The Case Study of Vanitas Episode 20 - Lovesick

The Case Study of Vanitas episode 20 is absolutely adorable! Honestly, watching this episode unravel was a fun and hilarious experience. I couldn’t help but grin at all these dorks. It’s fun to see everyone on an ordinary day back in Paris, but my absolute favorite is seeing Vanitas, our smooth and smug doctor, traverse into the uncharted territory of an incurable disease — love.

I think we can all agree that the last week’s episode was an epic one, especially with Vanitas’ backstory reveals and developments. Ever since the beginning, he has been mischievous and guarded. So when he’s running around Paris trying to make sense of the pain of his restless heart, it’s too entertaining to watch! First, it was Noé’s panic, then Count Orlok’s reactions, the dramatic realization at the bridge, and lastly, the romantic discussion with the shepherd Roland and the handsome Olivier. (His bangs and top hat got me.)

While the first part of The Case Study of Vanitas episode 20 is dedicated to Vanitas freaking out, the second half is also dedicated to teatime with Jeanne! As things turn out, she also can’t keep Vanitas out of her mind. In contrast to Vanitas though, she’s actually quite happy to have these feelings because she never thought she would ever be allowed to. This puts our precious Luca into a state of panic, and later on, shock. Domi tries to talk Jeanne out of it, but they only reaffirm her strong feelings for Vanitas. This amusing development in the story is one of my favorites so far, and I am here for all of it.

While Jeanne sees it as a good thing, Vanitas is more upset or terrified by the idea of it. Is it because he let it happen? That it was just supposed to be for fun? I mean, who would have expected that Vanitas, personality and all, would actually be rewritten like this? He hates it, and when Roland doubles his love for Vanitas, I found myself in quite a laugh.

Comedy aside though, I wish we get a better explanation soon and I hope it doesn’t have anything to do with that earring. To be honest, I completely realized it was gone until its reappearance in this episode. Is it just me, or did I completely miss an important foreshadowing there?

As always, the art and music are always a delight. I especially loved seeing our characters casually and not in a battle for once. The rooftop ending was lovely, and I admit that I do love seeing the view of the city (and the bromance.) Most of all, Domi is back! I honestly love her elegant and beautiful design, especially when she expresses her adoration for Noé.

While the episode delivers a lot of fuzzy feelings, there were also a few unsettling things going on. For example, there’s Vanitas self-loathe, Domi’s envy for Jeanne’s cheerfulness, and lastly, Mikhail’s appearance and brainwashing at the end. It’s certainly building up for something differently menacing. The next episode will air on Friday, March 11, at 24:00 JST. The English subtitled versions will also be available later on Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Bilibili in select regions. If you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to vote in our weekly polls!

Images via Bilibili
©Jun Mochizuki/SQUARE ENIX, “Vanitas no Carte” Production Committee