Ayakashi Episode 2: Igunis's Last Stand

I just laughed right here

Oh my gah…I can’t take it anymore. Why was I such a fool. I am never going against my friends’ wills ever again. This was one of the worst 20 minutes of my life, as well as having to write a review about it. The animation was wretched, the voices sounded so empty, and in the end I found myself rooting for Sanada to kill all three of them to end my pain.

Episode Summary

The episode begins with Sanada entering his room at night. He punches his wall in frustration as a man and a blonde girl enter his room through the screen door. The girl immediately runs back out but the man tells Sanada that he needs to stop being flashy and do his job correctly before following the girl.

The next morning, we find Hime waiting for Yu so that they can go to school together. When Yu comes down, he ignores her, consumed with thoughts about what happened the day before. In the flashback, Sanada begins to attack Eimu but she instantly disarms him with her. Sanada smirks and begins to leave, saying that Eimu is an Ayakashi too. As they arrive at school, they are shocked to see Eimu waiting for them, but Yu ignores her and walks on by. In class, Yu begins tells Hime that they should just avoid her but they are shocked to find Eimu standing next to them. Yu ignores Eimu immediately, but Hime begins to talk with her and asks if she is Yu’s girlfriend. Kajiwara butts in and says that if Yu has a girlfriend, then Hime can be his. Kajiwara asks Hime if she wishes to accompany him to Kourakuen Amusement Park but before he can get a reply, the homeroom teacher tells him to get back to class.

Eimu is introduced to the class and glances in Yu’s direction. Startled, Yu looks away only to see the person next to him freeze. The teacher looks for a seat for Eimu to sit as Eimu walks towards Yu. Yu is shocked to see a creature on top of his classmate’s head that appears to be controlling him. The student gets up and says that he can’t see very well so he will move to the front and Eimu can take his place. As Eimu sits down, the creature disappears and the student returns to normal.

After class, Eimu begins to leave but Yu stops her, demanding what exactly she just did. Eimu replies that it would be better if he didn’t use his powers because it would be too late. Yu becomes confused, but their chat is interrupted by Nori, who tells Yu to report to the guidance counselor’s office. Once Yu arrives, the vice principal starts interrogating Yu over the events that happened the day before, calling him a trashy student. Yu laughs sheepishly but Vice thinks that Yu’s giving him attitude, and says that he’s even worse than Sanada. Vice reminds Yu that two years ago, Yu was the cause of Izumi’s death, which angers Yu and causes him to involuntarily demolish the desk they’re sitting at. Vice backs away from Yu, terrified, as Yu slowly walks towards him with the same face of hate seen in the previous episode. However, Yu stops and laughs as before, saying that he’s joking and apologize to the Vice principal before taking his leave.

As Yu walks back to lunch, we flashback in time and see Yu sitting near the sakura tree, as people gossip about how he had a part in Izumi’s death. Yu bumps into Hime in the hall and she asks why he was being interrogated. Yu shrugs and says it was only about his part time job, asking Hime if she knows where Eimu went. During the conversation, shots of a cutting knife flash in between words. As Yu leaves Hime, one of his buttons falls off, causing Yu to look around frantically to see if Sanada is around.

Sanada’s Acupunture

After lunch, Yu asks Eimu where she was. Eimu answers with “Curry Udon”, confusing Yu, but Eimu says that it was the lunch item that day. Suddenly, the window next to them cracks, causing the students to panic. Eimu and Yu look outside and see Sanada staring at them from the rooftop of another building. Yu looks away briefly but once he glances outside again, Sanada is gone.

After school, Yu takes the train home, still thinking deeply about the events that occurred in the last couple of days. As he leaves the station, an overhead sign suddenly breaks off and nearly lands on him, which causes Yu duck into an alley. Stopping to take a rest, the vending machine next to him abruptly is slashed in two, and Yu sees that the culprit is Sanada. Sanada’s face breaks into a grin, spurring Yu into a panicked run. Yu runs into a park, checking to see if Sanada is behind him. He sees nothing, and takes a drink from the water fountain. Impulsively, Yu turns around, only to see Eimu standing before him.

Yu tells Eimu that Sanada is after him and demands if it’s because of his power to bend objects. Eimu replies that he’s better off not knowing anything, claiming that if he knew what was going on, he would never be able to return to his normal life before. Their conversation is halted when two children see Yuu and ask him to play hero with them. Without warning, Yu freezes, seeing Sanada walking towards them. Sanada sends out his Ayakashi to attack Eimu, who blocks it with her own. Yu tells the kids to quickly run away, but they are oblivious to whats behind them, demanding why. Sanada smirks and sends his Ayakashi towards Yu, but it is blocked by Eimu once more. Terrified of Sanada, the kids leave as Eimu and Sanada commence their battle. Sanada tells Eimu to get out of his way, but Eimu warns him that his cutting Ayakashi can’t win against hers.

The kids that ran away are seen running into Hime and telling her about Yu and Eimu. Meanwhile, at the park, a crowd begins to gather around Sanada, Eimu, and Yu, interested in the battle that is taking place. Sanada looks around and begins to grin maniacally, sending out his Ayakashi and cleaving people in two (The delay between the slicing and blood is laughable. The people are just standing there for five seconds looking at their newly halved bodies before the blood comes out) A boy that is running past the commotion falls down in horror after a person in front of him is sliced and diced. Yu recognizes the boy and screams his name (Kanda) while running towards him. Eimu takes action for the first time and trips Yu up (nice job *thumbs up*), asking him why he is trying to save the boy. She tells him to abandon Kanda, reminding Yu of how he abandoned the bullied boy the day before. Sanada sends his Ayakashi to kill Kanda but Yu jumps out and saves him. The other child arrives at the scene and is shocked to see all the dead bodies. Horrified, she slumps to the ground as Hime rushes up behind her. Sanada notices the two and quickly advances towards them. Yu shouts for Eimu to save them, but Eimu is hindered by Sanada’s Ayakashi.

So close…just a little bit more…

Sanada grabs Hime by the throat and lifts her off the ground. Eimu warns him that if Hime dies, she will kill him but Sanada merely laughs, telling Yu to show him his Ayakashi. Sanada tightens his grip on Hime’s neck as Yu demands what an Ayakashi is. Sanada explains (while smirking and doing all of his evil things of course) that an Ayakashi is the power’s identity of a person. Yu denies having an Ayakashi, saying that his powers are only little tricks but is immediately slashed by Sanada’s Ayakashi. As Eimu attempts to attack, Sanada tells her to freeze, continuing to tighten his hold on Hime’s neck as well as slice Yu up at the same time. Of course, there is no blood, as the animators are too retarded to realize that after being sliced up a couple dozen times, the person should look different. Hime begins to turn red from lack of air, this is actually the first time I’ve seen a grab-by-the-neck scene last so long that the victim turns red, and after seconds of pointless evil laughter, Yu finally screams “STOP IT!” and his arm transforms to Allen Walker mode and rescues Hime from the clutches of Sanada. Crap…she lived. Alle-err Yu begins to beat the crap out of Sanada with intense repeated frames of hand to hand combat. Sending Sanada flying, Yuu turns away but Sanada uses this chance to attack Yu from behind. Yu grabs Sanada’s Ayakashi with his Right Arm of the Gia-uhh Ayakashi, and shatters it. Yu then gives Sanada the finishing blow, or rather we don’t know because the animation stops at that point.

The scene switches to the scientist Akino, who is talking with the man who entered Sanada’s room at the beginning of the episode. He asks if Yu’s power is an Ayakashi, to which she replies of course, because only an Ayakashi can defeat an Ayakashi. Meanwhile, at the park, the armor on Yu’s arm begins to melt into none other than…a poring (RO Reference). He demands Eimu to explain what an Ayakashi is. She replies that an Ayakashi is both a blessing and a curse, to where he tears up and asks how he can agree with that kind of answer. She says that it doesn’t matter how many die, leaving him shocked but even though she said those words, she’s begins to cry as well.

In the end, the unnamed man is seen talking with the evil guy seen at the end of the first episode as well. The evil guy asks what the unnamed man saw to which he doesn’t know how to reply. Then they talk about something to do with desire. Sorry, I skipped past a lot of this because I couldn’t handle it anymore.

Super Cool Victory Pose

Final Thoughts:

Final Thoughts:

Yeah…so…this episode was pretty much crap. The more I heard Yu’s voice actor scream the more I prayed to god for him to die. The Ayakashi were dull and really lamely utilised by Sanada and Eimu. My pokebattles on my old Gameboy color were more intense than this. I could only watch the first eighteen minutes without starting to skim through the episode, and thats when I realized I could never finish this. In short, any chance Ayakashi had of being a good series is gone once a person sees this episode. I am dropping this series so this is the last entry on this anime.