I'm sure we're all left with the same very important question after this week's episode of Kemono Jihen: what the hell is Inari having Nobimaru do that he instantly recognizes an artificial insemination syringe? Supernatural being or not, that's a weird (and mildly worrying) thing for a thirteen-year-old kid to recognize right off the bat. We knew Inari wasn't a great guardian from poor Kon, but this is a whole new realm of weirdness in terms of her parenting skills. That aside, this seventh episode is the show at its most folklorically sound – or at least recognizable – so far. It follows up on Shiki's decision that he'd actually like to know what happened to his parents, and part of the reveal is that the region of Japan he's from has a local legend that's a variant of the fairy tale classified as ATU400 – The Swan Maiden. You've probably encountered at least one version of the tale type over the course of your reading/viewing life, either as a selkie (seal fairy from Celtic lore), a celestial maiden with a feather robe, or as a crane disguised as a woman who plucks her own feathers to weave fine cloth for her husband to sell. Despite Yuu Watase's