Episode 10 "Taizanfukun" - June 6, 2026
"Mao" Season One Talkback (Spoilers)
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Episode 10 "Taizanfukun" - June 6, 2026
We get introduced to Mokuzu, an assistant who wants to learn a spell but gets turned down by everyone since it's forbidden. However, someone does teach him a spell and then manipulates him into turning Sana's cat, Haimaru into...Byouki! But we don't know who gave the order. We get a nice explanation of the Taizanfukun spell and how it works. It'll go a long way towards explaining why Mao and the others had their lives extended. I also felt the episode kinda ended abruptly with Mao and Otoya glad that Nanoka wasn't there during the Mokuzu battle.
I see Hyakka has a bit of Ryoga and Koga in him, especially in how brash can be. Also, I chuckled at Otoya swatting away a fish.
I see Hyakka has a bit of Ryoga and Koga in him, especially in how brash can be. Also, I chuckled at Otoya swatting away a fish.
Don't worry Nanoka, Mao will fight by your side! And admittedly, you DO make a good team...at least up until the point where Mao bails on you, but good job handling things on your own!
So this was always about the Shikigami using humans transformed into frogs to hunt down Mao. Hyakka never had anything to do with this! So he basically just helped out like he and Mao are some kind of buddies or something.
The Taizanfukun spell, the ability to control human lifespans, was consumed by Byoki. As such Mao, who was connected to Byoki, is a target for his knowledge (or possible possession) of the spell. It might be the same with all his Senior Apprentices who were involved in the Goshikido.
It's nice that Nanoka has gal pals who can help support her through all the schoolwork she missed, but it just makes her wish Mao was nicer to her...like Shiraha! Her favorite information source!
Who is the culprit after Mao? None other than Mokuzu! A servant of the Goko Clan who only wished to cast spells like a true Onymoji, only for it to be denied him. And yet here he is as a giant version of himself made of water and fish. Where did he learn to cast spells? And what was his involvement in what happened?
Mokuzu underestimated Mao or his power with a blade when he "awakens." But Mokuzu himself was just a poor sap promised the ability to cast magic, only to end up a puppeted corpse that fell apart when he wasn't necessary. Jeez.
So what we know now: someone told Mokuzu to throw Haimaru into the Kodoku pit, thus turning him into Byoki. The only thing they didn't seem to account for is that Byoki would eat the Taizanfukun and then become linked with Mao...but who could have done it? And why would Haimaru go without making a fuss? Sana herself was suspicious of Mokuzu, but only because he looked at her like a man possessed.
RIP Hyakka. We only knew you for 3-4 episodes...oh wait, you're alive, never mind.
Keep throwing the compliments at Shiraha Nanoka, that's the best he's going to get.
So this was always about the Shikigami using humans transformed into frogs to hunt down Mao. Hyakka never had anything to do with this! So he basically just helped out like he and Mao are some kind of buddies or something.
The Taizanfukun spell, the ability to control human lifespans, was consumed by Byoki. As such Mao, who was connected to Byoki, is a target for his knowledge (or possible possession) of the spell. It might be the same with all his Senior Apprentices who were involved in the Goshikido.
It's nice that Nanoka has gal pals who can help support her through all the schoolwork she missed, but it just makes her wish Mao was nicer to her...like Shiraha! Her favorite information source!
Who is the culprit after Mao? None other than Mokuzu! A servant of the Goko Clan who only wished to cast spells like a true Onymoji, only for it to be denied him. And yet here he is as a giant version of himself made of water and fish. Where did he learn to cast spells? And what was his involvement in what happened?
Mokuzu underestimated Mao or his power with a blade when he "awakens." But Mokuzu himself was just a poor sap promised the ability to cast magic, only to end up a puppeted corpse that fell apart when he wasn't necessary. Jeez.
So what we know now: someone told Mokuzu to throw Haimaru into the Kodoku pit, thus turning him into Byoki. The only thing they didn't seem to account for is that Byoki would eat the Taizanfukun and then become linked with Mao...but who could have done it? And why would Haimaru go without making a fuss? Sana herself was suspicious of Mokuzu, but only because he looked at her like a man possessed.
RIP Hyakka. We only knew you for 3-4 episodes...oh wait, you're alive, never mind.
Keep throwing the compliments at Shiraha Nanoka, that's the best he's going to get.
I thought that this episode was pretty good. Mao and Nanoka working together to free people from those curses was neat. She really wanted his support, so seeing him chase after the water curse was pretty funny. It was necessary since they were able to set up a trap for later, but it was still funny. Nanoka thought that Mao didn't want to protect her, which does fit with how aloof and distant he can be, but he really just wanted her to be able to protect herself even if he isn't there to help. It shows that he does care, but just not in the kind of more direct way that Nanoka wants right now.
I didn't know what what dark water traveling around was, but being a living giant water of a human body, right down to fish being used to make up a face, was pretty cool. It did lead to some good action with Mao using his powers to break free. Hyakka died in the process and Mao was upset that someone else was caught in this crossfire, but fortunately, Hyakka came back to life again. While it might be more of a running gag than anything else, I wonder if there's a reason why Hyakka keeps saying that he thought he was going to die when he was actually dead for a bit. I'm not sure if that's connected to why his lifespan has been extended or if the method of doing it was different than it has been for Mao.
Mokuzu seemed pretty focused on just learning spells, which led him to becoming someone's pawn. A part of me wonders if it was their master, but they wouldn't have kept it a secret if it was someone we had already seen, so it's probably a new character. While I suspected that Haimaru became Byoki, I felt bad for it since this was just a regular pet cat being turned into a demon. The fact that Haimaru was so calm with Mokuzu was a strange detail given that he was only comfortable with Mao and Sana in the past. They were able to get a bit of information from Mokuzu, but still not enough to figure out who was pulling his strings.
Nanoka was able to get more information about the spell through Shiraha. The spell requiring a scraifice could be why so many people at Mao's temple were killed, especially to keep Mao and multiple people alive for hundreds of years.
I didn't know what what dark water traveling around was, but being a living giant water of a human body, right down to fish being used to make up a face, was pretty cool. It did lead to some good action with Mao using his powers to break free. Hyakka died in the process and Mao was upset that someone else was caught in this crossfire, but fortunately, Hyakka came back to life again. While it might be more of a running gag than anything else, I wonder if there's a reason why Hyakka keeps saying that he thought he was going to die when he was actually dead for a bit. I'm not sure if that's connected to why his lifespan has been extended or if the method of doing it was different than it has been for Mao.
Mokuzu seemed pretty focused on just learning spells, which led him to becoming someone's pawn. A part of me wonders if it was their master, but they wouldn't have kept it a secret if it was someone we had already seen, so it's probably a new character. While I suspected that Haimaru became Byoki, I felt bad for it since this was just a regular pet cat being turned into a demon. The fact that Haimaru was so calm with Mokuzu was a strange detail given that he was only comfortable with Mao and Sana in the past. They were able to get a bit of information from Mokuzu, but still not enough to figure out who was pulling his strings.
Nanoka was able to get more information about the spell through Shiraha. The spell requiring a scraifice could be why so many people at Mao's temple were killed, especially to keep Mao and multiple people alive for hundreds of years.
Episode 11 "Blood Bond" - June 13, 2026
Wow, Mao was basically done for until Nanoka unexpectedly healed him. It also seems that scamming people to try to keep their family members from dying is rampant. It looks like we're going to find out soon why Mao keeps being summoned by force to Kyoto.
What does Kamon do when he's not hanging out with Mao? Well, he and his ghostly beauty of an assistant Beniko travel from noble family to noble family, seemingly on the hunt for a healer linked to the Goko Clan, of all things, and with his flowers' pheremones' you'll think he's your oldest pal! It makes it easy worm his way into a place.
This go-around Kamon finds the daughter of an aristocrat who was healed from near death. She's very beautiful and lively until you realize she's basically a walking corpse dripping water. How exactly was she healed? Or more accurately how is she walking and talking to people like she's still alive? And how does this relate to the Taizanfukuin?
The irony that Nanoka is finally dressed appropriately, complete with gear and rapid-fire goggle equipping skills, and she's too late to get in on the action. But it's the thought that counts, especially when Mao and Otoya appreciate the company.
One of Mao's rare human clients! It's just too bad it was a con to get him out and have a mom steal the Kodoku plot while Nanoka and Otoya can't do anything. If only Mao had taken his sword...especially when he runs into Mizuchi, a water shikigami, after him.
Shigeru's poor family...all they wanted was to save him, but they end up getting used and nearly killed for aiding Mizuchi. And all they're left with is to bury Shigeru.
It's bad enough that Mao is without Hagunsei, but now he's dealing with the Spear of Taima, another link to his past with Byoki as that spear ran the demon cat through! And now it's the perfect option for fighting Mao and taking him back to Kyoto!
Mizuchi didn't account for Nanoka though, just like Nanoka didn't expect to be holding a spear lodged in Mao and still held by a flabby severed arm. But still, nice work Nanoka.
How do you stop a being made of water? No surprise Mizuchi escapes, but that still begs a lot of questions about what he was really after...or who he was working for.
Dang, is Mao going to bite it? The Kodoku is broken, he's injured severely, and all he can think about is prioritizing burying him in such a way that prevents Byoki from ever getting at his body and keeping Nanoka safe. Are we really going to lose the titular character NOW of all times?
But Nanoka can't bear to lose Mao, and thankfully her Byoki Blood resonates with his and kickstarts his healing factor! It was worth it to get a piggyback ride from Nao, flustered as that makes Nanoka.
This go-around Kamon finds the daughter of an aristocrat who was healed from near death. She's very beautiful and lively until you realize she's basically a walking corpse dripping water. How exactly was she healed? Or more accurately how is she walking and talking to people like she's still alive? And how does this relate to the Taizanfukuin?
The irony that Nanoka is finally dressed appropriately, complete with gear and rapid-fire goggle equipping skills, and she's too late to get in on the action. But it's the thought that counts, especially when Mao and Otoya appreciate the company.
One of Mao's rare human clients! It's just too bad it was a con to get him out and have a mom steal the Kodoku plot while Nanoka and Otoya can't do anything. If only Mao had taken his sword...especially when he runs into Mizuchi, a water shikigami, after him.
Shigeru's poor family...all they wanted was to save him, but they end up getting used and nearly killed for aiding Mizuchi. And all they're left with is to bury Shigeru.
It's bad enough that Mao is without Hagunsei, but now he's dealing with the Spear of Taima, another link to his past with Byoki as that spear ran the demon cat through! And now it's the perfect option for fighting Mao and taking him back to Kyoto!
Mizuchi didn't account for Nanoka though, just like Nanoka didn't expect to be holding a spear lodged in Mao and still held by a flabby severed arm. But still, nice work Nanoka.
How do you stop a being made of water? No surprise Mizuchi escapes, but that still begs a lot of questions about what he was really after...or who he was working for.
Dang, is Mao going to bite it? The Kodoku is broken, he's injured severely, and all he can think about is prioritizing burying him in such a way that prevents Byoki from ever getting at his body and keeping Nanoka safe. Are we really going to lose the titular character NOW of all times?
But Nanoka can't bear to lose Mao, and thankfully her Byoki Blood resonates with his and kickstarts his healing factor! It was worth it to get a piggyback ride from Nao, flustered as that makes Nanoka.
I thought that this episode was pretty good. Kamon being able to make people think that he's a long time friend with his flower spell was pretty weird, but he also seems to have a ghost assistant with him, so he has his own kind of spells different from the other semi-immortal students. It did establish this spiritual healer who claims to heal people from near death only for them to actually be still dead. That is unsettling to say the least.
I really felt bad for the family tricking Mao. While we don't know any of their names besides Shigeru, this was a mother and child being manipulated by someone else to do their dirty work for them. It's such a cruel way of treating people in a desperate situation, making their fate even more tragic since they only end up burying Shigeru after all is said and done. It's a minor detail given everything else that happened, but it's just so tragic.
The fight was pretty good. Mao was in a tougher position than he would have been if he had brought his sword. I thought that Nanoka would have brought it along, but they were more worried about getting the Kodoku back. Mao getting that spear right through his chest was pretty brutal. He is effectively immortal, so I didn't think he would die, but I was curious how he would be able to survive such a huge injury. Nanoka coming in to take care of the shikgami and get the spear out of Mao was pretty cool.
Mao wanting to make sure that his body couldn't be found by the Byoki so that Nanoka couldn't be used as his next vessel was really nice. He does clearly care about Nanoka, but he wouldn't want anyone to be used by Byoki like he has either. While I could understand why Nanoka was upset over the thought of Mao dying, it was hard to make the scene emotionally work since there was no way that they'd kill off the title character, certainly not this early into the series. Even before they confirmed it, I had a feeling that Nanoka's blood going into Mao basically resulted in a magical blood transfusion healing him. They were definitely going for some ship teasing moments where it looked like Nanoka was about to kiss Mao, or at least pass out and fall on his lips, and she was flushtered when she realized that she was hugging Mao. Mao isn't quite there yet with his feelings for Nanoka, but the foundation is there and they wouldn't want to speed run the romance in this series anyway.
I really felt bad for the family tricking Mao. While we don't know any of their names besides Shigeru, this was a mother and child being manipulated by someone else to do their dirty work for them. It's such a cruel way of treating people in a desperate situation, making their fate even more tragic since they only end up burying Shigeru after all is said and done. It's a minor detail given everything else that happened, but it's just so tragic.
The fight was pretty good. Mao was in a tougher position than he would have been if he had brought his sword. I thought that Nanoka would have brought it along, but they were more worried about getting the Kodoku back. Mao getting that spear right through his chest was pretty brutal. He is effectively immortal, so I didn't think he would die, but I was curious how he would be able to survive such a huge injury. Nanoka coming in to take care of the shikgami and get the spear out of Mao was pretty cool.
Mao wanting to make sure that his body couldn't be found by the Byoki so that Nanoka couldn't be used as his next vessel was really nice. He does clearly care about Nanoka, but he wouldn't want anyone to be used by Byoki like he has either. While I could understand why Nanoka was upset over the thought of Mao dying, it was hard to make the scene emotionally work since there was no way that they'd kill off the title character, certainly not this early into the series. Even before they confirmed it, I had a feeling that Nanoka's blood going into Mao basically resulted in a magical blood transfusion healing him. They were definitely going for some ship teasing moments where it looked like Nanoka was about to kiss Mao, or at least pass out and fall on his lips, and she was flushtered when she realized that she was hugging Mao. Mao isn't quite there yet with his feelings for Nanoka, but the foundation is there and they wouldn't want to speed run the romance in this series anyway.
Episode 12 "Water Sorcerer" - June 20, 2026
In today's episode, we learn about Masago, who's one of the best users of water elements. We also learn about her junior apprentice, Shiranui, who's not very good at being a sorcerer but Masago keeps him around for reasons unknown. Shiranui is also the one who sent that water user after Mao and Kamon ends up confronting Shiranui but escapes.
In the modern world, Byoki finds Nanoka and chases after her, cornering her under a bridge. Luckily, Uozumi is there to save her and Byoki's barrier is weak enough for her to destroy it. Still, before he leaves, he tells Nanoka to stay away from Mao, which we'll find out in the next episode(maybe lol). Also, Kamon decides to crash at Mao's place with Hyakka. The Goko clan is slowly getting back together.
We get a funny moment where Hyakka makes udon for both Mao and Nanoka but both frustrate him because they're taking too long to eat it since they can't stand hot food since they're cats.
In the modern world, Byoki finds Nanoka and chases after her, cornering her under a bridge. Luckily, Uozumi is there to save her and Byoki's barrier is weak enough for her to destroy it. Still, before he leaves, he tells Nanoka to stay away from Mao, which we'll find out in the next episode(maybe lol). Also, Kamon decides to crash at Mao's place with Hyakka. The Goko clan is slowly getting back together.
We get a funny moment where Hyakka makes udon for both Mao and Nanoka but both frustrate him because they're taking too long to eat it since they can't stand hot food since they're cats.
If you have a loved one who is near death or practically dead, with no simple medical solution to save them, you can bring your troubles to Shiranui (Kazuyuki Okitsu!) of the "Goko Clan" who will "save" them for you! Just be careful if you're a Shikigami, he'll probably bully you if you fail him. He's not the nicest boss.
But back in the day, the best Water Sorcerer of the Goko Clan wasn't a man...it was a woman, Masago. She was a stoic beauty with strong talent for water spells, but she was not without kindness as she tried to warn Mao away from the Goko Clan knowing that it was far darker than it appeared on the surface. Or even ON the surface as we see the master beating up a young Shiranui.
But could Masago have been in on the Goshikigi meeting? Was she tasked with killing Mao? Would someone who had kindness in her heart be chosen to kill? Well, who cares about that! We need to find Hyakka a new job! Though it's hard to taste test hot udon when you're dealing with half-cat taste testers who can't deal with hot food.
Kamon also suspects Masago, but in fact he's the first one to find out it's actually Shiranui. Ironically Masago would bring Shiranui to Kamon to heal him, but that's how Kamon knows Shiranui is basically a hack trying to emulate Masago and not very well. Not that it's going to stop Shiranui from trying to kill him with every dangerous sea creature he can unleash.
In this battle of plant/wood versus water, it ends in a tie but just Kamon getting away is probably a win, even if there's something strange about Shiranui's body...also, wet Kamon!
Shiranui isn't working by just himself and Shikigami though, there's also Yurako, a serene and playful beauty voiced by Reina Ueda who appears to be his little sister and possible partner-in-crime...as she plots to go to the capital to not only continue their operations but to see Mao, who she seems to long for.
Otoya has to basically speedrun a new Kodoku which isn't ideal but thankfully Nanoka's blood gave Mao a power boost! If only he knew how much she was thinking of excuses to stay with him.
Dang it, the ONE time Nanoka doesn't wear her charm and we've got Ghost Byoki after her! Although when he finally has her frozen and seemingly at his mercy...he just appears to her as Haimaru to...warn her away from getting closer to Mao? Seemingly for her own safety? Huh?
But still, nice save Uozumi! Hopefully Nanoka will complain less about the smoothies.
So are Mao and Hyakka basically together as a duo now? Though if they want answers, Kamon shows up to crash at Mao's and also provide said answers! The boys are back together!
But back in the day, the best Water Sorcerer of the Goko Clan wasn't a man...it was a woman, Masago. She was a stoic beauty with strong talent for water spells, but she was not without kindness as she tried to warn Mao away from the Goko Clan knowing that it was far darker than it appeared on the surface. Or even ON the surface as we see the master beating up a young Shiranui.
But could Masago have been in on the Goshikigi meeting? Was she tasked with killing Mao? Would someone who had kindness in her heart be chosen to kill? Well, who cares about that! We need to find Hyakka a new job! Though it's hard to taste test hot udon when you're dealing with half-cat taste testers who can't deal with hot food.
Kamon also suspects Masago, but in fact he's the first one to find out it's actually Shiranui. Ironically Masago would bring Shiranui to Kamon to heal him, but that's how Kamon knows Shiranui is basically a hack trying to emulate Masago and not very well. Not that it's going to stop Shiranui from trying to kill him with every dangerous sea creature he can unleash.
In this battle of plant/wood versus water, it ends in a tie but just Kamon getting away is probably a win, even if there's something strange about Shiranui's body...also, wet Kamon!
Shiranui isn't working by just himself and Shikigami though, there's also Yurako, a serene and playful beauty voiced by Reina Ueda who appears to be his little sister and possible partner-in-crime...as she plots to go to the capital to not only continue their operations but to see Mao, who she seems to long for.
Otoya has to basically speedrun a new Kodoku which isn't ideal but thankfully Nanoka's blood gave Mao a power boost! If only he knew how much she was thinking of excuses to stay with him.
Dang it, the ONE time Nanoka doesn't wear her charm and we've got Ghost Byoki after her! Although when he finally has her frozen and seemingly at his mercy...he just appears to her as Haimaru to...warn her away from getting closer to Mao? Seemingly for her own safety? Huh?
But still, nice save Uozumi! Hopefully Nanoka will complain less about the smoothies.
So are Mao and Hyakka basically together as a duo now? Though if they want answers, Kamon shows up to crash at Mao's and also provide said answers! The boys are back together!
I thought that this week's episode was pretty good. Learning a bit more about the water students from Mao's past was interesting. Masago was more talented and skilled, but Shiranui is the one targeting Mao. Despite his skills during the battle, Kamon was still unimpressed, in large part because of how his spells helping those near death are so half baked. Shiranui barely interacted with Mao from what we saw of that flashback, so it is strange he's been so focused on him. It's also still strange that these students are still around after nearly a thousand years and this is the first time they've been running into each other. I suspect that Masago was killed during the attack and Shiranui blames Mao for her death.
Nanoka being targeted by Byoki in the present was pretty intense too. Given how much she has an obvious crush on Mao, it is weird that she forgot to wear the protection bracelet, but since it broke off from just detecting Byoki, I don't know if it would have helped her. I wouldn't have expected Byoki to give a warning about Mao. Byoki wants to get his body back from Mao, so maybe Nanoka's connection with him would make that more difficult, especially if her blood can effectively heal his injuries in a pinch.
I still don't have much of a feel for Hyakka or Kamon yet within the group, but having them all end up at Mao's place could lead to them being more fleshed out and interesting.
Nanoka being targeted by Byoki in the present was pretty intense too. Given how much she has an obvious crush on Mao, it is weird that she forgot to wear the protection bracelet, but since it broke off from just detecting Byoki, I don't know if it would have helped her. I wouldn't have expected Byoki to give a warning about Mao. Byoki wants to get his body back from Mao, so maybe Nanoka's connection with him would make that more difficult, especially if her blood can effectively heal his injuries in a pinch.
I still don't have much of a feel for Hyakka or Kamon yet within the group, but having them all end up at Mao's place could lead to them being more fleshed out and interesting.
Episode 13 "Byoki" - June 27, 2026 (End of Cour 1)
Note: Cour 2 will begin next week without any pause in premieres (reportedly).
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The biggest thing from this episode is Byoki seeing Nanoka again and basically telling her he has no beef with her and to tell Mao to meet with him to learn the truth from 900 years ago. Oh and that we have a new bad guy coming soon based off the slaughter of those soldiers at the end.
Funny moments from this episode include Hyakka using Mao's place as a crashing pad and Nanoka giving Mao a wool sweater as a Christmas gift only to get homework back on learning spells. Uozumi writing a letter to Mao basically asking for help was funny too. And Nanoka getting jealous pangs from Lady Sana shows that she's truly a Rumiko Takahashi heroine. Very Kagome/Akane vibes.
Funny moments from this episode include Hyakka using Mao's place as a crashing pad and Nanoka giving Mao a wool sweater as a Christmas gift only to get homework back on learning spells. Uozumi writing a letter to Mao basically asking for help was funny too. And Nanoka getting jealous pangs from Lady Sana shows that she's truly a Rumiko Takahashi heroine. Very Kagome/Akane vibes.
It's good of Nanoka to make sure the school is informed she'll be absent ahead of time! She's getting smarter about this.
Welcome to the sight of 3 dudes and former clan members all living together! Complete with Mao keeping some emotional distance from his former compatriots in the Goko clan, Kamon having Beniko at the ready to run through anyone with a scythe who tries to hurt him, and Hyakka acting like a servant who may or may not be trying to poison you!
None of the trio think much of Shiranui, but if he WAS at the Goshikido meeting that would mean they've got three down, two to go. And at least someone was out there killing senior apprentices to take out the competition before they killed Mao, even if it wasn't Kamon or Hyakka.
I love Uozomi's simple note "WHAT DO I DO?" - I mean, how DO you handle Byoki being around the neighborhood? Luckily Mao's got some talisman's and protective charms to keep Nanoka and co. safe. Nanoka definitely appreciates Mao being more caring and tender towards her, just as she's willing to offer her blood up, even at expense to herself, for him.
Of course that's all well and good until Nanoka walks into her house and THERE'S BYOKI IN HER GRANDPA'S LAP LIKE HE'S SOME KIND OF PET!!! And Uozumi is frozen! But Byoki genuinely doesn't seem to want to harm Nanoka...he's even willing to be on call for her if she needs him. But he KNOWS Mao is going to need him at some point, if only to get to the bottom of what really happened.
Meanwhile Mao has got a new case...maybe? Of the aristocrat's son whose parents passed away and suddenly he's got new "relatives" taking care of him...including YURAKO who is classily sipping wine like she owns the place. And when Yoshifusa becomes a hassle, she gracefully allows him to be taken in by his former physician who she puts a mind whammy on.
But Yurako's unflappable grace falters when she sees Mao...even if she can't face him now, she's in absolute ecstacy over seeing him in the flesh. This girl seems down BAD for Mao.
Speaking of, Nanoka can't help but be curious about Lady Sana and she was basically the perfect woman and Mao's first love. Which Nanoka is absolutely so happy to hear that she just bails and forgets to tell Mao about Byoki. Teenagers, amirite?
But at least there's some relative peace that lets Mao and Nanoka exchange gifts, even if Nanoka's Onmyo spellbook is a little less romantic...but hey, Mao enjoys his new scarf!
Yet the New Year brings new threats...like soldiers being decimated by a white-haired individual wielding metal!
Next week: Mao chases Yurako! Shiranui encounters Mao!? And a masked man!
Welcome to the sight of 3 dudes and former clan members all living together! Complete with Mao keeping some emotional distance from his former compatriots in the Goko clan, Kamon having Beniko at the ready to run through anyone with a scythe who tries to hurt him, and Hyakka acting like a servant who may or may not be trying to poison you!
None of the trio think much of Shiranui, but if he WAS at the Goshikido meeting that would mean they've got three down, two to go. And at least someone was out there killing senior apprentices to take out the competition before they killed Mao, even if it wasn't Kamon or Hyakka.
I love Uozomi's simple note "WHAT DO I DO?" - I mean, how DO you handle Byoki being around the neighborhood? Luckily Mao's got some talisman's and protective charms to keep Nanoka and co. safe. Nanoka definitely appreciates Mao being more caring and tender towards her, just as she's willing to offer her blood up, even at expense to herself, for him.
Of course that's all well and good until Nanoka walks into her house and THERE'S BYOKI IN HER GRANDPA'S LAP LIKE HE'S SOME KIND OF PET!!! And Uozumi is frozen! But Byoki genuinely doesn't seem to want to harm Nanoka...he's even willing to be on call for her if she needs him. But he KNOWS Mao is going to need him at some point, if only to get to the bottom of what really happened.
Meanwhile Mao has got a new case...maybe? Of the aristocrat's son whose parents passed away and suddenly he's got new "relatives" taking care of him...including YURAKO who is classily sipping wine like she owns the place. And when Yoshifusa becomes a hassle, she gracefully allows him to be taken in by his former physician who she puts a mind whammy on.
But Yurako's unflappable grace falters when she sees Mao...even if she can't face him now, she's in absolute ecstacy over seeing him in the flesh. This girl seems down BAD for Mao.
Speaking of, Nanoka can't help but be curious about Lady Sana and she was basically the perfect woman and Mao's first love. Which Nanoka is absolutely so happy to hear that she just bails and forgets to tell Mao about Byoki. Teenagers, amirite?
But at least there's some relative peace that lets Mao and Nanoka exchange gifts, even if Nanoka's Onmyo spellbook is a little less romantic...but hey, Mao enjoys his new scarf!
Yet the New Year brings new threats...like soldiers being decimated by a white-haired individual wielding metal!
Next week: Mao chases Yurako! Shiranui encounters Mao!? And a masked man!
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Spacething7474Modern Fairly OddParents’ strongest soldier
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But more exciting will be THIS! A new documentary about CN coming soon next year and looks like they even aknowledge Cramp Twins 
Everyone applause these two characters, for soon getting their own spin-off full animated series!!! (who would have expected a series with PB and Marceline anyway? I know they have an upcoming comic book series which will go well with)
Watched Toy Story 5 today. It felt like another awesome escapade for the characters, while also they taught an important lesson: it's ok to be different, especially if you still like to play with toys. Lily turned from an antagonist to a hero of the movie, because of realising exactly that.
