Review: Tengoku Daimakyo Episode 8

Tengoku Daimakyo delivered its most emotional plot twist yet with yesterday’s episode 8. Last week we got to learn about the dark ways of the Immortal Order and Usami, a doctor who operates the local branch. But, when Kiruko and Maru met Usami he was amazed by their Man-eater killing skills and he asked them for a favor.

Now, most of us knew where this was headed: the “chopped-up” human in the dark room, hooked on machines that were keeping them alive. As it turns out, the person in that room is a woman who goes by Hoshio. She is Usami’s partner and he kept her alive for years while giving her his body parts, to keep her from turning into a Man-eater. According to Usami, once a human is infected by Man-eater virus they won’t die properly and will eventually turn. To give her the dignity of dying as a human, Usami spent years trying to slow the spread of the disease. Not to experiment on her, but to give her this one last thing that will honor their love. As it turns out, he is not a doctor – he’s just very good at building things and he does it because it makes her happy. Livium’s claims about experimentation are not founded and it’s safe to assume that Man-eaters in the basements were the patients they couldn’t save.

We didn’t get to see many love stories in Tengoku Daimakyo so far. They were always in the background, until now. Hoshio and Usami’s tale was truly wonderful. The little details showed just how much they cared for each other and how far they were willing to go to make each other happy. When she finally died and Usami started crying I believe we were all heartbroken for them. Maru and Kiruko also seemed crushed and Hoshio’s final words did not make the situation any easier for them. Without Hoshio, Usami no longer sees a purpose and decides to end it all.

Now let’s go back to one important question: just who are Usami and Hoshio? The answer is kind of obvious by the end of the episode, at least for Hoshio. Mimihime’s dream gives it away: she is Hoshio, enveloped in darkness but not abandoned and soon joined by someone she loves. If we go back to one of her early conversations with Tokio, she tells her that someone “with Tokio’s face” is coming to save them. I am guessing Usami is Shiro, as we saw him (kind of) confess to Mimiime. Different names can be explained by the fact that the children never use their last names, assuming they even have them. This also further solidifies the theory that Tokio is Maru’s mother: Mimihime’s future prediction skills probably don’t tell her how far into the future an event will happen.

Livium’s involvement in the events of this episode felt a little out of place but it did give us interesting insight into how the society currently functions. In the end, it was not about safety but about resources and power. The remaining Man-eater in the basement probably won’t be good news for them. Speaking of Man-eaters, if it’s a virus that infects humans then it probably started at the clinic with the children. The only reason they haven’t figured it out yet is probably the fact that they cremate the bodies. And the symbol on Kiruko’s gun is probably the Heaven symbol – Usami had the same one.

Maru’s breakdown at the end of the episode was also quite intriguing. It feels like it has been a long time coming but if he truly is Tokio and Kona’s son, just what is he exactly? It’s safe to assume that the children of the hospital are not just regular humans. He was able to reach both Totori and Hoshio’s “hearts” yet he can’t do it to Kiruko, who was born before the Collapse, leading me to believe that whatever this “life force” they have is somehow connected to the Man-eater virus and possibly spreading on to the new generations. Kiruko is also getting closer to finding out Robin’s whereabouts and if he really is a doctor then the plot will only thicken.

Episode 8 of Tengoku Daimakyo is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
© Tengoku Daimakyo Production Committee