The Desert City of Anthole // Somali to Mori no Kamisama Ep. 3 Review

Episode 3: The Sea at the Bottom of the Cave

Otaku Voice Staff

Another episode and another land. The two adventurers have found themselves a new city in Somali to Mori no Kamisama episode 3. This time we have traded the lush green of the forest for the sunburnt clay red of Anthole, the city in the desert.

Anthole feels almost mesoamerican in design. Its not too dissimilar from the city of the first episode, but at the same time the color palette changes everything. It has a warm dry feeling because of the red desert clay. The city is cramped and winding. A feeling accentuated by the narrow entrance to Anthole.

There is also a western influence on the city and this episode. Many of the carriages seen outside and entering Anthole look like a classic western horse and buggy. The three major characters introduced, Kokilila, Giina, and their son Kikila are all woolly shurigara. Basically they are walking, talking jackalope. Its all of the classic desert aesthetic all rolled into one setting.

Kikila the Woolly Shirigara

Its not ultra obvious from the first two episodes of Somali to Mori no Kamisama, but Somali hasn’t had any friends her own age this whole time. Somali’s relationship with the Golem is that of a father and daughter. That much is clearly defined. He isn’t her friend. The Golem is her guardian.

The Golem protects and cares for Somali. Maybe in this episode it is almost like that of a helicopter parent. While he doesn’t want her to go outside, maybe that is for good reason. Always getting into trouble that little Somali is.

Somali and Kikila are like two peas in a pod. Both are rambunctious younglings without a care in the world. They are adorable together. I’m glad the two will hopefully have another episode together since we aren’t moving on to the next locale immediately.

Somali’s Quest for the Yozame Flowers

The namesake of episode 3, The Sea at the Bottom of the Cave, makes for a beautiful contrast from the city above. The bright iridescent blue mushrooms and flowers open up a different palette from the sandy red above. Its wonderful to see how varied this world is even in one place.

Somali and Kikila’s descent into the cave to find the yozame flowers is almost symbolic. The Golem is risking everything to save Somali, and Somali is inadvertently risking everything to save her relationship with her dad. Neither want to let go of each other for fear of losing the other. Somali hopes that the power behind the yozame flower can help extend the journey. A thought that is doomed to failure in Somali to Mori no Kamisama episode 3.

[Sources and Further Reading]
[Image via Crunchyroll]
[More from Somali to Mori no Kamisama]