Firefly Wedding’s fourth episode moves closer to a traditional romance while preserving the danger that has defined the story so far. Satoko and Goto remain trapped in an uneasy alliance, but their conversations and growing trust suggest that the series may be developing into a more direct romance between them.
The episode opens with the confrontation between Goto and Eishin reaching its conclusion. Satoko disarms Eishin, while Goto knocks him unconscious and continues attacking him until Satoko stops him by striking him over the head. Rather than objecting, Goto enjoys the attention when Satoko uses a handkerchief to clean his wound and lets him rest his head in her lap.
The following morning, Eishin apologizes and departs, promising to inform Satoko’s family about what happened. Satoko and Goto then discuss their scars. Goto shows her the numerous slash wounds beneath his kimono and dismisses her surgical scar as insignificant by comparison. Satoko responds that the old wound across her chest is a source of pride, describing it as evidence of what she has endured.
Their exchange gives the episode’s developing romance a symbolic dimension. Satoko has been taught that her medical problems made her a burden and that a good marriage was her way of repaying her family. Yet the heart surgery that made marriage so important also leaves her vulnerable in a society that values physical perfection. Her carefully cultivated femininity similarly hides a forceful personality that conventional expectations would require her to suppress.
Goto, however, does not reject her scar or her defiance. Satoko can smile and express herself around him, while Goto believes she accepts him despite his own violent history. Their closeness grows after Satoko collapses from exhaustion. When she wakes, they share a quiet conversation in the brothel where they are staying and reveal more about their pasts. Goto was raised on the island by a courtesan and never knew his father. After a man murdered his mother, Goto killed him in revenge.
The episode does not portray Goto as a harmless romantic hero. His history and behavior continue to make him a threat to Satoko. The story’s relationship with the violent, emotionally stunted love interests associated with some older shojo romances is especially apparent when Goto reacts badly to Satoko’s doubts about his feelings. He says that what he likes most about her is that she accepted him, but Satoko worries that he values her mainly for what she can do for him.
When she suggests that she may not marry him because he does not love her as a husband should love his wife, Goto again threatens murder-suicide. Satoko responds by shouting at him and kicking him out so she can sleep, but the scene leaves the danger between them unresolved. His affection may be genuine, yet he remains capable of turning his sword against her.
The episode closes with a new complication. Goto has bribed a captain to help them leave the island, although they must wait ten days before departing. In the meantime, Satoko plans to work at the brothel to repay what she believes she owes. Her efforts bring her into conflict with the island’s courtesans, whose leader warns her that Goto is admired by all of them for protecting them from abusive clients.
Satoko is also told that Goto already has a favorite: Yukari, a red-haired woman who appears with a knowing smile. Firefly Wedding is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
Sources: Anime News Network.