Episode 2 of This Monster Wants to Eat Me is now available to stream, and it serves as a strong follow-up to the hauntingly beautiful premiere. After Shiori joined Hinako’s class, I expected her presence to bring chaos, but surprisingly, she fits right in as if nothing’s out of place.
Miko, however, is the only one visibly bothered by Shiori so far, and I’m not complaining, as we got to see more of Miko’s delinquent side. She continues to embody that gag character energy that lightens the show’s otherwise heavy tone. Despite the looming darkness in this story, Miko’s goofy and chaotic “girl failure” aura gives just the right amount of levity, and I really like that balance.
Of course, I know this series is setting up a doomed yuri, but there’s nothing wrong with sprinkling a bit of lightheartedness before the heartbreak comes. It would be a wild twist if Miko eventually discovers Shiori’s real nature and Hinako’s true state of mind. If that happens, I hope it’s going to be an emotional trainwreck.
Still, the biggest highlight of this episode wasn’t Miko but rather Shiori’s chilling analogy about Hinako. When Hinako asked why Shiori didn’t just eat her right away, Shiori compared herself to a farmer and Hinako to livestock. She needs to nurture her, care for her, and let her mature into the “perfect meal.” It’s such an eerie yet brilliant metaphor for the show’s underlying tension. The idea that all of Shiori’s kindness might simply be part of her plan to “prepare” Hinako is terrifyingly poetic.
Yet, I’m still not convinced that Shiori’s true intention is purely to eat her. There’s a sense that something deeper is at play. Perhaps as Hinako’s emotional state changes, her “flavor” does too. After all, Shiori mentioned that Miko isn’t tasty, and Miko is the complete opposite of Hinako. That alone might hint that Hinako’s depression is what makes her “delicious” to yokais.
The episode doesn’t explicitly explain why the yokai are targeting Hinako, but the hints are there. If my theory is right, her despair might be the very thing attracting them. And that might also explain why Shiori invited Hinako to the festival at the end of the episode. If the next episode and the festival touch on Hinako’s past or her family’s tragedy, it could be Shiori’s way of deepening her emotional despair, making her “taste” even more irresistible.
Regardless of her intentions, Shiori is undeniably Hinako’s savior, for better or worse. Whether she ultimately grants Hinako’s wish to die or helps her rediscover the will to live, Shiori stands at the center of her fate. And that mystery of whether this bond will end in salvation or consumption is what keeps me hooked on this series.
Anime Corner was given an advanced screening of This Monster Wants To Eat Me Episode 2 for review. The series is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
©2024 Sai Naekawa/KADOKAWA/Project Watatabe
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