REVIEW: ‘Firefly Wedding’ Episode 2 – “Tennyo Island”

If anyone had any doubts that the marriage talk would be a reprieve for Satoko Kirigaya (Lynn) from danger, Firefly Wedding Episode 2, “Tennyo Island,” proves otherwise. In an incredibly fast-paced episode, we get a chance to learn more about Satoko, Shinpei Goto (Koki Uchiyama), and the newly introduced Tennyo Island. Despite making great use of its limited runtime, it does overwhelm at points, incidentally mirroring Satoko’s own overwhelm.

There is a testing of boundaries and limitations between Shinpei and Satoko throughout this episode, with the power dynamics steadily shifting between them by the episode’s end. However, for much of Firefly Wedding Episode 2, Satoko is constantly on the defense, trying to understand the eccentric killer she now finds herself obligated to stay with for her safety. 

The thing is, Shinpei knows this on some level, and that seems to fuel his teasing of the young Kirigaya heiress. This comes out toward the beginning of the episode, when Shinpei takes Satoko to a safehouse to cleanse themselves after the battle. Satoko, like any other sheltered, wealthy, unmarried woman, is easily flustered once Shinpei hops unclothed into the bath. 

Firefly Wedding Episode 2 tests Satoko at every turn.

This squeamishness makes her all the more fun for Shinpei to poke at, but it also gives him the chance to test how far she’ll go to convince him she means it when she says she wants to marry him. Given his personality and how intense he comes across regarding love, with a particularly unnerving line delivery given by Koki Uchiyama about them venturing to hell together, marriage to him might not be the best path.

Firefly Wedding Episode 2 forces Satoko to keep finding ways to survive while also confronting her limitations. Most surprising is how quickly she assesses a situation. Considering her sheltered upbringing, as was shown in the previous episode in an exchange with her half-sister, Miwako (Hika Tsukishiro), Satoko is quite well-learned. But she’s never interacted with others outside of her safe bubble, and it shows most when Shinpei takes Satoko to the titular Tennyo Island after he slaughters more assassins sent after them.

Tennyo Island immediately stands out in Firefly Wedding Episode 2 for its incredible use of bright colors to illuminate the fantasy its owners want to sell to their patrons. As Shinpei explains to Satoko, courtesans run this island, and its natural seclusion and secrecy draw many wealthy patrons. He is also most at home on the island, and makes it pretty clear that, because of Satoko’s comments about not particularly caring if he died, he can all too easily leave her behind in this strange place. He holds all the power.

Tennyo Island is incredibly beautiful, but those who don’t belong are easy targets.

Satoko tries to ask for help from those passing by, but due to her disheveled appearance and desperation, she is met with sneers. Here, her family name holds no value. Any leverage she might have had is gone. This realization, and Shinpei’s subsequent public rejection, prompts an eye-opening moment for Satoko. One that carries a sad weight. Satoko has always had someone to keep her safe. She relied heavily on this her entire life, and now, without a safety net, she is helpless. 

It’s an incredible turning point so early in the series, heightened by the constant danger Satoko has faced. However, just as she’s been on the defense the entirety of Firefly Wedding Episode 2, she also shows great resilience, quickness of thought, and a spin after this epiphany. Without giving much away, Satoko relies on the lessons she learned as a wealthy noblewoman and excels in public, saving face while also showing Shinpei that she may hold the most power between them.

What does take one out of the moment a bit is when nearby musicians start accompanying her performance. The instruments played by the musicians onscreen are not synchronized with the music actually playing. In fact, the lack of synchronization lasts long enough to become painfully distracting. Still, Satoko is at her best here, fully shining and dazzling everyone in attendance, and making her an inadvertent hot commodity in Tennyo Island.

Instead of letting things sit and linger, Firefly Wedding Episode 2 ends with another proposition.

By the end of Firefly Wedding Episode 2, it becomes abundantly clear that Satoko is the one who truly holds the power between the two teenagers. The episode ends with Shinpei whisking Satoko away to a field full of fireflies, a place of refuge and natural beauty away from the blinding artifice of Tennyo Island. Here, Shinpei is at his most vulnerable with Satoko, and you can see the boy who yearns to love and be loved so desperately by someone who can understand him. 

That’s what makes the request (though, more realistically, given the circumstances, it is a demand) Shinpei makes of Satoko at the episode’s end incredibly baffling. Even with Shinpei’s explanation, it is an odd ask for a person who just shared his soul with the woman he loves. It also reinforces the feeling of plot-related whiplash Firefly Wedding Episode 2 has run down with another thing thrown at Satoko. It’s a busy enough episode, and rather than leaving on such a pendulous note, it would have been nicer to let Shinpei’s vulnerability settle in.

Maintaining the momentum after its opening episode was going to be an issue in Firefly Wedding Episode 2. For the most part, the episode keeps that pacing up. Strong character moments for Satoko establish her as an intriguing heroine, thinking on her feet while also acknowledging how her privileged upbringing has weakened her in the process.  However, the episode struggles with how quickly it tries to check all the plot boxes, leaving little room for the more poignant moments to linger. Sometimes, it’s okay to let things sit and just be.

Firefly Wedding Episode 2 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

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