Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge - 9

"Lyrical Night Fright"

KIRIIIII! What limit exactly are we talking about?!

The intensity for Dansai seems to be permanently cranked full volume, because no matter what or how much happens each episode, things are never boring or otherwise without utter flair and force of presence. Things kick off with a bang and end with a bang this week, and every moment in between is just as stunningly captivating as ever. I don't really know if this will end on the same high note, being a manga adaptation of an ongoing series as it is, but the ride to the finale is definitely every bit as engaging as it's been all along. I can only hope that there are enough people out there to appreciate it all and influence Blu-ray sales, because I'd love to see more of this beyond this cour; knowing recent anime trends, however, that's probably not going to happen, even if enough manga material exists.

Concluding the party arc is the death of Seiji, not at the hands of Kiri (nor for lack of trying on the latter's behalf), but rather at the hands of Gossip's leader, a so-called Witch, who controls at least one more author from the shadows. I have to say the whole bit where Kiri hears Seiji's last words feels just a tad off; though he's never seen death before, Kiri is far from unwilling to spill blood, as he's proven on multiple occasions, and his hesitation toward an enemy that almost killed him seems rather off-putting to me. Nevertheless, the death of the author has a proper effect on his Instead, who tried far too hard to hide her genuine feelings about his passing as she does her job. It's only when Kiri asks about whether or not she was in love with him that she breaks, and her despair is all too clear to everyone present.

Then of course there's the bookend of the episode, the ever evolving relationship between Iwai and Kiri. Fear and grief about being privy to death have made them both open their eyes a little more, but there's definitely plain and simple attraction at work here. As Kiri notes to himself, he's always loved Iwai, and naturally that means he's always wanted to touch her, rather than just her hair. It's one of the truly beautiful things about Dansai; as uncomfortable as some of the interactions can make you feel, they're always sincere and portray real emotional depth. After all, people in love don't really go around just holding hands all the time. There's real sensual (and sexual) attraction, and I love that this series isn't afraid to back away from such things. At the very least, this relationship is set in stone now, because as Iwai says, she's forbidden Kiri to die until the day they've finally kissed.

N.B.: Thanks to Ivan for the caps!