English Dub Review: Kemono Jihen “Family”

Overview:

Aya is going to become a Kemonopathist, which is essentially a kemono doctor. She decides that Kabane is her boyfriend, which is unfortunate for Kon who seems to be jealous of Aya but doesn’t know why. There is a kemono that is ripping off pieces of women’s faces. The kemono wishes to look human because they are in love with a guy. Aya helps make the kemono look human which closes the case.

Our Take:

If you like romance then you will love this episode. Now if you want any progress in that department then you might not be as satisfied. It was hilarious how it was kind of thrown in really quick. Aya shows up and claims Kabane as her boyfriend and then Kon shows up. As you might have guessed, Kon is not okay with that but she can’t figure out why. She just knows that her chest feels “mushy”. Unfortunately, Kon found out the hard way that love can hurt.

This episode was a lighthearted quick case after the dark arc we just had. Well… if a kemono ripping off parts of women’s faces is light to you. But with Aya’s abilities, I have a feeling she will be able to fix them just like she was able to give the kemono a human body. I’m a sucker for slice of life and romance drama so this episode was actually really enjoyable for me.

This episode could not have been better timed with all the “family” memes going around. The theme of this episode is definitely family, love, and bonds. Shiki spends some time with his family making sure his mother is healthy again. He also has to accept that he has a little sister and I thought it was really sweet how he stepped up to be a big brother. Though he was a little freaked out when Aya was all over Kabane and had to contemplate Kabane being his brother-in-law.

Kabane himself still has a lot to learn about love and well… a multitude of things. When asked who he loves he very nonchalantly says “Inugami” so I don’t think he grasps what they were meaning. Or does he?! Either way we got one more episode this week so time to get to that one.