Shin Sekai Yori episode 20

Except you might be causing this?

Two anime posts in a row? GO ME!!!!! lets just keep the Shin Sekai Yori train going. Episode 20 has just been posted so instead of catching up on other animes we will just do this instead. Episode 20 up and blogged. Spoilers for dolphin monsters.

WHAT NOW?!

Episode Summary: Saki and Satoru lay in the boat realizing how dangerous things are. Saki confesses that she doesn't want to die before she can remember “Shun's” name, the boy she loved. Satoru says he feels the same way and tries to think of a way out of this mess. As Satoru thinks Saki talks about how she hates the Board of Education and what happened to Maria but now understands why they went to such extremes. It is decided they will slip out of the boat using a mirror and floating to shore hoping that the Fiend won't notice the ripples in the water going the wrong way. They escape and the Fiend blows up their boat. He doubles back to the hospital as Satoru and Saki try to make it to town. Saki tries to walk in a straight line but her mind is full of thoughts of past conversations with people, mostly on how small changes in their lives could have avoided this craziness. Satoru finds them a home to rest in and change their clothes. They attempt to travel on water again but something attacks their boat. They make it to shore and find out a huge mutant creature is lurking below the water and is leaking out some sort of black powder. Saki realizes 5 seconds before it is too late that this animal is like the balloon dogs. She flies Satoru away from the danger and nearly escapes herself as the animal sets himself and the black air on fire. As she flies in the air she sees “Shun” and it resolves her to make it out of this alive.

And then there was one?

Saki lands in some sunflowers and continues on her way. She is attacked by flying rocks and before she attacks back she realizes it is a scared kid doing the damage. She tells him to be more careful next time when attacking humans and they make their way to the village center. Along the way the boy talks about all the horrors he has seen in the past 24 hours. People being unable to fight back, QueerRats taking on human form, and people accidentally attacking other humans which causes everyone to die. Saki realizes it is their lack of preparation against outside attacks and the fact that QueerRats are okay with dying for the cause that is making this all awful. Travel takes forever as the waterways have been cut off due to monster explosions. The kid stops to help someone out and Saki makes her way to the school as Granny is there. Granny is injured but still alive. Saki tells her there is a Fiend and Granny is like um no I can't believe you. But then others start talking about it too so Granny decides...all is lost. Saki reminds her that the Fiend from 200 years ago was killed but Granny insists that was luck. Granny tells Saki to leave her behind and take control of the village. Granny advises in the run away strategy that hasn't worked so far. Saki and the Aid are forced to leave as Granny stays behind. THE END!

Thanks. That is obvious now.

This show....this show.....can things get any more awful for the characters? Is there any point in continuing when the future is so bleak? When the smoke clears will there be enough villagers left to start over?

Living out in the woods is sounding better now yes?

I like that Saki was having a mini freakout moment when Satoru was trying to think of a plan. I wish Satoru would have freak out moments too though. He seems way too calm and collect. Like when they found the clothes/house later I would have liked him to take a few moments to lose his mind before putting his brave face back on. But Saki and her freakout was necessary. Show me that you are human.

Well duh!

I also like that despite the fact that Saki is seeing first hand how scary Fiends are she still hates the Board of Education. And why not? What normal person wouldn't hate what those people do? Obviously killing kids in the off chance they MIGHT become a killer is a bit over kill. But as Saki has seen it is a scary alternative. A very real threat that if some don't die all will die. So it is a deadlier form of taxes. Everyone hates them but it is necessary.

Cross your fingers!

I like their plan of escape too. Saki relies a lot on luck and hopefuls while Satoru has to have a set in stone plan that has a small chance of failure. I mean...this is a Fiend we are dealing with. The last one we saw wasn't really....that intelligent. He looked sick and out of it. This Fiend (Maria or her kid) have shown that they are capable of tracking people so it might be more intelligent than the one Granny saw all those years ago. Still Saki and Satoru were smart on why the plan would fail and that maybe the things they thought were obvious would be overlooked by the Fiend.

You might want to get over him before it consumes. Just saying.

Another thing that was touched upon in this episode was how Satoru and Saki still haven't gotten over “Shun”. Which is fine...I think. I mean I don't think they should give up or stop thinking about their friends (can't Mamoru get a mention?) just because some time has passed. But it is almost like Saki and Satoru are still stuck in their youth. I mean...I am sure people wanted Satoru and Saki to hook up because when people go through dramatic times like this the obvious thing would be to become a couple. Who else can understand the pain and suffering, to move on and find the joy with? But as long as this “Shun' haunts them they can't get together, so much so they were able to spend a great deal of time not talking because it is hard for them to bond.

That....was special.

The introduction of the new mutant was surprising. Like how many more awful things exist in this world. The leaking cactus is truly dangerous. Super dangerous. Now we got whale like creatures (okay maybe more dolphin size) swimming around with gunpowder for breath. Now is this a brand new species or something Saki wasn't told yet. I am glad that Saki was the one to save Satoru for once. Like look at me putting all the pieces of the puzzle together weee!

What else folks?! What else?!

I was ready to roll my eyes when Saki was attacked by the rocks. But then when the boy started to explain things I realized it was important to showcase just how widespread the chaos was. We got humans being killed by QueerRats, humans being tricked by human disguised QueerRats, and then accidental deaths by humans. Which will cause the death of the killer. Basically all the fail safes in place to keep humans for killing each other and causing the before times to happen again has caused things to spiral out of control in the matter of hours. Since they aren't armed all they have is their cactus to protect them. Since they can't kill humans anything done on accident will cause the death of two humans, numbers they can't afford to lose. And since humans were so cocky and allowed the QueerRat numbers to become so large intelligent ones were bred and TADA...chaos.

She probably knows best so...if they are doomed they are doomed.

After Saki makes it to Granny it is really clear how screwed they are. I thought that Granny was going to volunteer to get the syringe and take down the Fiend but....it makes sense. That time was a lucky time. The Fiend walked himself to the doctor and wanted “help”. The doctor didn't sneak up on the boy. Not that running away is going to help anything either but it is better than staying for slaughter.

So much chaos caused by one person.

One must wonder if the QueerRats fostered this Fiend or if it was a pleasant surprised. Could they have hidden Maria and her kid (because Mamoru doesn't matter DUH!) long enough for the kid to reach maturity and then off Maria to raise the kid themselves? We didn't see the Fiend from 200 years ago killing QueerRats but since a Fiend might not be thinking all that straight I don't think they would not attack QueerRats on purpose. Were the QueerRats just aware of the Fiend in the woods and wait and plan all these years for the perfect moment to strike? Like yes Fiend come and attack for we have taken out the human loyal QueerRats and we won't be the ones to kill you.

Um you mean the pile of burning buildings and three people? Oh okay.

The episode ends with Granny giving Saki control of the village. Which you know couldn't have come at a worse moment. What village? You are telling me to run away. If by village you mean half of the original amount of people running around dazzed and confused. But you have to feel bad for Granny. She has done so much to protect the most people but in the end.....having so many QueerRats is what causes the deaths of so many. Just....wow to this show.