Flashman Episode 34

Fujii returns to script this standout episode, which has a great performance by guest star Nami Munakata and top notch direction by Takao Nagaishi. (He gets great performances from the episode's two leads, has atmospheric night shoots for monster attacks, fills the episode with artful shots, and makes the most out of an isolated location.)

The latest Beast Soldier -- made from the genes of a venomous moth and venomous spider, filled also with an elixir made from a poisonous plant -- spreads a poison throughout the city, causing people to fall ill. Bun falls victim and then falls into a raging stream, which make the Flashman fear for his life. Bun is discovered by a woman and is taken back to her cabin, where she nurses him back to health and recognizes the symptoms he's suffering from and a way to cure it. In the throes of the illness and fever, Bun senses the woman and begins to dream of his mother, forging this idea that he's being taken care of by his mother. When he recuperates, he learns that the woman lives alone, and that she had a son who died in a mountain accident when he was around Bun's age. (Props to the, uh, prop department -- the photo we're shown of her son is someone who DOES resemble Yasuhiro Ishiwata a bit.)

Bun's eventually cured, but not quite recovered enough to go join the others in their fight -- he tries to leave, but is stopped by the woman, Kayoko, who uses some tough love. Part of it is just talking sense, that Bun's in no condition to go face the monster who nearly killed him, but some of it is her feeling guilt and regret at not helping prevent her son's death in the past, not wanting to repeat that kind of loss. So, Bun remains, and learns of the way she cured him -- she recognized the poison Bun was suffering from and knew what local plants counteracted it. Discovering Bun survived and there's an antidote to the poisonous elixir the monster is using, Kayoko is targeted by Mess -- with Neferu, Ulk and Kiruto popping up in her tiny cabin and attacking, with Neferu getting Kayoko into a stranglehold! Thankfully, the Flashman arrive in time for Bun to get Kayoko to safety, where she recognizes what Bun's been doing as a Flashman and offers him words of encouragement, feeling confident in letting him go and face danger. He sets out and beats the monster with the others, Kayoko's words echoing in a low moment and helping him fight through.

The episode ends with Kayoko giving the Flashman a big supply of the plant with the counteragent to be used to save the victims of the city. (Unlike many a toku, simply killing the monster doesn't reverse its attack.) There's just such a sad sweetness to the scene, as Bun thinks of how he'd like to revisit Kayoko (we know he won't get the chance), and as Kayoko stealthily follows the Flashman down a long path as they leave, wanting to see Bun off. The last shot is of Bun joyously calling her mom, and...it's just a great episode, another driving the home the point that family can mean many things. Bun finds the closest thing he has to a mom, he represents her son and she's able to let go of the loneliness and lingering regret she feels for not being able to do anything for her late son.

Neferu's bad-ass in this episode, man. That scene when she's got Kayoko in a stranglehold, but just drops her so she can get in a nice kick to Bun's face. Damn.

All in all, this is just a sweet, well-made, well-acted episode. Shougo Awards for all of the key players involved.

One last thing I want to point out. This episode features a wounded Bun going missing after falling into a stream, and the episode title is literally "Bun Falls Into a Stream," but guess what, you silly bastards? Toshiki Inoue had nothing to do with it! So that's not something unique to him, so let's retire that.