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What did you think of this episode?
5Loved it!
76.8%
274
4Liked it!
17.1%
61
3It was OK
4.8%
17
2Disliked it
1.1%
4
1Hated it
0.3%
1
Average 4.7
357 votes
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Oct 1, 2007 10:59 AM
#1

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Jun 2007
2292
THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE.
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omg that was 1 of my fav eps til now :D
kinda evil that he left them all to die but they have deserved it
Oct 2, 2007 5:33 AM
#2

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Aug 2007
365
They were all dead it was the Mononoke taking their form. The whole thing was an illusion.


Oct 2, 2007 6:42 AM
#3
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Jun 2007
31
How did the medicine seller know that the samurai guy killed the missing guy and that the other guy killed the woman? I didn't really get that.
Oct 2, 2007 7:04 PM
#4
Is a Hidden Gem

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Aug 2007
2981
I don't think you are ever told how he knew. I think it was kind of implied that the Nue had been there a long time and so I would believe the story of what happened would have gotten around.
Oct 3, 2007 2:59 AM
#5
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Jun 2007
31
Brand said:
I don't think you are ever told how he knew. I think it was kind of implied that the Nue had been there a long time and so I would believe the story of what happened would have gotten around.


Oh I see, thanks.
Oct 29, 2007 2:55 AM
#6

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Aug 2007
348
ashura said:
omg that was 1 of my fav eps til now :D


Same here. <3 It has the longest Medicine Seller's 'released' form scene to date.
Jan 10, 2008 12:19 AM
#7

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Aug 2007
1071
cool ep. They actually showed him transform into his exorcist mode.
Mar 15, 2008 2:45 AM
#8

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Apr 2007
425
Excellent episode, much much better than the last one; Also just a better arc overall than the last one as well. I loved the part where it showed the samurai getting killed by Jissonji, also the extended release sequence/fight was beautifully done.
Aug 29, 2008 4:33 PM
#9

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Oct 2007
3010
This was such a great arc. I loved how they were actually dead all along , and once the mononoke was dead the colors were restored.
Nov 5, 2008 6:02 AM

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Oct 2008
316
The best arc and the best episode. The scene of the fight with the mononoke is brilliant.
Dec 12, 2009 12:41 PM

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May 2009
72
i think this is one of my favorites
Jan 6, 2010 2:12 AM
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Dec 2009
7
Yes! Finally an episode where I understood wtf was going on.
Mar 21, 2010 10:52 AM

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Apr 2009
1873
Kusuriuri is just...made of win.
"-deadpan- Silly me."
That was definitely my favourite arc so far. I loved it when the colours came back, the illusions disappeared, and Kusuriuri bowed.
And the fight, hoo boy, the fight.
Also, I love that I actually recognise some of the themes/legends used, such as princess Kaguya and the bamboo cutter, from Ōkami x3
- If you believe this place holds you, it is a prison.
If you do not wish to leave, it will become a fortress.


Current icon:
Kusuriuri from Mononoke
by pana (LJ username)
Mar 22, 2010 10:50 PM

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Feb 2010
3199
Cenedess said:
Kusuriuri is just...made of win.
"-deadpan- Silly me."
That was definitely my favourite arc so far. I loved it when the colours came back, the illusions disappeared, and Kusuriuri bowed.
And the fight, hoo boy, the fight.
Also, I love that I actually recognise some of the themes/legends used, such as princess Kaguya and the bamboo cutter, from Ōkami x3


Yes! I loved that there were some references that were also in Okami. Loved this episode!

The medicine seller didn't kill anyone btw.. they were already dead... he was just toying with the plot. He's twisted. Love it!

His transformation/exorcism scene was awesome!
Jun 21, 2010 8:02 PM
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May 2008
1409
Awesome arc, and definitely up there with the best from this series.
Dead Account
Please Delete
Oct 20, 2010 8:42 AM

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Mar 2010
489
I love Mononoke more and more, this arc was beautiful. Kusuriuri is great, his extended fighting scene was soo epic, I want more!
May 26, 2011 3:37 PM

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Jun 2009
15302
I loved the arc right before this, but this was awesome in a completely different way. Didn't even consider that the other guys in the "game" were already dead and I love how Kusuriuri actually had fun at the Mononoke's expense.
"Yes, I have been deprived of emotion. But not completely. Whoever did it, botched the job."

- Geralt of Rivia
Jun 19, 2011 7:45 AM

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Apr 2009
240
Wow, a complete yet enjoyable twist from every arc so far. This series certainly isn't lacking in storytelling, action, or its quirkiness!
Jun 23, 2011 11:35 AM

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May 2010
2452
Kusuriuri: "And so .. the scent expires."

*clap clap*

OH GOD. ANOTHER BRILLIANT EPISODE!!

/caps

Probably the best arc so far.

Kusuriuri is just pure WIN!! From the transformation down to the exorcism scene in colors. It was beautiful!!

And the story twist. It was absolutely entertaining. Last arc to go... :D
Nov 16, 2011 8:48 PM

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Aug 2011
37
this one was great! we finally got to see how the medicine seller transforms and how he fights with the sword! feel kinda sad that its almost over.
Dec 25, 2011 2:30 AM

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Feb 2009
3436
That was the most surreal and and creepy Mononoke so far. For a moment there I thought the Medicine Seller was trolling those people :P
Jan 12, 2012 2:30 PM

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Jun 2009
254
I'm just going to echo everyone statements about this arc. It was my favourite one so far in the series and the art was superb. I loved that the colours came alive when they were smelling the incense and at the end.
[/center]
Apr 17, 2012 6:26 PM

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May 2009
203
Man, this anime just never disappoints. Another memorable arc.

That said, I didn't quite understand how each victim's actions (samurai killing fourth contestant, funny-nose guy killing the lady, and the other contestant presumably being poisoned by oleander) were related to the fact that they were already dead, the whole game was merely an illusion and that the Medicine Seller was acting all along.
Jun 22, 2012 5:03 AM

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Apr 2012
845
great + funny arc.

I think the deaths were caused by the Toudaiji controlling the suitors some time previously, as the strength of the incense is such that it can play tricks with their minds by creating aural/visual hallucinations (suggested by "hearing smells" and the talk of memories etc). It had them kill each other and kept their souls oblivious, re-enacting the routine daily as it needed their interest in its magic properties to maintain its sense of self. Presumably those 3's deaths (usually) later reoccur offscreen in some way we don't see, or else they just repeat the tournament ad infinitum (not needing to die again), waiting for a new round then always failing to guess correctly.

All Kusuriuri did was break the cycle by confronting them with reality of their "crimes of passion" and making them consider the possibility of their own death, via poison. The act of possession probably made their actions not 100% explainable, like the way the 4th suitor was ridiculously provocative towards the samurai. (or something? either way the incense created illusions to maintain the deception).

masturbating hostess/frogs/picture of Shogun(?) - not sure i got all the symbolism there but felt it needed a mention :P

I meant to post this a month ago but fell asleep, so it may not be entirely correct.
BlackoutingJun 22, 2012 5:13 AM
Aug 16, 2012 6:49 PM

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Apr 2012
649
Another short but sweet arc. And, this episode provided a nice conclusion with twists, a more extended transformation/unsheathing scene, a cool battle with the mononoke, and a beautiful scene where things returned to color at the end.

While I'll be sad to see this end after the next arc, I am looking forward to seeing what they provide as a finale for this show. It has been a fantastic watch up to this point.
Oct 14, 2012 5:54 PM

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Mar 2010
1111
Blackouting said:
great + funny arc.

I think the deaths were caused by the Toudaiji controlling the suitors some time previously, as the strength of the incense is such that it can play tricks with their minds by creating aural/visual hallucinations (suggested by "hearing smells" and the talk of memories etc). It had them kill each other and kept their souls oblivious, re-enacting the routine daily as it needed their interest in its magic properties to maintain its sense of self. Presumably those 3's deaths (usually) later reoccur offscreen in some way we don't see, or else they just repeat the tournament ad infinitum (not needing to die again), waiting for a new round then always failing to guess correctly.

All Kusuriuri did was break the cycle by confronting them with reality of their "crimes of passion" and making them consider the possibility of their own death, via poison. The act of possession probably made their actions not 100% explainable, like the way the 4th suitor was ridiculously provocative towards the samurai. (or something? either way the incense created illusions to maintain the deception).

masturbating hostess/frogs/picture of Shogun(?) - not sure i got all the symbolism there but felt it needed a mention :P

I meant to post this a month ago but fell asleep, so it may not be entirely correct.

+1 :p
ksuriuri was so badass in this episode,and how he made them realize that they're already dead was kinda funny+creppy at the same time.
about this mononoke i have to say that it was pure evil thats all...
May 9, 2013 3:28 PM

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Apr 2008
85
I loved the effect of the scent bringing it all back to life - but only temporarily.
Jul 7, 2013 11:10 AM

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May 2012
25828
That ending was intense! Really nice to see the transformation once more and just the amazing action! Really good ending for this chapter, lets see what the last chapter will be like!
Aug 29, 2013 1:11 AM

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Mar 2012
5785
Fantastic episode, definitely my favorite arc so far. The twists always get me and the fighting in this episode was done beautifully.
Sep 6, 2013 12:05 AM

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Jun 2013
1763
Kusuriuri: "silly me, silly me" :))
Dec 16, 2013 5:40 PM
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May 2013
60
This was truly amazing! I loved how the blood was orange, made me go look for the opening sequence of the last chapter - Jissonji's figure in the walls and the screaming - that was crazy.
Jun 15, 2014 5:19 AM
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Feb 2007
916
Funniest episode. And most likely my favorite arc. Very clever usage of incense. I'm still not sure if I get how the incense game was played though.
Jun 28, 2014 5:39 AM

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Oct 2013
2896
his transformation is soo fucking bad ass
[/quote]
Jul 4, 2014 3:32 AM

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Aug 2013
4759
Everyone was already dead, the house was in ruins. That's just creepy >__<
"May those who accept their fate be granted happiness."

"May those who defy their fate be granted glory."
Oct 20, 2014 2:10 PM

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Jul 2014
13353
This is an amazing episode.

Kusuriuri trolling the dead. lol xD.

Damn dat Kusuriuri vs Nue was epic. Kusuriuri is badass as it gets. fucking epic.
Feb 11, 2015 8:11 PM

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Nov 2013
2607
wasn't expecting the whole thing to be an illusion.

good shit
Jun 19, 2015 8:23 AM

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Sep 2014
1282
This arc was truly awesome, I liked it a lot.
Jul 25, 2015 8:48 AM

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Jul 2013
1255
I just want to point out that the creature that killed the samurai was at least most likely modeled after "Dorotabo" which is a ghost of a hard working farmers spirits who's heir wasted his life work.

Adds another layer to that character.
Jul 30, 2015 8:31 PM

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Aug 2014
446
A perfect episode, a scary one too. The later half was creepy. Seeing the illusion fall apart afterwards was amazing. (How many graves were there? At least a hundred, no?)

The transformation/fight scene was amazing as always.

The dog was cute!
Jan 29, 2016 2:58 AM

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Jun 2015
3124
That got really creepy in the second half there.
:)
Jan 30, 2016 5:45 AM

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Jan 2015
15106
It improved a lot.

4.3/5 for this arc.
May 4, 2016 8:14 PM
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Nov 2013
21
Best episode! It was actually scary! It continued the color vs greyscale motif. The transformation and fight at the end was amazing!
Jun 8, 2016 12:02 AM

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Apr 2015
5602
Hmm interesting. This arc went out from it's formulaic method that the former arc told. The Mononoke 'Form' here isn't actually showed until the end, and there's no foreshadowing about it either, although it's pretty weird seeing how that Kusuriuri know that all of them were already dead and also the cause of their deaths. Best arc so far nontheless.
Aug 26, 2016 8:50 AM

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Jun 2016
568
Well, that was relatively straightforward horror compared to the last couple of arcs. Still fun, though. The artwork, as always, was beautiful to behold. Also, definitely the most awesome-looking exorcism! The ending of the battle was hilarious, though. XD
Feb 13, 2017 4:26 AM

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Mar 2015
6994
Wow that escalated so quick towards the end and then suddenly. Just ended.
I'm Bruneian and I like anime. And Manchester United. And fat cats.
May 18, 2017 6:57 PM

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Sep 2015
677
This was my favorite arc so far. Had to do a bit of reading up to fully appreciate it. Even then it was a bit confusing. But it was tense, exciting and the ending was so great and unexpected. I liked how it didn't draw attention to how each of the three suitors resembled a part of the Nue. Though maybe it thought it was super obvious to Japanese viewers. And I liked how cold and bleak it was both visually and tonally. The Medicine Seller's agenda and empathy for humans has been kept deliberately ambiguous throughout the series. And in this arc with its dead wintery scenery, he was at his coldest. Showing no sympathy for the admittedly horrid suitors. And not fixing much besides destroying the Mononoke of the arc. It was a good way to approach the penultimate arc I think.

This episode was very visually dynamic and strong. Which considering I thought the last one went over the same plot points one too many times. Was a refreshing change. The incense contest was particularly grippingly animated. With the suitors appearing dull and colorless until they got a whiff of the incense and then brightening. The monster at the end was also one of the coolest yet. Though it didn't look too much like how I imagined a Nue would. I can't believe there's only one arc left. But I'm quite excited for it.
Aug 13, 2017 7:29 AM

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May 2016
12390
It was such a funny episode for the most part last time then it suddenly escalated so high to the point of me asking what the fuck in horror ;~;

The funniest one killed someone after being called dumb, the tiny dude murdered the lady for getting off to the drawing of the dude she prefers getting screwed by, and the last one who stayed greedy til last second got poisoned by Kusuriuri... That twist when the Nue log was making the dead souls which actually amount to about a hundred repeat a dreadful loop to keep her pleased, making everything look like it was back then using the scent of incense was my favorite twist yet.

I giggled when he was fighting the mononoke with chaos all around then it suddenly went silent and *pop* the log was chopped just like that lmao








Oct 21, 2017 12:15 PM

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Jan 2014
3691
Lol the anticlimatic cutting of the wood. Funny.





Three things cannot be long hidden..
...the s u n, the m oo n, and the tr u th.


Dec 10, 2017 2:43 PM

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Dec 2016
96
Illusion~

That was incredible :) I'm enjoying this so much more than I ever thought
Dec 25, 2017 12:06 PM

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Jan 2017
622
What a sinister conclusion. I really enjoyed this episode, i think it was played out in a very subtle way; the mystery surrounding it was such that i couldn't have guessed that it was the 'toudaiji' behind all along.

I really loved when he brought the truth out and again, the musicalization in this episode was sublime. Also, i love the sword form, it's so freaking enchanting and magnificent.
SEIZON SENRYAKU: Hungry 100% of the time.
Vzla-IT



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