Key Events:

Dan’ichirou’s current wife, Sanka Aria, is his second wife and is not Rea’s biological mother. She tells us her back-story, how she became a maid of the Sanka family to try and get at Dan’ichirou.

The story goes on about a fencing competition that was fixed so Dan’ichiro wins. There he meets and falls in love with a 15 year old disabled girl. Who he proposes to later.

Everyone in the Sanka family was against it, but he shut them all up and married her anyway. However after giving birth to Rea, she died. Dan’ichirou became so heartbroken that everyone thought he’d die. But he gradually recovered with Aria’s support and she finally married him.

However that was only because he thought Rea needed a mother figure. But in reality Dan’ichirou was taking care of her well enough leaving Aria with nothing to do.

The family butler asks Aria to give up and shows her what Dan’ichirou does with Rea during her birthday. So now, Aria’s a drunken mess.

Back to present day, Dan’ichirou asks to see Chirhio and puts him in a room full of Rea’s pictures. He thanks him as losing Rea once has intensified his feelings towards her, but he can’t forgive him.

Thoughts:

An interesting set up to let us know the back-story. Although this episode was completely background based. Had wanted them to advance the story since last episode was a background based too. As far as I’m aware, this anime’s only 13 episodes, please correct me on that if I’m wrong. So I’m wondering should you really be putting in background stories at this late stage. The first few episodes would’ve been fine.

Although that said, I kinda like how they did it, as in make us dislike Dan’ichirou and then, hopefully, ‘fix’ him when we finally understand him. Well some of you at least. Cos whilst I sorta ‘understand’ him I still dislike him. Yes his wife died and he suffered massive trauma so I understand he wants to protect his only daughter. But this is still too far. To see his dead wife in his daughter, who is now also dead. I think that’s worse than loving his daughter too much. At least that love is sorta alright, but this is too weird. Heartbroken trauma like that can make anyone weird I guess. But just because we understand his reasons definitely does not make it right. Hopefully Chihiro will be able to ‘fix’ him. Still wondering what he plans to do. His fencing clothes are on again, so I’m still thinking a fencing match. Where Chihiro does the typical ‘hero’ thing of talking Dan’ichiro out of his madness so he gives up his win. Or something along those lines.

Then again, his mind was probably already weird when he proposed to a 15 year old girl. Nothing against love, I admit it can come anywhere. But he should’ve at least waited for her to grow up so she understands everything. Well, I guess that’s an arrogant man in love with power for ya.

So yeah, I understand him now, it was an interesting back-story, but still doesn’t make it right. Waiting for the usual talking to that’ll set him right from Chihiro. Perhaps in the middle of a fencing match, who knows. Maybe he will let Chihiro win after he’s talked through and he’ll understand why that other guy threw the match to him.

Note: If you didn’t read my earlier note, then I’ll repeat that I’ve skipped episode 9 as it was a filler. Nothing really happened apart from small ‘adventures’ and a little backstory.