Rating: A-
The point that many fans have been awaiting for ages has finally arrived, the point where Maomao can no longer continue to deny what she’s been trying to keep herself from figuring out: that Jinshi is the Emperor’s (official) brother and thus the Crown Prince. (Or at least he was the latter until Gyokyou recently gave birth.) Rather than play it out as some big dramatic reveal, though, Jinshi is around just long enough to not deny it before taking off to finish fulfilling his duties, thus leaving Maomao to mull it over under Lihaku’s protection. In some senses this is a disappointment, but in other senses it feels right both for the circumstances and for a series which has never ignored practicalities in executing its drama. (And Maomao blandly asking for Jinshi’s protection, or commenting that he’s young than he looks, is a very Maomao thing to do.) After all, there’s an awful lot else going on here.
One of those is a vulnerability for the stronghold that I wondered about when I first saw a map of where it’s located: it being struck by an avalanche is quite feasible, especially if someone is using firearms to try to trigger it after a steady snowfall. That and the gunpowder explosion Loulan caused would throw any defense into disarray. Significantly, that allows the (relatively brief) use of a full-blown battle scene for the first time (albeit a minimally-animated one), and thus also the first time I can recall the series getting truly graphically violent. The production still keeps the scenes on the orgies Shenmei seems to delight in watching heavily toned down, though at least this time it’s more clear that a drug-aided orgy is what’s happening.
Another important aspect of this episode is finally getting inside Shisho’s head and seeing why he has acted the way he does, which fills in some of the final holes in the overall scenario. Him having a child with Taihou’s daughter (and Suirei’s mother) wasn’t a casual dalliance; he was specifically asked to take her as a wife by the former Emperor, who was conflicted by how the girl he never formally acknowledged as his actual daughter had been treated. (As a side point, this means Suirei is undeniably a royal, and thus a big complication for the current Emperor if it ever comes to light.) The leaves Shisho in a bind, since he can’t refuse the Emperor’s request for a number of reasons even though he apparently had his heart set on Shenmei. His predicament, of course, wouldn’t matter much to Shenmei, who would understandably feel betrayed since she didn’t go into the Rear Palace willingly, either – and the fact that Shisho got her freed from the Rear Palace as a consequence of doing it wouldn’t matter to her, given her temperament. Since he really does seem to love (or at least have loved) Shenmei, he’s stuck living his life wishing for a forgiveness which won’t come, which makes him impotent on bringing Shenmei under control. Clearly he wasn’t aware how bad things had become while he was away at court, either. How will he answer his other daughter’s call to “take responsibility”?
Then there’s the crushing scene between Maomao and Shisui. Without saying it, Maomao does seem to understand what Shusui has most likely done with the children; her passive agreement to “take care of things,” telling Lihaku specifically that the children “aren’t breathing,” and the questions she asks about how their bodies will be disposed of all point in that direction. But Maomao now also fully understands that Shisui isn’t expecting to get out of this, nor can she accept just running away from the situation. We know well that Maomao, for all her rationality and careful consideration, is quite capable of reacting emotionally when something she really cares about is threatened, so it would have been out of character for her to not try to stop Shisui. That Jinshi’s hairpin will be enough to keep her alive is a big gamble, and the consequences of her even attempting that could be severe. Even if Shisui did ultimately contribute mightily to thwarting her mother’s plan, she’s been involved in plenty enough else to warrant harsh punishment by this world’s standards. But there’s also something very satisfying about seeing Maomao driven to uncharacteristic desperation like this, as it shows that she’s far less selfish than she gives herself credit for.
Sadly, we’re going to have to wait two weeks to see the resolution of all of this, since a new episode will not air on June 20th. Who’s going to live and who’s going to die here is still very much up in the air here, so it should be an extra-important episode.
USA Anime 