In my last post about The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window, my readers called me out a little bit. In a good way. In fact, called out isn’t the right expression. Basically, they questioned why I was still watching this show.
And that is an excellent question!
We are now 3 episodes in and I can’t pretend that my qualms about the early episodes were just quirks or narrative hiccups that don’t have a bearing on the overall story. The Night Beyond the Tricornered Window is about an unpleasantly abusive relationship and continuing to gripe about the act that Rihito is a arse or that Mikado is a doormat, seems pretty pointless now. From here on, if I chose to continue this show, I’m the one choosing to watch that.
And sadly, I do have a feeling that the series will probably either redeem Rihito with some shallow gesture or try to justify his abuse and frame it as romantic or caring somehow. I think we all deserve better by now.
Fine so the “romance” aspect of this story is definitely not why I’m here. But is there anything else? The production isn’t impressive or original enough to be a draw in and of itself. The dialogue is clumsy. One reader suggested that it was a show for horny girls which is probably the biggest selling point I have seen for this anime but sadly the art style isn’t my thing.
So is it the storyline? Another reader said they were enjoying this anime for the mystery of it. That could be something. The random house visits and people they help have been pretty dull so far but the other spiritually gifted people might have some promise.
We were introduced to Erika by name in the first episode as a spiritually gifted girl who could cast curses. It turns out that she’s… a spiritually gifted girl who is paid to cast curses. And as such her family is exploiting her gifts to some extent. Do I care about this…. Not really. I don’t find the character that appealing so far. In fact, the only character I do like was that other guy who was pretending to be a medium. He had all the best one-liners!
But there is that. The one-liners that is. Once in a while, the show seems self-aware and almost revelling in being exactly what it is. A kind of trashy and ridiculous parody of BL tropes. And I think that what’s keeping me around is that show. The one that doesn’t really exist so far but that I think I can see from time to time. And of course the mystery of how a meek librarian got so buff. I would like to find that out!
I also really like Mikado’s home life. I think the scenes with him and his mom are the best ones.
So if you like, maybe join me next and we can figure out together why I’m still watching?
