Kaze no Stigma Episode 20 – Traces of Jade Green

Screenshots

With the explosion caused by Ayano and Lapis’ battle, Kazuma chances upon Lapis once again, leaving him in disbelief and shock. Lapis seems to have also been affected by the sight of Kazuma that she lets down her guard, making her susceptible to Ayano’s attack. Ayano was about to deliver the final blow and defeat Lapis, when Kazuma stands in between and stops her from attacking further. Kazuma once again recalls Tsuoi Rin in Lapis but brushes off these thoughts and turns to Wernhard filled with rage, as he snaps back to the reality. Wernhard goes all sarcastic as he tells Kazuma that he should even be thankful for making him reunite with his ‘sweetheart’, but Kazuma knows well that Tsuoi Rin can’t possibly come back to life. Wernhard and his boss made some devil (or youma) completely devour Tsuoi Rin, which Wernhard himself bore witness to.

According to Wernhard, Lapis was made from what remained of Tsuoi Rin’s memories. He dismisses what Kazuma said about Lapis being an impostor, since she serves as the living image of Kazuma’s failure to protect the very woman he loved. This makes Kazuma all the more infuriated and attacks him with his wind blades. Lapis protects Wernhard with her sword and leaves the building in shambles, in accordance to her boss’s order to exhibit her abilities as a ‘sword master’. Wernhard exclaims how he has bestowed the youth with extraordinary powers, that of which he’ll eventually bestow upon Lapis as well. With this, Wernhard and Lapis make their exit, leaving Kazuma in discontent.

Utsumi who’s currently confined in prison continues to contemplate about his arrest. He blames Nanase for what happened to him, but later on puts the blame on Vesalius who gave him extraordinary powers. A message bathe in blood suddenly appears on the wall in his room, with the word “Congratulations”. Kirika reports about the incident the other night in the Pandemonium, where the police intends to cover up the destruction of the building to make it appear that it was simply caused by a bomb accident. Ren, Ayano, and Kirika were able to escape from the building with the help of Kazuma, who left right after saving them. Genma can’t believe he’ll be out of the picture in this critical moment, and regards his son as a “useless guy”. Ren was about to reprimand his father for what he said, but Soushu stops him.

Soushu reminds Ayano that she needs to be well prepared for this battle. Ren wonders how the enemy will make its next move, now that Pandemonium has been destroyed. Kirika then shows them an activity from last night in Utsumi’s room, which she suspects must have happened to other people involved in the case as well. They’ve been shown this congratulatory message together with a confirmation as to whether they want to change their class (and move on the next rank). “…be accepted into the (world of) Pandemonium. Undergo class change? Yes or No.” is mentioned in this message, which Utsumi immediately accepted without much ado.

The police suspects that Utsumi managed to break out of prison because of yet another power given him after accepting this offer from Pandemonium. Ayano was very much alarmed by this news, knowing well that this puts her best friend Nanase in a position of grave danger. She thought that the police weren’t taking actions regarding this, but apparently, they are well aware of this danger. Hence, they have assigned two people (Catherine and Kirika’s assistant) to become Nanase’s bodyguards who’ll keep watch over her 24/7.

Given all these traces and hints, it can be seen how the perpetrator is still at large, and is now making its move through some other tactics. From their close encounter with the mastermind Vesalius, Ayano and Ren were able to find out that its real name is ‘Wernhard Rhodes’, a famous member of the world-renowned Almagest, a Magical Society which whose center of operations is Europe. Up until now, it continues to live up to its reputation of being the greatest magic society. Soushu and Genma knows about this society well, and thinks that ‘Wernhard’ / Vesalius must simply be an impostor, but Kirika thinks otherwise. This society is headed by Arwin Leszart (?), whom Kirika believes to hold some grudge against Kazuma, and involved Tsuoi Rin (Lapis’ origin) into this mess.

Seeing how Kirika knows about the relationship between Kazuma and Tsuoi Rin, Ayano scolds Kirika for not mentioning anything about it before. Kirika reprimands her that each and everyone has secrets which they can’t tell anyone, and someone who gets to know that secret certainly won’t have enough guts to just blurt it out to anyone else. Kazuma’s past however plays a vital role in this case, and so Kirika was left with no choice but to confide about this, especially after Soushu himself asks her for this. Kirika tells them of what she knows regarding the events in Kazuma’s life before he became a contractor, which she heard from other people. At the same time, Kazuma is spending his time alone in a building, remembering Wernhard’s words and the past life he had with Tsuoi Rin.

After Kazuma was driven out of his family, he lived his life as a normal person. He went to China and met Tsuoi Rin, the love of his life and with whom he lived with ever since that time. Kazuma relied on her mother’s sustenance (the credit card she gave) most of his life, yet decides to be independent after all those years. He accepts random jobs and errands, in the hopes of being paid for his services. But sadly, he ends up being paid nothing almost all the time. When nighttime comes, he helps out Tsuoi Rin in her restaurant, where business is flourishing day and night. Regulars in the restaurant who knows Kazuma well have noticed how much he’s changed after Tsuoi Rin came into his life.

That night, Tsuoi Rin recalls how the moon looks the same as the night they first met. Kazuma confides about his past to Tsuoi Rin, which he has never mentioned about before. He tells her how he was driven off from his family because of his lack of power, and how he desired for it ever since that time. Tsuoi Rin asks her if he still thinks this way, considering that he’ll be able to go back to his family and have a better life if he’s able to have this. Kazuma calls Tsuoi Rin stupid for thinking that way, since he has never felt any happier the moment he came to this town. Everyday that he lives with Tsuoi Rin is like a dream, seeing how she wholeheartedly accepted him for who he is. He was able to live each day without being concerned about power. Simple as it may be, Kazuma treasures this life they have because it’s the greatest happiness for him. Kazuma’s words move Tsuoi Rin to tears, who then asks if Kazuma if he’s going to protect her at all costs. Kazuma makes his promise that she’ll protect her for as long as he lives, and will by her side like the wind which never ceases, then they share a tender kiss.

All this bliss he had came to an end the moment Tsuoi Rin was taken away from him, forever. Haunted by his past, all the hatred within the depths of Kazuma’s heart was awakened. He turns berserk, set on seeking revenge against Wernhard. Meanwhile, Ayano is pondering about Kazuma’s past, thinking about how Tsuoi Rin meant everything to him that time (and the great impact Tsuoi Rin’s death caused him). Just then, she suddenly realizes Kazuma’s plans of seeking out this revenge all by himself. Lapis is somewhere by the fountains and stares at the full moon as though it reminds her of something, but dismisses this thought. Kazuma sets out his plans that night, and shows no mercy even to the individuals chosen by Pandemonium whom he plans on killing together with Wernhard.

Thoughts

Looks like I spoke too soon about the improvements in the animation quality of KnS and now it degraded quite some levels down >< Taking that aside, this was yet another great and intense episode, as we’ve finally seen Kazuma’s past, and how he’s still haunted by this to the very depths of his being… How Kazuma will break free from his berserk mode (with the help of Ayano) will certainly be something to look out for~ Those who have grown to love Ayano (by focusing more on what’s really mentioned in the novel) will certainly anticipate this scene :3

I’ve mentioned before that the revelation of how Kazuma and Tsuoi Rin’s romance might bring about the same reactions as the revelation of Kenshin and Tomoe’s (Rurouni Kenshin) relationship, where most people prefer the past love rather than the hero’s present romance interest (although the present relationship with Kazuma and Ayano is still in development, and is not quite apparent yet, especially in the anime >.>). Though some people might lean towards Kazuma x Tsuoi Rin, I don’t really have anything against that. But, I don’t think it’s justifiable to compare Tsuoi Rin and Ayano, and like jump to the conclusion of preferring the former one rather than the latter one simply due to how Rin played a vital role in Kazuma’s life before, and because of the ‘personality’ we see of her just in this episode. Both women are now in different standpoints in the life of Kazuma. Tsuoi Rin was there when Kazuma seemed lost and didn’t know where to go because he was driven off from his family.

Ayano can be said to have the same opportunity of loving Kazuma as he is (the way Tsuoi Rin did years back) and embracing him despite all the things that happened in his life (Kazuma’s ‘dark’ and vengeful self), callous as he might have become because of all this. If you look at it closely, one can see the similarities between these two girls. They have this sweet child-like personality, and they can both scold Kazuma without being the least bit intimidated by him (lol). It’s just that, Kazuma seems to tease Ayano more… and that’s what makes her all the more irritated >.> Tsuoi Rin just seems to have more patience than Ayano, but nevertheless both of them look cute when they are in this tsun-tsun mode Hmm… Now that I think about it, it’s like both of them are tsunderes, with Tsuoi Rin having a less tsun-tsun tendency than Ayano :p

Their being ‘violent’ is supposedly similar as well, actually… it just wasn’t shown in the anime anymore (not surprising) It was mentioned in the novel that Tsuoi Rin throwed some plates or dishes at Kazuma when she was scolding him about being violent to their customers (yep, this is once again, a “cut scene”), so she’s more violent than she seems hehe :p

If Tsuoi Rin is sweet, Ayano is also sweet. I actually admire Ayano more, because of the principles she believes in (which can be seen in how he put some sense into Kazuma, Ren, Kanon and Tetsuya, as well as Daiki). She just lacks experience when it comes to other things, but she certainly learns and grows from each encounter she has. In terms of Tsuoi Rin’s personality, what we’ve seen of her in this episode, is like the byproduct of years of experience she’s had. Compared to Ayano who has most likely been pampered much of her life, their personalities will certainly be different. But it’s great to see how Ayano’s character is deeper than what was first shown of her (screw the anime >.>) Who knows, perhaps Tsuoi Rin used to be a bratty kid as well, or not… given the lifestyle she had, and her upbringing.

It was also mentioned in the novel that Ayano acts really refined (and elegant?) when it comes to dealing with people (mentioned in the scene where she was introducing herself to Daiki). The time that Ayano loses that refinement is when she deals with Kazuma… ^^;;; Daiki became really nervous when he found out that she’s the famous “Ayano Kannagi”, and the conversation went like this:

Ayano: You must be the promising newcomer Kirika mentioned about.
Daiki becomes embarrassed by this and thinks that he doesn’t fit the description
Daiki: T-that’s impossible! My abilities are nothing compared to the Kannagis…
Daiki was filled with much pessimism, and Ayano cuts him off short
Ayano: It’s not a matter of how much abilities you have (or how much power you have). What matters most is what you can and what you want to do with the power you have. Isn’t that what you’re doing? Using your strength to protect people in this world. I think that’s something you should be proud of.
Daiki: R-Really?
Ayano: Why of course!

Kirika actually admired Ayano with this attitude she showed, and saw her as though she’s a completely different person. The clumsy, rash and impatient Ayano, and the dignified and refined Ayano. Two different personalities but both of which characterizes Ayano (according to Kirika, she’s not like some cat who hides her flaws… she really is defined by both these personalities, with the former one appearing mostly when she’s with Kazuma / dealing with matters regarding Kazuma, and the latter one is what most people see her as ^^). Kirika adds that if she didn’t meet Ayano the way she did (with Kazuma and all :p), she’ll certainly see her as this admirable and refined young woman as most people see her as.

(my thoughts are oh so jumbled up now, so sorry if this one might seem incoherent)

Despite all the bliss Kazuma felt with Tsuoi Rin, shit tragic events happen, whose purpose can only be seen after we look at it from a different perspective. Hath Kazuma been so contented in living with Tsuoi Rin, then he would’ve stayed there in China for the rest of his life, and perhaps never come to terms with his father as we’ve seen in the story’s progress. He wouldn’t have crossed paths with Genma and Ren anymore.

And one thing to note, no matter how happy this couple is, the promise Tsuoi Rin asked Kazuma (to protect her no matter what) will certainly result to hurt and pain sooner or later. I mean, the girl asks the guy to promise to protect her no matter what. If the guy fails to do so, the girl will most likely feel betrayed (in a way), because the guy wasn’t able to fulfill his promise. In the end, the guy will also regret not having saved the girl because he actually swore to protect her no matter what. It’s quite a childish and unrealistic promise, in my opinion, since they never saw the ‘loopholes’ this promise would have. Kazuma seemed really confident that he can protect Tsuoi Rin, at that current state (where he has no extraordinary powers…)

This shows some contradiction with Kazuma’s belief and what he spoke about. He thought he doesn’t need to have power anymore because he’s contented with the simple life he had. There’s already that certain someone who loves the ‘powerless’ him, and loves him for who he is. He promised Tsuoi Rin that he’ll protect her forever and be by her side, yet didn’t really think of the fact that having greater power will allow him to keep this promise. It was only after Rin died that he truly realized this fact.

Tsuoi Rin actually needs some whacking, with the words she blurted out to Kazuma that fullmoon night. With her words “Will you protect me no matter what?”, it’s as if she’s saying… “Will you protect me to the point of risking your life?” It all boils down to what happened in the Ren arc, where both Kazuma and Ren share this belief that they should never ever lay down their life as sacrifice for the sake of the woman they love, because it’ll simply cause the woman grief and pain, and will certainly not make them happier.

In contrast to Tsuoi Rin who asks Kazuma’s protection, Ayano is the complete opposite. Bratty and hardheaded and impulsive as people might see her, it’s actually admirable for someone like her to want to do things on her own. Kazuma has seen this difference between Tsuoi Rin and Ayano ever since that fight with Geho, where the latter possesses much strength and will to fight with her own might (or rather, side by side Kazuma :3). Tsuoi Rin is like the damsel in distress type of girl, while Ayano’s the fighter, which makes me all the more like Ayano

And I think I’ve been mentioning this a thousand times already, but oh well… Ayano is not as bratty as she was shown to be in the anime..! >_< In this episode, they once again butchered her, by changing the reaction she had when she found out that Kirika knew about Tsuoi Rin. She didn’t reprimand Kirika like she did… she was surprised (and yes, perhaps there’s that little desire to scold Kirika for not saying anything, but no she didn’t), and the conversation went like this (Kirika never scolded Ayano back, because she wasn’t supposed to have been that rude =___= ):

Ayano: You knew about Tsuoi Rin?!
Kirika: Yeah, sort of.
Ayano: Tell [me] about it. (and I think Ayano has this really serious look on her face)
Kirika: Ah, calm down, Ayano-chan…
Ayano: I am calm, so just say it.

(and well, Kirika hesitates to reveal this information, and tells Ayano that she doesn’t have the right to say anything about Kazuma’s ‘private life’ :p And Ayano of course, doesn’t really buy her excuse… she doesn’t say anything, but her expression clearly shows this)

(wow… some ‘thoughts’ I have on Ayano, Tsuoi Rin and Kazuma… >.>)

Regarding Lapis, I’d say that her reactions weren’t shown well in the anime. She’s supposed to show some human reactions, and not as cold and expressionless as she was shown. From what I’ve seen, traces of Tsuoi Rin’s memories become more evident as she shows different reactions in her encounters with Kazuma (and recalls other events from the past through other things). The first time Kazuma saw her, she actually smiled at him (though I’m not sure if Kazuma’s eyes was just fooling him). And in their next encounter in the Pandemonium, she was quite shocked when she saw Kazuma there (for reasons she she’s not aware of herself). Just a subtle hint of this was given in this episode, where we see Lapis staring at the full moon, as though it reminds her of something. Oh and just a side note, the reason why Lapis is named ‘Lapis’, is because of the ‘lapis lazuline’ color (or glass color) of her eyes (and yes… her eyes should’ve been closer to blue, rather than purple as the anime made it >.>). The same goes for Tsuoi Rin, who’s ‘Tsuoi’ 「翠」 is also ‘midori’, which is green… neat~ :3

There are still many questions left to be answered in this series so far, and I’m not really sure if the novel has already given explanation to most of these. First of all, how did Kazuma become a target of the Almagest (the group where Wernhard belongs)? He’s supposed to be living his life contentedly and in simplicity, so I’m not sure how their paths crossed. How did Kazuma incur their wrath, to the point of making them kill the woman he loves most? Another mystery, which is still not given light, would be how Kazuma was able to become a contractor of the Wind Spirit King, and what did he do (or what is in store for him) in exchange for having this power?

Till then! (sorry for the delays in this one, yet again… o__o Hope I’ll get back on track with the next episode)

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