Kaze no Stigma Episode 3 – The Kannagi Family

A day has passed since the hotel incident and the police investigates on the case. Two female cops were assigned to head the investigation, and the blond-cop (the one in the opening) suspects that it was a work of no-ordinary wind-user. She also mentions about the recent news of a powerful contractor who has come from another country, as though stressing the connection this incident has with that person.

Meanwhile, Kazuma is on his way to the Kannagi’s house to meet Soushu (the clan head) to tell him about what happened to Ren. He remembers the time when even her mother drove him away from their house, and says that he never thought he would be stepping into the Kannagi household after that incident. “It can’t be helped in this case”, he adds. As expected, he receives a rough welcome from the Kannagis who think of him as the perpetrator, but they didn’t stand a chance against him. Soushu arrives on the scene and stops them from continuing any more of the fight. He greets Kazuma and says how he and his father (Genma) seemed to have put up quite a fight. “Yeah, I kicked his ass”, Kazuma replied, and Soushu could not help but laugh at this. Kazuma quickly informs him that Ren has been abducted by a wind-user who he suspects was also the same person behind the Kannagi murders. Though, Kazuma was still note sure about their motive for taking Ren with them. Soushu seems to know something about this, and invites Kazuma inside the house to discuss this serious matter.

Ayano also arrives in their mansion, and was infuriated as she finds out what Kazuma did to the people who “welcomed” him. Their maid(?) tells her that Kazuma is inside their house together with her father, and rushes off to where they are.

Soushu shows a document file to Kazuma with pictures of different people, and Kazuma points out the person who he recognize as the wind-user he fought with. Soushu wasn’t surprised by the fact that this person is the perpetrator, and just when he was about to explain what this file is (or where it came from), Ayano comes in to attack Kazuma. Soushu stops her and scolds her for not only breaking his rule of going outside, but also for attacking their guest. Ayano still accuses Kazuma for killing the Kannagis, and Soushu tells her that Kazuma wasn’t the one who did it, another wind-user did. They ask both of them to listen, as he tells them that the enemy is the Fuugashuu (the wind clan who has served them for years). “This is their revolt”, he says, and elaborates what he meant by this.

He tells them about the man in the picture Kazuma pointed out. His name is Ryuuya Kazamaki, Kazamaki Hyouei’s son. It seems that there’s no one in the Fuugashuu residence ever since that morning, and Soushu’s quite sure it’s part of the revolt they’re planning. Ayano could not believe that this was the work of the Fuugashu, and still insists on believing that Kazuma is the perpetrator. Kazuma remarks on how she’s a “young lady who gives people a headache” because of her stubbornness, and gives sarcastic comments with regards to her close-mindedness with regards to other people’s opinions that are contrary to what she believes in (he says something like “you thought what you believe in is true (and continued to think so), so much that you couldn’t quite “turn your head” anymore)

Soushu intervenes with their “dispute” as Ayano’s still not contented with the perpetrator not being Kazuma. He asks his daughter, “If Kazuma was indeed as you say, how come he didn’t kill you that time?” Ayano didn’t know what answer to give, and thinks of this lame reason that perhaps it’s because she has the ability to use Enraiha (implying that Kazuma was afraid of her or something). Soushu refutes her absurd reasoning, because there’s no way she could compare to Kazuma when he was able to defeat the greatest Flame-user in their clan (Genma). Soushu adds that Kazuma was just used by the real perpetrator as a decoy, so that they won’t suspect that it was the work of the Fuugashuu.

Kazuma asks Soushu the reason why Ren was abducted. He simply says “It’s because he’s a direct descendant of the Kannagis” and narrates the past history of the Fuugashuu. The Fuugashuu used to be a powerful clan who possess abilities in “black arts” (or black magic). 300 years ago, a battle ensued between this clan and the Kannagi, where the Kannagi won. As a result of this, the source of their power (which was a poweful ‘youma’ [evil spirit]) was also sealed. Soushu thinks that the Fuugashuu took Ren to become a sacrificial offering, in order to revive this youma. An image of a girl sparked in Kazuma’s mind when he heard about ’sacrificial offering’, as though remembering this person who suffered a similar fate that Ren is facing.

In another place by the mountains, Ren is lying on a stone bed as he is being prepared as a sacrifice. We see this youma in the midst of a flame reacting to his presence. Hyouei shows up, and mentions about being able to use the “forbidden incantation” after such a long time. “Our long-cherished wish will finally be realized”, he says, and goes to tell the story of the measures they took for the realization of their plans (300 years in the making…). With the youma kept sealed, what they did was to lure the youmas into Ryuuya’s body. With this, even the weak youmas became powerful and Ryuuya eventually became the youma’s “host”. And with Ren now within their hands, they’re going to use him for the realization of their plans.

Soushu continues his story, and says that the youma the Kannagis sealed before was sealed through “the seal of fire”, in the midst of this fire-elemental crystal known as “Sanmai Shinka”. Now anyone who touches this will immediately be burned, except for someone in the direct line of the Kannagi – someone like Ren. Just having the mere ‘flesh’ of that person is enough to let someone touch it. And this is exactly what Hyouei are planning to do – to take control of Ren’s body through the youma (who was now under Ryuuya’s control), and be able to remove the seal through him. Soushu tells them that this information is written on this paleography which Soushu wrote. Ayano asks her father what would become of Ren, and he tells her that his body and soul would most likely be devoured by the youma, since the youma would be able to sense that he is the descendant of the one who sealed it.

Ayano could not believe the Fuugashuu would do this to them, since they treated them with kindness over the years (or so she thinks), and thinks this is an “unjust resentment”. Kazuma corrects her and lets her reflect on this thought, “What did the Kannagi do to the Fuugashuu? … They were simply but a tool for the Kannagis” Ayano disagrees with this because she has never thought of them that way, but then Kazuma refutes this and tells her that the measure of the Kannagi in terms people’s value is through their strength alone. “Now what do you think the Kannagi thought about these Fuugashuu, who used to be powerful but was stripped away by all this strength?”, said Kazuma, as though asking a rhetorical question. “I understand their feelings, because I’ve experienced the very thing they did. And to think that this grudge actually took 300 years in the making, makes it all the more worse.” Given this, Kazuma doesn’t find it surprising that the Fuugashuu will do these measures just so they can get their revenge on the Kannagi. “Their aim is to annihilate the entire Kannagi clan, and the one who instigated them to do this are the Kannagi themselves”, he adds.

Soushu admits that what Kazuma said was indeed true… and despite his efforts to change this situation with the Fuugashuu, it was already too late since their grudge has become really deep. Kazuma utters some word of complaint about getting Ren involved in this, and Ayano tells his father to let her go and save Ren. Soushu thinks that Ayano doesn’t stand a chance against those enemies with her current abilities, and Ayano could not accept this since she she can’t just stand and do nothing while Ren is in grave danger. With her words, “Ren wasn’t born simply to be devoured by some youma!”, Kazuma remembers the girl from his past who said those very words “I wasn’t born simply to be devoured by some youma”. This prompts him to suggest to Soushu that he acts as a back-up for Ayano, but since even his wind spirit will be driven mad by Ryuuya’s ‘youki’, he won’t be able to control them (similar to what happened in their previous encounter). As such, there would be no other way but to have Ayano attack Ryuuya, whose body she can set ablaze from within through her Enraiha.

Ayano asks him if he’s sure they will win against them, and Kazuma says that they ‘probably’ will. Ayano couldn’t believe these irresponsible words from him, and Kazuma tells her that the reason for his uncertainty is because of the fact that he haven’t really fought with Ryuuya before. Soushu stops them from this ‘dispute’ and gives Kazuma his trust “I place my hope in you, Kazuma” Kazuma could not afford to simply do this for nothing, and asks Soushu how much money he’s going to give him in return for this “request”. Both Ayano and Soushu were surprised by this, and Ayano could not believe he’s asking for some money in return for saving “his own family” which she thinks should be most important to him. Kazuma once again clears it up that he is no longer a member of the Kannagi, and before Ayano could say any further, Soushu agrees and tells him he’ll give him a great amount of money. Soushu informs them that the place where the Fuugashuu are is in the west – within the Honokagutsuchi Mountain

Back to where Hyouei are, one of the clan members informs him that the entire clan has been assembled, and so Hyouei asks them to start with the “forbidden incantation”. Just then, Ryuuya senses the presence of a Kannagi. Hyouei mentions about the short span of time the Kannagis have left to live, because the seal will finally be broken. “The grudge we have against the Kannagis since 300 years ago, will finally be put to an end – blood against blood”

Ayano and Kazuma are now on their way to the mountains, and Ayano complains about Kazuma’s “rough driving”. Kazuma makes her swallow her own words as he tells her “If you don’t care about Kannagi’s downfall, then I will drive more ’safely’” Ayano could still not believe she’s made to team-up with Kazuma, and thinks about her earlier conversation with her father. Ayano asked her father earlier as to why he put his trust on Kazuma easily. Soushu tells her it’s because Kazuma’s really strong, so strong that he was able to win against his father in battle. Ayano could still not acknowledge Kazuma, and was disappointed with the fact that he asked for money in return for saving his own brother’s life. Soushu knows Kazuma’s reason for this, and explains that Kazuma did that to “save his face”, since he didn’t want them to see that he’s doing it for the sake of helping out the Kannagis (but rather that he’s doing this simply for the money), who isn’t his family anymore. Ayano was still not convinced and continues to believe that he is selfish. Soushu couldn’t really do much to change what Ayano believes in, but gives her a warning – that if she and Kazuma won’t be able to trust each other, they won’t able to win against the enemy.

The bumpy road makes Ayano snap out of her thoughts, and accuses Kazuma of intentionally driving roughly. She vents out her frustration and says that she can’t really stand being “partners” with him. Noticing how hot-tempered she is, Kazuma tells her that this temperament is said to be the source of power of a flame-wielder, and that Ayano certainly fits that description. But in the case of Ayano, she won’t become a “first rate flame wielder” unless she’s able to take control of her temper. Ayano was stunned for a moment with this remark, and simply replies that she’ll certainly show Kazuma her great ability to control this when the time comes. Kazuma doesn’t have any choice but to believe in her, since she’s actually the key for the success of this task. Ayano understands this and affirms that she’ll certainly to her best to hit Ryuuya while Kazuma serves as her back-up, despite the fact that she doesn’t fully agree with this plan since she thinks she’s being taken for someone stupid. Despite what she thinks about this plan, Kazuma believes it’s for the best, and places his trust on her. Ayano didn’t expect that from Kazuma, since he always thought he was nothing more but an arrogant guy.

Kazuma shows some serious expression on his face, as he tells Ayano that they must save Ren no matter what, and thinks “I definitely won’t forgive them for making Ren a sacrifice!” Ayano notices Kazuma’s serious look, and thinks that it’s the first time she’s seen him with such an expression (and thinks he looks ‘kakkoi” – implied :3) Kazuma notices Ayano’s silence as she stares at him, and asks her the reason for her sudden silence. Ayano blushes and simply tells him it’s nothing.

At that moment, Kazuma senses Ryuuya’s presence and escapes from the car just in time to avoid his attack. Ryuuya comes face-to-face with them and Kazuma “greets” him, “I’ve been wanting to see you, Ryuuya” He once again thinks about the girl in his past who he wasn’t able to save, and declares that he definitely won’t allow them to make Ren become their sacrifice. They get ready to fight against Ryuuya, and then the episode ends…

(I’m not so good with names, so I believe I made some mistake in the previous summaries I made… I think I put Kazamaki Hyouei as ‘Oogami’ or something… gomen… =____=””’)

Thoughts:

A cliffhanger! But nevertheless a great episode filled with thrill and action (though more action would be seen in the continuation of the episode next week.) I’m growing to love Kazuma’s character even more with the passing of each episode, as we see this other side of him… a sensitive person, a man of honor and pride. He may be arrogant, but humble enough to acknowledge help when he certainly needs it (and of course doesn’t ask for help if he really knows he can do something on his own). Mysteries are revealed in this episode, and still some more mysteries left to be uncovered (I think you’re going to hear the word ‘mystery’ from me a lot, so please bear with it ^^;; ), particularly with regards to Kazuma’s past. Who’s the mysterious girl he wasn’t able to save from the past? People who have read the novels until the point this episode covered will find out that more ‘foreshadowing’ was shown in the novels than in the anime, which I think is just right, or else we’ll already be cluttered with so many thoughts. Nevertheless, I’ll give this spoiler about this:

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Kazuma’s thoughts are [somewhat] clearly shown in the novels, which makes me see just how deep his personality is (<3 :p) It’s also good that the anime decided to not show all these thoughts at once or we’ll see him as one really emo guy or something o__o Basing simply on these thoughts shown in the novel, it seems that the focus with regards to Kazuma is his wanting to find the answers the these questions he has… some sort of “self-discovery”, where Ren and Ayano might be able to play an important role in.

Well, now we know that the girl in Kazuma’s past is simply in his past… because I actually thought the girl shown in the opening sequence would be making an appearance later on… (but who knows… perhaps this girl is still alive o_o) Nevertheless, I can see just how much impact this girl had on Kazuma, especially after having known some bits and pieces about his past (from the novels – until the part covered by this episode). With this situation, I can see it as a Tomoe-Kenshin-Kaoru predicament once again… the guy decided to change because of the girl from his past, who he ends up not being able to save. Then here comes a girl who makes her realize how much worth he has despite that past he had… something like that. Given that, I’m having this prediction that more people would end up loving that girl in the past rather than the annoying Ayano. But that would still depend on how the development in Ayano’s character will go about. At this point, I still find her personality a bit annoying, but understandable. Being the successor of Enraiha at a young age, it’s not surprising for her to become a bratty little kid. I love her interactions with Kazuma, especially the way Kazuma renders her speechless with his sarcastic comments and honest remarks ^^;;; I can already see the makings of a tsundere in Ayano, as we see her personality changing because of Kazuma. I can picture them as quite a cute couple actually, and would love to see more Ayano x Kazuma interactions and development in the future ^-^ (it’d be interesting to see the effect the female cop would have in this relationship… as cliche as it might be :p)

Gotta love Soushu as well~ he truly understands Kazuma, and trusts him with all his heart. He was even quick to notice the true motive of Kazuma when he asked for money in return… Ayano should really learn some wisdom from her father :p

I just found the battle scenes lacking (similar to the previous episodes)… I mean, the battle between Kazuma and the Kannagis when he came to their house lasted for like 10 pages in the novel! And then here, we only get like a measly amount of battle sequence (less than a minute! o___o). But oh well, I’m not really complaining, because if they concentrated on this battle scene then the episode wouldn’t have ended the way it did ^^;;; But really, I hope Gonzo puts more effort in animating the battle scenes… let’s see how the battle in next week’s episode will go.

and just another sidenote with some things not mentioned in the novel, particularly with what Kazuma’s mother really told him in the “flashback”. In the novel, Kazuma’s mother mentions that he’s good in academics and also skilled in sports (athletic), but he can’t “love” him given his lack of abilities to wield flame (and I believe those words of her mother was even more harsh than what his father told him…). Just a minor thing, but would make you see that Kazuma’s not really “incompetent”, in the truest sense of the word… he’s just “incompetent” or a “failure” as a Kannagi.

In the next episode, we’ll witness a great battle against this huge youma (who I think was already released from its seal). They must’ve been able to save Ren and prevented the youma from devouring him (though Ren seems to have inflicted some injury on Ayano), as we see that he’s also going to help out in fighting against the youma. I think Ayano’s going to “soften up” more in the coming episodes, as the “chuu” incident also happens next week ^^;; In the preview where Ayano’s narrating, she mentions something like “…This can’t be! If I don’t win against him (Ryuuya), Kazuma won’t be expect anything more from me anymore (or that Kazuma will lose his belief in Ayano’s skills).”

Last thing I have to say… the ending song has changed!!! ^-^ I noticed it when I saw the scene shown with Kazuma lying by the grass is daytime! (unlike in the previous ending, which was nighttime). I personally liked this more than the previous ending song (and even more so than the opening song), because of it’s catchy tune~ ^-^ And wow… when I found out that the one who sang this was no other than Ayano and her two friends! =D Such cute voices and the great blending! ^-^ btw, It’s entitled “瞬きのキヲタ”(Matataki no Kiwota) :3

(what a long “summary” and “commentary”… I think that shows I <3 this series ^-^ I’m really drawn to these kinds of animes with mystery and other elements~ Unless something realllly baaddd happens throughout this story’s development, I don’t think I’ll drop blogging (and providing spoilers) about this >3 On a side note, I think I’m going to drop OverDrive now… due to lack of time + interest… it’s like, once you’ve seen the manga, there’s nothing much that you’re going to look forward to anymore… sigh… =___=;;; ok, enough of my ranting… :|)

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