I've been a bit unsure about this arc so far because as intriguing as the informations were, it was still just that : info-dump (and that made me realize I'm really not too fond of Gaen's character, she doesn't seem to be that interesting in the end), but fortunately, as soon as Ougi showed up, it became awesome again.
And by awesome, I mean AWESOME.
That reveal at the end didn't surprise me to be honest because the more I was thinking about it, the more it became obvious to me that Ougi's identity is heavily related to Araragi. Actually, I kinda see this as Ougi being to Araragi who Black Hanekawa was to Hanekawa, except somehow the split personality became a person on her own... On the surface at least. Unlike Black Hanekawa and Hanekawa, Ougi and Araragi can exist as separate entities in separate bodies, they can talk to each other, they can be seen at different places... But Ougi's entire identity derives from Araragi, she exists because he wants for/needs for her to exist, she is the way she is because he is the way he is, she gets knowledge from him, etc. And if he no longer wants her around, she cannot do anything about it, just like she couldn't do anything when he decided to go see Oikura with Hanekawa rather than her.
And when I think about it, I actually got some hints pretty early on, back in Sodachi Riddle, when I thought some of the conversations they were having could've been just as if Araragi was talking to himself. It really felt like Ougi was just vocally expressing everything he was feeling internally, and it's always like that actually.
So yeah I'm not really surprised, but I'm definitely not disappointed. After all, that's what makes the most sense, and it's providing a lot of depth to both Ougi and Araragi. I'm glad I spent so much time theorizing about Ougi, it feels very satisfying.
Now, about the rest of the episode. That Ougi/Tsukihi conversation was great, even more so that I was looking forward to a scene featuring those two considering how Tsukihi's identity was a lie in itself. But it took a turn I didn't expect, and I loved it. The conversation in itself was very interesting and meaningful, but it also adds so much depth to Ougi. Back when we first met her I was afraid she'd lose some of her charm once her facade would start to crack, but with Owari S2's episode 4 and now this one, I can easily say it's just making her even more amazing than she already is. It's super interesting to see the vulnerability behind this creepy facade, how she seems to think of herself, how it ties up with her real identity as Araragi's alter ego, how she views the situation she ended up in, etc. I could say many things regarding all that but that would be too long (I'm keeping things for the last episode), however I wanted to point out how she states her real form is "ugly" and that people aren't going to accept her the way they accept Tsukihi. I think there are two ways to interprete it (and both are equally true) : the first one is of course, that as an aberration, a monster, she ends being hated for everything she's done (Tsukihi is an innocent aberration so she doesn't receive this hatred) which is something that is currently being verified. And the second one, is based on her real identity. We know Araragi has a very negative view of himself, to the point he thought he didn't deserve to live. It's no wonder he can no longer accept Ougi once he understands who she is and what she represents.
Still, I feel very bad for Ougi. It seems my analysis of her character was correct, which means she really isn't evil, she's just not human. And she genuily wants to keep existing, but knows Araragi cannot fulfill her wish. It's interesting actually, how she knows the right thing for Araragi to do is to exterminate her, but she still hoped he wouldn't. And despite her request having been turned down, she compliments him for having done the right choice (that's another thing I've always noticed, yes, she is very often criticizing him, but she also always praises him when she considers he did the right thing). I don't know what to expect now, I don't think things will be as simple as Araragi killing her off, but at the same time the way he talked about her at the beginning of episode 5 really made it sound like she was dead, or was a thing for the past. Interestingly enough, he also seemed to have fond memories of her despite everything. So I'm really curious to see the outcome, though also pretty worried since I don't want to see Ougi being exterminated (at least it won't be at the hands of Gaen like I initially thought, no matter the outcome she really deserves a better conclusion than one that involves a walking encyclopedia who always shows up not to bring meaningful conversations but info-dump that couldn't have been brought by anyone else).
And just one last thing : it was nice to see Nadeko after so long ! She seems to have healed, not just physically but also mentally. She seems to be so much better now, I'm proud of her. |