Episode 8 Summary, Under the Camphor Tree

Kanaru invites a sleepy Takuro out to meet her alone when it was still only seven in the morning. It seems she had something to hand to him but didn't want to catch too much attention in class. Could it be...?

Thinking she was confessing her lover for him, Takuro immediately revealed that he already had feelings for Megumi and couldn't possibly accept Kanaru. Just then, Shin appears greeting them a good morning. With the wrong idea still in mind, Takuro tries to get Shin to leave from the awkward situation he was in.

However, Shin was also invited over. Was she after two boys? Before Kanaru could explain, a girl with long hair and glasses appear before them asking how to get to the second year classroom. Her name was Mayuri and Kanaru appeared to be surprised to find her here at Naginomori High. She drops a test paper with Takuro's name on it.

Takuro soon learns it was just his misunderstanding but from Inue's point of view, anyone would have thought the same thing being under that famous Camphor Tree. In any case, it must have been a nice feeling to have the heart beating fast with that misunderstanding in mind. On the contrary, Takuro actually got quite a shock when he thought Kanaru was after more than one boy. The group of friends then move on to talk about the cute new transfer student Mayuri Yamasaki but Shin just can't help feel that he has met from somewhere before.

Meanwhile, Mayuri was getting a tour of the school with an enthusiastic Megumi leading the way, talking about how great their biology lab's model of the human body was because its parts could actually move. Kanaru on the other hand appears to be distracted. As they continue their tour they meet Jun along the way. He too feels he's met Mayuri from somewhere before but apologises and walks on.

Soon it was PE time. Shin continues to gaze at Mayuri wondering where he's seen her before. While he was doing that, Takuro was too busy looking at the girls warming up before him. He suddenly felt like one of those perverted middle aged men.

At that point, Shin catches sight of something. He makes his way over to the Camphor Tree they were under earlier that morning. One of the branches was twisted and intertwined like a piece of rope. Was it already like that? Takuro couldn't really say. He was more concerned about the piece of paper Kanaru dropped that morning. He tries to pull it out but only manages to tear it in half.

After the school, the girls go their separate ways. Once Megumi had left to return to the dorm, Kanaru asks if Mayuri wanted to drop by her place. Mayuri she replies she will when she has the time. As she began to walk off, Mayuri sways on her feet. Kanaru runs up to steady her but Mayuri claims she was all right. She picks up her bag and says she will visit Kanaru once she has settled down.

The next day, Shin walked into his class as usual but there was something strange happening. Things were becoming twisted just like the Camphor Tree's branch and objects were appearing where they shouldn't be. Kanaru got a surprise when she tried to sit down and found a cactus plant stuck on her chair. Takuro received a pleasant surprise when he found Megumi's PE clothes in his desk but he also ended up with a beating.

That night, Shin discussed with his brother about what could be the cause. It has become quite a topic amongst the students but the strange events are only taken place in the high school quarters of the Naginomori it seems. The students were saying it could be the work of aliens or even what Shin is afraid of most. Ghosts. Jun found it odd his brother was afraid of ghosts yet he wasn't afraid of Personas.

On the following day, things were getting even stranger. Transparent bodies were stuck through the walls of classrooms. Soon, Shin and the other got together to discuss the matter and came to the conclusion it was definitely wasn't something humans were capable of. Takuro thought it might have been Soutarou but the others thought otherwise. Much to their surprise, Kanaru suggests they sneak into the school at night to find out what was really happening. Takuro looked forward to taking some nice photos of whatever it was while Megumi was worried.

Later at night, Shin rummaged through his belongings to find his charm before leaving the house. Everyone were soon gathered outside the school but both Takuro and Shin seemed to be pretty frightened. They get a scare when Kanaru arrives late behind them and an unexpected Jun appears too. Jun had talked to the security guard about what they were up to so that they could enter the school.

Once inside, the friends split up into two teams. Megumi and Takuro were in one team and as they walked through the corridors with their single flash light, Megumi talked about how the rumours were now linking the strange incidents to Mayuri's arrival at the school. Suddenly, Takuro gets a scare when Megumi thought she saw something outside the windows. A chair drops nearly, startling Takuro and making him hold onto Megumi tightly.

Megumi and Takuro's voices could be heard ringing down the corridors to the other team. Jun remarked they must be having a fun time. However, Shin himself was so scared he wasn't really paying attention either as he gripped onto his charm. Trying to divert their attention, he asks what Kanaru invited him out for the other morning. Was it for a game of Kagenuki? Kanaru tries to deny it as Jun looks at her curiously.

The three friends walk on. Shin asks how Kanaru came to know Mayuri and she answers they had met during kindergarten. Suddenly Jun senses something. Kanaru hears the sound of a girl crying in pain. A classroom nearby lights up and one of the beams begin to twist before it burst sending shards of glass flying everywhere. They run for cover back to the biology room where Shin and Kanaru get another scare from the moving human body model. After they recovering, they soon discover where the cries were coming from. It was Mayuri and she didn't look too well.

After re-grouping with Takuro and Megumi, they decide to try and call the ambulance but their phones weren't working. Jun appeared to be missing too. Megumi decides they should try and call from outside the building while they looked for Jun. Kanaru was going to stay with Mayuri in case anything happened. Just before Shin leaves, he puts his charm into Mayuri's hand.

Outside, Jun was at the Camphor Tree inspecting a new mark that had been made on its trunk. After touching it, Jun turns round to find a blurred shape behind him. He knew it was looking for someone and that it was lonely. In an effort to ease its pain, Jun summons his own Persona and a bright light appears as it casts its hand over the mysterious creature's head. Jun returns inside much to the relief of the others but he doesn't tell them what happened. Mayuri seemed to have recovered from her pain too.

Next day, all was normal again. Takuro couldn't believe it was the work of a spirit bound to the Camphor Tree and was even surprised about Shin's fear of ghosts. Megumi on the other hand wasn't impressed by either of them.

Downstairs, Mayuri thanked Kanaru and handed over the charm she was holding, the one that was supposed to ward away all illnesses and bad fortune. She couldn't remember what had happened last night. Mayuri begins to walk away and comes across Jun along the way. She greets him with a nod and continues to walk on until Jun tells her that he hopes she'll find the person she's looking for one day. He also suggests it was best if she took better care of her friend or it could spell disaster.

Later that evening, Mayuri was on a rooftop speaking to Megumi about dropping by the dorm on Sunday. After she hangs up, Soutarou appears and asks how was her childhood friend. Mayuri (who is actually Saki from the Marebito group, in disguise) turns round to greet him saying there were no problems apart from getting herself mistaken as a spirit. Soutarou throws over some pills to her and asks if she was ready to return with him but she wasn't. She says she had found the person she was looking for but it wasn't their other group member Touma. She wanted to stay a student for the time being.

Thoughts

And we continue to chug along the main storyline steadily. Still not many answers yet. Now what is it with these trees and people confessing their love under them? Is it a common thing in Japan or does it originate from Tokimeki Memorial?

Good to see the Marebito group are on the move again but, Mayuri was so obviously one of them when she suddenly appeared that morning at school. Couldn't they have got someone else to be the spy or is the budget to tight to introduce someone new? At least give her a mask to wear.

However, it appears Saki isn't after the potential 'A' candidates as before this time. Towards the end of the episode, Soutarou asks how her "childhood friend" was doing and she answers that she found him/her. This was followed by an image of Jun so I wonder if perhaps Yuki is the person she's looking for? Or was it really just Kanaru?

Not much else to say besides how powerful Jun's Persona appears to be and how calm he is. I think that shape that appeared by the tree wasn't Saki's Persona and was actually one of the souls she got by Reversing someone because certainly didn't look like her full fledged Persona from the roof scene.