Un-Go - 07-08 - More Crazy Powers

Oono and Bettenou, another wacky cult.
I had to batch the two episodes together because I was in such a "WTF" state of mind last week that I couldn't bring myself to post anything that would have made sense.


So far I have been very satisfied with each episode, however after watching the latest mystery unfold over the last two episodes, I fell like Un-Go might be heading in the wrong direction, taking a turn down the "magical powers activate" road. Up until now, I've felt that Un-Go focuses on solving unique mysteries that revolve around a post-war setting with some very intriguing characters, without the heavy use of magic. While Inga is one of the most interesting, and my favorite, she doesn't use her powers too often to ruin the careful creation and deduction of each mystery.









As we found out in episode 6, our "novelist" character wants to create his own crazy mysteries and have Yuuki Shinjurou solve them as the greatest detective ever. He brilliantly placed a mystery in front of Yuuki of which was suppose to end up with Mr. Yajima killing his wife. This brilliance was done without magic, and was the work of a true mastermind to conflict with our protagonist. After this brilliant display of creativity, I was terribly unsatisfied with how our crazy novelist resorted to using magic to create a new mystery.

The novelist imposes a false reality onto Yuuki and the other prisoners, creating a film studio setting where Yuuki becomes the main suspect after the "director" is found dismembered. Each prisoner is given a role to play in this false reality. I suppose it shows how powerful the novelist is, but it would have been much better if he could continue to create mysteries without the use of magic while behind bars. The mystery is only possible to solve once Kazamori shocks Shinjurou back into reality, breaking the spell, and opening Yuuki's mind to the real culprit.

Kazamori in TRON!
The two episodes were much different than the previous, but it was still a good watch, I only wish the amount of magic used was reduced, the novelist seemed to rely on too much magic for this particular trick.


It would be almost impossible for Yuuki Shinjurou to solve the case by himself this time, as he is trapped within the false reality created by Bettenou. Bettenou seems to have some connection with Inga, as she also has weird powers. It was sad to see Hayami's screen time and character to be diminished to that of an info filler to explain Bettenou and Oono's cult, which I'm sure we will find out more later on. There was at least more character shown of Hayami at the end of the credits with his confrontation with Kaisho. Since Yuuki cannot proceed on his own, it's up to Kazamori to bring him back to his senses.


We finally discover the background behind the three girls or "actresses" who were caught up in the illusion, as well as the reveal of the real culprit. I was not expecting this mystery to involve the war like all the others, but it seems I was caught off guard and rather impressed with how everything was explained at the end with the "actors". Un-Go does a clever job of giving enough screen time for most of the characters while solving the mystery, everyone "fits" within the plot and plays a role.

I'm not entirely sure why Yuuki decides to spend more time in the prison, and I also have a feeling we will learn more about this Oono character, as he is shown in the end credits with Bettenou. I hope the amount of magic required to set up the mysteries is dropped with a return to our usual pace. The one thing I love the most so far is the build up of tension around Kaisho. We only have a few glimpses as Yuuki, Hayami, and Rie, begin to loose trust and suspect him of some secretive cover-ups.

~Djr7