Back at the base, Sakamoto continues to blame himself for Taira dying, believing that he drove Taira to insanity with his actions. Like I said, I believe it was more from his lack of explanation than his constant leaving him alone.
Knowing that Sakamoto is feeling troubled, Himiko offers her chip to Sakamoto, which would give him enough to leave the island. Himiko seems at peace with this decision. She knows that she doesn’t have anything to go back to. Even if she gets home, her ex-friends, and maybe even her classmates, would just nominate her to leave again and again until she was dead. That’s what she has to look forward to if she goes home.
But Sakamoto will have none of it. He refuses Himiko’s offer. And what’s more, he knows who she is.
Backtrack for a bit. When Taira was sending Homing bombs their direction, Himiko blocked the path and protected Sakamoto. He remembered the Himiko in the BTOOOM! game doing something exactly like that during a session. It was at that moment that Sakamoto realized beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was the Himiko he played BTOOOM! with. She was the one that he bonded with and had a virtual wedding with.
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So, after revealing that he knows her identity, they both begin to blush and kiss. And then they have sex. Now before anyone complains, saying that her character wouldn’t do that given her history or that it’s odd for strangers to suddenly put out like that so quickly, let me just say that you’re all idiots.
It makes perfect sense. These two aren’t a couple of strangers in a strange land. He’s not some guy like Akechi or the Judgment Flash guys who have an uncontrollable urge (The Bloody High School Girl). And she’s not some unrequited crush that he doesn’t want to do anything with (High Level). These two are lovers, and that is a fact. Nothing could drive them away.
Apologies for my David Bowie moment but I couldn’t help but quote him for our heroes.
So, as morning breaks, Sakamoto wakes up on the floor and sees Himiko making breakfast, outfitted in his shirt. They look at each other and just can’t seem to stop smiling. But the calm is broken as they hear someone coming up the ladder. It was Shiki, who was delivering a chip to them. As it turns out, Date couldn’t survive his injuries and passed away during the night.
She seems a bit surprised by seeing Sakamoto in his boxers and Himiko in Sakamoto’s shirt. As is her nature, she begins to question certain things. They eventually reveal what had happened the previous, in regards to the fate of Taira and collecting the chips from him.
So, with the seventh chip, they begin finalizing there escape as the helicopter begins to fly in. After it lands, Sakamoto pulls out a Cracker and begins threatening the guards on the chopper. They laugh and dare him to throw his bomb. As it turns out, when the helicopter is in an area, the bombs disengage for that area.
Before he can make another move, Shiki lunges at a guard with her scythe, killing him. But another guard pulls out a gun and shoots her in the chest, killing her.
Sakamoto and Himiko realize that only one of them can escape the island. In an act of selflessness, Sakamoto hands Himiko the chips. Himiko may be getting stronger as a person but Sakamoto is still stronger as a player. He knows that he has the best shot between the two to escape from the island on his own and gives her the free pass.
But before she takes off, Sakamoto has one last thing to so to her. “Go to Kyoto. Find Hisanobu and Yukie Sakamoto. Tell them what’s happened. Tell them you need a place to stay. And tell them… I’m sorry.” With that and one final kiss, Himiko is whisked away from the island as Sakamoto is left to fight on.
But it’s not over yet. Sakamoto turns around and sees a Fire bomb blocking his path back to the base. He also finds a tall man with a dark complexion behind him, holding a bomb type we’ve yet to see. Before we can see it in action, Sakamoto runs for the cliff and jumps into the ocean.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where the episode ends.
To be honest, this episode surprised me. It seemed rather tame compared to the others, and felt uncharacteristically clichéd. For a series that constantly pushed the envelope, this ending did nothing for me.
Except that wasn’t the actual ending.
The thing is, the ending to this episode had such an awesome twist that I need one more post to talk about just that.
So, expect a full series recap and reveal of the actual ending soon.
BTOOOM! was developed by Madhouse, published by Showgate, and licensed in North America by Sentai Filmworks. All episodes are available to watch for all users on Crunchyroll.
