Episode Highlights
I missed last week’s episode because I was out of town and, unfortunately, they don’t offer these shows on repeat or on demand for free… But considering this episode seems to have picked up right where ep 7 left off, I feel as if nothing important happened in episode 8 to even affect the pacing of the actual story.
In episode 7, we had to deal with conflicting relationships between Nube and Tamamo, and Nube and his father. With the introduction of Zeki, the younger brother of Baki (the oni trapped in nube’s hand), Nube has these relationships tested once again. But not only is these relationships tested, the relationship he has with the demon trapped within his hand is also tested.
Granted, majority of the episode is mostly spent with Zeki torturing everyone around him and making Tamamo feel like shit… The episode is pretty interesting. This is the hardest fight Nu~be~ has had to deal with all season and seeing how he “wins” only proves to the audience that Nube is still very weak and very naive. His blinded trust of his students put them in danger when the problem turns out to be one of his very own. His determination to make Tamamo his friend is the biggest thing that backfires against him in his fight against Zenki.
The one thing that gets me in this drama is how everyone is quick to change heart. One minute they hate someone and then the next moment they’re quick to forgive and forget. Nube and his father, Jikuu, have had a really shitty relationship. So when his father gets beat up by Zenki and gets the news delivered to him via Izuna, he doesn’t even want to lift a finger to help his father. Though, once Tamamo reveals that it was his father who saved his life against the demon called A, all that anger towards the man seems to have disappeared. By the end of the episode, the two work together to get rid of Zenki once and for good.
” I will never turn away from a person! ”
But like 20 minutes ago you were willing to let your dad die??
Anyway, the biggest point made in this episode is the relationship between Nube and Baki. Throughout this series, Baki has been a source of guidance and unreluctant help for Nube from his personal issues to tackling the actual demons themselves. But for some reason, this time around, Nube’s speeches of protecting humans with his left hand have caused the demon to just get pissed off.
” That’s not your power! That’s my hand!! ”
Baki’s anger is so strong that it manages to break his seal within Nube’s hand and set himself free. Without the demon hand, what’s Nube gonna do? Considering this drama has dramatically split itself away from the source material, I don’t know how he’s gonna do this. Maybe they’ll have a heart to heart, especially since this drama has managed to shorehorn another famous comedian into the picture.
I really liked Yamada’s acting in this guest appearance.
I know.
That’s weird coming from me who swore against him up and down after suffering through Hidarime Tantei Eye. But playing an absolute bastard seems to work for him quite well… Maybe he should just play more asshole roles. He has the face for it… and it’ll save us the pain from his detective characters.
Anyway, I hope episode 10 is decent. There has really been no overarching plotline and I’ve been coasting through this series for 8 weeks like it was some anime. Maybe ep ten will just lead into a possible movie? The past two NTV Youkai dramas have all had movie tie ins…
Welp, I mean, there’s no way for Nube to end on a bad note if there’s nothing there in the first place.