Tale 12

Key Events

Younger Jun and Berrybell rescue the trapped Shinku, older Jun’s cursing his uselessness as he cries on the head of Shinku whilst Suiseiseki is pleading not to lose Souseiseki.

Younger Jun arrives with Berrybell and Shinku’s body and gives them to older Jun to fix. This also opens the eyes of Suigintou who’s had trouble with Souseiseki’s spirit and is surprised to see how Berrybell is so close with Shinku as Hinaichigo gave it to her. It makes her rethink how the Alice should be played.

Shinku is revived with Berrybell and she greets both Juns with the usual slap in the face. Suigintou’s lets Souseiseki keep her Rosa Mystica for now and leaves to reconsider how the Alice game should be won.

Older Jun and younger Jun go their separate ways back to their original worlds and older Jun hands Souseiseki’s ring to younger Jun.

Older Jun arrives back to his world and see the play to the end.

Thoughts

Interesting that older Jun has the honour of fixing Shinku back together. Probably younger Jun giving him some more time with the dolls before he has to part. Although I said this last episode, I’ll say it again, him holding the head and crying onto it was soo creepy… a very surreal scene, then again what’s not surreal here. at least it wasn’t a human head… wouldn’t want this turning into another infamous anime.

Speaking about Shinku’s revival, I’ve never noticed how big that wind up thing is on Shinku’s back. Seriously, that thing pokes out like a sore thumb if you properly look at it. I’m surprised she hides it so well. Or maybe it only shows itself when she needs to be wound. That would be the smarter choice I suppose especially when it’s magical dolls, no trouble to hide something like that.

Looks like Suigintou did indeed soften up like I thought she might and allowed Souseiseki keep her Rosa Mystica. Sure it was a very tsuntsun way she did it but still, that just means she’s slowly lowering her barrier. And it also looks like she may become a bit nicer, at least, if she believes that is how the Alice game should be won i.e. through compassion rather than violence. Who knows, maybe her frozen heart will be thawed out at some point. I’m quite happy to see Suingintou’s development as she’s had the most change by far out of all the dolls since her cold ways at the start. She met a ‘caring’ master in Megu someone I think who could relate to her in certain respects and Suigintou actually cared for her back and wanted to rescue her too. Then the team up against Kirakisho and meeting older Jun and now this, one thing’s for sure, she’s definitely changed her ways and she’s gonna have a lot on her mind now. Shame Kirakisho couldn’t have done the same and also changed. She never found a master and was unwanted by everyone, it was quite a sad and lonely life for her and I really do pity her.

Too bad that Souseiseki went with younger Jun. Does older Jun really want a restart in his life without the dolls? I don’t think he would want to disconnect himself from the dolls that he desperately wanted to save. But it’s more so that his world can return to ‘normal’, a reset if you will, but with changes in him and a renewed determination to turn his life around. I guess with the dolls not being originally from that world they would only disrupt his world, but still, I would’ve liked that… Though I guess that was his wish. I’m sure he’ll feel lonely without the dolls around, it was only for a week but it must’ve been a fun week, and I’m sure after contacting them once, he’ll feel that they’ll probably meet again. To suddenly come home to no one is going to be lonely for a bit but he’ll get used to it again.

Well at least he looked happy in the preview, that’s something. Doesn’t look like any more doll related business and he’s making tea too, looks like this one week was enough for him to rethink and get his life back on track. Nothing more about that book has been said, but it will be shown next episode, perhaps we’ll be enlightened then.