Episode 2

* Title
* Sketch

**The Kemonoist** (怪物屋,, *Kemono-Ya*?) is the second episode of Kemono Jihen anime series.

## Synopsis

### English

Kabane meets Akira and Shiki, two other Kemono who work for Inugami, and he and Shiki get off to a rocky start. The office is called out to deal with an incident where a mother and her son are set upon by a supernatural infestation in their home.

### Japanese

Kabane is taken by Inugami to his detective agency in Tokyo, where he meets Shiki and Akira, who are both kemono like himself. In order to learn more about their work as a "kemonoist," Kabane accompanies them on a hastily requested investigation.

## Summary

Inugami introduces the other two children who work at the office to Kabane who is Akira and Shiki. He then asks Kabane if he wants to work there and tells Kabane he doesn't need to answer right away. Akira then asks if Kabane is also a kemono since he smells a little unusual. Inugami reveals that Kabane is an immortal-demon and human hanyo which makes him similar to Shiki. Shiki then points out that the clothes Kabane is wearing is his. Kabane proceeds to remove his clothes to which Shiki declines telling he doesn't want it anymore. Shiki then asks Kabane his age. Kabane reveals his age to be around 13 and Shiki tells that he is 14, realizes he was one year older and acted superior, before going to the bathroom. He also tells Inugami that he will not share a room with him and let Kabane sleep on the sofa. Akira then introduces himself and Kabane told him he was a pretty girl, which made Akira cry and saying he was a boy and then stormed off.

Later Shiki was sitting with Kabane and eating pizza. He tells Kabane he doesn't like him and that he won't be his friend and Kabane accepted that. Shiki wonders why Kabane wasn't eating and told him to eat some. Looking at the pizza, Kabane commented he never had seen one before, which shocked Shiki and then gave a piece to Kabane. He watches him struggle with the cheese and laughed, but then remembered he doesn't like him and acted cold again.

In bed, Shiki is speaking with Akira and kept repeating he hates Kabane, but Akira told him it was probably because he was the first other hybrids he sees. Akira started to guess why Kabane must be there, as likely he had no other place to be, so Shiki can go and ask Inugami, but that annoyed Shiki telling Akira to go and ask. Akira got annoyed and went to sleep, and Shiki having no choice, then decided to go and ask.

Kabane is seen going to the bathroom. He trips and sees a thread. Shiki then asks him why he came there. At first Kabane replies that it was a car, but then tells him he was looking for his parents. Shiki told him they were probably dead. Kabane tried to get up, but the web was holding him, Shiki warned him to not try as it won't come off, but Kabane forced it and frees himself. Shiki stops him and asks if it doesn't hurt. Kabane's leg then heals which Shiki sees. Kabane then asks Shiki if he can now go to the bathroom and leaves.

The next day, the four then on a job. On the way, Inugami tells the three to get along in the work and a perfect way to show what kemonoists do. After arriving at the scene, the investigator tells them that there is a mother, a child and a rescuer inside. They see a two crying child outside the room who must be siblings. Inugami was asked to look through the door and asks the investigators how long it's been like that. The investigator responds that it's been twenty or thirty minutes. He then orders the three to look at the scene. They look through the door and see the room infected with sanshi bugs feeding on the people inside. Akira screams and backs out near the door. Inugami describes that the bugs are harmless insects that just take a bit of your skin while sleeping but also have a favorite thing to eat and sees anyone who tries to take their food as their enemy. The investigator then asks Inugami if there is anything they can do. Inugami responds that he can eliminate them 100%. He then transforms his body into steel in secret and tells that the people inside have a fifty percent chance of being saved. A rescuer then goes inside but is eaten also by the bugs. The investigator then insists to burn them to keep the civilian population safe. A child then appears saying they are not dead and to help them.

While everyone is panicking and Inugami buying time, Shiki volunteers to do the job and will use his silk. Shiki shoots threads of silk in the room and creates a spider web. Shiki then uses it to make the bugs stick to it and move towwars him. However, the bugs eat the web causing it to collapse. After Shiki failed, Kabane volunteers to go in himself. Inugami then gives his permission and orders to him. Kabane then goes inside the room and is immediately attacked by the bugs. However, he doesn't feel pain since he is a ghoul. While bugs are attacking him, he finds that one of the people is holding it. Inugami then orders Kabane to lift it and successfully removes the bugs from the people.

After the job, Akira says that those are strange bugs and what their favorite food is. Inugami replies that sanshi bugs feed on the feeling of guilt and tells Kabane that the shoes retrieved are probably stolen. The young boy from earlier came running to them and gave thanks to Kabane for saving his family. The boy then asks the reason the bugs appeared in their house and Inugami advises him that as long as they don't do anything bad, it will be fine and instructs the boy to return the shoes. The young boy is shocked and tells them that their mother always put them above herself and one day his younger brother brought shoes to their home and he knew it was stolen. The younger brother's face went white and bugs appeared on his body. Their mother covered his younger brother even though she was afraid of bugs.

Kabane then wonders about "family" and asks Inugami if he works for him, would he be able to meet his parents. Inugami then asks Kabane for the third time if he wants to meet his parents since he lied the last time. Kabane responds "yes". Inugami then tells Kabane that he can live at the office.

After arriving back at the office, Shiki shares that his mom is an arachne. Kabane asks if she is alive to which Shiki replies that he doesn't know and they are probably not looking for him. Kabane says otherwise that maybe they are alive and looking for them. This annoyed Shiki who told him that if they get separated from their parents, then they would go look for them, but since they didn't, they are either dead or abandoned them. Kabane still believed their parents didn't abandon them and that they are alive, but even if they were dead, they still need to find out who they were. Shiki then leaves and shyly shows where Kabane's room is.

Inugami talks to someone over the phone and reports the finished job and about Kabane. While lying in the hammock, Kabane wakes up saying that he can't sleep since it is so cushy.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Kabane Kusaka
* Kohachi Inugami
* Shiki Tademaru
* Akira

## Manga and Anime Differences

* In the manga, Kabane originally goes to help Inugami in a work before meeting Akira and Shiki therefore it was only Inugami and Kabane who went to the scene. However in the anime, Kabane meets Akira and Shiki and goes along with them a the investigation.
* In the manga, Shiki used his power to play a trick on Kabane while he is on the bath (turning the water sticky). However, this is not shown in the anime.
* In the manga, it is Inugami who showed Kabane his room. However, it is Shiki who showed the room to Kabane in the anime.
* In the manga, Kabane proceeds to sleep on the floor after not being able to sleep on the hammock since it is too soft. This is not shown in the anime.

## References

*Kemono Jihen* Manga: Chapter 3.
*Kemono Jihen* Manga: Chapter 2.