I m sure we re all left with the same very important question after this week s episode of Kemono Jihen: what the
hell is Inari having Nobimaru do that he instantly recognizes an artificial insemination syringe? Supernatural being or not, that s a weird (and mildly worrying) thing for a thirteen-year-old kid to recognize right off the bat. We knew Inari wasn t a great guardian from poor Kon, but this is a whole new realm of weirdness in terms of her parenting skills.
That aside, this seventh episode is the show at its most folklorically sound – or at least recognizable – so far. It follows up on Shiki s decision that he d actually like to know what happened to his parents, and part of the reveal is that the region of Japan he s from has a local legend that s a variant of the fairy tale classified as ATU400 – The Swan Maiden. You ve probably encountered at least one version of the tale type over the course of your reading/viewing life, either as a selkie (seal fairy from Celt