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Apr 22, 2010 12:08 PM
#1

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Feb 2009
641
THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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Aww, Young Miyu is cute :3. oh so that's why Reiha doesn't like Miyu..because her father called out Miyu's name instead and forgot about Reiha.. Kinda feel bad for her :(! They finally show us how Miyu became a guardian!
Apr 28, 2010 4:09 AM
#2

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Jan 2010
21
Yay, I loved this episode! Nice to see Miyu's past. It makes her seem much more human. Poor girl, she was so happy!
Jun 22, 2010 11:46 AM
#3

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Nov 2009
769
WOOHOO!!! i LOVE back stories!!! this was sad... and what was up with the birds... i really dont think they can eat bones... her mother was messed a little but sweet in the end... that 1 guy was a bastard 4 killing every1 but i did like the magic guy... who knew that would be Reiha's father!!! i wouldnt like Miyu either if my father died and said some other persons name if he wasnt related 2 him!!! poor Reiha!!!
Sep 13, 2013 7:33 PM
#4

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Feb 2011
65
They should have done this story by spisode 12... I'm hoping they'll explain how Reiha turns into a snow demon somehow. This whole series would have been better if they hadn't wrapped up each story in just one episode.

There are two types of anime - almost as good as Elfen Lied, and not as good as Elfen Lied.
Jun 19, 2014 5:04 PM
#5

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May 2012
25828
Interesting backstory but a bit late to show it actually. Still one hell of a good episode!
Dec 22, 2020 8:17 PM
#6
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Dec 2019
392
Motifs:

Trains and railroads: Miyu follows a set path

Pinwheels: after some googling, apparently pinwheels represent the cycle of life and/or the cycle of death and rebirth--- referencing how the guardian is being reincarnated

Wheat: the wheat is ripe for harvest, just like Miyu has reached maturity

Birds: I tried to google what birds mean in Japanese culture but they're usually meant to represent positive things. I'm guessing that the birds here represent the forces that try to eat the crops when they're ripe, hence why the circus guy refers to himself as a scarecrow. Typically birds also represent freedom, so maybe they're opposed to the fate that Miyu is confined to?

The box: Miyu at first asks if she's going to be putting doves in boxes but the circus guy says she's going to be the one in the box. He's going to stab her with the sword, which he says mysteriously won't hurt her. The box probably represents confinement to her destiny.

Ironically, the sword that he said wouldn't hurt her is used to slay both him and Miyu's mother.

The play as an initiation ritual: everyone has their roles already in life.

All this is just complementing what we're shown on screen and the theme of destiny. Again, I really don't understand why writers would insist on some theme of destiny or predetermination because in a vacuum with no relation to society this theme is nonsense.

EDIT: According to the screenwriter's blog, Miyu's past is modeled after the 1971 Japanese surreal film Pastoral: To Die in the Country.
RecynonDec 25, 2020 1:03 PM
Oct 28, 2021 3:01 PM
#7

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Jul 2011
1136
It is pretty late to have that backstory.
I mean it's interesting and I'm glad we have it but it would have been helpful to have it earlier.
And I think the previous episode would have worked a lot better with that knowledge as well.
Dec 9, 2023 1:05 PM
#8
Playing Uranium!

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Jun 2017
9776
I think this is the best episode to date, from the acting to the music, to the animation, and direction, everything screamed perfect to me imo, and I'm really glad we also learn about the guardian's origin!<3 X39
Apr 19, 2024 10:02 PM
#9

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Dec 2022
4482
daaaaaaaaaaaaaamn dark. and just like that it all makes sense.
Oct 15, 2024 3:03 AM

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Apr 2017
1383
We finally got Reiha's backstory. At least, a part of it.

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