Blue Exorcist Episode Eight “Now a Certain Man was Sick” –Review

In the next episode, we begin with Izumo waking up from an epic nightmare of rejection after having failed to protect her friend from the ghoul in the previous episode. We then go to the opening credits. When we get back to the show, we see Izumo returning the shirt that Rin let her borrow. She tries to extract a promise from him not to tell anyone she had been crying after the fight with the ghoul, but Rin doesn’t care about that. What he does care about is that Izumo washed the shirt. (He is less happy that she implied that it was only because it was horribly dirty.) Then Rin’s brother turns up, and they go see how poor Paku is doing.

A little later, Rin and Yukio are discussing the presence of the ghoul. Rin mentions that he thought that the school was protected from demons, which prompts Yukio to pretend surprise that Rin was actually paying attention in class. (Rin is not happy about the teasing, of course.) It’s revealed that sometimes demons do slip through the protections and of course, the school is making an effort at figuring out how it got in.

Meanwhile, Paku and Izumo are having a conversation about Rin. Paku thinks he’s cute, but Izumo is being a tsundere, and protests that she doesn’t think he’s cute at all. The conversation shifts from the relative cuteness of Rin (and Yukio) to the subject of Paku quitting the cram school. Izumo of course tries to convince Paku that she should stay, but Paku is very firm about leaving. (It becomes pretty clear that Izumo had been afraid of not being able to make friends on her own, so she nagged Paku into signing up for the cram school.) Izumo tries to apologize, for not being a better friend, but Paku tells her that she likes Izumo just the way she is.

In the next scene, Rin is up on the roof, remembering the fight with the ghoul. The ghoul had told him that he was only fighting Rin because he had been ordered to. Rin would like to know very much who the ghoul’s boss is.

He reasons that the ghoul probably hadn’t been sent by Satan, but is coming up with a slight blank on who else it could possibly be.

Rin’s musings are interrupted by Shiemi who suddenly appears directly above him. This startles Rin, and causes them to bonk their heads together. After yowling and calling each other “stupid,” Shiemi recruits Rin for some laundry assistance. While Rin helps, they have a discussion about becoming exorcists. Shiemi is still uncertain about whether she has the ability to continue as an exorcist, despite having been very successful in her interventions the day before.

The next lesson at the camp is in “Fatal Verses” which are scriptures that certain kinds of demons are especially susceptible too. The job of an Aria is to recite various verses until he hits one that will kill the demon in question. (Fortunately, it’s generally known which demon species are affected by which set of scriptures.) Izumo is called on to recite a verse the teacher had assigned for homework, but Izumo doesn’t do very well since her personal life has exploded in her face. Suguro is asked to go next, and of course, does perfectly since he wants to be an Aria.

Rin and Shiemi are extremely impressed, but Izumo is unhappy and wants to start a fight with Suguro. The main point is that Arias can’t defend themselves while reciting, and rely on their teammates to protect them. Suguro is of course outraged and the fight escalates from there. Just before it can end in an actual brawl, Yukio comes up and yells at all of them, and subjects them to some severe discipline.

The discipline involves having to hold large rocks that get heavier the longer they are held. They also have to stay in each other’s company all night until they learn to resolve their differences. (In other words, this is a “team work exercise” of sorts.) Then Yukio leaves on a three hour mission. (Everyone is disgruntled and annoyed at him, so they have something to talk about besides each other’s shortcomings.)

Then the lights go out.

It turns out that the ghoul has somehow come back. Shiemi is able to put up some kind of plant barrier temporarily trapping it, but the situation is pretty dire. Rin manages to catch at least half the ghoul’s attention (it has split in two at this point), and takes off running. The other ghoul continues to attack the other kids. The kids end up fighting the ghoul and working together more or less as a team.

While the kids are fighting, Rin is trying to avoid the other half of the ghoul and turn the lights back on. He ends up fighting the other half of the ghoul and in a very desperate moment, bursts into blue flames (without having to draw his sword). This is when the guy who sent the ghoul decides to show himself. It’s one of the teachers. It turns out that this guy really, really hates Rin because of the Night of Blue Fire which killed a lot of clergy all over the world.

Rin draws his sword and kills the ghoul, but the teacher has disappeared.

Meanwhile, everyone is in a very desperate situation. Shiemi has collapsed, the ghoul is outside the barrier, and Suguro is at the very last verse. Izumo is panicking, but Shiemi gives her a pep talk of sorts that strengthens Izumo’s resolve. She summons the foxes again, who are still angry with her. Izumo manages to get control of the foxes, and uses them to hold off the ghoul while Suguro recites. It doesn’t quite work, but Suguro manages to kill the demon.

Then Rin turns up and an outraged Suguro clobbers him for running off like that. (The outrage seems to be mostly concern expressed with fists.) While Rin is trying to keep Suguro from killing him, Shiemi and Izumo have a little heart to heart chat. Then we go to the closing credits.

After the credits, we see Yukio coming back to view the apparent chaos. He’s in the company of the teacher who had summoned the ghoul, and who appears to have it in for Rin.


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