Utawarerumono: The False Faces

Episode 6

Alright, Kuon, we get it! You like hot baths. We're only six episodes in, but it's pretty hard to beat Utawarerumono: The False Faces in sheer number of bath scenes, especially for a story that's supposed to be about a burgeoning fantasy war. Then again, appearances can be deceiving. This episode may appear to be one of the most chillaxed so far, but if you've seen the first series, this week's additions to the cast were basically dropping intrigue bombs all over the place.

As it turns out, Yamato's coziest bathhouse is owned by a voluptuous binge-drinking tiger-woman named Karura, who shows an immediate interest in Haku (like everyone else in the show). However, it's not our protagonist's personality that has her attention, but his name. As soon as he lets slip that his friends call him "Haku," Karura imagines a very different face in place of our hero's, smiles warmly, and then tells Haku that they'll probably be seeing a lot more of each other in the future. That's odd. Was someone she knew named Haku as well?

Yeah, that's not a mystery if this isn't your first time at the Utawarerumono rodeo. Seeing Karura at the top of the episode is actually a pretty big shock, because she was an extremely important character in the original show, and the "Haku" she's thinking of is Hakuoro, the protagonist of the original story. If she's still alive (and not much older) in this sequel, then that means mere years have passed since the events of the first series, not centuries like prior fans had assumed based on the new setting's major advancements in technology. I'd say 10-20 years at most have passed, since Karura was in her late teens originally and looks to be in her 30s now.

Before we can dwell on the time leap too much, the episode throws another curveball to make Karura's appearance relevant to new viewers too. She might actually be responsible for Kuon's fearsome love of baths, because Karura is Kuon's mother! Okay, not biologically. (Tigers can't have puma babies, that's just silly.) Technically, Karura is one of many mothers Kuon had, as an orphan raised communally by the women of Tusukuru, aka a giant cameo dump that will spin Utawarerumono fans' heads right off their shoulders. (Yup, the gang's all here! Karura, Touka, Urutori, Kamyu, and Aruruu all blitz by in Kuon's childhood flashback. Eluluu also makes an appearance, but tragically, the characters speak about her as if she is a past-tense mother. She died young?! That's terrible, how could you, Utawarerumono! Come to think of it, odds are pretty good that Yuzuha isn't around anymore either. Now I'm sad.) Once Karura concludes that "Haku" must be an acquaintance of her darling Kuon's, she invites them both to a banquet at her place to booze and schmooze and see if Haku is a worthy suitor for her darling girl. She won't be sizing him up alone, either. Her neurotic "servant" turns out to be another of Kuon's mothers in disguise, the fierce yet childish hawk-woman Touka. (My guess is that she's in disguise because her ears are a dead giveaway that she's from a race of legendary warriors, which could be suspicious in currently-peaceful Yamato.)

It may be benign and low-key as all the episodes before it, but episode six is by far the strongest of the series yet, because it works on two completely different levels. Former Utawarerumono fans will be happy just to see Karura and Touka again, easily some of the most beloved characters from the first series with some of the most adorable onscreen chemistry. I get that the whole community-of-mothers thing was probably devoid of traditional family roles, and odds are pretty high that Kuon has a pack of "dads" from Hakuoro's brotherhood too. But even so, seeing as Karura is an omnisexual lady, Touka is a lithe-yet-butch otokoyaku type, and they formed such a dynamite love-hate pair in the original series, I'd like to think they are actually a couple who sees their parentage of Kuon as a joint effort all its own. (Karura is Cool Mom, Touka is Strict Mom, it all makes sense!) At the very least, that's definitely how this episode treats their relationship, and Kuon's profound embarrassment at a sudden visit from her parents (who assume way too much about the new guy in her life) is totally precious. I have no idea if these two will be joining the war party once things start to get crazy, but if I had to guess, I would predict they'll stay on the sidelines except to swoop in and help save the day for a battle or two. They may be past their prime now, but as a berserker/ranger combo, they were once among the most powerful members of Hakuoro's army. I'd love to see them in action at least one more time.

However, for new viewers, this episode is all about Kuon. Just seeing her moms again regresses Kuon to a stammering, flustered version of her usual snarky self, as Karura and Touka let loose with too many probing questions and casually bring up too many awkward stories from her kittenhood. Anyone who's ever brought their date home to meet the family, especially after being away for a while, will relate to this phenomenon of being turned back into a little kid against your will (and in front of someone you're desperately trying to impress). Kuon not only struggles to hide her childlike frustration around her folks, she also struggles to hide how much baby-Kuon was just like Haku.

The reliable merchant girl we've come to love over the past five episodes was once a mess-making, studies-shirking, little hellion who wanted to spend all her time on wild adventures and brainteasers without taking any responsibility for anything. Her past antics are all just funny stories to Karura and Touka, but Kuon has tried very hard to grow past her rambunctious childhood and become an independent woman like all the cool war vets who raised her. After the teasing is done (and Karura has successfully drunk Haku under the table), Kuon's moms pour her a glass of special sake from Tusukuru, which she considers a rite of passage. They tell her that she shouldn't be afraid to embrace her free spirit nature, and that maybe Haku is bringing out the fun side of her that they love just as much as the grown-up side. Regardless, they already see her as an adult who can stand alongside them, and they're proud of the strong person she's become. It's a surprisingly subtle emotional moment for this franchise, and it's even more resonant if you've seen Karura and Touka themselves grow up through the first series.

After a heaping helping of "d'aww," the episode ends on a note of foreboding. Now that she's been christened their equal, Kuon wants to know what Karura and Touka are doing in Yamato, so far from their home country. Karura begrudgingly admits that this isn't all a happy coincidence. They're concerned at the almost alien evolution of Yamato's influence, culture, and power. Why, it seems centuries beyond the rest of the world! (Ah, I see what you did there, AQUAPLUS.) They should be worried, because Hakuoro's army has been down this road before. In the previous series, a kingdom called Kunnekamun flew too close to the sun by acquiring advanced technology (mecha!) to protect their borders, which eventually led to the pursuit of a worldwide empire, resulting in a nigh-on apocalypse. Now that Hakuoro's gone, the few remaining who know the truth behind that conflict have a responsibility to make sure no crazy sci-fi voodoo like that ever gets loose again.

Given how weird Yamato's emperor and General Oshutoru have been acting, I'm thinking that Hakuoro's buddies are gonna be tardy to the party on preventing another war, but I'm excited to know that they'll be part of this adventure along with all the new characters. It looks like the next episode will be about Princess Rurutie, so it's anybody's guess as to when the actual plot will kick in, but if we get more episodes this sweet and soothing in the meantime, I suppose I can wait a little longer.

Rating: B+

Utawarerumono: The False Faces is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Hope has been an anime fan since childhood, and likes to chat about cartoons, pop culture, and visual novel dev on Twitter.