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For me, Kyousougiga is a show that's visually impressive and very mentally challenging as far as trying to figure out what's going on. Part of the "charm", per se, is actually piecing together the story. That's certainly a task. I think, by far, the best piece was the fifth installment of the ONA series last December which detailed the original Myoe monk and his apparent relationships with the original Koto and their "children". The episode is like 7 or 8 minutes long and very poignant -- I think. A lot of the show appears to be mindless mayhem interspersed with some kind of plot involving people pining for a lost "mother", trying to find their way "home" and who knows what.
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Oct 6, 2013 23:33
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| # ¿ Apr 23, 2024 18:48 |
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I really liked Episode 1. For me, it was a more full version of Episode 5 ONA from last December with the holes filled in. I already guessed a lot of what was explained in this episode, but I also had a lot of questions that were answered and some misconceptions corrected. Looks like they used some of the same animation too. Cheap bastards. For one, I wondered how the drawing of the black rabbit Koto turned into the rabbit-woman Koto. I originally thought that was just they way it happened. Now, knowing how it actually happened along with the stipulation given for its circumstances, I can understand why things are as they are in Mirror Kyoto. I had already identified the three children (that wasn't difficult) but the eldest to youngest seemed reverse. In the scenes, we see Yakushimaru/Myoue arrive first and his siblings laters. Yet, Kurama is the eldest? Also, are they the natural born children of Koto and Myoue or just their idea-drawing-created children. I'm guessing the latter, but it's not crystal clear to me. We still don't really know how or why the girl-Koto and her brothers are in Mirror Kyoto. I get the distinct impression their arrival has at least one purpose -- to shake things up and destroy the stagnant status-quo. Also, it appears the original Myoue wasn't completely human himself. Did I read that incorrectly? That may answer a few questions. It does answer how he had the power of turning his drawings into reality. The first part of this episode spoke of a "head priest" a lot. I didn't catch any specific meaning behind it though. It seemed a bit ominous. I wonder if that will come into play later?
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Oct 12, 2013 19:20
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Okay, some additional thoughts and speculation. From the ONA episode 5 last year:  Could this be Myoue carrying Yakushimaru home as an orphan? It really is hard to tell who Myoue is carrying other than it's very likely a person. I almost thought it was Koto-rabbit the first time I saw it. They only show it briefly, but immediately after this scene, Yakushimaru shows up in the video. Also, at the very end of episode 5, Koto-rabbit is holding a human infant:  My guess is that this is our Koto (human with the giant crazy-hammer). There is no telling, really. I just don't see the anime-resemblence: 
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Oct 12, 2013 22:19
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What confuses me the most is the apparent relationship between Inari and Lady Koto. I'm certain I don't understand what is supposed to be there at all. What makes even less sense is that girl-Koto is supposed to resemble the original Myoue in some way. Last year's ONA showed Yakushimaru being given the Myoue powers and henceforth being called Myoue. I don't know if he can create drawings that can be brought to life, but he can certainly kick-rear end. He may be girl-Koto's guardian simply because no one else is powerful enough. This episode's focus on Kurama was terrific. Interesting to see how serious and studious he was all through his childhood -- and also obedient. There's no doubt that Shouko and Fushimi are from the Shrine. I went back and watched last week's episode regarding this, and I wasn't able to spot anything definite. I thought I might. Inari is really the big mystery. Also, from the full-length ONA from last year, Lady Koto returns; however, the original Myoue is no where to be found.....
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Oct 24, 2013 20:10
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Well, if you simply look at the "family photo" we get in the OP (or maybe ED, can't recall which), the original Myoue is not in the photo, but Inari is. I'd bet that Inari is somehow either the reincarnation of the original Myoue or something to that matter. Likely he's the real father of Koto-the-Younger with Koto-the-Older being her biological mother (per Mother-Koto holding an infant-Koto at the end of the fifth ONA -- but that's just a guess who the baby is/was). Hard to tell what Older Koto/Original Myoue had to do that required they leave Mirror Kyoto. It appears hundreds of years have passed since they left new-Myoue and his elder siblings in charge of Mirror Kyoto. It's quite likely that Younger Koto could be Myoue's/Inari's biological child after he is reincarnated. Isn't there a scene in episode 2 or so where Younger Koto opens a door and ends up at what appears to be the original temple where it all started? We find that Inari goes here and relaxes in a chair. How does he even know about this place, etc? (If he's not Myoue). Yakushimaru has already proven himself to be suicidal. I can see how he'd be ready to die after hundreds of years of waiting for the original Myoue to return. Give back the burden of being responsible for Mirror Kyoto, and die. I'm not sure I get what the opening of the train station is supposed to mean. I would guess that it is the coming of new things and the leaving of old things. People get rid of things they don't want and they leave on the train. New things/object/people/demons arrive. The expectation is that when original-Myoue and Elder-Koto return, they'll return on the train. Did they leave by the same train? In fact, we have no real indication that Yakushimaru ever intended to live past the point where he stabbed himself with the knife after his birth parents were killed in the raid/battle. He's never shown to be truly happy, and the spiritual power that Myoue passes on to Yakushimaru appears to be something that Yakushimaru neither asked for nor desired. It's more of a burden, and he's simply existing in Mirror Kyoto for the sake of doing his duty to his adopted family.
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Nov 12, 2013 22:15
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I'm thinking that the last six episodes (minus the interesting live-action history episode) were more or less character introductions and setup. From here on out, the story actually begins. Also, next episode more or less aligns the final ONA with this series. Likewise, current-Myoue is immortal. He's hoping younger-Koto's hammer-of-destruction can do him in. Interesting, that Koto hasn't decided whether or not she'll kill Myoue as he's asked. I would expect her to refuse outright. I don't see her as a cold-blooded killer.
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Nov 24, 2013 15:18
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Since there are two Koto's, I'll specify which I'm talking about : Young-Koto -- she pretty-much is threatening to do exactly what I expected her to threaten to do. I was thinking, "If she doesn't get her way, I'll bet she threatens...." And she did. What I'm curious about is why the heck the powers-that-be gave her such a weapon in the first place. Also, it seems to me, because of her unique birth circumstances (defined in this episode as the union of a buddha (I'm guessing old-Koto is the buddha) and something-else-which I can't remember -- but it seems like she's far more than a normal human would be -- that young Koto may, in fact, be the only existence capable of handling said large and destructive mallet. "Hey! Let's give this child a weapon that can destroy whole worlds!" "Sounds like a good idea!" I believe young-Koto will follow through with her threat, and I'm fairly certain she'll act on Myoue's favor when all is done. I don't think he ever wanted to live past the point where he initially committed suicide. I thought it was really cool, though, how Myoue was the only one who could truly get through to young-Koto when she was bugging out. They really seem to have a connection.
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Dec 7, 2013 13:16
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| # ¿ Apr 23, 2024 18:48 |
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Everytime The Secret of My Life plays I get a bit teary-eyed. It's such a poignant song. I completely agree with Fangz' summary of the story. What's interesting to me is how central Yakushimaru is to the overall plot. Seems to me that his older siblings solely exist for his benefit -- and they essentially know this. The best part is, for me, how Yakushimaru and 2Koto get along so well.
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Dec 14, 2013 13:35
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