English Dub Review: Hand Shakers “Cocoon Cocoon’

Only one more episode of the show’s first season (besides the summer episode, of course).

Some Spoilers Below

Hand Shakers episode “Kitten Kitchen” closed with the reappearance of Nagaoka (Kenjiro Tsuda), a shadowy figure and friend of Makihara (Anthony Bowling). Nagaoka is accompanied by Mayumi (Ai Kakuma), who happens to be Koyori’s (Lara Woodhull) twin sister.

Makihara and Nagaoka were once a pair of hand shakers. The two fought together, exploring and researching the Ziggurat. During their escapades in the Ziggurat, two girls were hatched: Koyori and Mayumi. Nagaoka and Makihara fought as part of a team of four scientists. Yet this group of hand shakers battled in the Ziggurat for a greater purpose than meeting god and having a wish granted: an experiment and gathering data.

It’s neat hearing Makihara as a young hand shaker. He’s decidedly similar to his present incarnation, joking and teasing Nagaoka but remaining genuine and caring. Dr. Akutagawa and his wife are part of the main research team as well. Akutagawa and his wife are a hand shaker pair. But his wife becomes pregnant, giving birth twins: Koyori and Mayumi. Just as Mrs. Akutagawa was going into labor, she was pulled into the Ziggurat. Nagaoka and Makihara came to their aid.

Thus Mayumi and Koyori were born. Their birth in the Ziggurat accounts for their unusual connections and necessity for hand holding. “Cocoon Cocoon” is mostly a flashback episode. Moreover, it’s refreshing. Concentrating on a new cast of characters entirely stands as increasingly engaging. Plus, the plot advances substantially with the backstory of Koyori and Mayumi.

Although it’s fascinating how Koyori and Mayumi were born in the Ziggurat, it’s rather questionable. Though it’s not quite stated outright, it seems an aspect of the experiment was to ensure the children were born in the Ziggurat. This leads to what Dr. Akutagawa dubs a potentially evolutionary step in humanity with naturally-born hand shakers. From birth, the twins wield the power of god. But this seems a risky endeavor to the lives of his own children. If Aktuagawa is willing to go this far, imagine his stance on animal testing.

Seeing the twins reluctantly fight as small children lends additional depth to the series. Mostly hand shakers have been adults. Earlier Kodama (Bryn Apprill), a famous singer and pop idol, entered the fray as a hand shaker. It’s fun seeing unusual pairs of hand shakers like kids of pop icons battling.

With its advancement of the plot, flashback structure, and new array of characters “Cocoon Cocoon,” might stand as the strongest Hand Shakers episode yet. Even if it’s missing Wilford Brimley.