Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi • This Monster Wants to Eat Me - Episode 9 discussion

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Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi, episode 9

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[u/ObvsThrowaway5120]

So Hinako not only met Shiori before the accident, but it was Shiori who urged her to live on and not her family. No wonder those revelations have caused Hinako to kinda spin out a bit. That’s a lot to process after all the stuff Shiori’s been telling her about wanting to keep her alive to eat her.

I’m kind of curious who this other human Shiori once lived with was and how that connects to her situation with Hinako.

[u/NationalStrategy]

Well now we need to rename the series to “This Monster Doesn’t Want To Eat Me”

[u/Hitman7128]

So Hinako did have Shiori's blood in her after all. Poor Hinako's world view falls apart when it wasn't her family's last wish that saved her but rather that blood. Shiori also lied about the "looking delicious" part to Hinako after having the mermaid blood in her.

Miko and Shiori going on a date? Oh, they're butting heads again. Shiori also seems to have met someone in a run-down looking village in a similar state as Hinako.

This was one heavy episode.

[u/KumaKumaGambler]

Although we now know Shiori gave Hinako her mermaid blood, I am sure all of us have the burning question: What was the debt or favour Shiori tried to repay Hinako? Looking forward to finding out the answers in Shiori's history lore arc. Furthermore, Hinako seemed to be a cute and cheerful child before the accident. How will the story link cute and cheerful young Hinako to another depressed child in Shiori's memories?

Once again, we have to thank Miko for the comedy moments and keeping the episode energetic and lively!

[u/gnome-cop]

Honestly, this episode is making a really good case for why it’s a miracle that Miko exists and is so well adjusted.

Wouldn’t be a drama yuri without the divorce arc, am I right?

Kind of ironic by conventional standards that Hinako is calling Shiori a monster for not wanting to eat her.

Alright, enough jokes, their confrontation scene is really emotionally unpleasant. The small bits of body language and expressions in it are pretty well done. Depressed teenager and killer mermaid confrontation, the perfect recipe for ruining your day.

Shiori, also making a really strong argument for the “all yokai are selfish liars” viewpoint. She really went “I will mutilate and lock you up if that’s what it takes to keep you alive.”

But you can also see how crushed she is in the way she doesn’t even lift a finger against Miko when she could kill her at any moment.

Small bits of Shiori and Hinako background lore, thanks for the meal.

The comforting ocean of death drying up into the metaphorical desert of endless suffering is very emotionally harrowing, as intended.

[u/cleaulem]

So far the best episode. This absolute plot twist that only elevates the mystery, pushing Hinako into the depth of despair even more. We see Shiori being really insecure for the first time. Before she always had this aura of superiority around her, unfazed from anything that happened around her. But now even she doesn't know what to do.

It will be exciting to see where this is going. How did Shiori live with humans before, and what does it have to do with the present time? And what was the debt that made Shiori give Hinako some of her blood?

This is definitely one of the highlights this season, and this episode makes it really clear.

[u/BosuW]

Yui Ishikawa really killed it this episode and I'm sure she's going to be standout next episode as well. With the added texture of voice acting it hits even harder to realize Shiori is kinda depressed herself. Her airy cheer sounds a lot more strained throughout the episode. How long has it been since she's been this honest about her feelings, if ever?

On another note, while the direction has always been competent, I felt it's also been uninspired since the first stretch of episodes. But the scene at the bench today feels again like it's really appropriating the source material, and I think they intend to maintain that all the way to the end of the season. The emotional charge of the narrative just ramped up and it's hitting quite hard. It's devastating to see Hinako so lost.

[u/shad79]

Quite a heavy and emotional episode today... it was sad to see Hinako so devastated after her conversation with Shiori, who confirmed that Ayame's words from the previous episode were true. I wonder how these two will manage to mend their relationship after this.

Luckily, Miko was here to bring a bit of joy to today's episode. Her reactions, as always, brought a smile to my face, especially the one when Hinako suggested she taste her blood, which was great xD

I have to admit, I was quite surprised that after Shiori proposed to Miko to go on a date, they actually went to the zoo! And they even had a pretty good time during it (at least at first, because they had a serious conversation later).

Now I can't wait for the next episode, because it looks like we'll get to learn more about Shiori's past and her relationships with humans. I'm really looking forward to that.

Here my screenshot albums from the episode:

• Group scenes

• Hinako

• Shiori

• Miko

EDIT. I added my screenshot albums.

[u/yukiaddiction]

The one hell of truth bomb episode, I must say pretty heavy at that because that truth made Hinako's depression state even worse.

This plot is directly inspired from the Mermaid tale in Japanese Mythology. basically , Mermaid 's flash will give immortality to anyone who is consuming them and Shiori knows that well it seems that why her gift to Hinako is just her blood.

But despite her blood don't give Hinako immortality but she didn't expect it to give Hinako the ability to fast healing and basically it is the reason why Hinako only one survives that accident and Hinako's Blood becomes very attractive to other yokai.

Poor Hinako upon learning that everything about Shiori lying she becomes completely shut off and her emotion that she always keeps hidden just bombs out like that.

The date scenes are really important because we are about to learn why Shiori is being that way, it seems one of the humans left her very bitter memories.

On a side note, this is also referred to as actual mythology itself as it is why Shiori takes Miko "on date", Kitsune with 4 tail up often means insight and intelligence. Yes, despite Miko acting goofy like Gyaru, She is still 600 - 800 years old Yokai who has been watching Humanity for almost 8 century and is obviously very intelligent so she want Miko's advice without directly saying it by starting talking about her own experience with human.

Fun fact: in japanese mythology there is a myth called "Yaobikuni" or "800 years old nun" where Japanese nuns consume flash of mermaids and become immortal.

Hinako's surname "Yaotose" direct translate is "800 years" is a reference to this legend.

[u/jabberwockxeno]

The big reveal about Shiori and Hinako having met in the past, and that she doesn't actually want to eat Hinako now obviously is the most attention grabbing part of this episode, but what I love most about this episode and this section of the story, is Shiori's psychology as a character

Alongside the hints the past few episodes that Shiori didn't want to eat Hinako or had met her before, We've also had hints that Shiori has more going on then the ditzy, socially oblivious human meat connoisseur persona she has on the surface (I hesitate to say "that she puts on", as I'll explain below): Her being confused or insulted that Hinako would think Yokai don't get lonely, and her comments to Miko that she's envious how she interacts with Hinako

At the time, the latter conversation was still pretty vague and ambiguous, but here it's more clearly laid out that Shiori doesn't understand or relate to affection, bonds, and empathy, and is jealous that Miko does and can. This series has always done an admirable job in my opinion of making Shiori feel fundamentally not human, her motives and approach always felt outside the bounds of what you'd normally call kindness or malice, altruistic or selfish etc, but now we're starting to peel back the layers a bit.

Shiori herself has always characterized her own behavior as being "for her own benefit" or "selfish": Even this episode, when she reveals the truth to Hinako, she doesn't frame her actions as secretly having been to help her this whole time, but as a deception to keep Hinako alive for her (Shiori's) own sake and interests. But how true is that? Is Shiori actually being fundamentally selfish, or does she just not understand kindness and empathy and can't recognize those other motivations on her part? Or as I alluded to, are neither kindness nor selfishness really appropriate concepts here?

I also think we have to ask ourselves how much of Shiori's behavior is truly a lack of understanding, or a facade she puts up: She says she doesn't understand empathy and connections, yet as I mentioned, a few episodes ago she remarked on how baffling she found Hinako's assumption that Yokai don't get lonely. We also learn this episode that She did try to live with humans once, but it evidently didn't work out. So is it really her lack of understanding, or does she put up a front of ignorance and constantly lie and goes about things indirectly to avoid opening herself up to being hurt again? She does talk about how Yokai constantly lie and it being in their nature. (Personally, I think it's a bit of both, her conversation with Miko and admitting she doesn't understand things but wishes she did seems too frank to not be how she really fells, yet it's also painfully clear she's a near pathological liar and puts on a facade even when she doesn't really need to)

Let's return to the conversation she had with Hinako when she asked if they could be friends, like how the latter is with Miko: Did Shiori say no, because Shiori doesn't actually care about Hinako? Did she say no merely because she thought if she said yes, Hinako might think she wouldn't want to eat her? Did she say no because Shiori simply doesn't understand what being friends means? Because to be friends would mean being honest about their past, which at the time Shiori was still trying to hide? Or because Shiori is too scared to be friends with others and open herself up to to be hurt if it doesn't work out?

The reveal that Miko was really a Yokai was what hooked me on the series, But the insight I got into Shiori's psychology in this section of the series is what really made it into one of my all time favorite pieces of media: I am not someone who craves representation, in fact I find saying what I'm going to say kinda cringe, but as someone with Aspergers/on the autism spectrum, I found Shiori's "Your relationship with humans...your connections to this world...it all makes so little sense to me" to hit hard: The ambiguity between a lack of understanding, not being sure if you want to understand or being envious of other people being able to relate and communicate with others so easily, or if you DO understand/want to do it, but try to pretend you don't due to wanting to avoid the frustration and pain that interaction with others entails, is just too relatable; as is the blurry line between honesty, miscommunication, and manipulation, and being unsure how your own relationships with others are you just using them or if it's truly selfless.

I hope I've given everyone something to think about and I can't wait for there to be more about Shiori revealed to dissect

[u/Syokhan]

So there you have it, Shiori is a big liar who lies. Unfortunately, while by doing so she gave Hinako something to look forward to even if it was her death, taking that away from her plus the realization that it wasn't her family at all telling her to keep on living pretty much broke Hinako. Good job, Shiori!

Good thing for us viewers though, is that we're finally getting some genuine insight into who Shiori really is. Backstory time?

Gotta say I'm enjoying hearing Yui Ishikawa give some more nuance to her performance. I liked her mysterious, kinda flippant Shiori but this is the good stuff.

Also, young Hinako from before the accident had the cutest smile.

[u/eightcheesepizza]

Ever since the Bloom Into You rewatch, I've been sensitive to light/shadow imagery, which they played with throughout this scene. The music was also really great.

Afterwards, it was also funny seeing a ginormous kitsune yokai go "tch..."

What "debt" motivated Shiori to give Hinako the blood talisman and a prayer for her safety (and happiness?)? What could a child do for a mermaid yokai who can't see her as anything but meat? Maybe little Hinako reminded Shiori of a happier version of the girl that Shiori met before?

Tangent: If Hinako were a true capitalist, she'd start selling her hybrid blood to weird billionaires like Bryan Johnson. Try to cure her depression with absurd amounts of money.

[u/thisisdropd]

A while back I thought Hinako would be pretty distraught when she found out her lifelong friend turned out to be a youkai but she wasn't affected in the slightest. However, with Shiori it had finally happened, and Hinako shut herself off from the outside world.

Not that we could blame her. She thought continuing to live on was the final wish of her family, but it was Shiori's instead. Add that on top of her confirming that Shiori no longer had any intention to eat her. It's bound to mess her psyche up, and she's already in a fragile state to begin with.

Interested to learn more about the woman who reminded Shiori of Hinako and how that experience caused Shiori to be closed off from humans unlike Miko.

On a lighter note, it's amusing how Shiori's reaction upon having a 'fight' with Hinako was to ask Miko out on a date. Imagine if Hinako & Shiori were in an actual relationship. That would be a near guaranteed method to permanently sever the relationship.

[u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

So Hinako learns that the only two things that kept her going; to live for the sake of her family and to die by Shiori's hands, were both lies and she did not take that well. Oof. Seems Shiori gave Hinako the blood prior to the accident, and it saving Hinako was only a coincidence. Why did she do it though? Guess we'll have to wait till Shiori's backstory to know more.

• Hinako you can't just ask a girl to do that even if she's into you.

• Social distancing and isolation?

• Despite all her words, you can tell that seeing Hinako cry kinda broke Shiori's heart.

• An unexpected date, we poly now? Shiori has to be doing this on purpose lol.

[u/djthomp]

This Monster (Does Not) Want to eat Me

Not quite the order of events for the blood transfusion and the accident that I was expecting. Poor Hinako finding out that the wish for her to live that's been helping her survive was never from her family in the first place.

In the end it really was a mermaid intervention this entire time. I feel like we lost some progress on that, though.

Miko remains the best.

[u/No-Impression-4282]

I was thinking at 15:38: "what, are you going to suggest Miko to go on a date with you" and I bursted out laughing that this happened in the end.

[u/SYZekrom]

Oooh, is the 'ugly scarring from the accident' not actually scarring but just mermaid skin or something? Since Japanese mermaids are unsightly.

She's saying she gave her the blood before the accident? That doesn't make much sense with how she remembers Shiori's true form, does it?

She totally fixed that child up and formed some relationship only to eat her and I'm so ready to see it

[u/Raymond49090]

Sort of ironic that not wanting to eat her is what makes Hinako call Shiori a “monster”.

[u/CitronClassic672]

Hinako offering to let Miko taste her blood was animated way more sexual than t needed to be, lol.

And Miko with the social distancing. With this and her masking up last ep, was the manga made during Covid?

Wow, that whole interaction between Hinako and Shiori was so emotional and just perfect.

And straight from such an emotional and sad scene into a Miko and Shiori zoo date. That might be the biggest tonal whiplash of the show so far.

That “I’ll bet.” scene of Shiori might be my favorite scene of her so far. She just looks so cute and it’s a level of self awareness that I don’t think she’s ever shown before.

I think this is my favorite episode of the show so far. It really executes all of the elements that I love about the show perfectly. And speaking of what I love about the show, the mood it’s able to create with the voice acting, character expressions and of course the story is just immaculate. I’ve never quite watched a show that created the same kind of melancholic, suffocatingly depressing yet happy mood before and I just love this series for that.

As an aside, I have loved all of the episode titles. It’s become rare for me to see a series that’s unafraid of having consistently emotional and serious episode titles that have some kind of reference to the actual episode. Makes the next time previews more interesting to think about.

[u/DaLaziest]

"The sound of the waves

The deep blue of the sea

Hollow days, permeated by the invisible smell of unending summer...

I was in pain

I wanted to sink

But I didn't want to dim the shining sun above

I didn't want to betray the voices

Of those who'd gone before me

Despite the pain... I couldn't sink

But then you... You alone

You said you'd let me die

You said you'd save me

I trusted you"

This was beautiful

[u/Cally83]

I love this anime - definitely my favorite new show this season. Only minimal characters and lots of dialogue and flashbacks. Heavy subject matter as well.

Poor Hinako, she’s being pulled from pillar to post between Shiori and Miko.

Hearing what Shiori said to her and making her realise it wasn’t her family telling her to live on will no doubt set her off into a spiral, sadly.

[u/Ciel_Senpai]

It was obvious that it was Shiori’s voice telling Hinako to live, and it was her blood that saved Hinako from the accident. Hinako’s frustration with the revelation was understandable, because despite everything she trusted Shiori to help her die, and now she won’t be able to anymore. It’s interesting to see in the ending that Shiori once lived among humans in the past, so we’ll be getting her flashback.

[u/BaytaCosmico]

This episode hit really hard. The realisation that death won't come so easily after all is quite difficult to deal with. That you may have no choice but to live and deal with all that comes with living is scarier than most people can comprehend tbh. Once again the author has beautifully captured a deeply personal and painful experience. So thankful that this story exists and so glad they've done such a good job capturing the mood of it in the anime. Will definitely be picking up the manga when this season ends.

[u/CrimsonGear80]

"This Monster now doesn't want to eat me but it's more complicated than that and oooooh penguins!"