Mismatched Buttons
Episode 2 of Housing Complex C starts with Wada conversing with Rubel about him and his people needing to pick up after themselves. Although Rubel is considerate of the matter, Wada insists they stop their religious practices as it disturbs the other guests. Everyone calms down after Kimi abruptly demands that they do so. Kimi informs Wada, Taka, Koba, and the others to follow her to Momo’s apartment to check up on Hideo. Everyone is shocked by what they see. Apparently, Hideo’s body has turned into moss or has been replaced by a moss-like pattern. Taka and Koba head back to discuss the situation and Taka questions what had happened to Hideo and Momo. Koba doesn’t know either and states that they’ve looked everywhere–from their apartment to Kurosaki’s nearby forest. Momo and Hideo didn’t leave behind anything, and a cop reported that they only could find moss in their apartment. While the two ponder some possible outcomes, Yoshiiken stumbles upon the two and reiterates that moss reminds him of an old Kurakado song he used to sing and funerals. The lyrics describe how they’re destined to be reunited with their loved ones. Taka ponders the “reunited” portion of the explanation and asks Yoshiiken if it’s like reuniting with their ancestors’ spirits. Yoshiiken shoots down Taka’s theory and suggests they remind calm during this troubling matter. Yoshiiken, Koba, and Taka decide to eat some live shrimp that Yoshiiken brought with him. As they’re eating, Mrs. Koshide stumbles upon the gentlemen and is disgusted. The gentlemen offer her some shrimp, but she passes on the offer. She asks them about Momo, to which they all don’t respond. Mrs. Koshide tells them to pay the interns no mind and to ignore the rumors about them. After Mrs. Koshide leaves, Koba asks Taka about what she’s referring to regarding the gossip. Yoshiiken informs Koba that some Kurosaki residents argue that one of the foreigners (interns) has abducted Momo and Hideo. Mrs. Koshide arrives home and comforts Yuri, who doesn’t seem to like Kurosaki because it’s giving her the creeps. She insists that Yuri spend time with Kimi after Yuri tells her that Kimi’s been upset with the whole incident surrounding Momo. Kimi arrives at their apartment and asks Mrs. Koshide if they can help her create some Shaved Ice for everyone in Kurosaki to help them cool off from all the tension occurring in the area. Mrs. Koshide offers to make the ice block Kimi needs to create the Shaved Ice. Mrs. Koshide informs Kimi that she’ll need syrup, resulting in Kimi and Yuri visiting Taka to see where they can acquire said ingredient. She would go to the store to purchase some, but Mrs. Koshide insisted they ask their neighbors first, so they wouldn’t have extra syrup left over. Taka suggests that they ask the foreigners if they could make the syrup. Rubel shows up and says they can create some tasty fruit sauce for the shaved ice but know where they can get the ingredients. Taka says they can purchase the ingredients Rubel and his friends can use to make the sauce. Rubel departs and plans to ask his friends to help with making the sauce. Having settled that dilemma, Kimi plans to teach Yuri some songs about Kurosaki to pass the time. Kimi sings the song to Yuri as we receive a cutesy cartoon-like drawing to coincide with Kimi’s explanation. Yuri isn’t a fan of Kimi’s singing voice, as she doesn’t understand what she’s saying. She asks Taka to explain the lyrics to her in better detail. Taka says a supernatural power is being delivered to a mountain in Kurosaki. He states the first verse is about bringing joy and happiness. The second verse discusses a sacred king receiving something from the people of Kuzululu (an ancient god of an unknown sea’s followers). Yuri questions why Kimi classified herself as a king in the song, and Taka explains that Kimi’s name holds many meanings, one being king. Yuri makes sense of it, considering how Kimi’s treated like a royal figure in Kurosaki. He states the Kuzululu had been exiled from their homeland for unknown reasons, resulting in them traveling to Kurosaki to serve that land’s king. He says this song indicates that it’s possible that Kurosaki’s roots are connected to an ancient nameless sea. As for the song’s third verse, Taka believes the people of Kurosaki argue they’ll see their departed loved ones again someday. Kurosaki’s lost beliefs, history, and culture are preserved in the song, he says. Taka explains the meaning of Kurakado by saying the “kado” part means gate. He said it’s possible that it’s referring to the torii gates, mentioned in the prior episode. After he wraps up his explanation, Yuri asks Kimi to stop by her apartment for snacks. Yuri departs, leaving Taka and Kimi alone. As they’re strolling by, Kimi and Taka encounter Kan patting some weirdly shaped moss. Taka asks Kan if there’s anything bothering him about the moss. Kan says that it doesn’t bother him at all. He says there’s something about it that’s grasping his attention. He thinks it’s just the beauty that’s causing him to be in awe. Taka brings up the concept of mismatched buttons, which he argues are incorrect assumptions that stem from a mistake. Taka takes out the rock he found in Kojima’s storeroom. He realizes the marking left on it doesn’t relate to Kurosaki and questions if it represents a sign from the Kuzululu. He plans to visit a library to gather South Pacific-themed textbooks to acquire more information. Kan looks at the rock with menacing eyes and departs. At their apartment, Rubel finds Kan staring at some food he attained from their Kurosaki neighbors. Kan tells Rubel that they gave him the food, and Rubel feels like the Kurosaki people are taking advantage of Kan’s hospitality. He orders Kan to throw the food away since they’ve all expired. Kan insists they keep the food since it would be rude to throw it away. Rubel suggests giving him half of it and asks Kan if he knows how to cook. Rubel informs Kan that he can buy the ingredients at the market. When he notices something off about Kan’s posture, he asks him if anything is wrong. Kan flashes back to Taka’s rock and tells Rubel that he doesn’t know yet. Meanwhile, we get a brief montage of everyone participating in various activities, from Kan making the shaved ice syrup to Yoshiiken patrolling the complex. Three days have flown by based on the brief scenes we get from Kimi’s calendar. Koba, Yoshiiken, and Taka stumble upon another pile of fish at the park. They state this is the third time this has happened. Taka proposes reporting this incident to the police as Mrs. Koshide walks by and is startled by the sight like they are. She offers to give them a tarp to clean up the mess and a security camera they can use to catch the person responsible for the matter. Yoshiiken’s surprised she’s carrying one around, and Mrs. Koshide says they had issues regarding some neighbors back in Tokyo. It’s now August 26th, and Taka, Yoshiiken, and Koba visit Rubel’s apartment. Taka asks for Kan to come to his place to chat with them. Although Rubel’s hesitant about Kan going alone, Kan insists that everything will be okay. At Taka’s apartment, Taka places a photo of Kan carrying the dead fish in front of Kan. He asks him what he did with the dead fish. Kan says he wanted to move the dead animals outside of Kimi’s apartment away. He says he throws them away into the forest. Yoshiiken, Koba, and Taka head into the forest with Kan and find the area he placed dead animals at. They find a dead snake, chicken, fish, mouse, and dog. Koba and the others return to their usual spot and realize that Kan’s not the culprit. Taka suggests they keep Kan from exiting his apartment to clear his name. Rubel informed Taka he’ll keep Kan inside. Yoshiiken promises to step up his patrolling game to find out who’s causing the madness. Although Koba’s worried about Yoshiiken, Taka proposes he’ll be fine since Yoshiiken used to fight for the front lines of the Southern Operation. At night, Yoshiiken patrols the complex but suddenly meets his fate with an unknown entity. It’s now the 27th, and Kimi visits Kan to check up on his progress with the syrup. She tastes the syrup and finds it delicious and sweet. Yuri and Kimi take the sauce container downstairs as Kan plans to change his attire. Rubel tells Kan that he probably imagined whatever he saw as Kan recalls Taka’s rock again. At the Shaved Ice party, everyone is enjoying themselves and partaking in the sweet treat. Kimi shares a sweet speech but fumbles at her words. As everyone eats the shaved ice, Kimi feels like it tastes different for some reason. Koba’s concerned about Yoshiiken and wonders why he’s not around. Someone spots another stack of dead fish, causing Yoshiiken and Taka to investigate it. Yoshiiken departs as Wada stumbles by saying that the lifeless fish stack symbolizes the message of the departed. Yoshiiken heads up the complex and comes across another strange pile of moss. He ignores it and reaches Yoshiiken’s room. He knocks aggressively, and after receiving no answer, he uses his screwdriver to open the door. Rubel interrogates Taka and asks him why the sauce tastes funny. Rubel asks Kan if he put in anything extra, and Kan tells him he did not. Taka asks Kimi for a ladle, so he can check the syrup. At the same time, Koba breaks into Yoshiiken’s apartment and discovers another pile of moss. The episode concludes with Taka digging up a severed dog’s head from the syrup as Kimi screams in fear.
The Episode Review
This episode felt like another mixed bag and on par with the previous one regarding the content it contains. While its mystery and horror elements kept me entertained, I’m questioning why the series continues to lean into its lighthearted slice-of-life moments, considering it’s a four-episode animated series about horror and thrills. Kurosaki, its residents, and the mystery that lurks beneath it all were established in the first episode, so I let it slide. While I enjoyed episode two’s spooky atmosphere and imagery, it wasn’t enough to send shivers down my spine. I would’ve much preferred if this built upon the tension established by Hideo and Momo’s disappearance. We do get snippets of intel from Koba about everyone searching for them in the forest, contacting the police, and other matters. Unfortunately, we don’t see those scenes play out. It’s treated as a word-of-mouth deal, making instances feel explanation-heavy for my taste. Adding visible scenarios like that would make Momo and Hideo’s disappearances carry weight. Besides its excessive lighthearted slice-of-life moments and explanation-heavy scenes, this episode contained incredible information regarding Kurosaki’s past and its ties to Kimi’s character. While I adore her for being this precious bundle of joy, I can’t help but feel curious about her involvement in the story. I wonder if she has something to do with the horrifying developments in Kurosaki because of how she acts and how everyone treats her. Housing Complex C is a decent horror anime with vast lore and potential. While I can do without the constant happy-go-lucky elements, I adore series that tackle ancient curses and provide intriguing mysteries that can satisfy casual and intellectual anime fans. Let’s hope the final two episodes deliver the thrills, chills, and suspense!
