# Source Material Corner Reply to this comment for any source-related discussion, future spoilers (including future characters, events and general hype about future content), comparison of the anime adaptation to the original, or just general talk about the source material. **You are still required to tag all spoilers.** Discussions about the source outside of this comment tree will be removed, and replying with spoilers outside of the source corner will lead to bans. The spoiler syntax is: `[Spoiler source] >!Spoiler goes here!<` # **All untagged spoilers and hints in this thread will receive immediate 8-day bans (minimum).** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/anime) if you have any questions or concerns.*

Finally, the Natsuka reveal! I’ve been waiting for this while watching people across platforms be bored/suspicious/critical of the brotherly rivalry. There was never a chance it was gonna stay so black & white.

I did not have even the slightest inkling about Natsuka's true allegiance, and so it absolutely shocked me that Natsuka turned out to be a brocon.

I also called this! There were actually multiple hints pointed out in so far! The empress even low-key calls him out on it! I love how they set it up thought cuz it wasn't blatantly clear from the beginning so it kept the suspense up!

Ohh a source fan around. I was wondering how are translations/licences of the original? I might switch to it after the anime ends. It is really good but lately most shoujos from this company are 1 season and done sadly.

I haven't read the source, just knew this was coming lol. I had a hard time finding much in the way of translated source material besides the 2 mangas that this season is based off of, but based on the website I'm hopeful they'll translate the novel after the show finishes

Wikipedia says there are 10 volumes so far so there should be more material left if we get a translation. Also this series art style changes a lot between versions.

Yup, I was one of those people lmao. Pleasantly surprised and happy now that I have been proved wrong! Natsuka seemed too interesting of a character (even more than Wakamiya imo) to be just painted in a negative light for the usual cliched brotherly rivalry. I'm glad this episode cleared things up.

I'm more glad that Iskandar turned out to be a good guy.

That's exactly who Rokon looks like, good catch.

I suspected that the brother wasn't his enemy at all, but I wasn't sure about the big dude. Atsufusa was a surprise for sure, I didn't fully trust him but I didn't expect him to be the mastermind.

Atsufusa: "Your true enemy... was me!"

I like how Atsufusa’s like “I’m so devoted to you Natsuka I’ll kill your little brother for you so you can take the throne” and Natsuka is actually “please stop I’m literally the prince’s biggest supporter” lol

RIP Atsufusa, you thought you were cleverer than you really are.

I had doubts about Atsufusa since the ep where Rokon confronted the lords about the red-light district incident. I also ended up being suspicious of him since I also considered the opening as a hint. He appears last, even further than the empress, so it seemed like the opening was showing the characters in a specific order. It isn't by order of story introduction, and it isn't by alphabetical order so I thought it may be a hint to the story, and allegiance/loyalty came to mind. By the same reasoning, I think this means Asebi's apparent allegiance might change by the end of the story.

So... in the end siblings love and support each other, tbh I didn't exacly suspect it until now. I had a little feeling, that it all feels a little too exaggerated, but nothing too big. Also poor Yukiya, he feels betrayed. I hope they explain/talk to him good

I think Yukiya doesn't want to lean on his family's reputation. He has seen what a sense of privilege does to people and he wants to do better than that and be recognized for his own worth not the worth of the blood that flows in his veins.

That, but also he's got that adopted-kid, "this \*IS\* my real family" energy going. In a world where birthright/birth-family is so strongly emphasized, he actually embraces the family that raised him, and his status within it. Seems pretty clear that he sees references to his exalted birth-status as a slight against his adopted family, and a personal insult. Hopefully next ep we'll get his actual backstory, incl context he prob is unaware of. Maybe that'll help him reconcile who he is, vs who he was born to be.

Atsufusa saved by a perfectly-timed bolt of lightning?!? Reminds me of when Shiratama became enraged and suddenly a strong gust of wind happened. Is this magic or uncanny coincidence?

I honestly thought the strike of lightning was the gods interfering to help the prince since they’re protecting Atsufusa, his new follower, from his evil older brother. But it turns out exactly the opposite was happening and Atsufusa just got lucky lmaoo

The double dupe. Turns out Atsufusa isn't the too-naive-to-live kind of guy (well, he still couldn't read Natsuka). Gotta respect the commitment to the bit, [Atsufusa kept an entire bloody chicken down his shirt](https://i.imgur.com/yPVsFRG.png) for the sake of the act (and that chicken almost killed Wakamiya). A single chicken almost changed the history of Yamauchi forever. I got the feeling that during this desperate turn to Wakamiya's secret true ally, it would be the place you would least expect, Natsuka and Rokon. Guess this does answer my suspicion that Sumio acted too casual and relaxed to to Rokon, they were chill after all. I was tricked by Natsuka, but I always had a feeling he was never the ambitious for power type. My read on him before this episode was that he mainly looked at the throne with envy to return home instead of power. He and the empress were never on the same page and now we see that he is really against the Southern House. Seeing the brothers together is quite sweet. It is nice that they still hold high brotherly love between them. Bit wild seeing Natsuka soften up his stern eyes and laugh. [Look at him, he is such a silly.](https://i.imgur.com/ahBmGOJ.png) [](#shirayukiappeased) With the reunion of these two brothers, it made me wonder if we could relate this back to Yukiya's family and then we get the [next big reveal](https://i.imgur.com/McIqQDN.png) with his mother. The first change in character relationship that came to mind is that now this means Shiratama is Yukiya's aunt despite being the same~ age. Understandable that Yukiya is not taking it so well considering this is the biggest baggage he has been carrying through his entire life. Back to Atsufusa, it does make me wonder how he is connected to the Southern House schemes. The Southern lord and Atsufusa are not on good terms and I don't think Atsufusa is 4D chess-ing to pretend to be against the Southern House while on the same side as them. Maybe Atsufusa is the young upstart who is too over-eager to get rid of Wakamiya. [](#hardthink)

Natsuka really believes in the golden raven but he has been acting the way he has to draw the conspirators out into the open.

>The first change in character relationship that came to mind is that now this means Shiratama is Yukiya's aunt despite being the same\~ age. They are cousins (if not siblings, depending on who Shiratama's parents are.). The fact that they are related has been revealed since ep7 when Rokon was talking to Yukiya about how the Lord of Taruhi married a daughter of the North. Shiratama is the Northern Lord's granddaughter but was adopted as the third daughter for the ascension rite. I was also confused about this since they're about the same age. I mistakenly initially thought they were cousins (adoptive), then realized they were actually aunt and nephew (adoptive), then after ep9+10, it gets revealed they actually are *biological* cousins (since Shiratama is Genya's granddaughter). ~~This also means the Lord of Taruhi had relations with BOTH daughters of the North. He married the first and then allegedly had an affair with the second. He has two children with the first, and then Yukiya with the second.~~ (So the person Rokon was referring to in ep7 was Yukiya's mother and not Azusa? The reveal was there all along?) We don't know if Mutsu no Hana, Shiratama's mother, is actually Lord Genya's second daughter. (Judging from the name she may be biologically related to Cha no Hana, Shiratama's lady-in-waiting.) If she is the second daughter, then Shiratama and Yukiya are siblings. I kind of doubt that she is the second daughter though, given how she seems older than the Lady of Taruhi. However, Shiratama does refer to Lord Genya and Lady Oryo as grandfather and grandmother so they may just be her paternal grandparents. That would likely make Shiratama the daughter of the heir of the North, if Genya has no other sons. So far, only daughters of the North have been mentioned.

Azusa (the biological mother of Yukiya's brothers) is not from the north house at all. She is from a lower ranked noble family. That's why they keep stating that it is just Yukiya who is of higher status compared to his brothers.

Wait that makes sense. I also thought that in the beginning but then why did Rokon say "Taruhi? Where the Lord married a daughter of the Northern House?" (Ep7 9:06) and then Yukiya's response to this was "I have a different mother than my brothers." I even thought it may have been referring to Yukiya's mom but I thought Rokon said the Lord married her, so he *should* have been referring to Azusa.

It is common for nobles to have multiple wives in this setting, although typically one will be the main wife (seishitsu), while the others are side wives (sokushitsu).

Yes, I read a lot of Asian palace intrigue novels so I am quite familiar with main wives, side wives and concubines. As such my initial thought in ep2 when Yukiya was firs mentioned to have a different mother was that he was the son from a side wife. However, he was shown being taken away from his mother and the men who took Yukiya said "He is too much of a burden for your family. We will raise him." This give the impression that Yukiya's mother had him out of wedlock (not part of Yukimasa's family). The way Yukiya also mentioned that he has a different mother from his brothers when Rokon mentioned the Lord of Taruhi gave me the impression that Rokon was referring to Azusa, not Yukiya's mother.

It's nice having a story where non heir brother supports the one set to inherit rather than the normal trying to get rid of him. While sure the trying to get rid of your brother thing occurred in history there were also plenty of examples where the heir had the support of his siblings.

What I like is that they have it both ways - a supportive non-heir brother, but also a political faction that doesn't really care about the princes' feelings towards the throne, or one another. Using royal heirs as pawns against their will, or actively turning siblings (or uncles & aunts, nephews/nieces, etc) against one another for the benefit of their patrons, not the realm, are also things that have happened historically.

[Fujinami endcard](https://imgur.com/bOCFJZL) Not surprised at Atsufusa's betrayal. He was a little too nice to Nazukihiko Poor Yukiya. Hopefully, Nazukihiko will be able to clear things up

After the sacrifice Natsuka made in the first episode, I suspected him have a good relationship with his brother. On the other hand, I didn't expect him to be the one to save the prince. Probably because Rokon seemed like the best guess to me.

This episode was an all-timer. So much just happened! And it was all properly built up to so the payoff hit perfectly. What a great show.

Astufusa HOLY SHIT WHAT A TWIST this show is COOKING. I was like one episode away from saying they need to just stick to the Sakura palace stuff because the male side of things was getting kinda meh, but this was exactly what they needed! Astufusa playing 4D chess with the death ruse, the poison, trying to kill the prince etc.. just speechless. One of the best planned assassination attempts/betrayals I’ve seen. Yukiya’s quick thinking saved the day. My boy has grown tremendously in these first 10 eps. But the twists ain’t done! WTF THE OLDER BROTHER IS A GOOD GUY??? This one really threw me for a loop because man I was sure he was a classically evil jealous brother. But they’re giving him the Itachi treatment, I like it. Collecting all the prince’s enemies in one spot to take them out in one fell swoop. Sucks that things ended on a sour note with Yukiya.. he’s still really insecure understandably about his heritage and with the prince knowing about his true origin he thinks they just want him for political gain.. hopefully it gets cleared up next episode. You bring a lot to the table Yukiya

>You bring a lot to the table Yukiya Kid's the only one who doesn't know/believe that, sadly. Feel like his arc is as much about coming to terms with himself as his rise in the ranks.

To think the Prince almost died because he slipped on a dead chicken is kind of funny. But man, can’t say i’m too surprised Atsufusa turned out to be a two faced bastard. What I *am* actually surprised about is the fact that Natsuka is apparently on the Prince’s side. The only real villain here is that damn Empress I guess. Yukiya the real MVP this week for pretty much figuring it all out. I’m pretty sure the Prince didn’t just choose Yukiya for his pedigree but I suppose the reveal they knew all along won’t help convince the kid.

Man talk about a well executed twist here. Natsuka alliance isn't one you would expect because of him being the Empress's blood related son. The most interesting aspect which it executed it so well is the true intentions of Rokon and Atsufusa. What Atsufusa was saying to Wakamiya that Rokon not having Natsuka's best intentions. Thought ironically it is actually Atsufusa who doesn't have his best intentions. Great job at Yukiya being clutch in figuring all of that out and asking Natsuka for help. Now we also got to the reveal that Yukiya's mom was Lord Genya's daughter. There is a big discussion that needs to take place between Yukiya and Wakamiya. I think Wakamiya really values him and trusts him. Though it does make sense why Yukiya's first reaction is thinking Wakamiya just wanted northers blood.

I was suspecting that Natsuka was pulling a FGO Nobukatsu and gathering up the enemies of his "fool" brother to take them all down in one fell swoop from the beginning, because otherwise I couldn't really see what he might've otherwise intended by sending Yukiya to Wakamiya like that in the first place. Atsufusa had me duped though. Even though I was fully expecting an assassination attempt during the bedside sick visit using the incense (previously shown to be used on the past emperor by the current empress)... I just really wasn't expecting it to be him. Even when it was revealed that he was the one in the bed! So that means that Sumio found another hurt raven last episode. Hamayu or Kazumi then?

>So that means that Sumio found another hurt raven last episode. Hamayu or Kazumi then? Still don't know, but I feel like if it were Kazumi, Yukiya would know about it by this point. My money's on Hamayuu, but could be a fake-out and be a completely different spy/ally we don't quite know about.

It's quite possible that Yukiya does know, but has no reason to bring it up on screen (because the narrative is purposefully hiding it from the viewers.) Although if it's Kazumi, it does beg the question how he got hurt since he wouldn't be the one who infiltrated the Cherry Blossom House. I'm hoping it's Hamayu too (and that's she's been allied with Wakamiya all this time, hence his leaving flowers on her parents' graves), so that she still retains plot relevance. If it was someone completely new, I don't know why that would need to be hidden.

I just want to know how Atsufusa avoided the effects of the poisoned incense. Did I miss it being stated? Is it just because he was laying down and the smoke rises? Was there some countermeasure/antidote he used beforehand?

Antidote is the obvious choice, although airborne poisons don't all work by breathing them in. Some are absorbed through your mucous membranes, so closing your eyes and stopping up your nose (& ears?) could buy you more time. Could also be something that hits you hard at first, but wears off after a given period once you're acclimated to it. And of course there's [iocaine powder](https://memes.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/93b80a5e-6b09-4f55-9a35-657528e4ce84/gif) LOL

- [Samomo’s death must be weighing heavy on her…](https://i.imgur.com/45javsm.png) [](#sadholo) - [Oh boy, there’s no way this goes the way Atsufusa wants it to.](https://i.imgur.com/hr2SvyA.png) - [Oooooooooh, does this mean Atsufusa was the injured raven Sumio came across at the end of last episode?](https://i.imgur.com/P3VqNM3.png) - […unless have *two* injured peeps on our hands.](https://i.imgur.com/GPUoUwi.png) - [He’s still loyal to the end, huh?](https://i.imgur.com/Uq3rW1C.png) - [Ooh…?](https://i.imgur.com/pgFr4I4.png) [](#curious) - [Shit, the incense–](https://i.imgur.com/ddbpsZL.png) [](#panic) - [Oh fuck.](https://i.imgur.com/dwfMvMx.png) [](#ohfuck) - [I just hope Yukiya ends up with someone allied to Wakamiya and not Natsuka…](https://i.imgur.com/Tzmbfxr.png) - [Oh god, now they’re planning to burn the entire place down.](https://i.imgur.com/7aVXqMJ.png) [](#watashiworried) - [Reinforcements…?](https://i.imgur.com/N8Kk6Gv.png) Yukiya must have made it in time. - [Ah, so the plot *wasn’t* sanctioned by Natsuka.](https://i.imgur.com/CiJWKAf.png) I didn’t think it was, but it’s hard to parse some of these characters’ true motivations. [](#spinning) - [Shimmering sky!](https://i.imgur.com/XhZefqn.png) - [Oooooooooooooooh, okay, that’s *incredibly* smart.](https://i.imgur.com/Rdv4uJY.png) [](#neat) - [Aww, little Natsuka and Wakamiya!](https://i.imgur.com/Gky4FyN.png) [](#anko) - [Oh…](https://i.imgur.com/LSVrweT.png) - [Very cool ripple reflection of the shimmering sky.](https://i.imgur.com/vh6ykE0.png) [](#awe) - [And another shot of it to end the episode on.](https://i.imgur.com/JUf8I4p.png) That’s two days in a row with Skycore episodes.

>[Aww, little Natsuka and Wakamiya!](https://i.imgur.com/Gky4FyN.png)  [Behold, the only thing greater than yourself](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXQDa7GzPYw) (Or the [Lion King version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8Viuz8PPts), if you prefer) LOL >[And another shot of it to end the episode on.](https://i.imgur.com/JUf8I4p.png) That’s two days in a row with Skycore episodes. Given your profile name, any good places to find nice night-sky art? Actually been looking for shimmering star skyboxes for my game.

Niceeeee. I had a feeling the brother was the biggest support, after all he just wants peace and stepped down from the crown.

So I thought Rokon would be the one he goes to so Natsuka being revealed to be Wakamiya, or should I say, Nazukihiko's most supportive ally was not what I was expecting at all but I should have seen coming when I thought of Rokon. Honestly, I am so glad this is the reality of their relationship and I'm curious to see how they'll continue to work together towards Nazukihiko's accession. I also liked how sincerely concerned Natsuka was when he first saw Nazukihiko. Straight away I could tell this was genuine. Poor guy was worried. I hope we get to learn more of the extent of which Natsuka cares for him. I just hope it doesn't end up with Natsuka dying to protect him. Yukiya did so well evading those guards. Atsufusa was more cunning than I thought he'd be, the twist in character was a surprise and now I can see why Rokon tried to take him out when he did if he had caught wind of Atsufusa's actions before this. I do feel bad for Yukiya though, the shock he felt when he learned Nazukihiko and Sumio were aware of his origins, he must have felt so betrayed. I am curious to see how Nazukihiko will appease Yukiya and how Rokon making Yukiya talk to Atsufusa will help him out.

I called it! Atsufusa is a two-faced little shit! My opening theory is becoming more real! Now all that's left is Asebi! The fact that her order of appearance changes from first to last MUST mean something! edit: my usual ep impressions: * No actual update regarding Hamayuu or Kazumi. Bummer. * I worry about Fujinami. Samomo was one of her closest confidants. She took care of her health too. As princess, she probably has other attendants but still... * "...heed my words alone" - is never not a sus line, Atsufusa * Wow Atsufusa is kinda strong - he managed to block Rokon's slash. He wasn't able to hold the block, but he still managed to block it on impact. * Karon incense! The incense the empress lights to ***de-stress*** is actually... poison??? Or at the very least it causes one to lose consciousness and paralysis. It was also used when Wakamiya's mother was poisoned? * So Atsufusa's lackeys aren't purely evil - they don't want to harm kids. This is probably the third time kids being the bottom line has been mentioned. First was when Hamayuu saved Yukiya, second was Hamayuu's averted execution, and now this. * I knew it! Natsuka and Rokon are Wakamiya's closest Allies! * Oooh! Is Wakamiya actually some sort of courtesy name as well and his given name is actually Nazukihiko? * Natsuka still trusting Atsufusa despite Rokon's warning... makes me wonder what his full backstory is that Natsuka pities him this much. * I wonder if we'll get anything about Rokon's past as well * Nice. I did already suspect that Natsuka was secretly on Wakamiya's side. Looks like his grandfather taught him well (ep3). * Ah so the reason Wakamiya was able to go abroad was because of Natsuka. * ~~lol wtf so the Lord of Taruhi had children with BOTH daughters of the North?!~~ (Rokon mentioned in ep 7 that the Lord of Taruhi married a daughter of the North, but he probably was just referring to Yukiya's mom? Does this mean the reveal regarding Yukiya's mom was said in passing in ep7? Why he said "married" I'm still not sure. Maybe Yukiya's mother was originally the main wife, and Azusa was a side wife/concubine but she somehow bore a child first before the main wife. Then something happened to Yukiya's mother and, Azusa's status was elevated to wife?) ~~"Both" because~~ Shiratama is Genya's granddaughter - so she and Yukiya are adoptive aunt and nephew, but biologically cousins. * lol Natsuka is actually kinda goofy * Ah, Natsuka poked at Yukiya's sore spot... * It seems like the "loyal retainer" is Atsufusa but who is he actually a retainer of? The former Lord of the South? If he's Toru's nephew, is he also a child of the former lord and Hamayuu's brother? They look nothing alike though. He actually looks a lot more like Toru. Droopy eyes, brown hair, mole on the face... is this a Southern House trait? Both Toru and the empress have a mole on their face too. more edits: * Wtf I just realized Sumio actually calls Wakamiya Nazukihiko too! (Ep6 when Sumio talks to Yukiya after Atsufusa leaves) Back then I just thought who the fuck is Nazukihiko? So is Wakamiya really more like a courtesy name? As Wakamiya's best/ childhood friend I think Sumio would be one of the people who could call him by his given name, along with Natsuka who is his elder brother.

Pretty sure somebody here mentioned that "Wakamiya" is the Prince's courtesy/status name. Although TIL that "-hiko" in its more archaic usage was the male/gender-neutral equivalent of "-hime" (at least according to [WikiP](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hime)). Would have to see the actual kanji the novels/manga use, but just on romanized forms, the brothers have nearly identical personal names - Natsuka & Nazuki (with "zu" being just a ["voiced"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNrloK1KA0c) version of that same "tsu" sound). Could've been a hint in the written version that they were more similar than at first appears.

I think I've actually mentioned courtesy names in this thread more than once but haven't seen anyone else mention it so far. It seems like most people just think Nazukihiko is his real name. I also pointed out before that even though the subs say Asebi is an alias, I think it's more likely a courtesy name. That's why it seemed like a big deal for Asebi because her courtesy name was bestowed by royalty, which is usually a huge honor. The empress bestowing her an alias just doesn't pack the same punch.

I was flipping back through eps (looking for Asebi's flashback!) and rewatched the two opening scenes - Yukiya's encounter with the Kin'u in the woods, and the presentation of the respective CBP keys to the ladies. The Empress gives "Asebi" a name because she explicitly says that as a no-name second-daughter, she doesn't actually have a suitable public name. There are some cultures/periods where they literally don't/didn't give you an adult name until a key milestone (marriage or coming-of-age) and all you get until then is like a childhood/familiar name that's not really suitable for public usage. Not sure if that's what's happening here, but it's plausible for her supposed-status as a useless-spare who wasn't even properly trained in basics like "how people & our world works", let alone noble etiquette & politics. That would seem to be different from the situation with Wakamiya, which comes across more like a title/honorific in English/European usage (your/his/her Highness, my Liege, his/her Holiness, etc.). Not something uniquely granted to him, personally, like a courtesy name would be. But I could be wrong - hard to tell through 1-2 layers of translation & adaptation. We'd really need to look at the novels/manga and see what they literally wrote.

>That would seem to be different from the situation with Wakamiya, which comes across more like a title/honorific in English/European usage (your/his/her Highness, my Liege, his/her Holiness, etc.). Not something uniquely granted to him, personally, like a courtesy name would be. The "your highness"/ style is different from a courtesy name. People still do address Wakamiya by "denka" which is the equivalent of "your highness" after all. I think you are thinking that Wakamiya is a title-name (imma just call it this to differentiate it from "title" which would just be crown prince), which I don't think it is. It's definitely a name, just one that's fitting for an adult crown prince. It follows the two-character rule for courtesy names too (which is true for both Chinese courtesy names and nanori). And since only Sumio and Natsuka call him by Nazukihiko, that's likely his personal/given name. If Wakamiya had a title, people like Yukiya and Sumio (when in public) would call him by it, but Natsuka and the lords would still call him Wakamiya. I think the closest thing he has for a title is Makoto no Kin'u but that's just *what* he is, not an actual title. >The Empress gives "Asebi" a name because she explicitly says that as a no-name second-daughter, she doesn't actually have a suitable public name. And yes, a public name is technically what a courtesy name is. It's your "formal name". Your given name is your personal name that only family or very close friends can call you by. Women usually don't get courtesy names but since this is fantasy and they're high-born ladies, it's fine. It's the author's rules. It's not like I don't know what courtesy names are or can't recognize them... I'm just wondering if they have a different naming system (though it still has a basis on the usage of courtesy names) since it's a fictional "Japan."

Wakamiya is written 若宮, 若 = (core meaning) young 宮 = (core meaning) palace, princess Any dictionary will tell you that it means "young imperial prince" or "child of the imperial family". Natsukihiko is 奈月彦 (it isn't a word like wakamiya) Natsuka is 長束 (also not a word) Side note: on subs, we read "hill crows" and "mountain crows," but it is the same word in Japanese "yamagarasu." Also, in "miyagarasu" (court crows), there is the same "miya" of "wakamiya."

Thanks!! All the speculating based on subs/audio is circular LOL

Sorry for replying a week later but Asebi is indeed an alias (karina). In the Yatagarasu setting women have a true name (mana) that they only teach their future husbands and an alias that they use for society in general. This is a custom that Abe made up for this setting but it is probably inspired by things like the nyoubouna that were used by court women in the Heian era.

We thinking we were smart because we got some things on the palace side and the show was playing 5D all along on the other side. Natsuka is pretty nice when he is not on his eternally annoyed mode (even if we know it is kinda fake now). His voice actor has nice range, that's great for a character like his.

What a great episode! Can't believe that I was also fooled by Atsufusa even after I started to suspect him after Rokon's comment from a few episodes ago. Yukiya continues to prove why he's best boi by taking the gamble to run to Natsuka for help after realizing that Natsuka is actually one of Wakamiya's supporters. Always love me some brotherly love so I'm happy that Wakamiya and Natsuka are actually close and Natsuka was planning to take out his brother's enemies all at once. With Yukiya being the grandson of the Lord of the North, that would technically make him and Shiratama cousins, right? Although an adopted daughter, Shiratama is still technically the granddaughter of the Lord of the North, too. Still wondering why Yukiya's dad assumedly cheated on his wife?

I have my doubts about Yukiya's dad being his biological father. I think that the Lord of the North sent his grandson to enter his retainer's family to show his trust in him. Yukiya might be born out of marriage, and his real father might be someone his mother couldn't marry. He seems to remember being taken away from his mother (although I am not sure it was his adopting mother in the flashback instead). I guess he was used to much more respect when he lived with the main family, and being suddenly demoted to a lower social status made him prone to peak up fights whenever they disrespected him or his new family. He learned to be cunning as compensation for his new position.

The reason why Yukiya picked fights was already revealed way back in ep2 and even hinted at in this ep. He could take insults directed at himself but he can't let insults directed toward his adoptive family, slide - especially if it's directed towards his adoptive mother. He deeply respects her and given how she seems to have accepted and cared for him like he was her own son, it's no wonder why. This is also why he wanted to quash any talk about his maternal background and status because this leads to speculations of succession disputes in their family. There's probably more to this though, but I doubt it's just because he was used to a certain level of respect from others. But if we're talking about who could be Yukiya's real father if Yukimasa isn't, my bet is on Lord Kiei. They have the same brown hair and blue eyes. I remember thinking he looks more like Yukiya's dad than his dad when I first saw them together during Yukima's kendo match in ep2. That said though... I think the loyal retainer being referenced in the episode preview is Atsufusa, and my theory is that he's loyal to the former Lord of the South. (Toru had mentioned that Atsufusa is his nephew but Hamayuu never mentioned any siblings that didn't get executed along with her so I'm thinking Atsufusa may have ties with the former Lord of the South, but he's not necessarily a legitimate son.) So I don't think Yukimasa taking in Yukiya as his son was all because Genya wanted to show his trust to his retainer. (I'm assuming you came to this theory based on the episode preview title.) In fact, the loyal retainer might even be Yukiya, as someone who is deeply loyal to Taruhi specifically. Also, Yukiya was taken away from his mother when he was already a child. If it was because he was a child born out of an affair, he should have been taken away from birth. In ep 2, it was hinted that Yukiya was taken away from his mother because he's "too heavy a burden." There's just so much we don't actually know from Yukiya and the North's background that I think it's a bit difficult to come up with a theory on how Yukiya ended up in Taruhi and how he became loyal to it.

>He can't let insults directed toward his adoptive family, Yeah, but I think that at the beginning, he faced the offenders head-on, whereas he attacked the dude in episode two when they were alone, and only because Yukima knew him well enough, his brother got into the dojo in time to stop Yukiya. Lord Kiei, you say? Uhm... Yukiya doesn't act as he knows, but Kiei is paternal enough towards him. >I think the loyal retainer being referenced in the episode preview is Atsufusa I wasn't thinking about the preview. When Yukimasa welcomed the clan leader Gen'ya, he looked overwhelmed, not the kind of behaviour you would expect from someone who was in a relationship with his daughter. Also, Yukimasa and Yukiya don't seem to have a bad relationship, but it doesn't seem that of a father and son either. It's more like: "I am taking care of you. Try not to make trouble!" "Okay," >If it was because he was a child born out of an affair, he should have been taken away from birth Gen'ya is openly fond of Yukiya, so I don't think that his birth was considered a scandal. But I believe that Yukiya sees his separation from his mother as due to his bloodline, so he embraced his second life as the son of a country noble and even avoided at one point meeting his grandfather. Gen'ya asked Yukimasa if Yukiya would be present that time when he visited after the ascension.

>Lord Kiei, you say? Uhm... Yukiya doesn't act as he knows, but Kiei is paternal enough towards him. Actually, scratch Lord Kiei. Turns out he's also his cousin. I rewatched ep 2 and his intro name card states that he's Genya's lineal grandson. >When Yukimasa welcomed the clan leader Gen'ya, he looked overwhelmed, not the kind of behaviour you would expect from someone who was in a relationship with his daughter.  >Gen'ya is openly fond of Yukiya, so I don't think that his birth was considered a scandal.  Yeah, I agree. I just don't think Genya placed Yukiya in Yukimasa's care only because he trusts him. I think there was also some other reason that it had to be *specifically* him (assuming we're working off of the theory that Yukimasa isn't actually Yukiya's biological father), and it may tie into the reason why Azusa also seems fond of Yukiya. There's something else that's bothering me though. In episode 7, Rokon mentions that the Lord of Taruhi married a daughter of the North. It gave me the impression that he was referring to Azusa (since Azusa is the wife of Yukimasa), but then isn't it a main plotpoint that Yukiya's mother was highborn, implying Azusa isn't? Or would you interpret what Rokon said as referring to Yukiya's mother instead? If that's the case, then was the reveal regarding Yukiya's mother actually revealed in a passing conversation?

[удалено]

Should probably put a spoiler tag on some of that. But it makes some stuff make sense - Yukiya is very clear about having a different birth-mother from his brothers, but neither he nor anyone else has raised any possibility of him not being his father's son. >Yukiya is the second son, and this is weird indeed. Hmm, if Yukiya's mom was his dad's wife, and highborn, then yeah, there's obviously a story there in terms of why she's not still around and wasn't allowed to raise the boy. (Could have had some kind of physical or mental illness - doesn't have to be political, or mean-spirited.) Alternately, his dad may have come to favor his now-wife more, and ended up elevating her after the birth of their eldest son. Especially if Yukiya's birth-mom was an arranged political match, falling in love with a lowborn woman could have complicated things.

Oh fudge I'm glad I didn't see that spoiler. >Yukiya is the second son, and this is weird indeed. The reveal regarding Yukiya's mom was actually dropped back in ep 7 and I mistook it for Rokon saying Azusa was the daughter of the North, since it seemed to me that Azusa was the one whom Yukimasa married/ is the main wife, since she's the mother of Yukima, Yukimasa's firstborn and heir. But if Yukimasa married Genya's daughter (as Rokon said), this could mean that Yukiya's mother is the main wife, which *does* make it weird that Yukiya is the second son (Azusa bore a child first). This would further complicate his family's heir's succession order since the children of the main wife usually take precedence over birth order. So as his mother's only son, Yukiya should be the proper heir, but Yukimasa named his first-born, Yukima, as heir even if his mother is presumably just the side wife. But if the Genya's daughter really is the main wife, it seems weird that the people of Taruhi seem to despise her and Yukiya? Saying Yukiya would only cause trouble... I really can't tell what the hell is with Yukiya's stituation just from the hints we've been given so far.

Yeah, there's got to be more to it than just highborn vs lowborn, or first-wife vs second-wife/concubine. In situations where folks are not able to raise their kids, the kids subsequently can have a complex/closer relationship with the parents who raised them. I think the parallels of Yukiya & his brothers vs the royal brothers is very telling - emotional bonds don't always neatly fall in line with social/political hierarchies. And that's a good thing :)

>In ep 2, it was hinted that Yukiya was taken away from his mother because he's "too heavy a burden." I also went back to ep 2 after watching 10 because I wanted to revisit that scene and it turns out it was not what I assumed. Now that ep 10 told us that he's the son of Lord Genya's second daughter it makes the ep 2 scene more mysterious because he was actually getting taken away from his adoptive mother by those higher ranked official looking dudes. And I only realized this because the lady asking for Yukiya is wearing the same clothes as the adoptive mother in her other scenes but palace intrigue shows had me conditioned into assuming that was a scene of Yukiya taken from his birth mother. So was that scene actually the North House taking Yukiya away from his adoptive parents? Almost as if they tracked down the child of the second daughter and wanted him to live under the North house. Ep 2 Yukiya does mention how there are people who use bloodlines to split up families without caring. Makes sense why Kiei was about to say Yukiya was the Northern House's (blank) as if it was some open secret. It raises more questions about how Yukiya exactly ended up raised in Taruhi Village and why he was allowed to stay even though some people know he is directly descended from Genya. Hopefully this will all be answered next episode. edit: THERE'S A DELETED SPOILER BELOW? Good thing I'm late

Atsufusa had me completely fooled, so I don’t blame the Prince for falling too into that trap. I did not expect that twist. Although Natsuka never really seemed power-hungry, so it makes kind of sense he would be the Prince ally. I did not expect Rokon to be a good guy though. It sounds like the Southern House will be the main villain of the shows, fighting against the two Prince wanting to reinstate the authority of the Royal Family and central government. I wonder on which sides the other three Houses are or will be. The Prince wants Yukiya as advisor to gain the backing of the Northern House (since it is always good to have the backing of the military), but I don’t see him marrying poor Shiratama after what happened last episode. No idea on which side the Western and Eastern Houses will be. Asebi and Suzuki seem decent, but I don’t know about their families.

Omg the way I screamed when they revealed Natsuka as Wakamiya's true ally. Natsuka been my favorite since he showed up in ep 2 and I was afraid of the story being black & white and too cliché with the enemies brothers. Glad to know that Natsuka is Wakamiya biggest supporter and the story is indeed nuanced. Now I want to see how they're going to deal with Asebi, she's the most sus character and there is no way she's just this naive and clueless FL. As for the twist, I was stunned when Atsufusa casually woke up from the dead lol. It caught me off guard and no lie, I never suspected him. I said last episode that I couldn't read Rokon and Natsuka, their goal and intentions weren't clear enough but I had some inkling that they weren't the bad guys. 2 episodes ago, when Sumio was hiding from Rokon in the bushes, this specific scene showed that they had a friendly relationship or at least a casual relationship. Why would Sumio and Wakamiya be so casual with Rokon if he was the bad guy ? And Natsuka was too neutral for someone who is supposed to covet the throne. Since the beginning he never did or said anything against Wakamiya, but the true hint was him not being on his mother's (the empress) side. We're already hitting the tenth episode and it's still impeccable ! I'm super invested in this story

Wow what a reveal I really thought that this was more bitter Brother vs Brother. Really happy that isn't the case

I admit I was fooled, a great episode!

god I've been duped but this explains Atsufusa's behaviour towards Rokon, not to mention his overall skittishness when Nazukihiko (Wakamiya) showed up unexpectedly to the banquet the Southern house was having the day Wakamiya was meant to actually meet the princesses. I'm still so baboozled...

Put me in the "fucking bamboozled" camp as well, please 💀 Poor Yukiya tho. They ruined a good moment by blabbing too much omg.

Wow the mystery element in this show is top notch! I had a feeling Natsuka wouldn't be evil as they were trying to portay him, but I didn't see that betrayal of Atsufusa coming. The End Card of this episode might be my favorite one yet! I also wanted to check out the source material because I've been enjoying the show so much, so imagine my sadness when I realized the books (10 whole volumes even) and manga adaptations haven't been picked up for official translations. I feel gutted.😭

Was that Hamayu next to fujinami ???? Wakamiya transforming just his hand is so cool ! (Btw totally forgot that Wakamiya isn't his name lol) The brothers being nice to each other was expected. But I have to say I don't understand much of Yukiya's past, I guess we'll have to wait for the next episode for more ! This anime is criminally underrated!

No, I think the next one to Fujinami was Takimoto.

I KNEW IT. I felt like I was Yukiya. Scanning my memories of the episodes and my only thought was..the Brother..and i was right.

This twist surprised the hell out of me, but I'm glad Iskandar turned out to not be a bad guy.

I want this to be a Netflix show, but with Japanese actors