Katana Maidens ~ Toji No Miko [Episode 8 - Review]

By: ThunderheavyarmThis week, Katana Maidens reveals one of the largest plot points in the series: The Saragami Bay disaster. The series goes back in time 20 years, when a giant Aradama along with a swarm of “smaller” Aradama appears on a small island. Thousands are killed, wounded and missing within a short time. In response, a special unit is sent in to subdue the creature. Leading the attack is none other than Origami Yukari, along with seven other Toji. Included in this list, as it’s revealed after the flashback, are the current five presidents of the schools as well as Kanami and Hiyori’s mothers. Origami orders the bulk of her unit to retreat in order to escort a single wounded out of the combat zone. She and Hiyori’s mother will continue on so they can use a secret technique passed down the Origami family. Minato, Kanami’s mother, ignores orders and goes with the other two.Snapping back to the present, Akane finishes telling her story with Origami returning after the Aradama disappears and Minato and Kagari are in critical condition on the island. The story of the incident was changed shortly after, with the roster of the unit changed to only being six members, Origami and the five others. Minato and Kagari, following the events lose their abilities, mainly because the part Kagari was supposed to play was to move to the point time stopped and start stabbing the Aradama while Yukari dragged it back to the Netherworld. Both of these are suicide moves as Kagari wouldn’t be able to slow back down and Yukari would be going to the deepest level of hell. Minato being there prevented their deaths, but shortened the life of herself and Kagari. It also prevented the Aradama from being defeated and instead possessing Yukari.Kanami has another dream training, where she informs the other person that she is her mother. Minato can’t remember anything after being 17, but offers to teach Kanami a trump move. As they descended the fog covered stairs Minato, in a touching scene, asks how she acted as a mother to Kanami. The episode ends with the girls being trained group tactics, and the ampoule being taken to another location for study. But not before the Noro creates an eye allowing Origami to know where Akane and the group is hiding out.While I like that we finally seem to know all of the story, or at least enough that we know the stakes involved, this episode started out great then got sloppy at the end. The flashback was the best way to do it and was reminiscent of the opening scene from the first episode. This was before the special gear was made so everything relied on skill and numbers to resolve an issue. That said, they really should have spent more time in the flashback. Smash cutting to the incident being over and not showing what happened seems like we only got shown half of the story and then told what happened by people that weren’t even there. Easily this episode could have been all flashback to the major incident that caused the series to matter, and then switch back to the main story next week. It would have felt far smoother and less thrown together at the end.Normally this is the part where I’d try and guess what will happen in the next episode, but the ending of this one makes it really obvious. So instead, I’ll predict how the first season will play out. The group will be attack by Origami, they’ll all be separated in the confusion and get back together in time to fight the elite guard together. See you guys next week.