[C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control – 9

So what exactly does the Midas Bank do with all these futures they receive in payment for their loans?  We’ve seen how energetic and overjoyed Masakaki gets over these gains but what does he do with them?  Does he just bunch them up in a pile and roll around in it like we imagine so many wealthy bankers doing when they return home after a rewarding day at the office?  Or are they a needed good for the tentacled villain that resides in the salient red sky of the Financial District?  We know how valuable these futures are but how are they used?

I’ve never figured out what the Midas Bank does with these futures.  We examined the topic a bit more in this episode, seeing how the bank prints its money and how the effect of Financial Districts affects nearby metropolises much like market fluctuations influence foreign markets and unrelated individuals.  But what do these futures translate into?  Do they sustain the life of Masakaki and his tentacle overlord?  That’d a question that remains after seeing a whole Financial District disappear, destroying their home.  And with one less Financial District gone, they are cut off from an enormous supply of potential futures meaning the results of their actions simply are starving themselves.  So that’s not the idea behind the futures, at least after the conclusion I reached.

With the whole demonic angle C plays, among other symbolism, you can’t help but think the loss of these futures is equivalent to selling one’s soul to the devil.  Seems like Faustian themes are popular in anime, especially after Madoka used the same device in its storytelling.  Perhaps instead of gaining these futures simply for their own benefit, there’s an underlying purpose to collecting futures that is obscure or unknown.  Maybe it’s a delicious and elegant cuisine that’s also healthy for these tentacle things?  Or perhaps they’re the equivalent of popular collectable trading card and these villainous creatures are accumulating them for their own personal collections.  It’s hard to tell, especially since Masakaki is about as tight-lipped as a mobster in a patrol car about the details and functions of the bank and we just met the CEO for a minute in the previous episode.  Hopefully there’ll be some revelations in the continuing episodes, especially with all the symbolism that’s been used to date.

Like all noitaminA anime, there’s a message that is incorporated within each anime.  [C] The Money of Soul and Possibility Control is no different and has used an impressive amount of symbolism into the series to communicate a variety of ideas.  But what’s confusing for me is trying to decrypt the message the anime is trying to show us.  Right now, I’m getting a mix between “the future is more valuable than the present”, “there’s more to life than money”, and “don’t sell your soul, you idiot”.  There’s always more since I tend to have a narrow-minded focus when it comes to these types of things, so perhaps I’m just missing it completely or it has not been fully displayed yet.  Either way, I’m interested in what the final message of the anime will be.  Seeing the whole mix of demonic and economic symbolism in C makes me anticipate a bold and powerful message regarding money and life, so I hope I don’t set myself up for disappointment.

This episode featured some rather pleasing development, featuring a bit of self-discovery and tension in Msyu and Kimimaro’s relationship.  Kimimaro sought out more information on his father after getting a tip from Jennifer and contacted our trustworthy and greedy information broker, Taketazaki.  This uneasy chap had snapped a photo of Kimimaro’s father with his Asset, Mua, a virtual carbon-copy of our scantily dressed heroine, Msyu.  The photo facilitates the theory that Assets are representations of the Entre’s futures.  Additionally, it also shows a similarity between Kimimaro and his father.  Let’s not forget the notebook that Kimimaro found early on in the series from his father because that’s likely to return and provide some conclusion between Kimimaro and his dad.

Lastly, there were some cute scenes between Msyu and Kimimaro.  Kimimaro, set out to save the future, faced some resistance from his Asset who preferred to live in the present.  Kimimaro sees the destitute future that faces Japan and likely other cities around the globe if he does not do something to save the future.  Msyu, after learning that Assets disappear once their Entre is banished, does not want to lose her current relationship with Kimimaro and sees his potential challenge to the system as a surefire way to end her life.  You can’t help but feel a little depressed for Msyu.  She’s powerless in this situation, knowing she’ll be forced to serve Kimimaro in his undertakings, yet voices her opinions since she wants to remain with Kimimaro in their current relationship.  That’s why I felt she commented on the coldness of Kimimaro and immediately asked for the kiss to verify his love for her.  It was cute but I can’t shake the feeling that, with that kiss, there’ll be a bad ending for either Kimimaro or Msyu at the end of C.  Guess we won’t have to wait long before we find out.

I wish there were more scenes involving Hanabi.  She seems like an interesting and appropriate character, especially now with all the children disappearing, along with her dream of teaching these children.  It’s no surprise that her motivation and drive are quickly vanishing, too.  And she used to be so cheerful and involved, too; it’s amazing to see how strong the effects of this fantasy world have on the real one.  You could even say they’ve had a larger effect on her than Ebara-sensei, although they are unlike in that Ebara-sensei retained his memories while Hanabi simply never had them.  What happens to her future is one of the more interesting and anticipated answers I’m looking forward to in the conclusion of C.  Not just because she’s a likable character but that she represents virtually everyone in Japan who has no knowledge of the Financial District and are still affected by these deadly games.