English Dub Review: Kakushigoto “Saishukai: The Last Chapter Doesn’t Bother Her”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Kakushi is surprised when Hime informs him that she’d like to have a family meeting. He’s nervous about what she could potentially be upset about, so he says they can’t have a meeting without a meeting room. This prompts Hime to search for a proper meeting place, eventually finding an old haunted well.

Meanwhile, Satsuki decides to go out to a fancy new restaurant on the boss’s money, and tricks Kakushi and the chief into thinking that the other wants to meet. Kakushi gets it into his head that his manga is about to be canceled, so he makes plans to wrap it up in a major way. But when the misunderstanding gets sorted out, Tights in the Wind goes back to the same old stuff.

Our Take:

This episode of Kakushigoto breaks with the mold somewhat, sticking with a single extended gag across the entire episode for the most part instead of jumping between multiple comedy bits. It’s a fun episode that also propels the show to jump forward in time for Hime’s eleventh birthday party — and then even further to her eighteenth, where she makes a mysterious discovery.

Having Satsuki be the chaotic starting point for Saishukai: The Last Chapter Doesn’t Bother Her is a great choice. He’s an unpredictable character who’s always up to something hilarious, whether its infiltrating a rival publisher’s party or courting Kakushi’s housemaid. Plus, his dub actor sells his lines very well, which makes it enjoyable to follow him even when his behavior is pushing the line of incredulity.

It makes sense that a guy like Satsuki would try to weasel his way into getting a free meal out of a meeting that’s nerve-racking for his boss and his client, but it turns out to be pretty funny despite the potential consequences. The chief of the company comes out thinking it was just about giving Kakushi more colored pages, while Kakushi believes his series is on the verge of being canceled. This leads to a running gag where all of his assistants are happy about it because it means they get more time off to focus on their own work and spend some free hours unwinding.

The meeting angle at home isn’t as funny or as entertaining as the one at Kakushi’s workplace, but it does allow for a strange jump forward in time — and the joke about finding an old well to take the place of a watercooler for the requisite gossiping session is cute. Hime just wanted to meet about a friends birthday party, but the episode quickly jumps ahead over six months to her own party.

It’s a sweet scene with all of the show’s cast (even Kakushi’s assistants show up at Hime’s party, which is kinda funny) and the fact that Kakushi spends the time making mountains of fried chicken is great. The only weird thing is that this is the first time the show has skipped ahead like this aside from the ending flash forwards. I’m not sure if this was a one-off thing or if the show is advancing the timeline as we near the finale.

In this week’s ending scene, Hime reflects back on her eleventh birthday party and tells her father that she’s eighteen today. She then finds a map and a key that promises it will lead to secrets. Is this a scene that precedes her discovery of the yearly boxes? It’s all still a bit confusing, especially with the way the show jumps around in its narrative, but I’m hoping that we get more concrete details next week.