Nisemonogatari - Episode 5

Rest assured, there is no incest in this episode of Nisemonogatari

The Karen Bee arc progresses a bit further with this episode. Like always, it was a dialogue-heavy episode that requires one to pay close attention in order to fully understand it all. Karen's encounter with Deishū and her conversation with Koyomi were the focal points of this episode; it's about time she gets more screentime given that this is her arc. Nisemonogatari continues to get better and better, which is surprising since I didn't really like Bakemonogatari.

The flashback where Karen confronts Deishū is very important in terms of getting a sense of his character. Before this, all that is known about him is that he's the antagonist and his name consists of the kanji for shellfish (貝) and [dead?] tree (木); everything else is a mystery. However, through his conversation with the bigger little sister, his corrupted views and hideous personality show themselves. A self-proclaimed con man, Deishū's personal value of money (he believes money is everything) and willingness to take advantage of children to obtain it is undoubtedly despicable. However, what's worse is that the reasoning for his actions is arguably valid. The way he is able to make something, which is culturally accepted as evil, sound even the least bit reasonable shows just how much of a professional he is at his job. Add the fact that he has the ability to curse people makes Deishū a formidable opponent - one that even Karen, a supposed "warrior of justice", could not manage to touch. And like all villains, Deishū rewards (or should I say, "punishes") Karen for attempting to get in his way by afflicting her with poison from a flame wreathe bee before making his escape.

Despite the struggles she now faces because of Deishū, Karen's will and determination are still unfazed. Her desire to stop the con artist's actions is now greater than ever since she knows about his deeds, resulting in the rise of the common conflict of "good vs. evil". Even though she knows she is not yet strong enough to stand a chance against Deishū, that passion and willingness to put others (the middle school students who are being conned) before herself fuels the flames of courage within her. Her mindset of "even if you lose the match and the game, as long as you don't lose to yourself, it's not a loss", although not accepted by Koyomi, is what I believe defines her character and distinguishes her from the rest of the cast. The Karen Bee arc should end in an episode or two but, because of it, I've grown to like Karen a lot more than Tsukihi now. I'll be satisfied if she manages to hinder Deishū, at the very least.

The short portion at the end where Koyomi insists on alleviating Karen of her illness by taking it upon himself, despite Shinobu's protests, really shows how much he cares about his younger sister. You don't really see this kind of sibling love (I'm not talking about incest) often in anime, especially with all the useless male leads that are appearing these days. Unfortunately, for him to do so, it requires a mouth-to-mouth kiss. A cliffhanger here allows viewers to contemplate on what the result will be. Will Karen's martial arts instinct cause her to violently force her brother away from her? Or will she show no sign of resistance, not knowing that, by doing so, Koyomi will be burdened with the illness that was meant for her? Either way, it'll be interesting to see how everything turns out.