The Mystic Archives of Dantalian Episode Nine “Book of Twilight”--Recap

This episode uses an older art style that is vaguely reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki's work. (The costume designs some of the other characters in this episode reminds me very strongly of Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind.) We see a barren and desolate landscape that looks like nothing on Earth. Huey and Dalian turn up, walking toward a fortress. They appear to be on some sort of important mission. When they reach the fortress they find it in ruins. Dalian looks extremely sad, and Huey notes that the world is falling apart. Then we go to the opening credits.

When we get back from credits, we are introduced to an old woman who is currently complaining about her apprentice and granddaughter, Ira. Ira meanwhile, is heading off to town on an errand. While visiting an elderly man named Mr. Salut, we get some back story on Ira. She apparently has a crush on a young merchant named Tito, whose caravan is due to arrive in town soon. As the old man is teasing her about her crush, she catches sight of Dalian and Huey, who have been wandering around the town.

The next scene is Ira dispensing medicinal herbs to a young soldier. She's interrupted by Gianni, who appears to be an officer in the town guard. He needs to speak to her grandmother. The grandmother is extremely unhappy about having soldiers anywhere near her home and she is not really willing to hear him out at first. He explains that there has been an invasion of monster bugs called "Baziumu," and he needs the grandmother's shamanic expertise. There is apparently an extremely poisonous plant called "Elegans" that will kill the monster bugs, and he's hoping that she will be able to provide him with this plant. The grandmother sends the soldiers away in a very curt manner.

Later, the grandmother warns Ira that Elegans is an extremely lethal plant. She sends Ira off to gather the Elegans with some pretty hefty precautions, such as wearing two pairs of gloves when gathering the plant, and burning the gloves after using them. While Ira is in the forest she meets up with Huey and Dalian. They talk for a while, and then the subject of the Baziumu comes up. Dalian declares that the poison will not kill the bugs and says that if Ira sees one of the bugs, she should run away. Huey apologizes for Dalian.

Later, we see the grandmother brewing the poison. She gives some of it to Ira and sends her off to town. When Ira gets to town, the bugs are already there, but all of the villagers are gone. Ira heads for the shop of Mr. Salut, but gets corned by one of the bugs. She throws the vial of Elegans at the bug, and just as Dalian said, the poison doesn't work. Ira runs, and collides with Huey, who catches her.

Huey takes a few shots at the bug, but Dalian points out that guns won't work on them either. Dalian then asks Huey if he's prepared "the fumigant." Huey answers in the affirmative. Whatever the fumigant is, it appears to work on the bug. Ira asks if Huey and Dalian has seen any of the villagers, but Huey replies that so far they've only run into the bugs. This upsets Ira a great deal, prompting Huey to hurriedly explain that he had seen tracks heading into the mountains, so it's likely that the villagers were able to escape the marauding bugs. During their conversation, they also learn that apparently, the Baziumu were drawn to the town by the presence of books that had been brought into town in a cart.

Ira makes it up into the mountains where the remaining villagers had gathered. Gianni is extremely unhappy with Ira's grandmother. He blames the destruction of the village on her, because she hadn't provided him with the poison he had asked for. Ira however explains that Elegans doesn't work on the bugs. Gianni's anger then turns on Tito, whose books had apparently drawn the monster bugs to the town. (It looks and sounds like he's trying to stir up a lynch mob, frankly.)

Gianni's tirade is interrupted by Dalian and Huey, who are standing in front of Tito's cart full of books. Dalian implies that the books will make excellent bait for the bugs. Gianni is outraged, but Dalian points out that it's too late, the bugs are already here. We get a view of the bugs and Gianni panicking, and then Huey retrieves a book from Dalian's library to use on the bugs. Dalian and Huey are able to get rid of the bugs.

In the aftermath, Ira asks them if they are wizards. Huey explains that they are not wizards; they are just from another world. Ira asks if they had come to save the village, but Huey states that this is not entirely accurate. Dalian explains that she and Huey had caused some of the difficulty, and that what they'd done had been in reparation. Ira is fascinated by Dalian and Huey's strange powers, so she asks if she can learn from them about Phantom Books and the Archive of Dantalian. Dalian says however says that they have to leave. Ira asks them to stay at least a little while, but Dalian refuses. She does tell Ira that she will see her again, "every time I open the book." Then Dalian and Huey disappear, and there is a happy ending.

The next scene reveals that a good portion of Huey's book collection has been rain damaged thanks to stormy weather and leaky roofs. The rain and the wet drew in bookworms that began to infest the collection. Dalian is utterly outraged and indicates a strong desire to destroy all life, particularly life of the book-eating kind. Huey scolds her, and she falls silent with a "hmph!"

It seems that in some cases, the bugs had actually managed to "eat the story" which is why Huey and Dalian were wandering around inside a fantasy novel.

We end with Huey attempting to get Dalian's help with carting away the more badly damaged books, but Dalian refuses. (She is busy visiting Ira.)