4/18/2023 0 Comments Princess lover otome no himitsu![]() This question of whether Kou is capable of falling for anyone – and whether not being able to would mean he’s broken – cuts to the heart of Call of the Night as much as any single theme. Kou’s rejoinder to Hatsu’s argument is equally fascinating – it’s not a gender thing, he just doesn’t understand anybody. Kou resists – not because Hatsu is a guy (“you have a cute face”) but because he remains true to Nazuna, whether in love with her or not. His argument is a fascinating one – as a fellow bro, he’s the only one of the group that can understand how Kou feels. Hatsuka offers Kou a deal – since he’ll likely never fall for Naz, why not be turned by Hatsuka and save her from Niko’s wrath? He reveals that he’s not “nice” like the others, and can “fool Kou’s mind” into thinking he’s in love with him. When Kou tells him he’s reconsidering his future, Hatsuka reminds him of what might happen if he does – not just to him, but to Nazuna. ![]() This conversation begins with a gorgeous transition shot of Hatsuka having no reflection in the picture window (this may have been more than directorial grandstanding) and never lets up. Hatsuka does more than shelter Kou from the rozzers – he takes on a sort of vampire mentor role, though Kou is pretty hesitant about the situation when he sees Hatsuka get out of the shower and has his expectations (and only those) blown. They seem to be in love with him, true – but in an obsessive way that speaks of something more than conventional romantic love. His apartment (where he takes Kou to hide from the cops) is full of “ followers” (two women and a man) he’s turned. Through Hatsuka we see yet another side to the vampire experience, and it’s perhaps one that’s closer to the preconceived idea of vampires. While the “Boku” at the end of last week’s episode was effectively the reveal, there were a few hints dropped from the start that he was different from the other vampires we’d met. Hatsuka was the last of the introduced cast to get a meaningful part in the narrative, but it certainly turned out to be a critical one. That’s why Hatsuka’s conversation with Kou (the key scene of the episode to be sure) was so ironically relevant for me. Not literally of course, but when that feeling hits you it’s a telltale sign that your life experience and the writer’s have a lot of overlap. It connected with me in a very direct way, to the point where I felt as if it were speaking directly to me. But Yofukashi no Uta was the most personal. Made in Abyss was certainly the best series of the fall (and maybe the year, we’ll see) for me.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |