|The First Familiar|

I think it’s kinda funny that Wamiya was obviously not a normal student. Every time he was in a scene, he would give off a weird vibe that was different from all of the other people around Izumiko. Then of course there was the scene in the previous episode that briefly showed a shadowy Wamiya watching Izumiko’s plane take off. Talk about creepy. So of course it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that he isn’t human, but a familiar that has known Izumiko since childhood. (It’s okay if you didn’t see it coming, I’ll forgive you just this once, okay?).

Being a familiar, Wamiya answers only to a higher god or spirit. In this case, it would be Izumiko, who is the vessel for the powerful goddess seen in the previous episode. That, and she also has the power to destroy any electronic device she touches. I still have no idea how this is supposed to tie into her spiritual powers, since the two don’t seem at all related. In fact, her powers and the identity of the goddess spirit are the two biggest mysteries in the whole series at this point. We don’t know much about these things, other than the fact that it makes Izumiko is an extremely important person to the point that her guardian Yukimasa forces his son to be her protector.

The big conflict in this episode has to do with Wamiya complying with Izumiko’s wishes, namely the fact that she’s been complaining to him about Miyuki. He believes that Miyuki is a negative influence on her, and so sets his sights on him to be eliminated. Izumiko’s driver catches on to this and attempts to drive them to safety, only to crash when Wamiya attacks them. Although Wamiya threatens to attack them all, Izumiko manages to stand up to him and get him to disappear, to Miyuki’s surprise.

I like that we’re already seeing some character development for Izumiko. It’s going to be a given that by the end of the series, she’ll grow out of her meek personality and gain more confidence in herself. While she’s still in the early stages of reaching that point, we’re already seeing her attempts to stand up for herself without Miyuki’s help. By the end of the episode, she resolves to be stronger than the “old Izumiko” so that she doesn’t troubles others like Miyuki.

Speaking of which, I’m glad that he’s softened up a bit, even if he’s still rough around the edges. His first appearance in the show had him practically snarling at Izumiko at the mere sight of her. At one point, he was even insulted to have to protect someone as weak as her. After seeing her abilities first hand and seeing her stand up for herself in this episode, even he is starting to realize that she’s not as useless as she thought she was. I’m looking forward to see how their relationship will pan out in the upcoming episodes, as they each become stronger.

Lingering thoughts:

• “I guess I just wanted for someone to truly understand the real me.”
• I guess that’s the last we’ll hear from Rie Kugimiya in this series. I’m sure Will would be happy.
• A scene with a shrine girl dancing and singing that’s less moe and more captivating. Times must be changing.