Last episode, I had wondered if Mortis is truly gone and well, I got my answer pretty quickly. The beginning of Episode 8 immediately confirms that Mortis is still around. That said, the scene metaphysically depicts Mortis drowning in a body of water and desperately trying to get out, suggesting that time is also limited for her. More on this in a bit.
Back to the real world, Umiri tells Taki that both Sakiko and Mutsumi declined her pitch to reform Ave Mujica. Taki finds this to be expected, explaining to Umiri that that she’s too “untrustworthy”. Taki once again hitting Umiri with a truth but also not elaborating any further and leaving. Joking aside, I can kind of see where Taki is coming from. Given Umiri’s habit of bouncing between different bands and her then indifference about Ave Mujica, it’d be hard for Sakiko, Mutsumi, or anyone else to believe that she wants to bring back Ave Mujica.
Over at the Wakaba residence, we see Sakiko help Mutsumi catch up on her studies, even skipping school to do so. The two later go out for a walk, eventually hanging out at a karaoke bar they used to visit with the other members in CRYCHIC (which you’ll later realize is an intentional decision on Mutsumi’s part). It’s a pleasant scene but this is Ave Mujica I’m talking about here so of course it’s short-lived. Things take a more dramatic turn when Mutsumi tells Sakiko that she wants to revive CRYCHIC, prompting Mortis to resurface and put the conversation to a halt. Parallel to this, we see Nyamu run into Minami, who is revealed to be the one who recommended her for the acting gig a couple episodes ago.
Sakiko and Nyamu then learn from Mortis and Minami respectively how exactly Mutsumi’s condition works. Apparently, Mutsumi has always had a dissociative identity and there isn’t really one true personality as everyone in Ave Mujica assumes. When she was little, she had numerous different personalities that she assumed for various different situations. By the time she grew interested in the guitar, she became the Mutsumi her friends and the viewer know and almost all of her other personalities ceased to exist. Mortis is the one alternate personality that’s still around, having survived by acting as a backup in case Mutsumi is too distressed.
I kind of love how while Minami is explaining Mutsumi’s condition, it also becomes apparent that she’s a really bad mother. Like, I don’t think she hates Mutsumi per se but she is incredibly neglectful. She talks about her daughter as if she’s nothing but a problem to her and it seems that the only way she handles Mutsumi’s condition is by simply ignoring it. It hardly makes Minami the most likable character out there but it works in making Mutsumi more sympathetic. I can’t say I’m that shocked, however. I noticed the past couple of episodes that while Mutsumi is cooped up in her room, Minami is nowhere to be found. Even if Minami was busy with work, it just seemed baffling that you don’t see her looking out for her daughter and none of the other characters run into her while they were waiting outside the house. Now it all makes sense. She really was ignoring what’s been going with Mutsumi. Also, I’m glad that Nyamu is just as appalled as the viewer is supposed to be on how Minami treats her daughter. Not that I saw Nyamu as that heartless but it’s nice to be on same page with her for once.
So here’s the new situation regarding Mutsumi and Mortis. Mutsumi wants to bring back CRYCHIC, while Mortis would rather return to Ave Mujica. What I like about this crossroad is that it’s a bit difficult to root for one of the two personalities over the other. In Mutsumi’s case, I frankly think reviving CRYCHIC is a tall order. Tomori might be down but I imagine Taki and Soyo would rather leave it in the past. That said, CRYCHIC is comprised of all of Mutsumi’s friends so I get her being drawn more towards that band over Ave Mujica. As for Mortis, I have to admit that her pitch is extremely selfish. She wants Ave Mujica to come back so that she’ll continue to exist, which then suggests that she expects the band to make Mutsumi miserable again. It sounds a bit too self-serving, if you ask me. Still, I understand that at the end of day, Mortis is just afraid of dying. Without a purpose, Mortis will cease to exist and Mutsumi is already keen on getting rid of her, due to how badly she dealt with Ave Mujica and Sakiko. I can’t help but root for her a little bit.
Going back to Umiri, she decides to ask the members of Disruption, one of the bands she helps, if she’s untrustworthy. The band notes Umiri’s reliability as a bassist and while that’s a genuine compliment, Umiri appears to be unsatisfied with the answer, suggesting she knows Taki is referring to a more personal issue. Umiri then decides to meet up with Nyamu, though not before wasting a ton of money on random stuff at the mall (she later claims she does it to cope with getting dumped by Sakiko and Mutsumi). Very random but it is hilarious seeing Umiri carry all those bags on her arms. One thing is for sure: if Ave Mujica reunites, they’re not trusting Umiri with the budget.
At Nyamu’s talent agency, Umiri explains her plan to revive Ave Mujica and provides some backstory to explain why. I had a good laugh with Nyamu paying minimal attention as Umiri goes over her past. It’s rude but it’s definitely in-character. Anyway, we learn when Umiri joined her first band, everyone in that group ultimately ditched her, forcing her to perform alone on day of the debut performance. It’s a short but solid backstory that explains Umiri’s lack of attachment to any of the bands she’s performed with up until now and inform Umiri’s decision to change things by reviving Ave Mujica. Also in this scene, Umiri figures out with Nyamu’s help that Taki called her untrustworthy because she doesn’t take responsibility for things, often leaving that to other members in a band. That makes sense; in Ave Mujica, Umiri tended to have Sakiko and the others sort things out. What irks me a bit is that Nyamu of all people helps Umiri come to this conclusion. Because when I think of responsible people…I think of Nyamu?
Naturally, Umiri goes ahead and asks Nyamu if she’s interested in returning to Ave Mujica. Nyamu is of course reluctant to join but she does say she’ll entertain the idea if Umiri can recruit Mutsumi. That Nyamu specifically singles out Mutsumi is interesting. Normally, I’d say she wants Mutsumi to boost her own image but given how she’s felt about Mutsumi’s public episode and Minami’s bad parenting, I have to wonder if she might actually has a less selfish motive. Regardless, the fact remains that Mutsumi is the key to getting Ave Mujica back together.
Back at home, Umiri decides to pose the question to everyone in the band’s group chat. I’m shocked they even still have it. You’d think after everyone went their separate ways, they’d either leave the DM or delete it. It’s a good thing they didn’t since Mortis is able to reach out to Umiri and express interest in bringing Ave Mujica back. The next day, Mortis meets up with Umiri, who offers to finally teach her how to play the guitar. There’s something ominous about this ending, however. For the past couple of episodes, some of the characters refer to Mortis as a “doll”, much like how she is depicted early on in the season. Curiously then, Umiri assures Mortis that once she gets the hang of the guitar, she’ll become something “real”, only to then admit in a narration that she’s only saying that to give Mortis some encouragement. That makes me very worried. Mortis is frequently treated as the “secondary” personality to Mutsumi or the fake one. She subconsciously wants someone to acknowledge her as an actual person so I don’t like the idea of Umiri manipulating her with insincere validation. I can only hope then that Umiri will change her view of Mortis as time goes on.
Watch Ave Mujica – The Die is Cast – on Crunchyroll
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