The Morose Mononokean

Episode 12

After last week's episode, I said that I was really eager to see the conclusion. I was actually so eager that I quickly looked up the relevant manga chapters (which are also available on Crunchyroll). In the manga, while Ashiya gets to spend some time mooning over his fate, it doesn't take long for him to regain the ability. In fact, it happens so quickly that Abeno never really considers firing him, even though he tells Ashiya that in order to scare him into regaining it. Tomori is not even that concerned when Abeno approaches her, saying that everyone regains their sight in different amounts of time, and that her two to three day period was just an estimate.

Let that be a lesson in not assuming how closely an anime will follow its source material. The Morose Mononokean anime is determined to approach this differently from its source material, dragging it out for maximum emotional punch and even changing the details, making Abeno more determined to stick with his firing decision. Tomori also seems genuinely worried that Ashiya has not yet regained his sight, marking it abnormal and worrying that it might be permanent if it lasts too much longer. The anime raises the stakes to build this storyline into its final arc.

The episode starts out by showing the two resigned to this eventuality; Abeno has a long discussion with the Legislator where he justifies his decision to fire Ashiya, and Ashiya joins the photography club at school to find that he has a real knack for the hobby. He sees it as a possible talent to develop in absence of his job at the Mononokean. Still, it's clear from when Ashiya bumps into Zenko that he's just trying to make the best of his situation, and he still really wants his sight back. He follows her home, where they plan to regain Ashiya's abilities by having Yahiko bite him, just as his bite gave Zenko the ability to see yokai. It doesn't work, so Ashiya tries harder to adjust to his circumstances, but it's clear that he's still upset by them. He still thinks and worries about Abeno, even while telling himself it's "none of his business" now.

The one weak part of the episode comes after Ashiya first arrives at Zenko's house. Zenko's father has the idea that his temple should offer exorcisms, using Ashiya, who he believes to be a powerful psychic. He hounds Ashiya with this for the next minute or so, before Zenko can drag him away to test Yahiko's bite. It's not horrible, but it's not that funny and mostly serves to jar emotionally with the rest of the episode. It's good that The Morose Mononokean tried to put some lightness in with the darkness, and it's usually good at showcasing a variety of moods, but the attempt flopped here.

Abeno is more emotionally subdued than Ashiya even at the best of times, and his section of the episode, mostly spent in the Underworld, follows suit. Abeno gruffly insists on his course of action, even as the other yokai help to turn him around. He only starts to react more emotionally when he sees how many yokai have rallied around Ashiya's cause. This is also original to the anime, helping to build the plot into something worthy of a season finale. Just about every yokai that Ashiya has helped over the course of the series (except for Fluffy, who continues to cling to him in the Mundane World) comes together to help find Tomori, urging their support in helping Ashiya regain his sight. They all insist that they wouldn't be where they are without his help, so they want to make sure he can continue to do that for other yokai. What's more, everyone misses and asks after him when Abeno comes to the Underworld alone.

Abeno's talk with the Legislator also added an interesting dimension to Abeno's relationship with Ashiya, and I don't just mean the way he prodded him about his level of concern. (The Morose Mononokean is subtle with the ship tease, but it's definitely still there, not only with the two leads but also for Ashiya and Zenko—note her reaction when Ashiya grabbed her hand to run to her house.) Abeno confesses that he's concerned for Ashiya's too-high level of emotional involvement with the yokai, so he thinks he might be better off not being able to see them. The Legislator mentions in passing that Abeno did something similar—so Abeno might be worried about Ashiya following that same path.

If that's true, that's a completely new dynamic that The Morose Mononokean could build a whole new cour on—and perhaps it will, if the series gets another season. For now though, it's just enough pathos for Abeno to chew on and push for Ashiya to get his abilities back. Abeno is also trapped in the Underworld though, so I wonder if he needs his personal breakthrough first before he can save Ashiya.

This episode is a sharp departure from the much quicker manga version of the story, but I prefer where the anime goes with it. Ashiya losing his yokai-sight has a lot more potential than the manga's quick misadventure allowed it, so fully fleshing it out creates the perfect ending for this anime series. It pushes the emotional baggage in The Morose Mononokean to the forefront, giving the show an opportunity to bring back all the old characters. So far, it's also resulted in two strong episodes that show the best of what the series has to offer. This week's installment wasn't quite on the level of the previous week's, but it's a sturdy bridge to what I assume will be a great and emotional finale.

Rating: A-

The Morose Mononokean is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Rose is a music Ph.D. student who loves overanalyzing anime soundtracks. Follow her on her media blog Rose's Turn, and on Twitter.