Greetings! Sorry that this episode review is late. Unfortunately, I’ve hit writer’s block again. Actually, it’s less writer’s block and more lack of motivation stemming from depression and addiction. But rest assured that I’m still in treatment for both, and that I’ll keep writing as much as I can whenever I have the energy.
Without further ado, here is a recap and a few thoughts on WataTabe episode 3. It might not be as comprehensive or thoughtful of a review as usual, but I’m doing my best with the brain fog. Thanks for your patience. 🙂
Episode 3: The Sea of Hope
Episode Rating: 8/10
Hinako and Shiori went to the festival together, but it didn’t go well. When something reminded her of her past, Hinako dropped her candy apple, said she was sorry, and took off running away from Shiori. On her own, Hinako saw the fireworks. They reminded her of the tragedy and she started having a panic attack. It’s clear that Hinako experiences a heavy combinaton of PTSD, major depression, and probably social anxiety (though that might be more of a symptom of PTSD than its own separate problem).
When Shiori finally found Hinako, the latter girl said she didn’t think she was going to get any more delicous – meaning she wasn’t going to get better from the depression and PTSD. When an ugly yokai tried to attack, Shiori protected Hinako and killed the creature. Then she wasted little time before getting to the heart of the matter. Shiori knew that Hinako wanted to die, but she had no idea why. She needed an explanation. So, Hinako finally revealed the truth about the unthinkable trauma in her past.
(Side Note: Shiori also said that Hinako smelled like a rotting whale carcass because of her desire to die – and didn’t take it back even after Hinako said that was a bit much. It was a slightly humorous moment despite the dark subject matter.)
When she was only six years old, Hinako’s family went on their first big trip together. Their car was hit by a truck and run off the seaside road directly into the ocean. Somehow, Hinako was thrown out of the car before it careened into the water. Covered in bloody burns, she watched as the burning car sank into the ocean, taking her entire family. At that moment, Hinako heard a voice telling her to survive.
Even though it was probably a hallucination, that voice convinced Hinako that she had to live on for her family. That’s why, no matter how much she wanted to die, Hinako felt obligated to stay alive. Now Shiori knew the whole story. She encouraged Hinako to heed the words she heard that night and live life to the fullest. When Hinako finally felt content and wanted to live longer, that would be when Shiori would gobble her up. “Work hard to live so you can then die” was the gist of it. Hinako appreciated the irony, and she cheered up after that talk with Shiori.
The two girls went back to the festival area to buy some snacks, and Hinako was actually smiling! The next day as well, Hinako seemed a lot brighter. Note that Shiori and Hinako were spotted by Miko, who was also at the festival. But when she talked to Hinako the next day, Miko pretended she saw nothing. Hinako knew Miko’s feelings would be hurt if she found out that she went to the festival with Shiori. So, Hinako asked Shiori to keep quiet about their festival date, and the mermaid agreed.
After Hinako left the school courtyard, Shiori killed a large yokai with a centipede-like body. She observed that lower-level yokai were constantly trying to attack Hinako. But none of them were threats to Shiori, who wiped the floor with them every time. Just then, Miko appeared in time to see the courtyard covered in yokai blood. She was clearly alarmed. Shiori mentioned earlier that humans could not see yokai blood, so why can Miko see it? The episode ends there on that cliffhanger.
Miko is adorable and clearly has a huge crush on Hinako. But it seems likely that she’s not exactly human. Miko may be partly or fully yokai, and she might not even know it herself. As for other speculations, I wonder if Hinako actually heard someone else’s voice that night – perhaps someone who saved her from the crash. It seems a little too convenient that Hinako survived the way she did. Something doesn’t quite add up yet. There could be more details that Hinako forgot or omitted.
Besides those speculations, I don’t have many other thoughts on this episode. As usual, there were several cute shoujo ai moments, such as when Shiori and Hinako held hands at the festival. In addition, I liked that we got to see Hinako becoming more motivated and hopeful, even if it’s for the “wrong” reasons right now. The animation in this series may be taking some shortcuts and avoiding action sequences, but I love the character designs and expressions. The melancholy music is mystical. In short, I’m still thoroughly enjoying WataTabe and look forward to seeing more ASAP!
~Thanks for Reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
Anime Rants 
Well, that confirms at least part of what I was thinking. It will be when she wants to live that she will be eaten, which makes what are normally good things not so good for her. And there is more to Miko than meets the eye, though if she is horrified at the sigh of yokai blood, that at least tilts the odds towards her being more on the human side of things.
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