BTOOOM! Episode 8: White Ghost

WARNING: Due to the graphical nature of BTOOOM!, discretion is advised.

Spoilers below.

The action dies down a bit for this episode, but it shouldn’t stop you from watching it, or reading this. We get introduced to three new characters, one of whom is untraceable. We’ll also learn the fate of Taira near the end and whether he was able to survive. And Sakamoto and Himiko will learn what happens when someone wins and begin planning an escape.

But first, like with most BTOOOM! episodes, we get a flashback. This takes place after the incident with Judgment Flash (see: The Bloody High School Girl). They show Himiko’s classroom, though she’s not there. Instead, the desk is covered in graffiti, saying that Himiko is a traitor, is creepy, and needs to die. They also treat her desk as a class dump, chucking all matter of garbage on it.

You know what? The entire class is full of little bitches. She got a group that was raping her friends arrested. I’m not saying that she deserves some sort of commendation for it but she deserves more than being condemned. If I was in that room, I’d be defending Himiko. She did the right thing.

As for Himiko, she seems to refuse to go to school (can’t say that I blame her) and stays at home playing BTOOOM! — well, playing might be a stretch; perhaps just hanging out on the BTOOOM! servers is a better way to put it. However you want to put it, Sakamoto finds her and starts talking to her. However, he doesn’t ask her why she’s on at that time and even says that he wants to stay with her (whatever that means in video game server terms).

Himiko begins crying because of this. At this point in her life, he is the only one that has stayed by her side. And it completely makes sense now as to why she saved Sakamoto last episode (Virtual Bride).

Back in the present, Sakamoto regrets having to kill Miyamoto and Natsume, even though he knew they weren’t giving him a choice. It’s definitely a change from the end of last episode when all he cared about was getting Himiko out of there. He’s finally had a chance to reflect on what happened and it just sunk in.

Well, he can reflect more on it as they are forced to stay at Miyamoto’s base, leaving Taira alone for the night. After having something to eat and changing into different clothes (provided in the supply case), Sakamoto offers to sleep in a different room. But Himiko says that she’s scared, making Sakamoto rearrange his plans.

That and creating some unintentional dialog, which resulted in this reaction.

Humor aside, this is definitely a step forward for building up Himiko. She had been tossed around, abused, and humiliated for the first seven episodes. She had been so angry for so long leading up to the escape. I think it’s knowing that she’s with Sakamoto that keeps her calm and safe.

Anyway, while trying to sleep, Himiko asks why Sakamoto tried to rescue her. Sakamoto, still believing that she isn’t his Himiko, tells her that she (the girl from the game) made him happy and cared for him. He wouldn’t — and didn’t — think twice about going to save her.

Himiko, still struggling with whether or not to tell Sakamoto the truth, begins to cry again. I can understand why should wouldn’t want any random person to try to get close to her, but why not Sakamoto? He has literally been there — and helped her — through the worst moments of her life. I’d imagine that it would be easier for him to get close to her, but she can’t decide either way. Even her subconscious is having trouble as she dreams about a re-imagined version of their BTOOOM! wedding (by the way, I’m really digging the robot preacher in the background).

But life intervenes as someone comes in on them sleeping. Himiko screams, waking up Sakamoto and scaring off whoever it was.

They search the grounds, finding nothing in the base. They do, however, find a light in a different building. Sakamoto checks it out, finding a room with a makeshift bed, supplies, and a lamp. He tries to back out but gets caught by a woman with a scythe. Luckily, being the main character, he is able to take her down.