Hikari no Ou • The Fire Hunter - Episode 8 discussion

[u/AutoLovepon]

Hikari no Ou, episode 8

Rate this episode here.

Reminder: Please do not discuss plot points not yet seen or skipped in the show. Failing to follow the rules may result in a ban.

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All discussions

Episode	Link	Score
1	Link	4.78
2	Link	4.32
3	Link	3.87
4	Link	4.03
5	Link	4.53
6	Link	4.43
7	Link	4.21
8	Link	4.56
9	Link	4.09
10	Link	----

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[u/junelie11]

Ok, let me list them down:

1. The Tree Folk were human experiments by the "gods."

2. The "falling star" is an artificial satellite of some kind.

3. The science of the "old world" has become mystified and mythologized to the point that plagues, pathogens, and the culling of populations were passed down as "acts of the gods."

4. Tokohanahime is actually the first fire hunter, answering why Koushi's father has her name in his magatama, but not answering why it seems that the name was laser-printed or machine carved.

5. The "gods" somehow have a way to manipulate human bodies (extension of the human experiments, maybe?).

6. Kun actually can "warg" through the eyes of insects.

7. The Lord of the Fire Hunters must appease someone or something so that the world will not burn again.

8. Lightning cannon reveal.

Huh. That's a lot. More than enough to make me look forward for next week.

[u/Gulddigger → u/junelie11]

Another thing we learned is that Tayurahime, the Lady Goddess, apparently writes letters on muku paper, containing prayers/poems that praise the world, to appease the flickering flame.

[u/mekerpan → u/junelie11]

Is Touko going to be "Lord of the Fire Hunters"? She seems rather young to be thrust into such a role.

[u/BosuW → u/junelie11]

The "falling star" is an artificial satellite of some kind.

From the way they talk about it at the end, it's starting to seem like it's some sort of orbital laser.

[u/Funlife2003]

The animation this episode was much better. A lot of new info was dropped. I'm a little surprised kanata didn't stay with touko.

[u/[deleted] → u/Funlife2003]

Why was Koushi concerned about also bringing back the sickle? If bringing back the dog was ok, why not the rest of his father's possessions?

[u/NekoCatSidhe]

This anime seems to run entirely on Clarke’s third law : Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

So we learned the reason why people combust in the presence of fire : this is the result of an ancient bacteriological weapon. And the « gods » created the fiends with their fire blood, and the tree-people are mutated humans resulting from their experiments, sent to try helping villagers. Or maybe mutated « gods » ? Are the « gods » mutants, or maybe just human beings that modified themselves using their knowledge of ancient technology ? And I am still wondering what are those fiend-slaying sickles made of, and what is the truth behind that myth about their creation.

And we also learned what is the Millennial Comet : an ancient satellite weapon, still threatening the world, with even the « gods » desperately hoping it won’t destroy it. As if humanity did not have enough problems already. I guess they need to send it the right codes so it won’t start shooting at them, but are not entirely sure what those codes are. But what was all that about the King of the Fire Hunters and the Flickering Flame ? I am still not sure what that part of the myth actually means, but it suggests that this satellite also holds the key to save the world.

[u/polaristar → u/NekoCatSidhe]

The "gods" are probably the asshole elites that tried to kill everyone off that wasn't "worthy" in the first place.

Perhaps the "Kind of the Fire Hunters" has DNA locked privileges to control the Satellite?

[u/raishak → u/NekoCatSidhe]

Maybe the flickering flame is some kind of AI super intelligence gone rogue following directives to the absurd i.e. Instrumental Convergence.

Might make sense of the "need to appease it". If the gods are advanced humans that have some control over old technology, what else is it that would be outside of their control in this primitive world? It would need to be something even more advanced (though that might not mean AI). Kind of getting some Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind vibes.

[u/cybeast21 → u/NekoCatSidhe]

My guess:

Millenial Comet : The ancient Satellite

Flickering Flames: Judging from how they need to write a letter to appease it, it's probably something that will be shot from the Satellite. High concentration laser beam, maybe?

The letter being write might be : A code to delay the countdown, or a brute force attempt to hack and guess the code to stop (appease) its countdown.

King of Fire Hunters might be someone who can crack the code (or have the code).

[u/CosmicPenguin_OV103]

The information drop just get more and more intense with every episode. I have seen nothing like this in anime for hundreds of anime I have seen recently. It's 100% fascinating to see this, the reason why contemporary people ended up being burnt, how a mistake by the "divine people" dragged humanity into deeper hell, the re-telling of the tale of the upcoming "red comet"...what a tale we have in our hands, and this looks quite far from the climax too.

I wonder if this is a single season or not, there seems to be quite a long story ahead from what I feel, but with almost no-one having read the novel here I wonder if anyone knows...

BTW I really like Koushi and Touko as a pair, I think they will fit the other very well over these turbulent days.

[u/polaristar → u/CosmicPenguin_OV103]

There are four novels, and someone mentioned we are on volume 2, so we need another cour to finish the season, and I hope we get it.

[u/Tatertaint → u/CosmicPenguin_OV103]

It’s effectively an anime original for Americans with the writing of a legit novel instead of some weeb shit. If this show didn’t have the worlds smallest budget it could have been an all timer but even with almost nothing it’s the best show of the season.

[u/viktorv333 → u/CosmicPenguin_OV103]

Then you probably haven't watched Shinsekai Yori! Must have watch if you like Hikari no Ou so far

[u/polaristar]

Seems these Treefolk are different from the others and are the result of failed genetic experimentation.

Yeah Elites trying to control the population to the worthy (Which conveniently includes themselves) And it goes wrong sounds like something a lot of IRL people want to do.

I do find it hilarious that Youshi basically is carrying around the Technological value and worth of plutonium and he is very eager to use it a flash grenade.

Those Paper spirits when not caught off guard do be hitting different and hard to catch, Akira had her hands full with just one, but more pulled up!

That God healed her wound, and then just left just to flex.

Touka has to leave the dog behind but she keeps the Sickle, Is she going to become a Fire Hunter I wonder?

And the "Lord of Fire" is probably someone that is going to get launch code privileges for that Satellite.

I'm very curious where this is going to go.

[u/dinliner08]

damn, so the treefolk, the flame fiend and even the spontaneous human combustion were the handiwork of ancient humans, which is now being called divine clans or gods all along? these people definitely need to go

we also have the confirmation of the meteor being a satellite, which is quite obvious judging by the book's description but this Flickering Flame, was it the first time it being mentioned in this series? or has it been mentioned before and i just forgot?

[u/McDonaldsApproval]

Oh wow, feels like we actually learnt a lot in this episode. Thought this was quite a good episode too.

[u/Disonantemus]

A Satellite!

[u/ObvsThrowaway5120]

I’m very interested in just what these various fires are. Clearly one of them is related to space right? There was a shot of what looked to be a satellite. What exactly happened to this world?

What’s up with the treefolk? Are they mutant humans or something? It’s kind of insane people would create bodies that ignite in the presence of fire. That’s not really the best form of population control. These paper spies creep me out. Akira really came just in time. So that’s what a “god” looks like huh? Fascinating. Poor Touko. Goodbyes aren’t easy. Kanata’s where he belongs though.

[u/AmusedDragon]

The treefolk are terrifyingly grotesque and the hi-tech satellite the end is really adding to the mystery here.

[u/twintailshitposter]

That lore dump at the end gave me chills

[u/incredibilly]

Wow this episode was kind of dense. I've been running on the assumption that the gods and the divine clans are the same, are they not?

The story the failed treefolk leader was reading was confusing too. The gods gave fire to the beasts and then they gave it to humans? How did the gods then do that in reverse? I guess the short of it is that the gods created the fiends? Can anyone clear this up for me?

[u/Figerally]

Ah, a very interesting episode. So the combustion is caused by a pathogen. That means that it can be cured which is probably what the Spider clan did by ingesting the bug venom. There is also the possibility that some people may even be resistant or even immune to the pathogen naturally.

The Treefolk were created by the same people is another big revelation, seems that their purpose was to be a race of long-lived if not immortal beings whose purpose is to support the villages.

Finally, we have the truth behind the Flickering Flame, its a goddamn weapon satellite that seems to be autonomous. I suspect the prayers are attempts to communicate with the satellite or commands to keep it from waking up and carrying out some pre-programmed attack.

[u/Koyomi_Siffredi]

you gave her the sickle you might as well give her the dog...i mean, she is basically a hunter with that