It’s episode 6 of Shion no Ō, and we start to learn a little about Shion and her foster-father’s past. We also see a version of Hani-meijin that we’re not used to seeing. Also, there’s a new tournament afoot. Will we also get some ideas of who-done-it as well?

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The highlights of this episode:

• Shion and her foster parents get on the train to go to a hot springs. However, on the train, the two investigators stop by to ask Shion some questions. The detectives ask Shion if she remembers what the murderer of her parents looked like. However, Shion tells them that she doesn’t know, but but does say that he was wearing a tobaggan. The lead detective shows Shion the picture of the man using the fax from the security camera, asking if it was him, but Shion doesn’t know.
• During the questioning, Shion remembers backs and thinks that the murderer had “beautiful fingers,” but, recognizing that her foster-father also has what she thinks are “beautiful fingers,” she decides not to tell the detectives (I’m guessing she either thought it was irrelevant or wouldn’t be useful).
• On their way to the hot springs, Shion and her parents swing by the grave of “big brother Kyoutarou.” Kyoutarou was a Shogi player as well, and desired to train Shion in it (this is before Shion parent’s murders, so she is still speaking at this point). However, Kyoutarou gets sick, and in an attempt to defeat Hani for the title of Shogi Meijin, dies in the middle of the match.
• At Kyoutarou’s funeral, a disheveled Hani stumbles in, angrily throws a shogi king piece at his memorial, cracking a picture of Kyoutarou, and yells at his memorial over him dying before they could “take down” the old shogi association together.
• Meanwhile, Shion and her parents arrive at the hot springs hotel, where it’s operator obviously know the Yasuokas well, and decides to show Shion around the place. He shows Shion a room with shogi table in it and explains that six years prior, her foster-father played a match for the meijin title against Hani that room, but lost. The innkeeper continues to tell her that her foster-father has surprised many people by how well he has played so late into his career, and that he’ll never give up trying to gain the title of Meijin.
• That evening, Ayumi gets home from work to see his father stealing his shogi winnings. Ayumi tries to stop him, but his father is able to beat him back and tells him that since he’s the one who taught him Shogi, and thus his winnings should be treated as his “tuition.”
• The next day after school, Koybayashi, the bad guy with glasses shows up to pick Shion up in his car. He’s already picked up Saori, who encourages Shion to come along. In the car, Saori explains that one of Kobayashi’s acquaintances wants a shogi lesson from them.
• Once they arrive at their destination, they meet the blond haired man, who explains to them that his business is interested in sponsoring the women’s shogi league, but he wants to see a match first. He is also introduced as Satoru Hani, the little brother of Hani-meijin.
• Saori asks the two what exactly they want to sponsor, and they explain that they want to sponsor a special shogi tournament: one where anyone can participate – pros and amateurs, men and women alike, with a winning prize of 50 million yen (if my math is right, somewhere around $500,000 – man they dish out the money in shogi!).
• Saori, who is still skeptical about the prospects of such a tournament, still resists playing a match, but Shion goes for it right away, and Saori relents. The two decide to play by kiremake rules – which means they get 1 hour and 1 hour only to finish, with no extra time at the end. If a player expends their hour, they lose.
• As the two players prepare to play their first ever match against each other, Satoru goes outside and takes out his necklace – which has on it the same pendant that Shion carries from her parent’s murder…

OK, a hell of a lot happened in this episode. First, he continue the search for Shion’s parent’s murderer, but with no luck on the detective side, though this episode has a bit of a who-done-it feel.

First, we have Shion’s foster-father who apparently has “beautiful fingers” like the murderer, and is apparently very determined to become meijin. Perhaps so determined that he’d murder a possible obstacle to that goal (all we know is that Shion’s real father played Shogi, but we don’t know how good he was or anything). The problem with this is the murderer’s hair style – it is very different from her foster-father’s, though I guess he could have been wearing a whig (and thus the hat). Of course, taking in their daughter as his own would also immediately put him out of people’s mind as a possible suspect too.

Second, we have Hani-meijin. I wouldn’t see any real motive with him doing it, but he does seem to like to use the shogi king piece for various things – such as throwing it at Kyoutarou’s picture at the funeral. Remember that the shogi king piece was left by the murderer at the scene. He also has a hair style that is similar to the murderer’s and would seem to be about the right age.

Third, we have Satoru, Hani-meijin’s younger brother. He would appear to be the most obvious suspect. There is a short scene to suggest that he too has “beautiful” fingers, he certainly seems very slimy, he sort of looks like the murderer, and he has the same pendent that Shion has. My only concerns with this theory is that, like the theory about the kidnapper early in the series, it seems TOO obvious. Also, he looks like he might be too young.

And, of course, it could be “none of the above” still.

Beyond this, we’re introduce to Aymumi’s family problems. We already knew that his mother was in the hospital, and the question of why he’s the one who has to pay for it seems to be answered as his father is shown to be a drunken deadbeat (who steal’s his son’s money on top of it).

We also have this open tournament which I’m willing to bet will take the bulk of the of the rest of the series, especially now that we’ve hit the halfway point.