Episode 8 of Dorohedoro starts with En recapping the events of the day. Chota explains what Ebisu’s magic is. Her magic is “mutagenic reptile-type magic.” Basically she can turn anyone into a lizard. En asks Ebisu what she has learned? She remembers that the man inside Kaiman’s head said that she was “the one who got in my way.” It quickly cuts to Kaiman. He can’t get Risu out of his head. Seeing the scarring on the back of Nikaido, Kaiman decides that he won’t involve her anymore. When Nikaido arrives at his job to pick up her medicine and give Kaiman his lunch, she learns that he quit the day before.
La La La Mystery Man
Kaiman heads to the sorcerer’s world along. His only clue to finding the sorcerer that is responsible for his lizard head is Risu. Kaiman is broke, hungry and needing a job. While sitting in an alley he overhears two men trying to kidnap someone. Suddenly that man’s boss, Tanba, arrives crushing the skull of one of the assailants. He asks them “how they think he would carry on his shop if they kidnap his staff ?” The other kidnapper holds the employee at knifepoint. Kaiman arrives behind the kidnapper and breaks his arm. He then smashes the face of the other kidnapper.
Grateful, Tanba offers Kaiman food at his restaurant Tanba. His employee Kirion gives him the main dish of the restaurant, “meat bags.” Kaiman learns that the kidnapper is “collectors,” that aim to use them for the blue night. Regardless, Tanba offers Kaiman a job as a “brute.” Risu arrives home to find his food moldy and his house covered in dust. He recalls the last moments of his life. He received a job from Cross-eyed division leader Tanabe. He is sent to the Salmanza plains by himself. Risu’s partner warns him and leaves. At Salmanza, Risu is killed when he’s stabbed in the neck by an unknown assailant. I don’t know how Risu knows his killer is a cross-eye. Regardless, he knows that they can’t know that he’s been resurrected.
Welcome to Blue Night Land
The En family prepares for Blue Night. All members of the En family get tailored suits and offers from potential partners. Kaiman learns from Fukuyama that the Blue Night is a festival where a sorcerer can find a partner. Despite Tanba telling Kaiman to stay and protect the restaurant, he sneaks into the festival anyway. Inside the mansion, En is practicing his speech. Sone of his henchmen arrives to give them a list of possible partner candidates. En gets the most, Ebisu gets none, Fujita only gets two, Shin and Noi are concerned about two specific applicants. Shin says that this ” could be the end of them.” En explains the festival’s rules.
While in the bathroom, Noi is attacked. Her arm is blown off. Shin instantly senses she’s in danger. Meanwhile, detectives are investigating the murder in the smoke shop. They find the camera. This episode was a little slower than the last one. However, it has set up the next episode. It seems improbable that Kaiman will get exposed as he’s clearly outnumbered and knows it. The most interesting part of this episode is the partner concept.I’m particularly interested in how Shin and Noi became partners and what’s this danger they face.