Saiunkoku Monogatari II Episode 14 - 虎穴に入る (Enter the Tiger’s Den)

The episode starts with a flashback of the conversation between Shuuran and Kourin, who was sent a message regarding the plan Shuurei has to save the villagers. Shuuran hands her a sleep-inducing medicine to be mixed with the water for the villagers, so the guards will think of them as dead and allow them to escape once they have been carried out. Kourin has to pass some message to Eigetsu as well, so she makes the jar of water tumble so the guards will let her out to get some water. The scene cuts to the camp, where Ryuuren heads to where Eigetsu is and Riou follows after him.

Kourin heads to the area she asked the old man about in the previous episode, and finally finds Eigetsu in his tortured state. Eigetsu regains consciousness and wonders why Kourin is there, but he gets a scolding instead. Kourin denies that she’s been looking for Eigetsu, telling him that she only wanted to lash out her anger and give him a beating for what he did. But seeing Eigetsu suffering this way turned all her anger into sadness and grief, as she thinks of what he’s been through. She gives Eigetsu the message from Shuurei and refuses to leave until she’s able to save him. Eigetsu insists her to leave because everything Shuurei has done will be laid to waste if she gets caught.

Kourin remains stubborn and Eigetsu makes her realize that staying here will cause nothing but death to everyone, including the villagers and Eigetsu who supposedly still have the hope for survival. “I hate people who choose death”, says Eigetsu, as he makes Kourin realize the promise she made with Shuurei to save the captives. He adds that both he and Shuurei can’t run away from their responsibilities, which is why he wants Kourin to save these people he holds dear in his heart, in his behalf. Eigetsu assures her that he’ll find a way to escape on his own, so she should just escape with the villagers and not come to his aid.

“Don’t get so full of yourself!”, retorts Kourin, who refuses to simply listen to what he says. Instead, she demands Eigetsu to promise her that he’ll stay alive until he could get to see her again. Eigetsu hesitates for a second as he thinks of the little time he has left to live, but finally vows to the promise. “I promise… so please don’t cry anymore”, says Eigetsu, as he shares a tender kiss with Kourin.

Back in the camp, Shuurei wakes up and finds that both Ryuuren and Riou are no longer around. Ensei comes back together with Shuuran, who isn’t surprised at Riou’s disappearance. Shuuran tells them that Riou is not from Sekie. He just came one time and helped attend to the patients there, but tells her that he’s going to leave after he finishes some tasks he has to do. Ryuuren on the other hand went ahead of them to Eizan but wasn’t able to come across Ensei as he most likely took the longer route.

Just as planned, the guard start carrying out the bodies of the prisoners who were thought to be dead, and Seiran gives the guard a rough welcome outside. Ryuuren easily knocks down the two guards standing on his way to meet Eigetsu, remarking how graceless they are for hindering their reunion.

Seiran infiltrates into the cult’s headquarters and carries the last of the villagers held in captivity. Kourin heads back to where Eigetsu is, refusing to follow what he told her to do. Ensei proceeds to Eizan with Shuurei, leaving Shuuran and Tou Roushi in Sekie village, which has now become all quiet because of the great number of casualties from the disease. Shuurei wonders how Seiran is doing at this time, and Ensei assures her there’s nothing for her to worry about.

Shuuran thinks about the people of Sekie who could’ve been saved by the treatment if Jasenkyou didn’t spread all those false rumors, and exclaims that she’ll never forgive them from going this far just to call out both her and Eigetsu. Ensei fully agrees with this, and says that they’re going to resolve this matter within the day. Shuurei wavers for a moment, as she thinks about how she’s going to confront “Senya” if he turns out to be no one else but Sakujun himself. Seiran finishes their task and proceeds to go back, and smiles in peace as he sees Shuurei safe with Ensei.

Two men from the Hyou clan informs “Senya” about the soon arrival of Shuurei, who has been prepared a trap in a room with an invisible circle. “Senya” says that luring Shuurei into that place will be the last of his task, so there’s no more need for him to stay in Doushu’s body which was simply used as a decoy for Eigetsu. He thinks of possessing Eigetsu’s body instead, believing that he’s going to die any moment soon. “Senya” thinks that with Eigetsu’s body, he will no longer be considered useless since his mother will need him, and presumes that Yougetsu will even be easier to control once he takes hold of his body as opposed to the stubborn Eigetsu. The messengers take his suggestion into consideration, and “Senya” waits for Shuurei to arrive. Shuurei and Ensei arrive in the headquarters and finds the guards knocked down by Ryuuren earlier. Shuurei was surprised to see that Ryuuren got pass the guards majestically through an upfront attack, and Ensei remarks that Ryuuren has always been that way.

Eigetsu who still lies in captivity notices how he’s gradually losing his strength, and scoffs at himself for having told told Kourin that he’ll find a way to escape with his own strength with all pride. Eigetsu wonders if someone will come and help him, as his consciousness is starting to grow faint as well. He looks up to the man that touches his face, and recognizes him as Sakujun. Eigetsu sees this as a chance to confront him, something which he’s been wanting to do ever since Sakujun died. He doesn’t intend to criticize Sakujun for his laxity and selfishness because it’s what he chose to do with his life. Eigetsu considers Sakujun as a hopeless guy, but what makes him really infuriated is the fact that he chose to kill himself, without even realizing just how valuable this thing is that he decided to throw away. He threw away his life when there are tons of people who desire to live, especially Eigetsu who even promised his beloved Kourin that he’s going to stay alive. Eigetsu’s life is running out and there’s nothing he can do about it.

Eigetsu was really happy to see that Kourin went all the way to find him, but what he really wants is to be able to live even a little longer just so he can spend more time with the people he loves. Sakujun on the other hand completely threw his life away together without thinking a bit of this supposedly future. Instead, he even made Shuurei grieve and cry even after his death, and Eigetsu considers him the worst of all people for making the woman he loves suffer like that. Eigetsu might have done nothing else but make Kourin cry, but he considers himself to be far better than Sakujun is. Eigetsu thinks that if only he had more time, he will certainly invite Sakujun for a tea to slowly lecture him more about this. Sakujun pats him on the head, to which Eigetsu lets out a complaint “I am neither a squirrel nor a mouse, I am angry”, and he finally loses consciousness.

Ryuuren searches for Eigetsu and finally finds him lying on the floor, freed from his shackles. Eigetsu was surprised to see Ryuuren in his plain clothing, and even more so when he hugs him tight, happy as he was to see that he’s safe. Eigetsu thinks that Ryuuren was the one who saved him, and wonders if the Sakujun he saw earlier was real. Ryuuren thinks of the time time he made him drink sake (way back in the first season, where Eigetsu was captured together with Ryuuren and Kourin by Sa Soujun and were surrounded by his men, and Ryuuren made Ensei drink the sake to make Yougetsu appear - episode 26) and thinks that he endangered his life by doing that. Eigetsu however tells him that there’s nothing wrong with that because he actually did that to save him.

Ryuuren considers himself a failure as a friend for what he did, but Eigetsu assures him that he loves him and regards him as an irreplaceable person in his life. Nothing has ever changed in their friendship, according to Eigetsu, and believes that Ryuuren has certainly showed how a true friend he is just by coming all the way to see him. Eigetsu adds that he wants to remain as Ryuuren’s friend up until the end, and wonders if he wants to sever that friendship now. Ryuuren of course never thought of doing that, and even says that he’ll do anything to keep him from dying. Eigetsu sees that Ryuuren has been desperately looking for the answer to this and was happy to see that he thought of him this much.

Ryuuren continues to grieve at how powerless he is over the circumstance Eigetsu’s in, and wonders if there’s really nothing he can do for him. Eigetsu then he asks that he stay with him until the end, and accompany him someplace. Ryuuren is more than happy to be able to do this for Eigetsu, and says that he’ll take him wherever he wants to go. They head out of the cave and runs into Kourin along the way but Ryuuren simply ignores her and walks farther away from her. Ryuuren thought that Eigetsu would not want Kourin to get involved in this mess, but Eigetsu tells him it’s alright as he makes him stop for a moment. Kourin catches up with them and tells Eigetsu that he’s no longer going to listen to his advice, which she has also told him before. She has finished everything she had to do before coming to meet Eigetsu, which is why she’s going with him no matter what.

Contrary to the reaction Kourin was expecting, Eigetsu welcomed her presence and tells her that he also wants to be with her until the end. Kourin thinks of how crafty Eigetsu is, that he told her before to go back and leave him, yet now he’s asking her to stay with him. She wipes away her tears and was filled with happiness at the thought that she’ll be able to accompany Eigetsu. Ryuuren then calls Kourin as “Bosom friend #2’s bosom friend”, much to her puzzlement.

Shuurei heads to where “Senya” is together with Ensei, and once again thinks of the possibility that the person waiting for them is Sakujun. Shuurei comes face to face with “Senya”, who is neither Sakujun nor someone she knows of.

Thoughts

I was really moved to tears by Eigetsu and Kourin’s reunion. ;___; Seriously. I found myself crying especially as I read the novel. I think I looked like silly as I was reading it while I was commuting >.>’’ The same goes with Ensei lecturing Sakujun about treasuring one’s life. It moved my bunny heart to tears~ How timely it is that I’m also reading Tuesdays with Morrie at this time, which also deals with facing death, as with the case of Eigetsu. This was the most sentimental episode for me, as I don’t recall myself shedding this much tears in the past episodes.

Sakujun’s appearance in this episode really came as a shock. I know the possibility of him being the “Senya” has already been dismissed in the past couple of episodes, but I never thought he would make his appearance like this. It seemed like an apparition, but there’s quite a possibility that Sakujun was able to visit Eigetsu in the flesh. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to free Eigetsu from his shackles o__o And Eigetsu himself thought that perhaps Sakujun was the one who freed him, as Ryuuren also told him that he was already lying outside one of the caves when he saw him (some scene omitted in the anime). But how Sakujun was able to enter the den, what his purpose really was, and whether he’s still alive, are but one of the few things in this series left to be uncovered. And I’m not sure that topic will still be delved on in this arc.

Now regarding Eigetsu’s confrontation with Sakujun, Eigetsu saw it as a God-given chance to him, may it be a dream or what, since he has long wanted to scold him. It was but natural for Eigetsu to be angry at Sakujun because he had almost everything he didn’t have. He had all the wealth, all the freedom and the power to do what he wanted, but he wasted all that. Especially when he decided to end his life, all for his own satisfaction. I especially like what Eigetsu said in the novel when he was reprimanding Sakujun for what he did to Shuurei.

“Do you know how much Shuurei suffered after your death? How can she forget you, when your death haunted her, tormenting her day and night… grief and tears you’ve given her and cut a wound so deep that I know will remain forever. Up until now she continues to blame herself for what happened to you, shedding tears as she remembers what happened that time. And she will carry all this guilt and burden until the end. Is this why you wanted Shuurei to cause your death? Are you satisfied with what you’ve done? You’re the one I hate most in this world, and I will never forgive you for tormenting my friend and making her weep all her life.”

And with regards to what Eigetsu said about him being better than Sakujun even if he made Kourin cry all the time, he mentioned that it’s because if he only had more time, he’ll certainly make up for all that he’s done to her. Unlike Sakujun who simply ended his life and tormented Shuurei up until the end.

As for Ryuuren and Eigetsu’s meeting, I know I should’ve been genuinely touched by their friendship, but my naughty little mind can’t help but think of BL thoughts as I see their sweet embrace and exchange of amorous words ^^;;; I mean, just look at THESE:

the hug. GYUU~

I’m a failure (as a friend)…

I love you, Ryuuren. You are an irreplaceable part of my life.

I’ll do anything to keep you from dying!

Then, let’s stay together until the end… Can you accompany me somethere?

Let’s go. I’ll take you wherever you want, my beloved (bosom friend)…

*Eigetsu is touched*

Note that I haven’t butchered their dialogues… yet.

I understand that Eigetsu declined Kourin’s help because she still had to save the villagers that time, but then he really drove her away, as he also told her not to come to his aid. I believe that it’s because he doesn’t want to put her into any more danger, because he loves her. But then if you look at this from another aspect, it will seem like Eigetsu didn’t want to depend on her. Contrary to this, Eigetsu never resisted Ryuuren’s offer to help, and he was even the one who asked him to take him somewhere. I know Ryuuren and Kourin were in different situations when they met Eigetsu in the dungeon, but I still think there was this lack of dependency on Kourin for Eigetsu’s part. Because she’s a woman and he’s a man? He wants to show her that he can and will do something on his own and assure her not to worry, despite the fact that telling Kourin “Don’t worry about me” will cause her to worry even more.

I think Eigetsu also realized that Kourin wants to be “involved” in his life (but that’s like later in this episode already)… for him to see her as a partner, who wants to be by his side and help him realize his dreams. I can’t help but look back at the time Eigetsu went all by himself to Sekie village. Like Kourin has also said, it was indeed a selfish act, as he seemed to be purposefully driving her away from his life. I know that Eigetsu must be thinking that he doesn’t have much time left to live, so he has to detach himself from Kourin (or the other way around, make Kourin detach herself from him). But as we’ve seen, this shouldn’t be what you should do if you really love a person and you’re nearing the last days of your life.

It’s too late to have any regrets at this point, but I really think Kourin would’ve been happier if she was able to spend time with Eigetsu tending to the sick people back in the village that time. She could’ve felt that she was able to do something for Eigetsu, and had more of these happy and blissful memories to share with him. I know it’s still not certain if Eigetsu is really going to die, and I know that Eigetsu also felt guilty for making Kourin cry all the time. But I can’t help but think that Eigetsu wasn’t able to understand Kourin’s true sentiments ok… I’ll stop babbling about this now. I still love Eigetsu and Kourin as a couple, I just can’t help but well up with these emotions as I seriously think about their relationship.

Moving on…

I forgot to mention in my thoughts in the last episode that I was very much surprised to see Ryuuren in his plain clothing.I love him for being eccentric, but I believe he looks more bishielicious with his hair down :3 Aside from that, this seems to be the only time we’ve seen him looking all frantic and lose his composure, since he has always been all dignified and stands up with pride, as though he doesn’t have any worries in life. He did everything he can just to save Eigetsu, but sadly, it’s just not possible To think that he would go to these lengths just to save him. Ryuuren might not be easy to get along with, but he certainly knows how to treasure a friend (and be a true friend who’s always ready to lend a hand when you’re in trouble) We’ve also seen this side of Ryuuren way back in the first season, where he became Shuurei’s comfort when she was grieving over Sakujun’s death.

I can see that Seiran was able to be at ease in this episode, as he sees Shuurei safe with Ensei. It seems that all his doubts and fears in the last episode were dispelled, perhaps after spending some time reflecting, keeping in mind his faith on Ensei as well Shuurei’s strength

Shuurei was shown to be a skilled strategist, as she thought of this brilliant and fool-proof plan to save the villagers with Kourin and Seiran’s help. But then we can really see that she’s still hung up with Sakujun. She hasn’t fully come into terms with his death as well because of the lingering mysteries surrounding the disappearance of his body. Sigh. Of all people, Sakujun seems to be the one who really created the strongest impression on Shuurei, whom she will forever remember because of his charm, his forlorn persona like some lost little lamb, and the guilt he caused her. I’d have to admit that Sakujun has grown on me, but I still hate him for what he did to Shuurei, just like Eigetsu. “Senya” turned out to be someone else, but I wonder how Shuurei would’ve reacted if she saw that it was Sakujun. We will most likely see her well-up with so much emotion, as it would be something she’d be personally involved with, not just some political issue.

I am personally looking forward to a Shuurei x Sakujun confrontation in the near future, akin to what happened to Eigetsu. That will certainly help Shuurei let out each and every sentiment she has about him, as it will turn into outburst of mixed feelings. Anger, sadness, grief, and the like. I certainly hope that time will come, so Sakujun won’t continue tormenting her, and finally leave her in peace.

We also saw a glimpse of Senya’s real body in this episode, who is just a young child indeed, like Riou. I really pity “Senya” for what he’s been through, especially how he’s regarded as an incompetent person and is deprived of all love because of that. What a familiar predicament :3 *points to Kaze no Stigma* He’s but a kid who longs for his mother’s affection and everything he did finds its roots in this desire. Though of course that still doesn’t dismiss the fact that he’s a heartless bastard, as he foolishly follows what his “mother” tells him. Who knows what that trap they have for Shuurei can do o__O