the others meet her? She could be dead, or imaginary, or not able to confirm his alibi... or maybe Hanemura really does just lack the spine to talk to her.

As pathetic as he seems, however, Hanemura does prove himself observant and clearer of mind than Mahiro, if not somewhat reckless. He immediately notices that Mahiro's feelings for Aika aren't brotherly in the least, but he lacks the tact to keep quiet about it while Mahiro is effortlessly kicking his ass (or perhaps that's a sense of courage?). It may just be the first time that Mahiro's ever been told what his feelings really are, and just as Hakaze hasn't realized her feelings toward Yoshino until Jun tells her, he's shocked and ready to deny it.

As for Hakaze herself, realizing her feelings isn't going to be of much help. Not only is she convinced that Yoshino already has a girlfriend, but Jun brings up a probable concern that Hakaze hasn't quite hit on yet: as the Princess of Genesis, the Tree of Genesis will always protect her, and if it senses that she's in pain because of her unrequited love, it's capable of removing the problem by killing off Yoshino's girlfriend. Of course, neither Jun nor Hakaze are aware that the girlfriend is already dead, but it's possible that this revelation will have more weight in the future than it does now.