Kita ze Inbou! - キタぜ陰謀!

Wow. Just, wow. Episode three further surpassed my expectations. This show knows just what buttons to press to make me shiver. Another episode done superbly well.

Aside from the recap, the episode opens with Akizuki visiting what seems to be his home town. There he mets up with two elderly men that seem to be his former teachers. They discuss what happened at the end of episode one and we find out that Akizuki was unable to cut the ’spirit’ of the Hasha no Kubi. Of course, Akizuki is pissed but he doesn’t voice the feeling.

The troupe, as usual, is shown rehearsing but we’re shown a scene with Shiranui walking along the local brothel. Being the ladies man that he is he has no other choice but to stop at the brothel and enjoy himself for a while. After he leaves he spots Soutetsu escorting the madam of the brothel but keeps to himself only to bring it up later on when he returns to the brothel.

We’re also introduced to a new character with an eyepatch, Kanna. He’s the body guard of Katsu, the man who sang earlier about Ryou departing form this life too early. He seems to be a skilled gunman but we don’t get to see any of his skills in this episode. In the latter half of the episode he spots a sniper who he thinks is after Katsu but actually is aiming for Yuyama. But of course, Akizuki comes to save the day just in time! He quickly chases after the sniper and the Yuyama troupe quickly follow suit.

The episode ends (sadly) with the sniper being caught between the Yuyama troupe and Akizuki in an impressive freeze frame of the scene. Lovely. Absolutely lovely.

We get a newly animated ED in this episode that shows some beautiful artwork of Yuyama, Soutetsu, and Akizuki (in that order) with a bunch of parasols floating around the place. Nice.

Now to painfully await episode four.