天下制覇

I am literally angry with rage.

Impressions:

I… what… what? You were doing so well, IG. What the blood hell happened here? You got halfway through the Kohane arc… and just decided to take a huge dump all over the place? What were you thinking? What on earth made you think that stopping the story partway through and tying a big yellow ribbon around it and giving it a happy ending was the way to go? I’m just… gah… GAH!

Let’s sum up the manga ending of the Kohane arc… at least from what I remember. Kohane’s mother attacks Watanuki on stage after Kohane confronts her on air and says that she’s just saying whatever her mother tells her to say (which is technically true since she made a promise way back when to always tell her mother the truth or something… I forget the specifics). He then takes her to the store. Kohane wants to give her power to Yuuko to make people stop writing things about her mother and wants to be happy so that her mother can see that and be happy. Yuuko just takes her power to exorcise (which is one of Sakura’s feathers) instead since the payment would be too much.

Here in the anime, we have Kohane getting punished by crazy mom… so far so good… and then Watanuki just randomly carts her off to the store. After happy bath times, she goes home where she’s proven right to the world, her mother apparently forgives her, Kohane gets a haircut and everybody lives happily ever after.

I… just… ARGH. It’s like they completely missed the point of Kohane’s story altogether. They were doing so well at adapting it so far! So well. And then this is just terrible. Four episodes of Kohane struggling with her mother and her life, and then over the span of… what… 5 minutes and bath with two other lolis, everything’s perfect for them all. I think you missed the memo here, IG. Oh yeah, and they never explained that her mother was crazy because her husband/Kohane’s father left them and she vowed to make him regret it by living a great life. Nothing. She was just crazy for being crazy apparently.

Gah. I can’t even intelligently formulate an thoughts anymore. I give up. I’m so pissed off at you right now, Production IG. At least I know from the preview that Watanuki’s going through the glass next episode. Massive physical trauma should make things at least somewhat better.

Watanuki walks through town. He sees all the magazine articles proclaiming Kohane’s infamy and picks one up. The vendor talks trash about her as he just looks on horrified. She’s on the news too, being reported as a fake and an immature brat. All the mediums and the media are teamed up on her.

There’s even one anonymous girl who speaks out against Kohane. Watanuki realizes that she’s lying, but all the people around him have already been turned against Kohane.

At school, Himawari feels a bit sorry for Kohane, but also understands it. Watanuki gets ticked at her, but then gets flustered. Doumeki is there to plainly state that Kohane was right. Watanuki absolutely believes in her… but… and the bell rings.

After class, Watanuki gets ready to leave. Doumeki is there, ready to follow him as he goes after Kohane. He wants a rollcake too as payment since he knows Watanuki won’t be okay on his own.

As they walk, a horn honks and people rush out. Everybody’s gathering around Kohane’s house. Watanuki pushes his way through, saying that he knows her. They mob him, but he makes his way through to the house. It’s dark and looks abandoned.

They hear splashing water. Kohane’s sitting in a tub while her mother angrily splashes water over her head. She yells at Watanuki to leave as they enter. She throws water at them, but then Doumeki grabs her arm and Watanuki rushes to Kohane. Her mother yells at them that it’s all their fault and to leave them alone.

They take Kohane out of the tub and try to comfort her. Kohane’s not quite… with it though. The fridge is completely empty, so they can’t even feed her. Watanuki rubs her shoulders and realizes that she’s far too thin.

He tells her mother that Kohane needs to eat, but the response is… not kind. She repeats that it’s his fault that Kohane’s like this and she needs to be cleansed completely. Kohane speaks up against her mother. Her mother’s had enough and tells Kohane to do whatever the hell she wants and storms off.

Kohane apologizes to Watanuki, but he says it’s fine… because he likes her and wants her to have happiness.

At the store, the girls greet Watanuki and his guest… Kohane. Yuuko is there too, and unsurprised by the turn of events. She tells the girls to prepare the bath and all three go rush off happily, along with Mokona. Kohane refuses to smile while the others play.

Yuuko and Watanuki talk about Kohane’s circustances. Yuuko explains that Kohane saw more than the others. It’s not that they were wrong, but she could just feel more.

The girls run out of the bath happilyl Kohane’s smiling again as Yuuko greets her. Watanuki shows her to the food and they all chow down. Kohane stares at the food until Yuuko tells her to eat it graciously too.

Mokona brings the mayo. Yuuko demands more alcohol. Kohane giggles at the antics of everybody and Watanuki smiles at her.

Kohane wakes up in the morning sleeping alongside the girls and Mokona. She trots out to the kitchen where Watanuki is making breakfast. They happily say good morning to eachother, ask about liking the food, etc. Kohane wants to know when she’s going home. Watanuki doesn’t understand her at first, but then realizes where her place is and relents.

The girls overhear and demand that she promise to come back and play some more.

Watanuki brings her outside and gives her one of the good dream balloons. Kohane happily says that she’s already had a gift enough from him, but he gives her the balloon anyway.

At home, Kohane turns on the light. Her mother is completely haggard and distraught.

Yuuko remakrs that the girl is amazing. Watanuki’s worried, but she tells him to relax. She explains that Kohane knows what strength is.

Kohane addresses her mother and tells her to stop. It’s been enough. Everybody knows that. Her mother looks up at the balloon and it pops.

At night, the walls of a house crumble, and the skeleton of the murdered girl falls out. Kohane apologizes to her, but the woman shakes her head and then fades into oblivion.

The next morning, the press is all there and amazed that Kohane was right. They’ve all done a complete 180.

Himawari’s got a magazine article showing the rebirth of the true psychic, Kohane. Blah blah, isn’t she great, blah blah normal argument between Watanuki and Doumeki. Watanuki jealous ranting over Himawari, etc etc etc. Doumeki believed in her heart. Happy smile from Himawari and Watanuki loses his mind. Snide comment from Doumeki, etc etc etc.

Watanuki remembers that Yuuko said Kohane really was amazing.

Yuuko tells Watanuki that Doumeki’s completely right. On the TV, Kohane’s there again. There’s a news report about the craziness surrounding her manager and mother. They’ve completely disappeared from the public eye. Yuuko’s hardly surprised.

Watanuki goes to their house, but it’s all chained up. He sees the burst balloon on the ground.

Watanuki goes to the shrine. There’s a girl with short hair looking at the sakura tree. He recognizes her… Kohane. They greet eachother. She’s doing well and both smile at eachother. This is where it all started, where they found eachother. Where everything came together.

Kohane tells him that everything’s okay now, and motions to someone waiting for her. She goes to leave. Watanuki wishes for her dream to come true and asks what it was. She responds that she gave it to her mother. The woman waiting for her is her mother. Watanuki smiles and waves goodbye. Kohane walks off with her mother. Her mother puts her hand on Kohane’s shoulder as they leave.

Preview:

Massive physical violence thanks to Himawari.