This week’s episode of Kemono Jihen was packed with great action while foreshadowing what’s to come!
Inugami sends the kids to the police department that is run by none other than Inari. She is a kitsune kemono with a considerable amount of power. It seems that tanuki and kitsune are usually at odds, but Inugami and Inari seem to have a quid pro quo type of relationship. Inari wants to meet Kabane probably for dastardly reasons. Inari is a pretty scary enemy, especially when compared to the kids. She has control of an entire police department and people constantly at her beck and call, like Kon, a young kitsune who wants to be of use to Inari.
It’s quickly revealed that Inari wants Kabane’s life calculus and is willing to get it by any means necessary. She has Kon cut his head off and put it in a suitcase so that he cannot regenerate. There always seems to be a horror element in each episode and this one is no exception. It was fun seeing the three kids interact and it was even better seeing them in battle together. Akira does pass out as soon as Kon reveals that she’s more than willing to get violent with them, but Shiki and Kabane have great chemistry and comedic timing. Shiki reacted like anyone forced to carry a severed talking head for any length of time.
The fight scene was well directed and animated much like previous episodes and you start to feel kind of bad for Kon as she becomes increasingly more desperate. Inari definitely manipulates her into doing her bidding by way of praise. The episode ends with the kids winning the fight and Inari furious when she realizes that the life calculus she stole from Kabane was a fake. Kon then shows up and challenges them to a fight but is so weak that she loses consciousness. She seems like a potential ally despite her obvious desire to still bring Kabane’s head to Inari.
Kemono Jihen is not stopping with its well-paced and exciting episodes. This one reveals the main enemy and sets the stage for battles up ahead. Raising the question: How will the kids face an enemy willing to do anything for power?
Kemono Jihen is streaming now on Funimation.
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