Lycoris Recoil (Episode 12) - Nature versus nurture

Chisato and Takina find themselves facing Majima in the old Tokyo Tower. In the Enkuboku, the Lycoris have been ordered to stay in position and await further orders. I’ve got a bad feeling about this!

Lycoris Recoil (Episode 12) – Nature versus nurture

What happened?

Takina and Chisato charge Majima as he draws his gun. He appears to be stronger and is using the shadows to his advantage. But then, he got too close to Chisato who fired her gun next to his ear and then the other, disorientating him. That gave Takina the chance to restrain him. Chisato ran off to find Yoshimatsu and was relieved to see that he was still alive. However, he wanted to know if she killed Majima. He was disappointed when he discovered the truth.

Takina overheard all this and then came in shooting. Chisato rushed to stop her, but Takina told her all about Yoshimatsu and how he had been manipulating everything. He’s responsible for Majima, for her heart being broken, for literally everything. She tells Chisato that he also has a replacement heart. Yoshimatsu ripped open his shirt to reveal a large scar on his chest. He had the heart inside him. All Chisato has to do is kill him!

Takina has no problem fulfilling his request, however, Chisato won’t let her. Then, Yoshimatsu’s bodyguard attacks, forcing Chisato to make a tough choice. She shoots Yoshimatsu, but it’s not a fatal wound. Takina tries to finish him off, but Chisato doesn’t want to live if it means killing him. Anyhow, they have to hurry to the Enkuboku as Lilybell has been dispatched to retire Lycoris.

Lycoris Recoil Episode 12 Takina Inoue listening to Yoshimatsu berating Chisato Nishikigi

What did you think?

There are some quite insane people in this series. Yoshimatsu, I am looking at you. Not only is he prepared to kill everyone and anyone to achieve his goal, but presumably he replaced his heart with the mechanical one to get Chisato to kill. There’s got to be a better way to achieve that. Personally, I’m with Takina in that this guy has got to go, but I can see that would lead to the problem that is Lycoris… and now Lilybell too. It’s a dangerously slippery slope. You start by killing murderers and terrorists, and then maybe you go for thieves. Before long, it’ll become a question of whose morals decide.

I wonder if this series is going to even go there now with only one episode left. The Lycoris program should be terminated as should the Lilybell program, but people with that sort of power very rarely give it up freely. Exploring that issue could be a whole season on its own. Anyhow, this was a thrill of an episode. Takina has come on in leaps and bounds and now may have pulled ahead of Chisato as my favourite. I think she’s the easier of the two to understand at least.

I had to laugh when I saw a comment online about how the USB drive going in the first time was the least realistic moment in the show and I kind of agree. However, Chisato seeing her backpack and just running out of the elevator to recover it topped that for me. For all her smarts and tactical awareness, this was the strangest decision. Let’s see if it was worth it.