Kyousogiga – 04

This segment is told from the perspective of the monk Myoue of Taganoo. His master bestowed the title of high priest upon him, and told him to watch over things until he came back at a time he did not specify. Myoue has waited ever since, in a manner similar to that of Hachiko, a real-life dog so faithful, it kept coming to the station to meet its owner long after that owner died (and whose statue stands outside Shibuya Station). He wonders if his master in fact returned in the form of Koto, so he takes care of her while waiting for confirmation of some kind, which comes when Koto echoes words his master left him with about returning with “a beginning and an end”; Koto’s twin “brothers” are named A and Un (beginning and end).

This was a far quieter, more wistful episode than the last two, which were more manic and action-packed. It’s basically a day in the life of Myoue, a monk who spends his days waiting for something he knows not what; something that may have already come in Koto; he’s just not sure. Pride, honor, and a sense of duty and loyalty drive his actions, qualities he resents at times but cannot fight off, so he waits. Like the previous episodes, we only get a small slice of the whole picture here, with much left unspecified and unexplained, but so far the series has excelled at building an achingly gorgeous, wondrous, fun world, with no fewer mysteries than our own; just different ones.

Rating: 8 (Great)