Episode 6 of the Sarazanmai anime has been released! What a great episode! It started out looking depressing, but then it was a fantastic turn of events, right up to Kazuki regaining his smile. Just when you think this is a happy ending, a mysterious creature attacks Reo and Mabu. I'll briefly summarize the plot and offer my thoughts.
Brief Synopsis
Failing to defeat the Sachet Zombie, Kazuki and the others remain kappa. After Haruka discovers that Kazuki has disguised himself as Sara, Kazuki becomes desperate and decides to remain in kappa form. At that moment, Reo contacts Haruka. They take Haruka to the otter's hideout to exploit her desires. Learning this, Kazuki and the others head to the otter's hideout to rescue her. There, they are suggested to save Haruka by transplanting her shirikodama. However, if a person's shirikodama is removed, their very existence is deemed to have ceased. Kazuki is fine with this and tries to transplant his own shirikodama, but Kuji and Enta, who overhear him, stop him. At that moment, it is revealed that Haruka's feelings were love, and he is about to be shredded without his desire being exploited. At that moment, Kazuki learns of Haruka's feelings for Kazuki. With brilliant teamwork from the three of them, they are able to safely save Haruka, and with that momentum, they also repel the Sachet Zombie. Safely returning to human form, Kazuki smiles and thanks Kuji and Enta. Then, in the final scene, footage of the past of Reo and Mabu is shown. Mabu has been taken by something. Don't let go of your desires. Only those who connect their desires can seize the future. Those are the words of Mabu.
Definition of Desire and Love
The otter asks, "Is it love or desire?" when it comes to exploiting someone's desire. So, what is the definition of love and desire in this story? First, let's consider the concept of desire that has been discussed so far. When all zombies, including box zombies and cat zombies, had their anal beads removed, they were given an explanation for what they wanted to do or what they liked. Their desires were always directed at themselves. So, in Haruka's case, we concluded it was love, but what was it? She wanted Kazuki to smile. In other words, the object of her desire was Kazuki, a different person. While this may seem confusing given the terms narcissism and self-sacrificing love, in Sarazanmai, it's safe to say that desire toward oneself and love toward others are love. Based on this thinking, in episode 5, Kazuki's actions toward Haruka were all for his own sake, so we can conclude that they were desire. (He even specifically discussed this in the desire field.) So, are Enta's feelings for Kazuki desire or love? This is also complicated by the use of the term homosexuality, but for example, in the scene where he wrestles with Kazuki, it could be considered desire, in the sense that he wanted to interact with Kazuki, and in the scene where he hands over the misanga, it could be considered love, in the sense that he felt for Kazuki. What about Kuji, who sings of brotherly love? The story may develop further in the future.
Is Keppi the incarnation of desire?
In the final scene of this episode, Mabu is being attacked by someone. The person who appeared in that scene was likely the prince of the Kappa Kingdom. Then came the words "desire is split." And a shadow with eyes resembling Keppi's emerged from the prince. What we can think of here is that, simply put, it's something like God and Piccolo from Dragon Ball. In other words, the prince has been split between love and desire. So, is Keppi, who is now with Kazuki and the others, the embodiment of desire, or a lump of love? Let's consider this based on what we know about Keppi now.
Keppi can bring out a plate
Keppi can pull out his shirikodama and bring out a plate. Keppi himself said this time that only he has this ability. This plate can grant someone's wish. In other words, if it's for oneself, it's desire; if it's for someone else, it's love. Here again, it's unclear whether Keppi is expressing love or desire more prominently.
Keppi Was Sealed
Keppi was sealed away until Kazuki and his friends destroyed his statue. So why? Sorry to bring up Dragon Ball again, but it's usually villains who are sealed away. So, is it hard to say for sure that Keppi is the embodiment of desire? That's because the Kappa Kingdom was destroyed by the Empire. During that war, desire and love split apart. If we consider that the Empire felt it inconvenient to kill the Prince, who became a mass of love, and sealed Keppi away, then it's not impossible to say that he is a mass of love. Furthermore, he was sealed away in the world where Kazuki and his friends lived. I considered this in episode 4 of the anime, but in this world, desire = the desire field, and kappa = beings who can move between desire and love. Kazuki's world = love. If that's the case, then perhaps Keppi, who was sealed away in the world where Kazuki and his friends lived, is the original prince, his desire broken?
Where is the incarnation of desire?
So, where is the incarnation of desire? It's likely in the Empire. During the Otter Year, an eye appears in the final scene. Could this eye be the incarnation of desire?
Reo Has Love
While the exact nature of Reo and Mabu's relationship is still unclear, it's clear that Reo cares about Mabu. If he were to obtain the wish-granting plate, he would likely use it for Mabu. Considering that, the fact that the object of his wish is Mabu can be defined as love. Perhaps Reo will become an ally of Kazuki and the others in the future!
Summary
Love can be anything, from homosexual love to brotherly love to self-love, and it's not always sympathetic to those around you. And perhaps the theme of this episode is that love can turn into desire with even the slightest difference, dragging those around you down. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the next episode!
Anime Miru on YouTube
This analysis is also available online. If you're interested, please take a look.
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