Joran The Princess Of Snow And Blood “Kuchinawa” Review
Joran The Princess Of Snow And Blood “Kuchinawa” is the fourth episode of Joran. And also a straight continuation of episode 3.
Starting off where the last episode ended, this one focuses on Sawa and her getting her revenge on Janome.
Finding Janome and Rescuing Asahi
The episode starts with Sawa going after Janome and hurrying to rescue Asahi. Apprehended and stopped by Kuzuhara. She is eventually kidnapped by Makoto after the car they are in is chased and blown up by electronically powered creatures. They seem to draw their power from the blue blood, so must be Janome’s design. Sawa awakens in a long room adorned with famous paintings and at the end of the hall is Janome himself.
Sawa goes to attack him but Asahi is surrounded by snakes that he controls and she eventually gives into him and puts away her sword. Meanwhile, Makoto ties her to a chair and puts Nana in a bird cage. Which she agrees to to protect Asahi.
Fighting Back
After a brief chat with Janome where he takes her blood and solidifies it to be used later. Janome reveals what’s hanging above the organ he keeps playing: Sawa’s brother, Takeru. Seeing this grizzly sight and realizing just how twisted Janome really is Makoto cuts the snakes away from Asahi and starts fighting back. Claiming “I wanted freedom.” But clearly not freedom that way. Makoto’s arm is partially ripped off but he still manages to use a wire to cut Sawa free.
She fights back against Janome and eventually binds with Nana again. Even with her extraordinary strength Janome is way too strong as he’s used her blue blood to bind with his snakes. She fights well but is clearly punching above her weight. As all looks lost Takeru sneaks behind the organ and throws flammable liquid over Janome, injuring him and causing a huge fire. Seeing her brother, Sawa is awakened with renewed strength and manages to fight Janome off and eventually kill him.
Takeru dies in Sawa’s arms and tells her it’ll never be over. As long as a single person in her clan survives it’ll never stop. She claims it’s OK and she’ll stay here and die with him but Asahi stirs and it makes Sawa doubt her claim. The episode ends with Elena and Kuzuhara watching on and hoping Sawa will escape.
Review
Well, this was something! Not only did this episode have some of the most beautiful and fluid fight scenes of the series so far but more than that it made me question everyone again. Makoto turns out to be not as evil as once thought, Kuzuhara seems to genuinely care about Sawa, something I’ve always doubted up until now. And Elena seems to care too. Though in her own way. Everyone I once distrusted I now trust and everyone I trusted is showing themselves to be more than a little dodgy.
The theme fits perfectly with the story of “fakeness” as Janome himself says this world is a “fake” as is all the art on his walls. The characters are also fake but it’s hard to figure out who. The two stories of “what really is real and what isn’t?” go side by side in tandem together perfectly. Smooth as butter, so much so that it’s hard to notice at first.
This is almost the perfect episode. Only made frustrating as another week is needed to see not only what Sawa decides. But also how she’ll go on living from now. If that’s her decision. Her life has been ruled by revenge up until now. What future will she find for herself now?
