- Mangaka : Shouoto, Aya
- Publisher : VIZ
- Genre : Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo, Harem, Supernatural
- Published : April 2017
Momochi-san Chi no Ayakashi Ouji (The Demon Prince of Momochi House) Vol. 8 Introduction
Himari is troubled over The Nue being unable to turn back into Aoi and tries desperately to return Aoi’s lost memories in hopes of bringing him back. Thanks to the information given to her by a classmate, Himari locates Aoi’s family but learns nothing helpful. Yukari and Ise are unable to reveal anything to her as Aoi’s faithful shikigami. Himari uses her special lantern given to her by Nekobaba to search the spirit realm, but in doing so learns just why Aoi was so reluctant to face his past.
Contains Spoilers
Discussion Time
Following their fight with Nachi, The Nue is no longer able to become Aoi anymore. Himari manages to convince The Nue to see her and it becomes clear the distance imposed on her is to keep The Nue from hurting her or turning her into an ayakashi should he lose himself. Himari is not one to hesitate in the face of danger and asks The Nue what can be done. He believes that Aoi’s refusal to deal with his previously erased memories has caused the essence of the Nue to fill up that empty part of Aoi, thus taking over his existence. Himari asks if she can look for Aoi’s memories in hopes of returning him to normal and The Nue allows it. Shortly after, Kasha appears, thrilled with The Nue’s stuck state and mentions something about The Nue not wanting to allow Aoi’s consciousness back.
A classmate happens upon the new home of the Nanamori family and Himari thinks this is her chance to find out about Aoi’s past. When Himari and Ise pay them a visit with candy for their young child, she finds the mother, father, and daughter all living together happily if not just a tad melancholic. Himari thinks they seem pretty normal until Ise explains that the daughter is not human, but an ayakashi.
Himari hits a dead end and feels discouraged until the special hair ornament given to her by Nekobaba begins to glow. Himari remembers that it will show the way to truth, but only once, and Himari decides this is the truth she wishes to follow to the end. A mysterious path to the spirit realm opens up and without any time to prepare, Himari follows it. She’s stops at a gate guarded by an ayakashi who asks for her true name in order to let her pass, explaining her parents gave her a special name. Instead, the hair ornament breaks open and gives the light inside to the guard as a substitute, protecting Himari.
She is led to the Drawers of Thought that hold the memories and karma of everything. A mysterious woman informs her that she may look into Aoi’s drawer but she will then never be able to look in her own and learn about her parents and her special name. After some thought, Himari is happy with her choice to forsake all that and look at Aoi’s drawer. A young version of Aoi appears and begins to reveal the past.
Aoi could always see ayakashi and as a young child, his younger brothers and sisters played with him and distracted him from scary things. Aoi’s mother died when he was a child and it was only when his ‘siblings’ went with her that Aoi realized they too, were ayakashi. When his father remarried, Aoi’s stepmother thought his frightened faces at the ayakashi still in the house were directed at her, and she began to hurt him. This was around the time that Nachi found young Aoi and convinced him his family would be happier if Aoi left. Aoi came home to find his stepmother sleeping but a frightening voice from her pregnant belly, an ayakashi, told Aoi to disappear.
The apparition of young Aoi then turns on Himari, demanding she stay with him forever. The mysterious woman from before turns into Aoi’s ayakashi older sister that used to protect him and now uses her power to return Himari to Momochi House, asking her to take care of Aoi. Once back, she rushes to Aoi’s room but The Nue is still there. Himari tries once more to see how the Nanamori family is doing, hoping that news of his family doing well will assuage Aoi of any guilt and allow him to turn back. Instead, she finds Akane missing and Mr. Nanamori going on about a mysterious man he thought might be an ayakashi coming to take from their family. Himari asks point blank if he knows Aoi and Mr. Nanamori tells her that Aoi is dead.
1. Finally, the Complete Story on Aoi’s Past!
Even though the last volume seemed like the full scoop, we learned even more devastating details of Aoi’s past. Instead of just having bad parents, Aoi’s stepmother was influenced by the negative ayakashi and even gave birth to an ayakashi. Aoi blamed himself for attracting these awful spirits and that’s why he can’t bring himself to accept his painful memories. Knowing this also sheds light on why Aoi couldn’t accept what happened years ago even though he was just a child.
1. Aoi Does Not Return to Normal
Himari does what she sets out to do which is to find out the truth to Aoi’s lost memories. This doesn’t, however, allow Aoi’s consciousness to take over The Nue. There was one goal for this volume that seemed like it was in reach but only The Nue is there for the final pages. If you were hoping for Aoi’s definitive return, you won’t find it here.
Final Thoughts
Volume 8 does a good job of giving us false hope with the almost too easy acquisition of Aoi’s memories and Himari’s successful escape. Instead of one problem being solved and another taking its place, we’re left with both an old and new problem. The Nue hasn’t turned back and now Akane, the ayakashi child of the Nanamori family, is missing under suspicious circumstances. We can only hope volume 9 will give us a more satisfying end!
Author: May
