Quick Summary
In Midnight occult civil servants episode 7, “Sense of Loss and Proof of Despair,” Seo Himezuka is seething about how Kyouichi Sakaki had manipulated Arata Miyako. Arata’s not to happy about it himself! Can the trio pull themselves together in time to deal with the real threat? Can they even find where Kyouichi’s sister is? Can they rely on Kohaku to help them — and even if they can, should they?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Best Moment in the Show
It’s not that Kohaku didn’t care about the humans’ misery. It’s that he didn’t even see it. It never entered into his consciousness. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
One of the best things about this show is how it portrays the stark otherness of the Anothers. They may appear human (or at least humanoid). But their minds are distinctly not human. This episode has a perfect example of that.
Azazel had just finished placing Kyouichi’s sister’s eyes in the corpse he was trying to reanimate as his deceased wife. He placed her soul (which he keeps in a device that looks like a bird cage — shudder) into the corpse’s heart, and it slowly begins to wake up. We see a shot from her perspective as she blearily focuses on his face. He looks ecstatic — his wife is coming back to life!
And then she begins to shriek. Not scream; not moan. She shrieks. The voice actor should get bonus pay — it was among the most horrible sounds I’d ever heard. She began cursing him for bringing her back again. She begged him to let her sleep. She screamed over and over that the body felt disgusting.
Arata, Kyouichi, and Seo looked on in horror.
And Kohaku laughed.
The amber-eyed trickster laughed. He thought it was hilarious that Azazel failed yet again. Never mind his poor wife’s misery. Never mind all of the young women whose lives had been destroyed.
Kohaku thought the whole thing was funny.
It’s to this show’s credit that it didn’t shy away from a moment like that. It’s those kinds of moments that make this show such a delight.
Other Posts about This Series
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Mayonaka no Occult Koumuin – Episode 7 discussion
- AngryAnimeBitches: Mayonaka no Occult Koumuin Ep 7
- 100 Word Anime: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Review Episode 7
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 01 – Best In Show
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 02 – Best In Show
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 03 – Best In Show
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 04 – Best In Show
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 05 – Best In Show
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 06 – Best In Show
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 08 – Best In Show
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 09 – Best In Show
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 10 – Best In Show
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 11 – Best In Show
- Review: Midnight Occult Civil Servants Episode 12 – Best In Show
What’s interesting is how much a perspective emmerges here on what a body is: there’s an interesting disjunct in how at least some anothers view bodies as vessels, but how people view bodies as an integral part of themselves. It’s basically the same how Kohaku views Arata as Seimei, even though he honors the new name, and how Azazel thinks if it doesn’t work he found the wrong vessel. Death looks very different from both perspectives, doesn’t it? I mean, what’s the big deal of losing a vessel. Sure it’s annoying, but it can’t be that bad, right?
I hope that the writers have intentionally put the clues in place to drive that conclusion! One of my favorite aspects of the series is how it depicts the stark otherness of the Anothers. What you just described perfects extends that idea!