MAO

Lmao Nanoka not praising Hyakka but praising Otoya was funny. The first part of the episode felt comedic, kinda like old-school Rumic works, which is a bit unusual for this show. Loved how Mao dodged a fucking axe while sleeping lol. Also loved the artstyle. It's again different from usual. The animation quality of this episode in general was better than the last. I guess this was a priority episode cause it showed Mao's origin and a teaser for a new character. So, they finally explained the mystery about the cats. Very interesting. The 5 elements kinda remind me of the 4 elements or humors from old European medicine. But just cause the philosophy developed before Chinese people knew about cats, they're somehow excluded? How convenient for them. This was actually another great episode with a lot of emphasis on mystery, which I like. Wonder what the new character is like.

Surprise Katsuyuki Konishi as Daigo! I'm sensing a disparity between how Nanoka treats Otoya versus how she sees Hyakka. With Mao still resting off the fight from last episode, it's up to Otoya, Nanoka, and Hyakka to man the office with a bunch of yokai in need of treatment! Luckily they're (more or less) up to the task! And when Mao sees the result of their labor...he can only utter some non-plussed shock. Honestly feels like there's always a bunch of things Nanoka should tell Mao but never does... Why google anything when Nanoka can just have Shiraha tell her stuff? Like how Fruits Basket may not have told the whole story about the zodiac and why cats are special? How cat kodoku are meant to BECOME Maogui AKA Byoki and cursed cat weapons, and lead Mao to realize that Haimaru might have been a Byoki from day one. A doctor who treats serious injuries sounds too good to be true...especially when people are dissolving into dirt. Could this be an Earth Onmyoji from Mao's past!? Mao origins! A foundling with strong spiritual sight and energy, younger adoptive brother to another prodigy named Daigo (Katsuyuki Konishi) who recruited him into the Goko Clan...and the rest is history. Daigo seemed like a genuinely good guy, and also quite capable with his own stone golem. It seems like Dr. Domon means well, and thinks he's helping people with this "treatments," but thank goodness Mao and Nanoka showed up or young Shobo might've lost a leg.

Curious to find out if Mao is part of some special bloodline or lineage now, and that holds the clue as to why he and Haimaru had a connection? We got the backstory of cats not fitting into the five onmyodo elements. And we just saw the first instance of Mao entering the Goko compound, Haimaru immediately took a liking a to him something which Daigo took note of. Mao was miraculously able to conquer the cave maze with no training, something Shiranui and the other apprentices who died along the way couldn't manage. Well in the Goko compound, Mao was never assigned to one of the five teaching elements, instead he was immediately chosen to be the master's apprentice. Almost like Mao also didn't necessarily fit into any of the five onmyodo elements? Wonder if wherever or whoever he came from is the key element to the connection between Byouki and Mao.

Well in the Goko compound, Mao was never assigned to one of the five teaching elements, instead he was immediately chosen to be the master's apprentice. That's because Haimaru (aka Byouki) immediately took a liking to him, something that Mao noted in episode 8 "Perhaps I was targeted from the very beginning" or something like that otherwise he would be assigned to the water element and trained with the water onmyoujis like Masago. The master also pretended to take a liking to him and made him his successor shortly after making him his assistant so that the compound would be packed with negative energy and the others chosen to compete could easily curse/kill each other.