Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 12 Review

Saving Nami and Sakura

Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 12 was pretty alright. Most of the episode was about Yohane realizing things that we already knew. For example, she finally realized that she could use magic all along.

But, at the start of the episode, what she realized was that she hadn’t been treating Lailaps very well. Though, I can’t say that’s entirely Yohane’s fault. Lailaps was also part of the problem because she never told Yohane how she felt. However, I’m still going to place most of the blame on Yohane.

Sure, Lailaps didn’t tell Yohane why she didn’t want her to go to Tokai. That’s on Lailaps. But, Yohane’s response to that was to run away and stop speaking to Lailaps until she returned from the city. She didn’t make any further attempt to reconcile with Lailaps.

Alright, but Lailaps didn’t make any attempt to reconcile with Yohane either, right? Yes. However, Lailaps was the one whose feelings were originally hurt. Yohane’s feelings were hurt by Lailaps not explaining why her feelings were hurt. So, Yohane should be the one to apologize. And, in this episode, she finally did — sort of.

Before Yohane and Lailaps made up, though, we got to see the story of Miki and Sakura. Sakura is Miki’s pet pig. And, after the two of them had a fight (not sure how you fight with a pig), Sakura left the house.

Of course, this wasn’t a great time to leave the house due to the calamity. So, Miki’s sister, Nami, went searching for Sakura. And, in the end, it turns out that Sakura was trying to find a flower to make Miki feel better. Seeing this made Yohane realize that she should make up with Lailaps, too.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

It took 12 episodes. But, Yohane finally remembered that she’s had magic all along. As we already knew, she was the one who cast a spell on Lailaps, granting her speech. And, as I previously theorized, Yohane was the only one who could hear Lailaps.

I’m still a bit unsure how Yohane didn’t realize she had the power to use magic. She wished Lailaps could speak, cast a spell on her, and was then surprised when she spoke. I get that she was a kid at the time, but that was a pretty straightforward series of events.

And it’s not as if magic is a foreign concept in the world in which Yohane lives. At least, I assume it isn’t. Sure, we don’t actually see anyone else use magic throughout the series. But, there’s plenty of magical stuff around, like fairies, ghosts, and a demon lord.

I guess even with all those other things being “normal,” magic still isn’t. But, I also have to acknowledge that those things aren’t actually normal. Everyone is surprised when they see Ruby for the first time. And Mari and her ghosts were only found on Warshimer Island.

Anyway, it took Yohane years to connect the dots. Maybe Lailaps had been able to speak for her for so long that Yohane thought it was normal. Or, as the series seems to imply, Yohane simply forgot that she ever cast a pretend spell on Lailaps.

I can understand forgetting something you did as a child. I forget things I did within hours. But, you know, I’ve never cast a spell on a wolf causing it to be able to speak to me. That seems like something you’d remember, especially when you live with said wolf.

Farewell, Lailaps

I can’t believe Yohane killed off Lailaps at the end of Episode 11. Okay, well, she didn’t kill Lailaps. But, she did remove Lailaps’s ability to speak. Now, when Lailaps talks to her, all Yohane hears are the same barks everyone else hears from Lailaps.

But, why did Yohane have to take Lailaps’s voice? It’s because Yohane’s spell used a part of herself as the catalyst. That magic power has to come from somewhere. And, I guess in this case, it came from Yohane’s soul. So, you could say that until now, she’s been working at half capacity.

Okay, but that didn’t really explain why Yohane took Lailaps’s voice. That explained why Lailaps had a portion of Yohane’s soul. So, as for why Yohane took her soul back, it’s because she needs it to fight the calamity. Why do you think her previous performances didn’t stop it?

Now that Yohane is back to her full strength, she should have no problem dispelling the calamity. Well, her and the rest of Aqours. She won’t be able to do it alone, of course. And, I’m betting Lailaps is going to play a role, too. Maybe she’ll join in on the singing.

But, my big question at this point is, will Lailaps ever get her voice back? Even if Yohane saves Numazu, it would be a pretty depressing ending if she never heard Lailaps again. Sure, Lailaps isn’t dead. But, she’d have lost her only way to effectively communicate with Yohane.

So, here’s my prediction. Once the calamity is gone, Lailaps is going to get her voice back. How? I don’t know — magic. How isn’t what’s important. What’s important is that I’m also predicting that everyone will finally be able to hear her. That would be a happy ending.

Conclusion

What do you think of Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 12? Do you think Yohane or Lailaps was at fault in their argument? Why do you think Yohane forgot that she cast a spell on Lailaps? And, are you expecting Lailaps to regain her voice in the end? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 13 is available now.