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No time is wasted getting to good comedy. Furuichi lamenting that the girls don’t want him is great, and the fight between Aoi and Hilda is based on such misunderstandings that it’s preposterous and hilarious. Even in such a funny scene, though, Hilda makes a poignant remark about being scared to find out who she really is. After such a comical argument, that statement is somewhat sarcastic, but it definitely represents her feelings of confusion and unease. This is a great use of amnesia, which is generally such a tiresome plot point.
The flashback continues to build tension regarding towards a surprisingly deep moral dilemma for Beelzebub. Returning Hilda’s memory is the instinctive solution to this scenario, as it would return her to her normal state, but then again, Hilda is obviously far happier without her memories than she was in her normal state. Furthermore, Hilda is her current state is still a person with a legitimate right to her opinions and desires, which so far seem to indicate that she wants to stay as she is. Considering that this situation requires Hilda to make a decision based on information she doesn’t know and couldn’t comprehend, the decision could fall to Oga, who himself has no right to change the life of another so drastically. Surely, a series like Beelzebub will resolve this in a lighthearted and comical fashion, but it’s a striking examination of ethics for such a series.
Is it right to decide someone else's happiness?
Yolda, now confirmed as Hilda’s sister, appears just in time to capitalize on the concepts brought up by the flashback. By directly presenting Hilda with the choice to regain her memories, Yolda neatly ends the cycle of Oga searching for people who could help Hilda remember by pushing this story to its climax. Hilda’s own feelings add complexity to the chapter, too; her worries about being “that unwanted” reveal just how difficult her struggle for identity is.
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After all those serious emotional issues, the solution to return Hilda’s memory being a kiss nicely returns the tone of the series to comedy. It’s a perfect choice, since a plot point as trite as amnesia deserves a solution as trite as a kiss from “her Prince Charming,” and also because Oga would never play along, as evidenced by the return of his demon face.
Oga knows how to be convincing
Between being tricked by Yolda into essentially admitting her feelings for Oga and her explosion of embarrassment upon hearing what he has to do, Aoi once again shows why she is such a great character. The awkward side of her that surfaces when dealing with Oga is an excellent contrast to her usual delinquent self.
This is a fantastic chapter for comedy. Yolda is proving to be a surprisingly good addition to the comedic side of the series by stirring up trouble all around campus, Oga using Beel as a dowsing rod is brilliant, and the characters fishing for crayfish are another example of how well this series does running gags.
Superb callback to the earlier crayfish joke
Throwing away the memory medicine was a touching act from either Oga or Beel, depending upon whether Oga was telling the truth or simply trying to cover up his feelings by blaming the throw on Beel. Either way, it showed real care for Hilda; regardless of what the morally correct thing to do was, the decision was made out of a concern for Hilda’s happiness. Of course, this is all immediately undone by Beel’s kiss, and while keeping Hilda’s memories locked away was always unlikely, featuring such a heartwarming scene right before returning Hilda to normal makes the decision to return to the status quo slightly disappointing.
Final Flash: Great comedy and some impressive handling of concepts outside of the scope of this series.
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