This Monster Wants to Eat Me Episode 9 Review & Analysis

In Episode 9, we get a brief glimpse into Hinako and Shiori’s shared past. We also see an unexpected development: Shiori and Miko spending the day together at the zoo. I’d like to share my thoughts from the perspective of a Japanese anime fan and explain the cultural elements behind the episode.

Episode 9 of the anime corresponds to the content found in Volume 5 of the manga. By reading the manga, you can also see scenes that were trimmed or omitted in the anime. If you’re interested, you can check out Volume 5 here: Amazon

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This Monster Wants to Eat Me Episode 9 review

In Episode 8, Hinako learned from Ayame that Shiori had given her some of her own blood. Even worse, Ayame also tells her that, for a yokai, a human who carries their own blood tastes awful and can’t be eaten. Shocked by this, Hinako began wondering whether Shiori had truly given her blood in the past. The thought weighed on her, and ever since the training camp, Shiori had been acting strangely distant.

Seeing Hinako looking troubled, Miko gently tells her that she can talk about anything if something is bothering her. Encouraged by this, Hinako shares everything Ayame told her. Hinako feels she once saw Shiori’s true appearance in the past. She wonders if Ayame is lying—or if Shiori is hiding something. Smell alone won’t confirm anything, so Hinako impulsively asks Miko, “Do you want to lick me?”

But Miko is a fox yokai, and the scent of Hinako’s blood makes her want to eat Hinako. Hinako’s sudden suggestion sends Miko into a frantic panic, creating a comedic moment.

After school that day, Hinako decides to ask Shiori directly. She asks if they met in the past, but Shiori dodges the question. Hinako also asks whether Shiori’s blood is inside her. When Shiori gives no clear answer, Hinako unwraps the bandage on her injured arm, steps closer, and asks, “Do I look tasty?” She explains everything Ayame told her—yokai can’t eat someone they’ve given blood to—and asks Shiori, “Would you really eat me?”

Shiori finally admits it: she did give Hinako her blood. Shiori had always been bothered by the strange scent coming from Hinako. Shiori and Hinako had met once ten years ago. Shiori had given Hinako her blood as repayment for something that happened back then.

On the day Hinako and her family got into that traffic accident during their trip, they encountered Shiori. It was there that Shiori shared her blood with Hinako.

When Shiori gave Hinako her blood, she wished:
“Please, let this child stay healthy. Don’t let her lose her light. No matter what happens, let her live.”
Hinako always thought the words “live… please live” came from her family. Believing that Hinako’s parents had told her to survive was the very reason she kept living even when she wanted to die. Learning that this belief was mistaken shakes her to the core. And when she discovers that even Shiori—the one she believed would “eat her” and end her suffering—was lying, Hinako breaks down.“You said you’d save me… you monster,” she says, and walks away into the rain without an umbrella.

Hinako passes by Miko, who had rushed after her, but Hinako ignores her calls and disappears into the rain. Realizing something serious happened, Miko transforms into her fox form and demands Shiori explain what she did. But Shiori says nothing. Instead, she suddenly invites Miko on a zoo date.

At the zoo, Shiori tells Miko about her worldview as a yokai and her own past. Miko has lived among humans for a long time, forming real relationships despite being a yokai. Shiori envies this and wishes she could do the same. Miko responds, “Then why don’t you live with humans too?” But Shiori reveals that she once did live among humans—yet she failed to form any meaningful connection.

Thoughts & Analysis

In the lunch scene, Miko is holding something that looks like a sandwich. It’s a Japanese-style fruit sandwich—soft bread filled with whipped cream and strawberries. There are many variations using different fruits, and fruit sandwiches are so common in Japan that you can buy them at any convenience store.

Episode 9 stands out for its subtle character movements and impressive voice acting. For example, when Shiori reveals the truth to Hinako, her speaking pace slightly quickens, conveying her panic and emotional turmoil. Her bangs falling over her right eye is another nice detail, as is the trembling in her eyes when Hinako calls her a “monster.”

Hinako’s voice acting, performed by Reina Ueda, is exceptional—her breath catching, her trembling voice—these subtle expressions add emotional weight beyond the words themselves.

The Japanese title of This Monster Wants to Eat Me is watashi wo tabetai hitodenashi. The word hitodenashi is translated as “monster,” but its nuance is slightly different from yokai. While yokai often refers to specific supernatural creatures—like fox spirits, mermaids, or two-mouthed women—hitodenashi is broader and can describe anything that is “not human.” It can also be used for actual humans, referring to cold-hearted or cruel people. It’s possible that Hinako, the only true human among the main trio, may become a hitodenashi in a symbolic sense.

The background music used during Shiori’s confession scene is new to this episode and fits perfectly. It conveys tension and unease very effectively. Overall, the soundtrack throughout the series complements each scene beautifully. In Japan, the OST release has already been announced.

At the end of the episode, Miko and Shiori visit the fox exhibit together—a moment full of irony, considering Miko herself is a fox yokai. The zoo they visit is actually based on Tobe Zoo
, a real zoo in Ehime Prefecture, where This Monster Wants to Eat Me is set.

Next week’s episode may reveal even more about Shiori’s past.

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