Ghost Hound 14

Focus:14 Emergence Matrix
Screenshots from Ghost Hound Episode 14

The pierced dude working at Bio Nippon Lab is typing a report:

"We are not creating life. However, at a minimum, we must ensure that self-preservation instincts function. There is only one way to resolve the contradiction between our goals and the taboos against creating life.

"Thus, we must cause the cellular automata to function as an external brain, and cause them to recognize their niche, their place in the ecosystem, in the real world. Therefore, we are running each of their ghosts, which correspond to a particular human's consciousness, as programs.

"However, each of their memories shares the same data. This causes us to avoid approaching "sentient life" far more than we should. We must maintain this system until they are "shipped out" as "products." However, regarding any emergent phenomena among the passive activities of the cellular automata, in my capacity as observer, I..."

At this point, he is interrupted by Dr. Reika Otori's cellphone ringing. The call is from Professor Komagusu, informing her about Miyako's upcoming counseling session with Hirata. Reika steps out of the lab and goes to the cafeteria. Professor Nakajima, who is seated in his usual place, secretly shows her a note placed on top of his laptop.

At the school library, Michio is showing Masayuki and Taro the Kojiki, particularly the portion that says: "As I was the first to be asked, I will be the first to tell my name. I am the God who speaks good. I am the God who speaks evil. The Great God of Kadzuraki, Lord of One Word."

This lead the boys to surmise that it was a "god" that possessed Miyako.

Meanwhile, at the Oogami household, Makoto's grandmother wants to speak with him but he says he has to go to school. After he's left, the grandmother starts coughing and calls for her maid, Noriko. The maid, however, does not answer and instead places a call over the phone.

Makoto is making his way to school when he sees a vision of his younger self, playing alone by the pond. Upon closer look, he sees himself stab a frog with a stick.

Komagusu is at Miyako's school. While he waits for her outside, Miyako is at the locker room, gathering her things. She sees her friend Chiho, with two other classmates, but when she calls out to her, Chiho just waives at her before leaving her behind.

Back in the Oogami household, Makoto's grandmother is praying over a portrait of her son, Makoto's father. She appears to struggle with the prayer. Some of the candles burn out.

Meanwhile, Makoto is hanging out in his classroom when he notices three girls eyeing Masayuki, who has no idea what is going on. Michio therefore explains to him that a freshman girl has a crush on him and teases him a bit about being popular with the girls.

Taro is undergoing counseling with Hirata, who, however, informs him that he has to cut their session short as he needs to see Miyako also. He then asks after Taro, who answers that even though he is learning more about Kakuriyo, he has stopped seeing his sister in his dreams and is afraid that he is going to forget her.

The other three boys are on the rooftop. Masayuki and Michio are goofing off while Makoto admonishes them for being childish. Masayuki then says something ridiculous, leading Makoto to smile in bemusement. At that point, they notice Komagusu with Miyako arrive and met by Reika. Upon seeing Reika, Masayuki recognizes her as his dad's colleague. Miyako is also reacts adversely to Reika's presence, leading Komagusu to wonder if she misunderstands his relationship with the woman doctor.

Later, Taro, Reika and Komagusu step out of the counseling room to find the three boys waiting outside. Komagusu mentions that Miyako is going to undergo hypnotherapy with Hirata. Reika explains the concept, saying that hypnotherapy does not necessarily elicit the truth out of a person as the human mind can make up all sorts of things, including past lives.

The boys then all sneak a peek at Miyako and Hirata, much to Komagusu's annoyance. Inside the counseling room, Hirata asks Miyako how long she's been experiencing possessions. Miyako reveals that she's had it since she was very young but it's only last year that the experiences got worse. Hirata seems surprised by this.

Outside, Masayuki asks why the Lord of One Word has possessed Miyako's body. Komagusu and Reika are quite surprised that the boys even know about this, so Michio explains that he read about it from the Kojiki. Komagusu then adds that the story of the Lord of One Word is varied and his character changes from being a "god" of the emperor in Kojiki to a hunting partner in the Nihon Shoki, to an exile in the Shoku Nihongi and finally to a traitor in the Nihon Ryouki.

In the end, Komagusu states that the Lord of One Word is a god who makes what he says real, both good things and bad. Then he mentions about a place called Katsuragi and the Earth Spider Hill where a tribe who opposed the emperor, called the Earth Spiders and descendants of the People of Heaven, lived. The place is apparently located in Kyushu where Suiten Town is also located.

The boys wonder how Komagusu knows all this stuff. Reika tells them that Komagusu was an assistant professor of Folklore in Tokyo. Komagusu then says that Miyako must have read his books on the Lord of One Word and that's how she came to learn of the phrase. He does not believe that she is really possessed by a god.

While watching Miyako fall under hypnotic sleep, Taro is suddenly reminded of his sister, Mizuka, leading him to wonder if Miyako was (possessed by) Mizuka.

Under the hypnotic sleep, Miyako reveals that the reason strange things are happening in Suiten is because there are too many gods in the place. Then, she suddenly starts screaming, as though she's seeing something terrible. Hearing her scream, Komagusu prepares to step inside the room but Reika stops him. Hirata then recovers from his initial shock and pulls Miyako out of hypnosis, instructing her as he does to forget about what she's seen.

Later, as Komagusu and the boys are going home, Taro asks Miyako if she is alright. Miyako says that she's fine and that she just fell asleep. It is Hirata, however, who seems to have taken the whole experience much worse. Reika keeps him company.

Back with the group, they are met on the road by Noriko, who suddenly grabs Miyako, identifying her as the next miko that she, the saniwa, must serve. Makoto and Taro try to pull Miyako from her grasp while Komagusu tells her that Miyako is a priest's daughter and therefore can't be a miko for another religion. (NOTE: Miyako is from a Buddhist family while the Oogamis are probably shinto followers).

Noriko then reveals that it is what the "princess" wanted. At the mention of the word, Makoto realizes who is really behind this: his grandmother. In a fit of temper, he wishes that she would die. Miyako at this point is again possessed by the Lord of One Word. When she hears Makoto's wish, she glances at him for a moment before fainting.

Makoto leaves the group to run home. Noriko likewise leaves, while the rest of the group stay behind with Miyako. At the Oogami household, Makoto finds his grandmother lying dead on the floor.

A few days later, the funeral of Makoto's grandmother is held. Numerous people attend, leading the photographer from the earlier episode, to wonder if these people are all worried they might get cursed if they don't attend. He takes pictures of some of the attendees but his attention is diverted when he sees Sanae, Makoto's mother, through the lens of his camera.

COMMENTS:

This is another build-up episode, but wow. And I mean, wow. This anime is getting better and better.

The pierced dude is a question mark. Just who the hell is he? And that wonderfully cryptic report is making, I wonder what that is all about. From what I could understand, Bio Nippon Lab is performing some kind of experiment on human consciousness, probably transferring consciousness outside the body as a form of self-preservation.

Are these guys trying to achieve immortality? Wherein, instead of making a new body (i.e. "creating a life"...cloning???), which is taboo, they would simply transfer a person's thought processes into another body, thereby enabling them to sidestep the restriction brought about by the taboo of creating life.

But the experiment isn't perfect yet and they are unable to produce "sentient life" out of the transferred body.

Reika is really starting to creep me out. I can't make up my mind if she is a good person or a villainess. Masayuki is probably starting to catch on just who she is to his father.

Noriko is also creepy. What is it with this anime, making all women characters creepy. Even Sanae is creepy.

Speaking of Sanae, I wonder if Sanae experienced the same thing that Miyako did? If so, perhaps she was also chosen by Makoto's grandmother as the next miko. The plan, however, got botched when Makoto's father fell in love with her and perhaps tried to protect her by keeping her away? Maybe, Sanae did not voluntarily abandon Makoto. She appears depressive. And who is that guy who's always with her? He looks like Ishida Uryuu from Bleach. ^.^

The next episode seems interesting. It talks about using a person's body as a container for a "god" as a form of religious practice. Isn't this what a miko is for? I can hardly wait.