Episode 11 – “Inside Tsutsukakushi-san’s Home”

As expected, we take physical trip down memory lane to figure out just what the hell actually happened in the past. The cat god lands Tsukiko and Youto in the same spot, ten years in the past. They meet younger versions of Youto and Azuki, without exploding the space-time continuum too.

But the biggest surprise is how Tsukiko’s mother, Tsukasa, acts. She’s a complete hardass who’s pestered by a 6-year old Youto (who Tsukiko goes pedo over). Tsukasa claims that she hates kids, but she’s kind enough to offer food to young Youto, old Youto, and her unbeknownst daughter from ten years into the future (long after she dies).

Slowly, it’s becoming apparent how Tsukiko and Tsukishi might have met Youto when they were young and why he doesn’t remember it. It could be that their meeting just hadn’t happened yet, at least from Youto’s perspective. Maybe the sisters remember a time-traveling Youto, one they wouldn’t really meet until ten years later when he would jump back in time. Time travel is always messy business.

Though, it makes me wonder why Youto doesn’t remember when his younger self meets the two sisters when they come to Japan to find Tsukasa. I suppose history played out different when older Youto wasn’t there. Maybe younger Youto was the one who tried to wake up Tsukasa, but couldn’t. Maybe young Youto didn’t even stay over that night, and Tsukasa…died alone.

While Henneko maintains its comedy flair throughout each episode, it hits pretty hard with the serious subject material. Despite circumstances working against Tsukasa over the custody of her daughters, she still slaves away to make clothes for them (also exacerbating her health in the process).

My question now is, will Tsukasa still die (in front of her grownup daughter no else) or will they rewrite history by saving her? Maybe she was always alive, but no one knew? It could take the Harry Potter style of time travel where history is already written a certain way, it’s just a matter of doing it. Either way, it should be very exciting to see.

B.W.