Somali and the Forest Spirit (Episode 11) – Those Who Protect and Those Who Threaten

It’s time for the Golem, Somali, Shizuno, and Yabashira to move on, but before they go Aunt Rosa tells them of another secret way out of the village. Then, a group of human hunters show up and it’s time to go!

What happened?

After the Golem and Yabashira’s last day as bodyguards for the innkeeper, they return home to find Somali and Shizuno waiting for them. Somali has a present for the Golem and he, ironically, has got her the same thing, only he didn’t make it. Shizuno then drags the group outside for a bit of a snowball fight, although he regrets it once the Golem gets involved. Later that night, the Golem spots a group heading their way. Human hunters. He wakes everyone up and prepares to move. Yabashira is a little confused, but once he learns that Somali is human, he offers to stay behind as a decoy while the others escape.

The Golem leads Shizuno and Somali through an abandoned mine, as directed by Aunt Rosa, but they are ambushed there and must run. Finally, they bump into Aunt Rosa who has come to help them the rest of the way, only she leads them into a dead-end and closes a cage door on them. She then tells them a story about humans and how she hates them and believes they got what they deserved. The hunters come back with a butcher’s block and open the cage to get Somali. Aunt Rosa asks that she can have the liver! The Golem tries to stop them, but his arm explodes. His end date draws nearer.

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What was your favourite element?

This episode was darker than the night itself. Seeing the hunters talking about the parts they wanted to keep themselves and Aunt Rosa gleefully asking for them to save her the liver is completely disturbing. To openly discuss this in front of the little girl they are planning to butcher shows how utterly vile they are. The end of this episode left me feeling shocked and angry. There’s still a fair amount of rage, but seeing the Golem reaching similar levels has me ready to see him annihilate those threatening Somali. Honestly, they all need to die, but I hope Aunt Rosa goes out slow and painfully. I want to see her head removed from her body. I can’t wait for the Golem to go berserk on them!

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What have you learnt?

The only thing I can hope from this episode is that the author is trying to show us that prejudice and hate are not a global concept. Just because one human or non-human is twisted and evil, it doesn’t and shouldn’t label the entire species in that manner. I think we can all agree that genocide is bad. Yes, it has happened, multiple times through human history, but I like to think that the majority are not in that mindset anymore. I also think this shows that a person is not responsible for the actions of the past and to hold someone accountable for something they had no part in is ridiculous. To want to butcher a human child because some other humans a couple of centuries ago got scared and made some bad decisions shows that it has nothing to with anything but blind hate. That said, if this bitch isn’t dead by the end of the next episode, I’m going to have some nasty words to say…

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Other reviews in the series

• Season One
  • Episode 1 – Journeying Parent and Child
  • Episode 2 – Edible Herbs and the Oni’s Dwelling
  • Episode 3 – The Sea at the Bottom of the Cave
  • Episode 4 – The Wishing Flower and the Promise Request
  • Episode 5 – The Wandering Birds
  • Episode 6 – Dying Flowers Look Up at the Birds
  • Episode 7 – The Footsteps That Stalk the Witches
  • Episode 8 – Meetings and Bonds Prayed For
  • Episode 9 – Memories of Minor Days
  • Episode 10 – The Infant Child and the Green Fortress
  • Episode 11 – Those Who Protect and Those Who Threaten
  • Episode 12 – Bonded Father and Child
• Bonus Posts
  • Saturday Spin-off – Hunted to the Ends!

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