In the last episode, arrows are flying across the air as Hai Taishi rushed out to receive Shuurei and her band of doctors that have came to save all the patients housing in Kouling town. As the flames of discontent and hatred had been fanned by Shuuwen, the peasants are up in arms to stop Shuurei from entering it, and the rumors of her being the culprit of this epidermic grows even stronger in this period of time. How will Shuurei, Ensei and Hai Taishi solve this problem?

“当局者迷” means that only the people who are experiencing a certain situation first hand will feel the direct impact of the issue and it is the translation of the title. It probably means the experiences of the people in Seikeng, and that others will never understand the feeling of death like them. It might also mean Shuurei, but I will not spoil you as yet.

This episode has me touched, as a flashback of a certain scene came in very well. Let’s go on with the summary!

---

Episode summary

The setting was the day before Shuurei arrived to Kouling. Shuuei had returned back to the palace, as Ryuuki hoped that Ensei would protect Shuurei well. Hai Taishi was discussing with his aide about whether Shuurei would arrive, and Hai said that he believed Shuurei would come. His aide was also visiting the women of the town, while Shuuwen was fanning the flames of rebellion against Shuurei with the men. Shuuran went to grab rice at the pillar where someone was giving it to them as she ran back to her mother, feeding her the food.

Shuuran then wondered if it would be better if her mother died, so that she did not have to suffer so much. Shuuran started to think negatively that even the greatest person might be clueless at times during catastrophic situations like this. However, Shuuran remembered what Hai Taishi said about saving everyone, and she also remembered Eigetsu’s words as she regained her composure. Shuurei had reached the town as arrows fired when Hai charged out but Ensei repelled them with his great polearm skills.

Shuuran climbed out from the wall to walk to Shuurei but an angry mob had formed with pitchforks. As Hai Taishi and Shuurei met, Shuurei thanked him for working so much alone up to now and said that she came to save everyone. Hai Taishi was touched to tears and said that he was eternally grateful that Shuurei did not abandon them and he had waited for her a very long time. Shuuran was very glad that Shuurei was finally here to save them, but the mob accused Shuurei of spreading the disease and that she still had the guts to come here. Another soldier also said that no such disease appeared before she became governor as they were ready to lynch Shuurei.

They went on, accusing Shuurei of bewitching the governor with magic, which was why the governor allowed all those infected people to enter the town as they screamed to kill her. Hai Taishi was about to explain, but Ensei said it was futile since they would assume it was Shuurei’s bewitching. They said that by killing Shuurei, no more of such diseases would ever occur anymore. Shuuran then wondered if it was better to stay in Seikang, and that meant that she need not hear of such harsh words. Shuurei then told Ensei that she could not die yet, as Ensei joked that he would not allow her. He joked that if this disease was caused by her, soon, everyone would blame her if they had constipation.

Shuurei blushed at the crude analogy but told everyone that she had things that required her to do, and she could not die now as Shuuran said that Shuurei was really here to save everyone. The mob then told Ensei that if he was protecting the province, he should kill Shuurei who was the cause of the epidermic. Ensei said that if the disease remained after killing Shuurei, the next plan would be to kill everyone here. Ensei said that when there was a disease, what the citizens should bother was to find a proper cure and not to listen to irrational and phony rumors that have no substance. No matter how simple the solution sounded, it was unfair to the people who would be killed.

Ensei also informed everyone that Shuurei went to great pains to find the doctors and the cure to save them, and said that this was truly saving the people as the mob’s belief was shaken. Shuurei then told everyone to allow a path through so that she could get to the cult and dispel the rumors and said that she would be willing to forsake her life then if that would save everyone. Shuuwen then rushed out, continuing to fan the flames, saying that if what the cult said was right, the delay of her death would result in the epidermic continuing to spread and the consequences would be similar. Even if everyone would not kill Shuurei, he would kill Shuurei since it would save everyone’s life by killing just one life.

Shuuran started to cry, mumbling that the mob was going to kill the people that were genuinely coming to save them, and she was tired of so much killing as she screamed out to stop the mob. Everyone was shocked as Shuuran said she did not want anyone else to die anymore, as Shuurei remembered her personal experience of the blight eight years ago. Shuuwen told Shuuran that by killing Shuurei, the curse will disappear but Shuuran said that it was a lie and that Eigetsu said Shuurei would bring aid to them. Shuurei was delighted hearing Eigetsu’s name and You Sensei thought about Kashin’s legacy being continued by Eigetsu.

Shuuran said she would not believe those who only thought of killing those attempting to save them, and she told Shuurei to save her mother. Shuurei came forward to embrace her as she saw part of herself in Shuuran. Shuuwen then tried to attack the two of them, but was bashed easily by Ensei as he screamed for everyone to move aside fiercely. The aide of Hai Taishi then came out, informing them that the doctors and women folk were ready to treat with You Sensei’s instructional letter. You Sensei then said that no one would beat a woman when it came to caring for others.

One of the women folk came out to criticize her husband, and said that if she was to have the disease, he would also kill her. He said that he was doing this for them and he would not kill the doctors, but the wife said that she did not want a murderer for a husband. She said that she was touched by Shuuran’s effort to climb down the mountain to save her mother, and said that if her own child was affected, she would do anything to save them. She added that the officials went to each house, humbly asking for help and she said that she felt good that all the officials were doing everything to save them. She added that men would never understand the pain of bearing a life, and that they would never kill any life recklessly if they experienced labor pain.

The woman then told everyone to get lost as there were lots of things to do as a path was opened for Shuurei and company to go through. Riou then noted Shuurei as he went to Shuuran, with Shuuran asking why he did not help her. The woman told Shuuran not to quarrel and said that she thanked Shuuran for screaming some sense into the mob. With that, the group finally got into Kouling.

---

Thoughts

Shuurei and Shuuran

I cannot remember which commentator it is, but he/she said before that Shuuran really resembled Shuurei and I somewhat dismissed the notion. However, this episode came back to bite me where it hurts as it is clearly apparent that the two of them are more similar than how I expected the two to be. For one, both of them are feeling despair, yet still strong in the face of disaster. Many would have fallen, particularly at the age of Shuuran, but she was yearning to save everyone around her despite being just a small child.

This carries a lot of resemblance toward how Shuurei was playing the er hu when she was young while the crisis in the area outside the capital happened. People were dying like this, but for one, the situation is much different. Then, Shuurei had no one to save her, and despite turning everywhere, people continue to die without abandon. That is perhaps the current situation revolving Shuuran had touched her very deeply, and I guess I am merely speaking the obvious fact.

However, this episode really touched a sensitive side of me, and they have done very well to portray this feeling of how she is finally able to protect a person that is somewhat parallel of her fate. I am so happy when Shuurei came out to give Shuuran a hug and assured her that she will be saved without caring much about her safety. That scene is powerful and extremely impressive in my opinion.

Ensei’s GAR!

For the lack of a better word, Ensei is really proving to be the most reliable man in the whole cast of Saiunkoku Monogatari. He is really the “get to” guy for Shuurei, with a quick wit, ability to defend and yet have enough authority to shove evil doers down with merely a glance. During the first part with the discussion of the mob, he truly shares his persuasion abilities, with the mob swaying to his side after making a logical and convincing point to the commoners.

When Shuuwen attacked Shuurei and Shuuran, he also shows his immense ability to fight and trigger any moves within a swift second as Shuuwen was dispatched within seconds. His powerful voice of authority to make a path out makes me sit up, as Ensei really proved to be a person that you should never antagonize. He has way better patience compared to Seiran, but when it comes to the real deal, he is perhaps more vicious if required. His eyes clearly spoke of violence at that scene.

Riou and Big Riou?

In this episode, there is a hint that Riou is perhaps a spy for Big Riou as he mouthed out Shuurei’s name. If this is accurate, I am sure that most of the citizens in Seikang have no clue about Shuurei’s name, and the way Riou said her name is like he already knew who Shuurei’s description is, and it’s only the lack of seeing her. He also seems like an observer considering that he did nothing to cut into Shuuran’s path when she was attacked, but stood afar to observe the situation.

His eyes seem to be not of someone who is worried about his own citizens of Seikang, but one that seems to be outside the loop. That makes me suspicious and I believe with a 80% conviction that Riou is likely to be a spy for big Riou.

The feminist movement

This episode clearly shows quite a shift in the theme of feminism in a historical setting. It is somewhat interesting since Saiunkoku Monogatari is based somewhat in a historical setting with a rather patriarchal structure of society. However, You Sensei breaks this notion with the recruitment of females to help in the assistance of medical cures. The officials also bowed down and humbly asked for help from the women folk, all giving hints to the underlying theme of feminism.

To me, it is a very interesting fusion of ideas, and I somewhat like how the wall of reality in this anime is often broken, clearly showing the status of women to be treated as highly as men. In a way, Shuurei’s expectation as a savior also is a statement in itself, with the common rumor of the “patriarchal curse” coming into play. There is somewhat of a chauvinist spirit where Shuuwen only engaged the men, who were eventually brought to the truth by women.

Quite an interesting play of themes, if you ask me.

Last thoughts

I really feel that this episode had a lot of tension, but if I have to pick out my favorite scene, it has to be Ensei talking about the joke on constipation. I think Ensei is the only person who can tell a joke in such situations of intense tension. He is growing to become my favorite character!

Browse Timeline

• « Subsidizing Stupidity: the Anime Industry
• » A self portrait of the “beautified and handsomeified” Impz

Comments (13)

Add a Comment