Recap: We start with Aoki delivering one of the sappiest but charming confessions, but don’t be fooled. The main focus of this episode is the relationship between Taichi and Iori, as well as another existential crisis. Seeing as talking about anything past that would be a massive spoiler, let’s just say Heartseed is a bastard.

I have been loving Kokoro every minute this season, but they really outdo themselves in this episode. If you have any reservations about keeping on with Kokoro, or picking it up for your summer schedule, this episode is the reason to put it at the top of your list.

I was talking with Life about this, and maybe I’m just a sucker for mushy romance, but if it weren’t for the latter half of this episode, Aoki’s opening scene would have stolen the show. I absolutely love his answer to Yui’s question. Why do we develop crushes for the people we do? I imagine if you have a girlfriend or boyfriend odds are they aren’t the most attractive person you know. What made you develop feelings for them? In our youth, it is an intuition, a feeling once we see the person we like. It’s almost disappointing that this was not the focus of the episode, but the meat of the story has been driving behind the relationship between Taichi and Iori, and it finally has come to a head.

As I predicted last week, Taichi’s words to Iori, whilst sweet and comforting, were very hollow. In an environment where anyone can switch places, Taichi is tricked and fails on his promise. While Iori was definitely at fault for testing him like that, it once again delves into this show’s treatment of existentialism. It doesn’t help that Iori’s personality was so fractured to begin with, but if someone can pretend to be someone else, how can you really tell the truth?

Taichi makes up for his previous mistake with a speech that I think hits far closer to the truth. I like to think myself a mostly honest person but no man lives without changing himself to adapt to others. Iori finds what she does strange because she cannot reconcile her adaptation as a solid personality. Taichi does his best to explain the obvious: if that’s the definition of personality, then everyone is fractured. It’s after this reconciliation and some courage from Taichi that our villain once again steals the spotlight.

I’ve been keeping mostly out of the big spoilers so far but if you haven’t watched this episode yet I recommend stopping now, as I can’t discuss the events of the latter half without going into detail.

With his control of Iori, we remember that Heartseed’s meddling is not just some mild inconvenience, it’s a constant threat. It’s still not clear what he wants from the group, but what does seem to show is that he wants to see how people react given situations that can be far too cruel. In the end, the group picks the logical choice, Heartseed himself says so. However, I wish there was more debate as to why it was the logical choice. Taichi, in his needless selflessness, makes an offer to trade places. While this idea is struck down, really nothing is gone into why it is a bad idea.

For Iori to be placed in another’s body, let alone a male body, it would be a living hell for her. With her nature of playing masks, wouldn’t she feel pressure to become the shell she occupies, thus losing her personality, thus making the entire exercise of self-sacrifice pointless? If she wanted to continue on as her own self, she would have to deal with the pressures of those who know Taichi for his appearance and thus would have to go through intense social scrutiny.

In a way, it does prove the concept that a lot of one’s personality is identified by ones outward appearance. People develop associations with behaviors and feelings not upon an intangible ego, but the body in which it is derived. It’s the same kind of reason that people cut their hair when going through a bad breakup, or first change their appearance when wanting to rebel. The body is the canvas of the soul, and any attempt to marginalize that is pure foolishness. With all of these concepts, the entire idea of switching was pointless in the first place.

I was also disappointed with how this ended, but it really didn’t surprise me. It would be difficult for a show to just up and kill one of his characters, especially when there are only five that carry the entire show. It almost makes one think differently of the phantom swapper. If he is there just to test them, why does he have to be so sinister about it? I always find it interesting when a show has significant relationship developments in the middle of the run, as I really wish there were more shows focused on the actual romance side of relationships. As a parting note, while this entire episode was fantastic, what clinched it to me was Miyuki Sawashiro’s laugh at the end after threatening Taichi, nigh perfect in its mischievous and then maniacal tone. Let’s hope to see Taichi pay dearly soon!

And now, a word from your friendly neighborhood Lifesong!

Lifesong’s Thoughts: Inaba mas… oh that was last episode? You want me to talk about this episode? Okay, well lets start this off with a confession. My first thoughts when heartseed threw whats her name off the bridge was thank god it wasn’t Inaba! My first thoughts after Heartseed’s ultimatum were damn they better not kill Inaba. My closing thoughts were Inaba lived! Yup, I have my priorities right.

In all seriousness this last episode was pretty awesome and had me on the edge of my seat pretty much the entire episode. Marlin and I were just talking about a prisoners dilemma in trying to relate with Inaba’s trust issues around her friends and so going into this ordeal that was the first thing that popped into my head. Perhaps because of that realization I can honestly say I never really believed anyone was going to die this episode. That said I made a new realization in it’s place, and that is I am very much attached to this cast of characters. I am completely at the mercy of this story and cant wait to see what comes next.