The Fire of the soul
We see the blind old priest meet what I assume is a demon in the woods. For his vantage point the odd looking demon is nothing but a green aura. Dororo is desperately trying to communicate with Hyakkimaru. It’s clear to him that Hyakkimaru can “see” something as shown in the battle from the previous episode. Also, Hyakkimaru is able to grab berries to eat and fish. After, Dororo cooks the fish, the narrator explains the how the warrior sees the world. Hyakkimaru cannot see or hear.
Since birth he was able to “see” the “fire of the soul.” Using the fire of the soul one could differentiate being from one another. The color of the soul was used to determine if they were hostile. Hyakkimaru also possessed “superhuman senses and strength.” Dororo’s soul was white, therefore it didn’t indicate to Hyakkimaru that he was in danger.
Warrior for hire
Dororo plans on using Hyakkimaru’s fighting ability to make them rich. A small village is under attack by a monster. Villagers and travelers disappear. When they arrive at the village they are greeted by Denkichi who’s filling in for the chief, Bandai. He offers them a place to stay and supper. The “monster” from the beginning of the episode arrives with his bell, asking “You want.” Clearly, this “monster” isn’t a threat. However, his appearance certainly has given people that impression.
Hyakkimaru’s true sight
Hyakkimaru’s ability to see the “fire of the soul,” gives him the advantage of being able to “see” someones true intent. As a result he’s able to see the danger Bandai represents and can determine that the “monster” is harmless. Regular humans can only see the surface of a person. This results in a bias, Bandai is a beautiful woman as Dororo quickly notes. Meaning everyone assumes shes “good,” while the deformed “man” is dubbed a “monster.”
Hyakkimaru quickly attacks Bandai. He and Dororo are placed in the storehouse. They meet the old priest there. He explains to Dororo how Hyakkimaru can see. As they speak, a monster comes from the well. Hyakkimaru attacks it and heads to fight Bandai. She reveals herself to be a demon. However, Denkichi help Bandai escape, revealing that he feed the travelers to the demon to save the villagers. The demon is surprised to see that Hyakkimaru is “still alive.” It suggests that the reason is the “it” failed to “take him.” He kills the demon.
The pilgrim’s bell
The “demon” from the beginning once again ask “You want” then disappears into the ground. Underneath it is the traveler’s gold that were eaten by Bandai. Addicted to the money Denkichi couldn’t stop. He wanted the bell’s sound to stop so that he wasn’t reminded of what he did. The bell was from the first traveler. Hyakkimaru reveals his name to Dororo and begins to receive his next lost organ. Daigo notices something is wrong and orders an underling to investigate. This episode is the standard monster of the week on the surface but it’s actually more. By explaining to us the limitations of Hyakkimaru it simultaneously explains the limitations of those with “normal” sight. Basically, everyone has a handicap of sorts and we should investigate our biases.
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