Not all unpleasant, eh?

Well, friends, we have finally arrived at the end. It feels like just yesterday that I picked this series up, so it is hard to believe that some months have already passed me by. Time has flown; and true to the adage, dare I say — it has been a lot of fun. This will mark the completion of my first full series at THAT. Modest as it may be, I’d like to thank the NYC fans for their comments and continual support. I am definitely looking forward to the fall season’s pickings, and hope to blog two new series that will engage our readership’s interest even more. You can expect some very different shows; among my choices are Tytania, Shikabane, possibly Chaos;Head (if I can vanquish the rabid Impz and claim it for myself), or Ef. At any rate, on with it!

Episode 13, as the title of this post implies, is basically a curtain call for the significant (intelligible and anthropomorphic…?) characters in the series, many of which appear in the OP. It’s a great feeling to finally recognize all of the characters in the opening sequence, isn’t it! As far as plot is concerned, this episode is about as devoid of direction as it could possibly be. It is more like a reflective montage of character appearances that coincide at the local akimatsuri (Japanese fall festival). Thus, #13 falls somewhere between the dreaded recap and the usual short story format, but it is nonetheless festive because for a few precious hours, the gap between the human and youkai worlds is metaphorically bridged. Takashi, finding himself surrounded by familiar faces (both youkai and human), is finally able to savor the peace and satisfaction of belonging…

At least he has fashion sense enough to wear the fanny pack in the back.

If I could have left Takashi with one piece of advice, it would have been to stay out of wooded areas. You may have noticed that the worst youkai always come from the forest when he’s taking a shortcut or somesuch. After his run-in with Master Belch the previous episode’s giant blob of evil, I can’t even watch him walk through the woods without a flutter of apprehension. (If he can’t stay out of the woods, he should at least keep Nyanko close by or work on that right hook.) Naturally, at this point in the ep, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was one more evil awaiting Takashi in the darkness.

He should be dead. Dead!

But, no. No more evil demons stalking Takashi in the darkness, and no Alice-a’tumbling-down-the-rabbit-hole business; just a fat cat slipping down a hill on a collision course with a unlucky passerby and the eventual promise of fall festivities are all that await. It’s strange how a gentle series like NYC can be far from peaceful, but if you look back on all the trouble that Takashi has had to go through (not counting returning names in the middle of the night), he’s had hardly a moment’s rest. Am I the only one feeling some relief?

The sequence above is a bit of an anomaly; it’s the first time Nyanko speaks to another human besides Takashi. Basically he starts mouthing off at Kaname after cannonballing into him and knocking himself out, but what I find interesting here is that he does so under the assumption that Takashi had already told Kaname about his true identity… Is this a plot hole covered in the manga, or does it allude to something else?

Sasada: OMG you can like see them amirite?!

Maybe all of Takashi-kun’s trouble’s aren’t over yet. As long as he lives, breathes and talks to spirits, Sasada will continue to stalk him. Unfortunately for her, luck never seems to be on her side, at least when Kaname is around. Run away!

"Fox's Rain"

Clearly, it just wouldn’t be a proper curtain call if everyone’s favorite androgynous furry didn’t make his appearance. As usual, he’s getting picked on and getting in trouble T_T Youkai are reputed to be attracted to lively congregations of people such as fall festivals, so it naturally follows that Madara, the fox-boy, and many other unmentionables (I don’t want to spoil them yet) will be drawn in like moths to a flame. All of Takashi’s favorite ‘people’ in the same place…!

Shuuichi: How could I ignore a shota in distress?!

Not quite the savior he was hoping for but a savior nonetheless, Shuuichi pops out of nowhere and comes to the rescue. I’m surprised that Red & Blue got off easily as they did, considering the utterly spiteful force they were up against. Then again, I’m also surprised that Shuuichi took the time to save a youkai. Does this portend a change of heart? Or does he have a thing for furries too? More than those, however, there are bigger questions to be asked:

WTH, a secret society!

What exactly is ShuuIchi-the-(youkai)killer doing at a place (i.e. the festival) where hundreds of ayakashi have gathered? What is this darkly lit room full of strangely-dressed figures, some human and some perhaps not? Was the previous scene just a farce? Are they planning a mass-exorcism? There is also the business of Hiiragi shadowing the fox — why did he order her to do that? These are some of the questions that popped to mind over the few seconds it took for this scene to play out, which ultimately (if neither disappointingly nor thankfully, then at least misleadingly) proves to be Shuuichi’s final appearance in the episode. NYC stays true to its mostly-benign plot designs.

Ninja skillz.

Hiiragi decides to help him recover a lost item, rather than simply tailing him. At that point (when Shuuichi first ordered her to follow him), there was still a possibility for mayhem, still a chance for something to run awry and destroy the delicate mood that is gradually building as the magic hours near. But when she finally agrees to help him, one can safely assume that there just isn’t enough time left for the episode to consolidate its plot-tatters into a sinister side story. You can count on a lighthearted remainder and a succinct denouement.

Where the hell is she going?

Sasada goes to extreme measures to get Takashi to return. She ties the cat up. That’s right, she takes Nyanko hostage as insurance that Takashi will stick around when he sees her next. She *ties* the cat up. Nyanko could have transformed to escape, obviously, but Tamiko-chan (another cameo appearance) cuts him loose before the need arises. Why she decides to drag him up a hill, I have no clue. At least they are even now. But man, that is one naughty little girl!

LOL, this is what we call "the look" (refer to top two images.)

Hinoe is here to join in the fun as well, to watch Takashi and enjoy herself. Takashi is too busy searching for his fat cat to give his boneheaded friends the time of day so they get blown off and don’t receive a second of screentime beyond what they are due. The merchant gives them the “I’ve been here all damn day and I’ll rip you a new one if you screw with me” look after the dark-haired (no, I don’t care to remember his name) one complains about not having received his kaitenyaki, which had been craftily pilfered by Hinoe. The search for buta-neko continues.

Praises to the one who can identify this book for me.

I was going to hop back some seconds to point out that Touko-san was home worrying about Takashi (and include a relevant still), but I found this image of a book too interesting to pass up. Marketing ploy? Oddly unsolicited and meticulous detail? A real book? Can anyone translate the title?

Another beautiful shot.

This was another screen capture that I found far too visually appealing to leave out. Such a lovely contrast of reds and blues. The lanterns almost make you feel like you are there…

Mmm, corn.

The fox-youkai is really the star of the show in this episode. He finally locates his aniki and the medicine that he had lost (which will enable him to transform into a human for a single night), and then returns hand-in-hand with Takashi to the festival. Only then does Takashi actually participate in the festival (note that he forgets about searching for Madara around this time), perhaps because he feels a certain sense of satisfaction in knowing that youkai and humans alike have gathered together to celebrate, or that he can be of some use to the little fox.

This can’t be the end! I had hardly any screen time! What about my big finish!

So, at the end of it all, my entry on the final episode turned out to be more of a massive image dump than a set of literary reflections. I’ll admit that there isn’t much to be said here, although there is without a doubt much to be experienced. For one thing, it leaves behind such a subtle set of impressions than attempting to discuss it in words is a more or less futile effort. It should simply be watched.

As the culmination of an episodic series, #13 affects an emotional response by perusing the character relationships that were explored in previous episodes, as well as establishing a few new relationships in order to tighten the social network (of both human and ayakashi) accumulating in Takashi’s hometown. Character by character, word by word, piece by piece, a generalized, composite impression of peace and festivity is established (at least for a single night) and NYC takes a final bow.

I’ll reserve my overall assessments of the series for a review editorial, which I plan to post shortly, so please look forward to it! Also, fans of NYC be on the lookout for season two!

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