Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 5 Review

How to Stop a Calamity

Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 5 is a unique episode. Why? Because I’m pretty sure it’s the first episode that didn’t include a performance. Feel free to point out if I’m wrong. But, I think every episode so far had a performance at the end.

This week’s episode was going to have a performance. But, just as Yohane was about to start singing, the calamity struck! Well, sort of. We don’t actually know what the calamity is or where it comes from. So, it’s hard to say if this is the calamity.

But, at the very least, part of the calamity struck. There was thunder, weird lightning, and the same mysterious mist that caused the animals to go mad. Was it Yohane who summoned this calamity by preparing to sing? Or, was it all a coincidence?

For now, we don’t know. However, earlier in the episode, we got a hint at how to stop the calamity from destroying Numazu. And it came from the magic book Mari Ohara showed Yohane. The book mentions “Resonance” being the key to saving Numazu. But, what exactly does it mean by that?

If we look at the picture accompanying the text, it seems pretty obvious. We can clearly make out musical notes flowing out of a shining spot in the middle of the village. So, the power of song is going to save the day. But, that’s not all.

Mari also says she believes “Resonance” is something we all have inside us. So not only is the power of song important, but the power of friendship is, too. Though, I’m sure we all saw that coming from the very start of the series. After all, this is a Love Live! spin-off.

The Demon Lord’s Secret

Episode 5’s title is “The Demon Lord’s Secret.” But, we’re never explicitly told what that secret is. Is it the fact that Mari has a book about the calamity? Probably not, since even with the book, Mari doesn’t have many definitive answers.

Is it the fact that, from a young age, Mari’s purpose has been to help the people of Numazu? As we know, her horns allow her to hear what’s going on all throughout the town. And, to her credit, she has recently been using her powers for good.

Even though she refused to meet with Dia, Mari left notes informing her of ways to improve Numazu. Mari can hear when structures are wearing out, for example. So, she can give Dia a heads-up that they need to be repaired before an accident happens.

If Mari’s secret is, in fact, that she helps protect the townspeople of Numazu from the shadows, I’d be okay with that. That’s a pretty good secret for the “demon lord” to have. But, I don’t actually think that’s the titular secret. Or, it could be one of multiple titular secrets.

Instead, my guess is that the real secret is that Mari doesn’t want to be alone anymore. Because of her powers and her appearance, she’s always been alone. She can’t handle being in crowded places because of her hearing. And she doesn’t like the way people look at her horns. It makes her feel different.

In the second half of the episode, Mari finally faces her fears. She agrees to leave Warshimer Island and travel to Numazu with Yohane. And, it turns out that the people of Numazu aren’t as scary as Mari thought. In fact, they don’t treat her any differently than they do Yohane.

Friendship with Mari Acquired

By the end of the Episode, Yohane and Mari are friends. However, something I didn’t notice was Mari’s emblem being carved into Yohane’s staff. I’d have to go back and look at the previous episodes. But, there may be another prerequisite for that.

I might be misremembering. But, I think the other emblems appeared on Yohane’s staff after the performances. So, the fact that there was no performance in this episode might be why Mari’s emblem didn’t appear. And, if that’s the case, the calamity striking at the end of the episode may have been intentional.

Because of the timing of the calamity strike, Yohane didn’t acquire Mari’s emblem. Though, I’m going to assume she’ll get it in the next episode. Surely, Yohane and Mari will be able to clear up this latest calamity and hold a performance.

But, even after getting her grubby little hands on Mari’s emblem, there’s still one more to collect. There are nine girls in Aqours and Yohane’s staff only has seven emblems engraved into it. With Mari’s emblem, that makes eight — not nine. So, who’s missing? We already met all nine girls.

Again, I’d have to go back through the previous episodes to check. But, I’m pretty confident in saying that Riko Sakurauchi’s emblem is the other missing one. I don’t remember her being present for or participating in a performance. Though, again, I could be wrong. We haven’t seen Riko for a bit.

First, Yohane got her own emblem and Hanamaru’s emblem. Then, Chika’s, Dia’s, and Ruby’s emblems should have been next. And most recently, You’s and Kanan’s emblems appeared. So, that only leaves Mari and Riko. Will Yohane get Mari’s emblem first? Riko’s? Or, will she get them both at the same time?

Conclusion

What do you think of Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror Episode 5? Do you think anything besides music and friendship is needed to stop the calamity? What do you think the titular demon lord’s secret is? And which of the remaining two emblems do you expect Yohane to obtain first? Let me know in the comments.

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My review of Episode 6 is available now.