Koichi finally understands the situation he is in, but whether him also being ignored helps the class or not is put in question
——————————————————————————
By accepting Koichi into the class, the class became short one desk and therefore more than the class quote and hence why Misaki needed to be nonexistent. Izumi had checked Koichi before hand and made sure that he wasn’t the ‘ghost’
They weren’t able to talk to Koichi straight away because he had already spoken to Misaki, so it was hard to get to the subject.
Misaki doesn’t mind that she was the one picked, someone had to do it, so she’d rather be the one, rather than go along with the rest treating someone as nonexistent. And now by making Koichi also nonexistent they save the trouble of explaining everything to him and hope to strengthen the ‘charm’ to stop the deaths.
Later Koichi’s dad calls and Koichi asks about his mum in class 3, but it seems his dad knows nothing. His dad then says something strange about how this is him returning to Yomiyama after one and a half years, but when he asks, his dad says he made a mistake and then the phone cuts off.
Misaki and Koichi enjoy their time together as non existing people, chatting and hanging out together. One day Misaki decides to introduce the art club to Koichi but Yuya appears and rushes everyone out the room after seeing the two of them. Misaki shows Koichi her picture, which luckily hasn’t been thrown out but it does have a huge cut across it.
Misaki and Koichi go to the library and we find out that the librarian was the teacher for class 3 26 years ago and hence why he also knew Koichi’s mum. He explains that he has no connection to class 3 at the moment so he’s safe and he doesn’t mind talking to them. He also explains that the ones that are at risk are the students and their family members within 2 degrees of separation and they must live in Yomiyama i.e. if someone leaves he/she is safe, like a mobile going out of range.
He stayed at the school because he half felt guilty for starting this entire thing and but as the librarian. The person who died to start everything was Misaki Yomiyama, a boy. He died in a tragic house fire and no one survived.
He then shows Koichi lists of students from the past 26 years and points out how this curse is working, how someone from a class in 1993 who died, appeared in 1996 and changed everyone’s memory and altered records for the duration of the time she was in the class. After the school years everything reverted back to normal. And he also showed how this countermeasure of ignoring someone worked. However this countermeasure seems to only have a 50% success rate.
It seems apparent that the year Koichi was born in Yomiyama was the year that his aunt was also in Yomiyama in class 3. But when Koichi tries to question her aunt about everything she says she doesn’t remember much.
On another day in class, the teacher comes in and says that he tried his best so that everyone could graduate in good health, but he has failed. He screams and pulls out a knife.
Thoughts
Now that’s a fun ending, the teacher of a high school class pulling out a knife and has obviously gone mental. Obviously that knife isn’t just for show, I saw blood in the preview, so he’s either gonna kill someone or he’s committing suicide. And seeing as he blamed himself for everything and apologised I’m assuming he’s killing himself. Although if so, then I don’t get why he has to do it in front of everyone. Quietly hung at home would be a more logical way, but I guess this way it creates a better atmosphere of hopelessness and dread, at least story wise, so I can understand why the author would do this, just not why the teacher would. But I’ve given up logical explanations for most things so why stop here.
So a few things were explained this episode of how Misaki became the nonexistent one and how she doesn’t actually mind as someone’s gotta do it. And also, my theory involving Koichi’s aunt seems like it can be right, in that his mum died because his aunt was in class three at the time.
Some more mysteries emerged though, something about Koichi being here a year and a half ago. Obviously not something his dad remembered wrong. And that librarian, who was the original person to start this ‘curse’, I don’t believe he’s just here because he feels guilty, I think he has another purpose, I think he may be the one to break this curse eventually. He’s been observing it for years, he probably knows it better than anyone else.
So, the fact that Koichi already talked to Misaki made it hard for them to tell him everything? Well I guess that makes sense. I do recall their very first meeting was in the hospital and he did ‘talk’ to her, so if he’s already broken the rules, then I guess the tap and drag away technique will be useless. But I still stand by that if he hadn’t already spoken to her in the hospital that day then they can still drag away. However, I wonder how they knew he’d already spoken to her, or didn’t they? Hmmm… if they didn’t then that’ll go back to my original question of why not tap and drag, if they did know, how did they know?
I think the loneliness got to Misaki in the end. She seemed rather happy to have Koichi join her. Their relationship is definitely blossoming nicely, I wonder if there’s gonna be any romance involved. I wouldn’t mind, I love a good romance, and if it’s in the middle of a death spree, it makes it all the more interesting.
Just a final point, I really really am lost, even more so, on why they put Koichi in this class. They had a perfect number of students in that class i.e. the deaths were NOT going to start. So… why did they put Koichi in to ruin the student number so that the deaths WOULD start? I’m really struggling to find even a shred of sense for this. The only possible reason would be that Koichi is the ‘ghost’ himself and so he ‘inserted’ himself into the class like how the librarian described. But then that’d lead to a lot of other questions but it also may make sense seeing as how his dad suddenly remembers something about him being there a year and a half ago but anyway I don’t want to get into that right now as I’m exhausted… writing this at 1am, after a full day out, so I’ll leave it at that.
20 comments
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February 20, 2012 at 11:30 pm
mokomoko
Hi, I’ve just watched episode 07 and looking forward your commentaries. There are a lot of quests in the anime , but for me now the “quest of the quests” is: why 26 years ago, after the accidentaly (or so it’s seems) death of a (beloved) boy ( if I’ve correctly undersood the “original Misaki” was a boy not a girl), start this strange curse? I mean the curses usually came from a grudge or a hatred. They don’t come out of nowhere, without a reason, expecially the ones the ar so dangerous.
And also to me the Kouichi aunt seems quite suspicious, she seems don’t remember not only the facts about she being in 3 class but also the circumstances of her sister (Kouichi mother) departure.
A bit strange isn’t it?
February 21, 2012 at 2:56 am
GoodbyeNavi
I’m of the mind that Koichi’s aunt is the dead person. Some hope not because they feel it would be too obvious but I feel she is. I am also interested in knowing how the curse was started more than anything. What happened to that boy that made this calamity?
To the author of this blog: I like your style of writing about the episodes.
February 21, 2012 at 4:24 am
Jesse
The librarian did state that it wasn’t actually a curse as there was no malice involved.
February 21, 2012 at 4:42 am
Jesse
-@GoodbyeNavi & Lucretia: First off, the aunt is out lest she possess a direct position in class 3. How or rather why these “events” transpired was loosely explained earlier on in the series via “inviting death invites death.”
I reckon the head of countermeasures, his father, and his aunt must have all been affected by said “event” so that they’re unable to recall an occasion in which Koichi visited the town nearly two years prior. More specifically, a funeral…
February 21, 2012 at 5:18 am
Jesse
The teacher mentally broke and rationalizing insanity is def’ an impossibility on the grounds of it being paradoxical logic. Mystical stuff can be sorta justified by context established.
Not certain if I’m citing the pilot or second episode, nevertheless Koichi slipped multiple “Misaki” questions by the students, indicating they had spoken.
During the briefing scene (toward the beginning, where they discuss Koichi), head of countermeasures mentioned that they received a new principal. HE made the transfer placement decision, uninformed of the consequences.
February 21, 2012 at 5:36 am
Jesse
Reiko is super suspicious though… I wonder if the author(s)’ll implement some loophole t’ convert her to the immediate class status or something
February 21, 2012 at 11:54 am
mokomokosama
Well that could not t be a curse, but it started in certain time and it happen in a certain place and only in that place (class 3-3) at certain times. Much more regular then almost every natural phenomena. And it’s seem to me quite difficult to say that there isn’t malice because a lot of people die during the “curse”. I’m wandering what make the librarian think that there isn’t malice. Maybe something that we don’t know yet, but it’s seems clear that the whole thing had had a beginning ( maybe it’will have ad end) and cartain conditions could influence its develpoment.
Both the Kouichi aunt ad her parents have strange behaviours, and, at least I didn’t understand how, why and exactly when Kouichi mother died. it seems that Koichi ( and his father) were in that village one o more year before, but nobody ( adults ad children) can remeber why …
February 21, 2012 at 9:26 pm
Jesse
Do things not occur monthly/annually or in particular locations in the real world? I don’t quite follow… Furthermore, the dead seemingly hold no desire to cause harm (i.e. malice) as they appear unaware of their unlife status.
Koichi’s mother, Ritsuko passed fifteen years ago, whilst Reiko was attending class 3. Childbirth complications might’ve been the reason?
They can’t recollect anything relating to whoever’s “extra” due to the very nature of this alleged “curse.”
February 22, 2012 at 8:56 am
mokomoko
Well, that was just my opinion. Only It’seems to me that this is a some kind of curse.
About Kouchi mother’s death , of course the reason would be childbirth complications , but also others. Simply it is not so clear.
Well, will see as long as the the anime will go on.
February 22, 2012 at 4:14 pm
Jesse
I s’pose you’re entitled to your own opinion, albeit an unsubstantiated one.
Regarding the latter segment, please rephrase. Currently, one can only assume you either refer to the mystical properties of Ritsuko’s death, or “other” class 3 deaths. In each case, your point isn’t evident. What aren’t you clear on? .-.
February 22, 2012 at 4:36 pm
Jesse
Eh… Also sorry ’bout teh random comma after “Ritsuko’s death”
I is tired z.z
February 22, 2012 at 4:37 pm
mokomoko
It’s not clear to me exactly when Koichi mother dead (altough I’know she dead “aroud” the time she gave birth to Koichi). It’s also not clear ( to me) what exactly is the reason of the kouichi mother is death.
English isn’t my first language so maybe i’ve made some mistake form whom i apologize.
About my opinion, well I know it’s unsubstantated and it may change of course, but I don’t assume the this is not a curse just becouse one of the character say so…I’ven’t read neither the novel nor the manga so the clues that I have are the one given in the anime, so if the deads cause the death of other people ( If it so that it is), there is a reason and I can exclude nothing (for now) : I,ve read a manga where dead children ( an entire school class) caused the death of other children just to have more friends. That wasn’t tecnically a curse and, of course the dead children didn’t mind to harm others,but in fact they drawn them to death. I don’t know if this is the case but since I know what’s the reason of the deaths I can exclude nothing. The dead plus stundent could simply attend the classes without kill or cause the death of anybody, for example.
February 22, 2012 at 4:41 pm
mokomoko
I’m also tired and i’ve made some mistake and mispellings so I apologize …
February 22, 2012 at 5:16 pm
Lucretia
Hi guys, kind of you all to comment, I’ve been busy lately, if I haven’t said, I’ve got another interview this friday, after an interview on monday, so you’ll have to excuse me when I say I haven’t had the time to have a look at the comments until today, and another thing, I am actually running short on time for friday, so… if any of you would be so kind and give me a summary of what everyone’s said I’ll gladly give my opinion on the matter. Keep commenting! ^^
February 22, 2012 at 5:19 pm
Jesse
I see. Fair enough, however I wouldn’t solely rely on the librarian’s judgement. I’m actually witnessing the dearth of malevolence in play. Not ruling out the improbable might be wise, though I doubt true answers will ever arise. The mystery-horror genre tends t’ focus on journey rather than thorough explanations. Incidentally, I’m only watching the anime as well. Two unrelated questions if I may: What’s your primary language? The name of said manga is?
February 22, 2012 at 5:21 pm
Jesse
-@Lucretia: I’m not sure summarizing is possible. We’re kinda all over the map XP
February 22, 2012 at 5:40 pm
mokomoko
I see, well I hope some answer will given to the question that this anime brings,. As you say the most of the story in an horror is more in the devolpment of the plot then the explanation of the reason(s), that sometime, is quite disappointing.
My mother tongue is italian. The manga is Ghost Hunt. In the arc in the 11th volume, if I remeber correctly. A class die in a bus accident but children and teacher are or seems unaware to being dead. In another arc in the same manga there is a doll hunted by a child that kills all the children that came to live in a certain house because he/she feels lonely. Or so it’s what appear in the beginning, later is discovered that the doll is haunted by a mother that lure the children to find her dead daughter. It’s unclear if also the dead children ghosts drawn to death the other children or not.)
February 22, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Lucretia
Lols fair enough, I think i’ll just leave this commenting section to you guys and join in once i get episode 7 up, unfortuantely I do have that interview so, i’ll probaly have it up afterwards i.e. friday sometime.
February 23, 2012 at 8:02 am
mokomoko
Ganbatte ne!! XD
February 22, 2012 at 9:33 pm
Jesse
Force be with you, buddy 🙂