Kakushigoto | Episode 4

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As we progress further into the anime, it feels as though more of a story develops, this was something I mentioned in my last blog. However, it’s even more true now, given the topic of this episode, Hime’s mom. It was sort of built up last episode, when Kakaushi kept mentioning how nice it would be if Hime had a mother figure in her life, but this episode does touch on the topic a little bit more. As this anime, again, is still considered a comedy, the topic of Hime’s mom is not discussed in great detail, it was more of a brush over than anything. But it is mentioned, which is why I thought this episode was going to have some connection to Hime’s mother.

Today, Hime and her father are out on a little adventure. Today’s adventure is to accomplish Hime’s school project which is to draw. Draw what? Something! They later decided on drawing animals so they decided to go to the Zoo to draw together. Originally, it started out with Hime asking if her father could draw her up something because she wasn’t too good at it. Kakushi, being the father what will do anything to please her father accepts be realizes that him helping her out would, in his mind, reveal to her that he’s a manga artist, which would then disappoint her daughter so much so that it’ll be outright shameful.

However, being an manga artist only really means one thing, one thing that kakushi acknowledges during the anime, that he’s only able to draw in a certain style, what style? Oh you know, in a cartoon style. Meaning he cannot really draw landscapes or animals without adding a that cartoon flair he’s so accustomed to. He sees this as a bad thing and does everything in his power to mask every little bit of anime he had within him.

But how does this episode relate to Hime’s mom, something I mentioned at the beginning of this post? Good question, it’s only really mentioned towards the latter half of the anime. It’s made obvious when we’re shown flashbacks of when it was the three of them together, when Hime was still a baby. The episode also gives mention to Hime’s mother when, one night, Hime told to kakushi that their housekeeping lady, who so happens to be a fortuneteller among other things, told her that there was a strong guardian spirit watching over them, and that she (Hime) asked them to “Keep watching over them”. While reflecting on what Hime told him, Kakushi’s mind gave us a little flashback to Hime’s preparing “year boxes” for Hime as she grew older each year. Then it clicked for him, that guardian spirit was her, and that was something he could get behind.

Another reference to Hime’s mom, was after a long day of being at the zoo, looking to draw a tiger, to no avail as the tiger never came out of their cave. Instead of drawing a tiger that wouldn’t come out of its hiding spot, Hime instead, drew what the tiger saw. Which was the two of them sitting on a bench, together.

If you’re really into finding the deeper meaning in every episode of an anime, or if you’re really observant and can connect the dots, then you would notice that as Hime stared at the tiger in inside the cave, its eyes looked almost like stars. Stars that are shown again, this time in the sky look down at them as they exited the zoo. As well as what Hime mentioned about a “guardian spirit”, all the flashbacks that had Hime’s mother in them and the various references to her by Kakushi. All point to the topic of episode 3, Hime’s mom.

How everything is starting to slowly reveal itself to us, is something really unique in how it gives itself to us and is something the usual comedy doesn’t usually do, especially one that is also trying to tell a story, like Kakuskigoto. This anime hits you with a bit of comedy, then towards the end of the episode, hits you with a bit of story progression. It’s a very odd mix but it feels as though, it’s an approach that works for this anime and how it’s structured.

It also goes to show how much I try to look for the little things, during an episode. Looking for the deeper meaning and connections, if any, as things unfold, I guess that is my way of finding greater entertainment and enjoyment while watching. You learn something new everyday! Looking forward to another episode.