TenPuru, Episode 12 [END]: Where Are You Looking?

Kiki abruptly halts Yuzuki’s training. Yuzuki and Akemitsu contemplate her words and why they want to save the temple.

Episode 12 — “No One Should Live Alone”

TenPuru: Weekly Ecchi Wisdom

諸法無我 (しょほうむが, shohoumuga) is one of the three fundamental concepts of Buddhism. As a modern expression, there are many ways to say “the idea that all things in the universe lack their own unchangeable substances.” I like the Buddhist dictionary’s succinctness: “All things lack inherent identity.” The other two Buddhist foundations are the concepts of impermanence and enlightenment. If you understand all three, all the time, you are Buddha. Good luck! But here in TenPuru, instead of a discourse on the philosophy of the inner mind, we’ll apply it to what matters: oppai. Here are three points to consider:

• The Japanese use a finger pointing toward the face for identification.
• Individuals are also a nexus of others’ opinions and social roles.
• Kiki is most identified by her boobs.

Where Do You Want It: Face or Chest?

Every culture has unique gestures for referring to oneself. When I first started watching anime, I quickly noticed how characters pointed to their faces or eyes when they identified themselves. Or they asked for clarification about who someone else was talking about. In the West, we gesture to our chest with our thumb, index finger, or a motion of our hands. Japanese make sure you see a finger as the other person looks at their face. We can speculate about the cultural differences of the locus of self in the body, whether it’s the heart or the head, but the indicator matters to Japan. Bear that in mind when watching the TenPuru episode and how Kiki asked Akemitsu, “What’s this?”

Her lesson involved two topics. First, the self, the idea of “me,” is not just her name or how she imagines herself inside her mind. She’s also how others perceive her and the societal and cultural roles she fills. That’s the lesson of the Buddhist phrase above: there is no inherent self. Even the names of objects differ from language to language. But Kiki’s second topic mattered to how she touched her chest. If Kiki had pointed to her face, Akemitsu might have responded with her name because that’s the Japanese prompt for recognizing a person. But would Akemitsu’s response to Kiki’s question be about the finger or who the finger points to? When you point to the moon, do you look all the way or merely stop at the tip of the index finger?

Ancient Boobist Wisdom

The context in TenPuru was for Akemitsu to throw away his surface perceptions about Yuzuki and see her as she was. So, Kiki did not play fair with Akemitsu’s response to her religious instruction, which was her point. But to bring back the humor and sexiness into a more emotionally draining episode than the others, Kiki started talking about her boobs. Even Buddhist wisdom requires oppai. The picture in the weekly aphorism matched Yuzuki’s sad situation, so it did not have the regular fanservice. But I would have chosen Kiki poking her ample bosom to pair with the lesson. Yes, Kiki, you are most renowned in TenPuru for your boobs. You can tell how proud they make her feel! But she also enjoyed teasing Akemitsu for his oppai obsession.

Heh.

Oh. This season finale will punch us in the feels. Why are they still hiding the Aoba mother’s eyes? We know where Tsukina went after she left the Crescent Moon Temple. Aw. Yuzuki regrets shouting at Akemitsu. Whoops. Akemitsu does not look as torn up about their fight. I see pangs of jealousy coming from Yuzuki! Akemitsu also wants to apologize, but this TenPuru season finale will drag that out. Yuzuki is acting like a teenager avoiding a confrontation. Kiki recognized the signs. Buddhism lesson with oppai! Ha! Deep lessons. Still about boobs, though. And how Akemitsu had perceived Yuzuki through rose-colored glasses. Neat! A temple charges adherents for leaving! Kiki wants that dough! But it looks like a failure to Yuzuki. The young woman can’t match her mother’s skills. Ugh. Yuzuki thinks working harder will help, but she doesn’t know how. Kiki stopped her monk training!

Yuzuki has nothing to do at the temple because Akemitsu has already done the chores. Uh oh. The other girls discovered that Tsukuyo had Akemitsu’s phone number. And so did Kagura! She labeled him “Bakagami.” Ah. The lesson Kiki wants Yuzuki to learn is that the daughter is not her mother. Searching for part-time jobs is also demoralizing. What does this work-placement agency do? Anila is the wind-natured protector of Buddha’s twelve generals. But the kanji below there, 安仁羅 (anjinra), looks like a Buddhist inside joke.

Running in the Rain

Blarrgh. TenPuru turns on the waterworks with sudden rain and a chase. Does Akemitsu finally believe Kurage that Yuzuki is an airhead? What is Yuzuki’s personality? Even when she tried to hide, she copied Akemitsu’s hiding place by the river. At least she learned she can’t do things by herself. Ask for help, people. No one is an island. Headbutt apology! I heard a marriage proposal there somewhere. Baka beam! Yuzuki learned her lesson: she is not her mother and should avoid seeking recognition for her efforts. Also, don’t run from your weaknesses. Looking sideways at Akemitsu…

Oh, good. Let’s end the TenPuru season with lucky lecher scenes. Akemitsu had better keep his iron level topped up to handle the blood loss. Did you know that “anila” means “wind” in the language Siddhartha Gautama spoke? It wasn’t supposed to be a naughty wind! The end.

TenPuru streams on Crunchyroll in Japanese audio and multiple language subtitles.

You know, I think Kiki loves being known for her oppai. She was bragging, not complaining! Artist 23 is also known for drawing lovely boobs on fit girls. Check out this tapestry of Silvia in the J-List store and pick one up while it’s still the year of the bunny!

How did you guys like TenPuru? I enjoyed the mix of ancient wisdom with thighs and cleavage but would have preferred a less abrupt ending. The manga publication still releases volumes and twice monthly chapters, so I would love to see another season and more of Kiki! How about you? Let us know in the comments below or online on Facebook, Twitter, or Discord.