REVIEW: ‘Tougen Anki’ Episode 13 — “Mikado, Like the Gate of the Gods”

Tougen Anki Episode 13, “Mikado, Like the Gate of the Gods,” sees the Oni class head out on a field trip to explore what their futures may hold after school. Unable to follow simple directions, Shiki (Kazuki Ura, Zenshu) ends up separated from the group and makes a new friend. However, this new personality in his life isn’t what he seems to be. 

Tropes and archetypes exist for a reason. There are narrative concepts that resonate with a large percentage of the audience, making them attractive and effective means to convey story concepts. However, even the most beloved elements of storytelling need to be delivered with a modicum of skill and finesse to have a positive effect. Tougen Anki Episode 13 fails to deliver this base level of implementation, showcasing all the finesse of a bull in a China shop.

Opening with the class’s arrival in Tokyo, Tougen Anki Episode 13 wastes no time in setting up its critical elements. No sooner does Mudano (Hiroshi Kamiya, Heaven Official’s Blessing) finish explaining to his students how they must keep a low profile and stay together than Shiki slips away to explore a small fair they pass by on the way to their hotel.

Tougen Anki Episode 13 sets up future clashes with minimal subtlety.

He soon crosses paths with a friendly police officer, the titular Mikado, and the two hit it off splendidly. They exchange information and make plans to meet up once again, after Shiki slips away from his group the next evening. Following Mikado, we quickly see him meet up with a familiar Momotaro agent and learn that he is here looking for Shiki, who gave him a false name earlier. 

At this point, how Tougen Anki Episode 13 is setting up the inevitable clash between the newly formed friends could be called rushed, but not terrible. It would be better to let a little time pass before the reveal, but as a series that has maintained a fairly fast clip, this feels forgivable. 

The narrative becomes eye-rolling on the following day. When the two meet back up, they opt to see a movie. They chose what appears to be an action film, only to discover it’s actually an emotional film about two friends who, after being separated, find themselves on opposite sides of a battle and must fight each other. 

You can’t get much more heavy-handed than this. This level of reinforcement insults the audience’s intelligence. It’s as if they aren’t certain you could guess where this was going from the first reveal. During their after-movie bite to eat, Mikado even asks Shiki what he would do if he had to fight him, adding another layer of obviousness to the situation. 

There is a clear disregard for subtext with overt signaling pointing to the clash ahead.

This rush to establish the clear-as-day scenario also promises to see that it will never land. If they are going to put this much effort into setting the situation up, there is nearly zero chance that they’ll actually give it enough time to have any real meaning for the audience. Shiki will undoubtedly get upset about it, though no one will understand why. 

Sadly, this isn’t the lowest point Tougen Anki Episode 13 manages to deliver. Sandwiched between these hangouts is a scene where Shiki must go to a local Oni medical facility to get his blood drawn for reasons Mudano won’t explain. 

When he arrives, he is greeted by a slovenly-looking woman with the series’ trademark ample bosom, though in this case, they are barely contained and largely out in the open. During his stay there, the teenage boy has an understandably hard time keeping his eyes off the woman. Seeing his interest, the woman raises her shirt and presents him with a clear view of her entire upper body.

She also claims that, were it not for the “time of the month,” she’d take his virginity for him too. While Shiki’s age is vague, he’s still in school, which makes him a minor.

Despite the clear comedic implication, a compromising encounter ends the episode on a gross note.

As the protagonist hastily retreats in a panic for the moment, the camera returns to the woman as she watches him leave. A comment from her reveals that Shiki isn’t likely to live long, presumably due to his Kishin heritage. There is a heavy implication that this is the reason for the woman’s earlier behavior. 

This should probably go without saying, but a grown woman making sexual advances on a minor is really bad. There is no implication in the way the moment is presented that anything inappropriate happened. It is played mostly comically, which would make it feel out of place if that were all it was.

It’s the last moment, where the narrative tries to present the woman’s motivations as compassionate, that makes it feel tragic. Whether her motives were born of compassion or not, her actions are just wrong. That they are treated as anything less is inexcusable.

Tougen Anki Episode 13’s biggest accomplishment is reaching a new low for the series. Between terrible plot handling and even worse handling of a sexual scenario involving a minor, this episode not only fails to craft anything worth recommending but leaves you feeling worse for having experienced it.

Tougen Anki Episode 13 is streaming now on Netflix.

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