So what does Manatsu want with Arata? It turns out she’s just jealous. He already has Kuroe, so how dare he put the moves on her Harugon! Oh, the dramatic irony. Despite this show featuring a girl who literally turns into a kaiju whenever her emotions overwhelm her, Manatsu is still somehow the most ridiculous thing about the anime. Plus, why did she give her Harugon costume a boob window? Anyway, she gets him to confess directly on camera that he only loves Kuroe, so at least that’s something (and by the end of the episode, it’s everything).
We somehow segue from the previous scene into a semi beach episode, because Manatsu thinks this secluded island is the best way to lure Harugon out. After all, legends say that a kaiju has been spotted in the area, and as we all know, the legends are always true. Look, look, they even drew a depiction of the kaiju! It’s kinda funny how it’s a girls-only trip, but if Manatsu really wanted to see Harugon, she should’ve invited Arata.
Unfortunately, there are no kaijus here… for now, anyway. Just komodo dragons, I think? I mean, they’re kinda like mini-kaijus. Well, the girlies end up going deeper into the island, and this is where Kuroe discovers the remains of a conspicuously hatched egg. She also finds a much more elaborate cave drawing. Don’t tell me this is where she was born! We’ll find out later from her mom that this isn’t quite Kuroe’s birthplace. In fact, Rinko still has the shell that her daughter came from. Still, Kuroe’s lucky find seems to suggest that we’ll run into other kaijus soon. But can they shapeshift like her? In fact, did Kuroe come out of the shell looking like a human girl or did that come about later? There’s still so much we don’t know.
Manatsu eventually opens up about why she loves Harugon so much. Essentially, she’s just a lonely girl who has trouble relating to people. She’s also rich, so she’s been showered with anything and everything she could possibly want. For some people, when life is too easy, it can lose quite a bit of its charm. As such, the world was boring to her until she saw Harugon on the news one day. This excitement sent her heart racing, which she seemed to (and still does) mistake for romantic love. Okay, well, she has friends now, right? Does she still need Harugon? Plus, what makes her obsession slightly problematic is when she keeps telling Harugon to kill her. It’s probably tongue-in-cheek, but you never know… I mean, it’s not uncommon for people who are tired of the world to harbor some sort of suicidal ideation.
Anyway, the komodo dragons keep attacking, so they desperately need Harugon to come out and save the day. Luckily, Arata’s confession that Manatsu had recorded earlier ends up being the critical plot device for this very moment. You should know the drill by now: Kuroe gets overwhelmed with emotions, she turns into Harugon, she saves her friends, she makes the news. More importantly, Manatsu finally gets to feel as though Harugon is responding to her feelings. The world is no longer grey; it is, in fact, quite beautiful. But will any of this really help? Have we achieved a breakthrough? Or will this encounter only deepen Manatsu’s fixation on a kaiju who can never love her back? What will happen when Kuroe finally has to choose? She’s obviously going to pick Arata, so…
Speaking of the devil, Arata is approached by a TV producer. This sketchy woman convinces him that the best way to protect Kuroe and his privacy with her is to go on air and letting people grill him about Harugon. Ehhhhh, this seems like a bad idea. The thing is, Kuroe and Arata got together almost too easily. Shows with that sort of thing — Horimiya and You and I Are Polar Opposites — are the exceptions that prove the rule. You usually have to wait until the end of the season (or multiple seasons) before the main couple affirm their feelings for one another. So I’m just sitting here, dreading the moment that a misunderstanding drives these two apart.
Stray thoughts & observations:
— Somehow, Manatsu’s Harugon costumes just keep getting skimpier.
— Kuroe does this cute little dance in an attempt to fake summon Harugon.
— Manatsu is a rich girl with people waiting hand and foot on her, right? So where are they now? Why are they not protecting her while the komodo dragons are converging on her and Kuroe?
— Oh, that’s where they are. They’re literally napping on the beach. Sheesh, terrible bodyguards.
— Kuroe returns to an empty home, because her mother is off to investigate… something — probably the potential that other kaijus will start showing up. Rinko really needs to have a proper talk with Kuroe about her origins, but can’t do that now. Sucks that the story is dragging this out.
— It always amazes me how Japanese talk shows love to clutter up the screen with inane text all over the place. Japanese web sites are often a hot mess, too. But I suppose it’s a different design aesthetic. They want their information plastered all over the place.
