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Episode 2: The True Nature of the Homunculi
Air date: October 11th 2006
Channel: TV Tokyo
Length: 23 minutes
Summary
The actions of Tokiko and Kazuki have not gone unnoticed, as the opening sequence - a conversation between two characters whose faces at this point are not yet revealed - shows to the audience.
On the day after their battle, Kazuki meets Tokiko on the factory ground, where she tells him about how a homunculus parasite can infect a human by attaching itself to his brain, turning him into a homunculus. When they are praying outside by the makeshift graves that Kazuki has dug for the victims' bones, they are suddenly attacked by an eagle type homunculus, on whose back a human is riding: a boy who is wearing the uniform of Kazuki's school - and a strange butterfly mask. He attempts to infect Tokiko with a parasite, but she fends it off, and the strangers are forced to retreat.
However, when Mahiro and the rest of Kazuki's friends unexpectedly show up, curious to see who Kazuki is meeting, it turns out that the parasite is still alive, and threatening to infect Mahiro. There seems to be no way to avoid drawing his friends into the battle...
New main characters introduced:
Koushaku Chouno (Mitsuaki Madono)
Guest starring:
Kentarou Itou as Washio
Hiro Yuuki as Kawazui
Compared to the manga...
This episode covers the third and the fourth chapters, and also stays relatively close to the manga's story. The biggest addition might have been that of a small dialogue between Papillon and Washio in the beginning, which works really well, though, and can be considered an improvement.
(More Papillon = good)
Opinion
The series continues to satisfy; the animation quality is still pretty good, and all the little changes to the original story have been in the audience's best interest. Maybe the ending is a little anticlimactic, since the most exciting action scene actually happened in the middle of the episode.
Papillon, as far as one can tell by this episode, has made the transition to the screen very nicely. His introduction scene was nicer than in the manga, and Mitsuaki Madono voices him excellently. Joy!
OP: Makka Na Chikai by Yoshiki Fukuyama
I love it. Both the song and the video clip are perfect. It is really fortunate that Busou Renkin did not get a regular J-pop number, but instead an extremely catchy, upbeat rock song - which captures the atmosphere of the story perfectly, and absolutely lives up to my hopes!
(Written by Kaeli on October 15th)