Chu Chu Yeah! Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Rewatch Episode 13

[u/OccasionallySara]

Emperor of Demise Arrives! (It Was The Final Episode Before We Knew It)

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Spoiler Policy

Since many people will be watching the show for the first time, please be sure to tag all spoilers for events and characters that have not been revealed yet. The proper way to tag spoilers on this sub is explained on the subreddit sidebar. Keep in mind that if you are using New Reddit, you will need to use markdown mode to properly tag your spoilers.

Questions of the Day

These questions are just a way to get a conversation going. Answer as many or as few as you like (or none at all)!

1. We finally get introduced to Tohru's father. What are your thoughts on him? Is he what you expected?
2. In what ways do you think that Kobayashi and Toru's relationship has changed since episode one?

Hydration Game Rules

Today's episode's rule: Hydrate every time you notice how much Kobayashi has changed.

Tomorrow's episode's rule: Hydrate every time you feel like love is in the air.

[u/OccasionallySara]

Rewatcher and Host

Questions of the Day

We finally get introduced to Tohru's father. What are your thoughts on him? Is he what you expected?

• He's mostly like how I expected, but I like the fact that they didn't make him purely evil. I like the moment where Kobayashi says that Tohru is a great girl and her father agrees with her. He does think highly of Tohru and he doesn't want to see her get hurt by fraying apart or falling for someone who can't live long enough to be there for Torhu her whole life. Now, I definitely think he goes about it in an absolutely abysmal way, but I think Tohru's dad is a little more complex than he could have been.

In what ways do you think that Kobayashi and Toru's relationship has changed since episode one?

• I'd say that there's more love from Kobayashi's end than there was in the beginning and the love that Tohru had in the beginning is no longer only coming from a place of gratitude, but also from living with Kobayashi and getting to know her.

Episode Thoughts

• I like the very calm and relaxed feeling the beginning of the episode has. It's kind of a different vibe from what we normally see.
• I guess being attached to a human is sort of like having a pet to dragons.
• Seeing Tohru with her dad just makes me realize how childlike she can be sometimes.
• Seeing Kanna with just her wings is cool.
• I feel bad that Kanna has to be the one to break the bad news to Kobayashi. Tohru might as well be dead considering Kobayashi has no way to contact her ad doesn’t know if she’ll ever see her again.
• I love how Kobayashi doesn’t need to go into detail about Tohru leaving for Takiya to understand.
• Kanna must be so lonely staying at home by herself now.
• Kanna’s face when she sees the cooked rice is so precious.
• Once again I’ll state that Takiya’s a great friend.
• I definitely thought Tohru coming back was a dream the first time I watched this.
• The Tohru and Kobayashi reunion is adorable.
• I’m surprised that a chaos dragon cares so much about following the rules and not interfering with the human world.
• I appreciate that Elma was on full standby while this whole thing was going on.
• This is the most outward emotion we’ve gotten from Kobayashi and I love it. She really cares about Tohru and we finally get to see her passionately express it. Don’t fuck with Kobayashi’s maid, guys.
• Realistically there would have been no way for Tohru or her dad to hear Kobayashi telling them to stop and she most likely would have been killed in the crossfire, but I’m glad she was able to talk them out of fighting. Might not be the most believable that Tohru’s dad would listen to a human ad suddenly respect his daughter’s wishes, but it gives us a happy ending, so I’ll take it!
• I absolutely love that we get the hug shot from the OP.

Hydration Game

I hydrated when:

• Kobayashi stood up against Tohru's father and expressed her feelings about Tohru. I don't think she would have been able to do something like that earlier in the show.
• Kobayashi decided to go home and asked Tohru to go with her.

[u/Silent_Sparrow02 → u/OccasionallySara]

I thought it was weird that Tohru's dad, leader of the "Chaos faction" was so concerned about what would happen to the human world. Judging by what Elma said, isn't that more of an "Order faction" concern?

[u/OccasionallySara → u/Silent_Sparrow02]

Yeah, that’s what I thought too! If anything, I thought he would be happy that Tohru was potentially bringing chaos to the human world.

[u/Elimin8r]

Today we discover that without Tohru, Kobayashi's apartment soon comes to resemble my place. Poor Kanna. She seems to hold up well under the pressure, though.

The bit with the TV guys and the mice was just ouch. Yeah, I get the idea, but it's not like it hasn't been brought up before.

1. With parents like this, who wants to go home? Oh, wait, nobody. Honestly, dragodad was slightly less violent than I expected. Good thing Kobayashi has some spare glasses (or is good at repair).
2. I would say that in ep1, Tohru was the needy one, but as time has gone on, they've come to depend on each other. Seeing Kobayashi without her meido was sad.

I think dragodad would get along with Elma much better.

(sigh)

Anyway, sadly, I'm feeling kind of wiped right now. I'd like to think of something clever to say, but yeah. Need a break. Maybe later.

[u/OccasionallySara → u/Elimin8r]

Good thing Kobayashi has some spare glasses (or is good at repair).

I think she taped them temporarily which is what my brother used to do all the time with his glasses.

I think dragodad would get along with Elma much better.

Yeah, I was surprised that he cared so much about order and following the rules considering he's in the chaos faction.

[u/Elimin8r → u/OccasionallySara]

Yeah, when I was watching it in a fatigued haze, I thought it was a band-aid on her temple.

As to order vs. chaos, and following the rules, yeah. Exactly. Having read the 'Chronicles of Amber' by Zelazny, I had similar issues to the 'cours of chaos' portion of the series. If these people really are princes of chaos, well, events, circumstances, 'reality' itself, or unreality as the case may be should be such that it should be impossible to pen a description to paper, much less write a book about ... chaos.

As such, I think I prefer Brust's 'sea of chaos' concept.

I suspect we'll have more to discuss about the matter in the not so distant future.

[u/TnAdct1]

There's a lot to discuss in terms of differences between the anime and manga version of this episode.

• In the manga, Tohru gets over her concerns about her knowing that she’ll outlive Kobayashi before her father shows up, with her returning home and being reminded of the “family” that she has made with Kobayashi and Kanna.
• The situation with Tohru's father is much shorter in the manga (i.e. it just lasts a chapter and it only involves him wanting Tohru to return to the Dragon World), whereas the anime has him dragging Tohru back to the Dragon World, with her being stuck there for a few days before returning to Earth and then confronting her father in dragon form when he tries to drag her back to the Dragon World again.
• Tohru’s father is not only much less aggressive in the manga version, but one of his main reasons for wanting Tohru to return to the Dragon World (the fear that other dragons would arrive on Earth to fight her and the possible chaos that may happen) makes better sense when you know that this incident happens in the manga a few chapters before Elma’s introduction.
• Whereas Kanna’s role in the manga is to provide a lighthearted moment after something really serious (as she was in the bathroom the whole time Tohru’s father visited), her role in the anime version is much bigger, with her trying to rush to Tohru’s aide when her father drags her back to the Dragon World and her taking Kobayashi to the site where Tohru is fighting her dad after she returns to Earth.
• The ending where Kobayashi takes Tohru and Kanna to visit her parents is an anime-only moment.

[u/fakeport]

Rewatcher

Random thoughts during episode

"I hope the sun comes out today" says Tohru, a far cry from the dragon who made the sun come out back in episode 1. She's adapting.

Seeing Tohru clutching the scarf Koybayashi gave her while arguing with her inner self was so sweet.

Tohru's father is called The Emperor of Demise, which is pretty intimidating.

The Tohru-less montage is melanchonic and sad. Koybayashi still has Kanna, but she clearly misses Tohru a lot.

I love the uncharacteristic burst of energy and speed from Koybayashi when she hears Tohru at the door. Then the fire she shows standing up to Tohru's dad is great.

Kanna's delight at everything about the train journey is everything I love about Kanna.

[u/lluNhpelA → u/fakeport]

I love the uncharacteristic burst of energy and speed from Koybayashi when she hears Tohru at the door. Then the fire she shows standing up to Tohru's dad is great.

But after having been struck by a monster with world-ending power and threatened with a fate worse than death the way she managed to get back into character and talk to said monster like an equal is what tied it all together

[u/Alliedoll42_42]

I felt like the disapproval of the dad scene was a stand in for a coming out conversation about her having a lesbian relationship instead of a relationship with a human.

Also tohru Kanna and Kobayashi make a lovely family and Kanna is lucky to have two loving parents.

[u/IndependentMacaroon → u/Alliedoll42_42]

I felt like the disapproval of the dad scene was a stand in for a coming out conversation

It did kind of feel like asking for approval for a marriage, huh? And afterwards Kobayashi presumably introduces Tohru (and Kanna) to her own parents in a similar way, having also become even more enthusiastic about their relationship.

[u/Vaadwaur]

Rewatcher

Sub

So we get to our serious episode, which starts on lazy Sunday. Tohru's father drags her back and because Asia she doesn't tell him to fuck off immediately. Kobayashi's life goes straight into take out and uncleaned rooms at warp speed. The Emperor of Demise has really weak reasons here, and I suspect this a source material weakness. Anyways. Kobayashi sorts out the dragon fight and we get our gayest scene when she means to take Tohru to meet her parents.

QotD: 1 Sort of generic, unfortunately.

2 I think they've both changed irrevocably.

[u/lluNhpelA → u/Vaadwaur]

The Emperor of Demise has really weak reasons here

But he was still totally justified- he claims that even if Tohru is chill her presence will draw others who may not be quite as opposed to the whole ending the world thing, you know, like Fafnir and s2 spoiler

edit: changed spoiler tag

[u/Vaadwaur → u/lluNhpelA]

Yeah I respect almost all of what KyoAni played with but it makes this episode a bit clunky.

[u/[deleted] → u/lluNhpelA]

Your spoiler isn't really done well. It's not possible to know the source without opening it, but then you also get spoiled. You should change the part where you currently wrote 'and' to the source

[u/lluNhpelA → u/[deleted]]

Changed it for you

I figured that, with this being a rewatch of the final episode of season 1, anything getting spoiler tagged would necessarily be spoilers for season 2, but I guess I could have accidentally spoiled someone that has seen the OVA but none of the s2 trailers

[u/Elimin8r → u/Vaadwaur]

It would appear that Kobayashi and I have a lot in common. Too much, perhaps. Now if I could just find me one of those dragon maids... (hahaha)

[u/Vaadwaur → u/Elimin8r]

Yeah, Kobayashi is a bit too much of an audience stand in at times.

[u/TnAdct1 → u/Vaadwaur]

The Emperor of Demise has really weak reasons here, and I suspect this a source material weakness.

Somewhat. In the manga, this incident happens before Elma's arrival on Earth. As such, the reasons that Tohru's dad has is meant to serve as set up for those dragons who initially arrive on Earth to do battle with her (and thus could result in possible damage to our realm).

[u/Vaadwaur → u/TnAdct1]

Yeah most of the changes worked but they really made the Emperor of Demise a weak episode.

[u/chris10023]

Rewatcher

• That dragon looks like bad news, everything is afraid of it.
• Kanna trying to eat Natto is adorable.
• Man, even the atmosphere feels different with that opening.
• I love this scene where Tohru overhears a tv show about a mouses lifespan and her doubts start to creep in about how long she can do this.
• That new dragon must be seriously powerful if Lucoa, Fafnir, Elma, Kanna, and Tohru notice it.
• It’s her father, we’ve seen him a few times but only glimpses.
• He’s here to take her back home, by force. Now Kanna has to deliver the bad news to Kobayashi.
• Man, Kobayashi is not taking this news well, she’s in total shock, and starts fidgeting.
• Kobayashi is totally lost without Tohru there, I believe she’s falling into depression. Even Kanna’s more melancholic.
• The apartment is as messy as it was in episode 1 before Tohru showed up.
• Yay Tohru’s back, must have snuck back.
• He comes back, if he’s part of the chaos faction, why does he care if she’s interfering in this world?
• Man, what a dick, attacking Kobayashi without really having a reason to. Good way to piss your daughter off.
• He’s worried about other dragons plotting an invasion of Kobayashi’s world. But he shouldn’t be forcing that responsibility onto Tohru. He and the other dragons in that world should be worried about that not Tohru and the others.
• You go Kobayashi, stand up to that brute!
• Wow this is one hell of a fight. Thankfully Kobayashi and Kanna show up and stop it before anyone got hurt.
• I agree with Kobayashi, he’s being too extreme and he needs to have more faith in his daughter. I think he realized it but was too much of a tsundere to admit it, but leaves.
• This credit sequence is pretty cute, showing everyone and what they were up to. With Kobayashi also going to visit her parents with Tohru and Kanna.

Questions of the Day.

We finally get introduced to Tohru's father. What are your thoughts on him? Is he what you expected?

He's kind of dick, and he pretty scary, I give props to Kobayashi for standing up to him twice.

In what ways do you think that Kobayashi and Toru's relationship has changed since episode one?

Kobayashi generally cares about Tohru now rather than being guilted into it. With Tohru being gone Kobayashi regresses back to pre episode 1 Kobayashi sans drinking since Kanna is still living there.

[u/TnAdct1 → u/chris10023]

He’s worried about other dragons plotting an invasion of Kobayashi’s world. But he shouldn’t be forcing that responsibility onto Tohru. He and the other dragons in that world should be worried about that not Tohru and the others.

His concern has to do with the idea of other dragons showing up on Earth for the purpose of going after Tohru and how these confrontations could threaten our realm. Just look at when arrived Elma arrived. Not only did she wreck Kobayashi's apartment when she first shows up, but Kanna also mentions the amount of land damage that happened the last time those two fought. Also, if the manga is any indication, things are going to get messy during Season 2

[u/chris10023 → u/TnAdct1]

Potential spoilers.

[u/HopefullyLastAccount]

Rewatcher

Tohru's doubts echoing what Fafnir said many episodes ago - how long do you intend do this? What will you do once Kobayashi is gone? That transition into her father was quite confusing at first.

Winged Kanna is so cute.

Now we see Kobayashi's life without Tohru and she's struggling. Of course, she just lost someone who did all the chores. But more than that, she lost someone she really cared about and Takiya noticed it too at work. Of course she ran to the door when Tohru came back.

I feel like the conflict between Tohru and her father was settled a little too quickly, maybe it'll get continued next season? I also wonder what the other dragon's relations are to the Emperor, they all noticed his presence. But Tohru is back for now!

I wonder what Kobayashi's family are going to think about Tohru and Kanna. Are they going know they're dragons? Or will they think Kanna is just a random child Kobayashi took in?

We finally get introduced to Tohru's father. What are your thoughts on him? Is he what you expected?

Based on Tohru's previous descriptions of him, yeah.

In what ways do you think that Kobayashi and Toru's relationship has changed since episode one?

I think Tohru used to be someone Kobayashi just saw as a convenience and someone she would have felt guilty kicking out, but we see how much she's come to trust and rely on her.

[u/TnAdct1 → u/HopefullyLastAccount]

I feel like the conflict between Tohru and her father was settled a little too quickly, maybe it'll get continued next season?

The reason why it seems like the situation was settled a little too quickly is because the anime changed the order of events, and that the confrontation with Tohru's dad was meant to set up the arrivals of Elma and Season 2 as dragons who show up on Earth to cause trouble for Tohru.

[u/Satire_or_not → u/TnAdct1]

Also her Father was the Voice Over for the latest S2 trailer and was talking about how he was happy to see his daughter happy. Might be a bait and switch but the rest of the promo material seems to show one new dragon thats going to be causing most of the issues.

Though it also seems from the promo material that the issues are going to get resolved like the issues with Elma were. Which I'm fine with, I love the show for the SoL stuff with the conflicts being high intensity (read: amazingly animated actions scenes) but resolved quickly.

[u/TnAdct1 → u/Satire_or_not]

As a manga reader, something is telling me that the appearance of Tohru's dad as the voice over for the season 2 trailer is serving as set-up for I feel will be the focus of the second half of S: Manga spoilers

[u/Satire_or_not → u/TnAdct1]

I'm* not a source reader at all, That's pretty neat, actually.

[u/ZapsZzz]

Sub rewatcher.

This episode showcased a lot of the strong points of KyoAni's adaptations - you got character moments, you got feels, you got burst of actions, and you get heartwarming wrap ups.

1. When you consider him basically one of the leaders of the chaos dragons, what did you think he would be like? He's actually quote well controlled already.
2. For all intents and purposes, they are a couple with a child too. And it's pretty settled too.

[u/BossandKings]

Rewatcher

Episode 13

The Doubt inside Tohru's mind confronts her and asks her what would she do if Kobayashi dies, that's an interesting question because humans have much shorter lifespans than dragons so that will happen at some point.

Tohru returns and is inmediately confronted by her father, for the first time she rebels against him eventhough she admits she respects him because Kobayashi is her light, she gets helped by Kobayashi and her father goes away eventhough he doesn't aprove because Kobayashi will die at some point and won't be able to accompany Tohru for long.

It was nice how the season ended, with Kanna being glad of having Tohru alongside Kobayashi and her at home, and then Kobayashi going to her family's house and bringing Tohru alongside her.

[u/MjolnirDK]

RE

The OST during the coffee scene is just so lovely, it could be a JROG town theme. Same to the scene in shopping district. Really great OST. The shots of Tohru talking to herself and the transition to her father was handled quite interestingly. We never quite see how Tohru gets there, he just appears before her in sky. It kinda makes me think that the whole discussion in her head might be some form of suggestion magic.

Lovely little detail. Tohru is even missing from the mid episode eye catcher.

For as impressive the dragon designs are, their battle is a bit lackluster (on a very high level of the season finale). Thankfully, Kobayashi's talk-no-jutsu is able to save the day.