The end of the Three Clockkeepers arc is here, and with it, some revelations. That first, Mirai really is some sort of mouse that can’t be caught. Unless you have a good plan! If you have a plan, you don’t have to stumble and bumble into each other to catch her. Then second, apparently Kou is going to be a hot guy character when he grows up, judging by when Mirai, who moves time up for everyone else to be old people, struggles to do so to Kou, as his exorcist training blunts her mischief.

However, the major revelation comes around the end. Hanako was insistent to Kou that Mirai should not touch Nene under any circumstances. Not surprisingly, she does get touched by Mirai.

And then we get to the potential reason the anime didn’t adapt volume 6.

This was a wonder to me last volume, where these three school mysteries — Akane, Kako, and Mirai, the Clockkeepers of Past, Present and Future — were not shown in the anime. Based on the revelation thanks to Mirai’s abilities, I can get why, if you’re not sure as a studio or don’t have the budget to make more episodes, this volume was essentially cut.

Spoilers start here

Mirai’s ability simply advances the time of the people she touches, but she’s unable to do that to Nene. Why? That’s because Nene has no time left. In other words, she’s set to die within a year’s time. The one who knew that was Hanako-kun, and that’s why he told Kou to make sure Mirai didn’t touch her. Well, both of them fail, but somehow, now that they rallied all the Clockkeepers together, they were able to revert to a state where none of the events happened and things were back as they were. Nene, who fainted after being touched by Mirai, woke up also forgetting what occurred, only being told that the mystery was solved.

Spoilers end here

So if you’re studio Lerche and you need some continuity, this seems like an obvious volume to skip. It might’ve contributed to a somewhat empty feeling for those following the anime, like something was missing towards the end. But after reading this volume it makes some sense, though if season 2 happens, they will have much to fix. The catch-22 of adapting properties!

Still though, Mirai simply touching Nene drives the rest of volume 6, which means more or less Kou reckoning with the knowledge that there’s nothing he can do to change the future. That’s reflected in him being unable to save Mitsuba, and now he must find a way to change Nene’s future. It won’t be easy, even more so since there’s a group looking to change all the mysteries in the school.

And especially when Nene finds herself abducted once again.

The end of volume 6 shifts to what the anime did adapt, the Hell of Mirrors Arc, which brings out why Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun is a great manga. It brings back some familiar faces in Mitsuba and Tsukasa, the terror of the creatures that appear are wondrous, and it does mix in its humor — see when School Mystery No.3, a being that controls mirrors and is seemingly powerful, crushes both Nene and Tsukasa’s spirits for their looks with words — but it’s held together through Hanako and the mysteries that dominate the school. And while there’s no conclusion, our three main leads have much to deal with as the mysteries continue piling up.

For my part, the question of Mitsuba and whether it IS him is still a wonder, and how Hanako and Kou can even deal with these threats will be worth watching. Nene’s future is going to be in question moving forward — she only has the ability to transform into a fish in water, and she is very susceptible to the supernatural threats in this school. Not withstanding what’s been learned already, but after what occurs in volume 7, what will her actions be moving forward?

So many questions, and still many characters we need to know more about! There’s much to learn about not only the inside forces (Sakura, Natsuhiko to an extent, and Tsukasa’s powers), but what Teru actually knows while his younger brother Kou has no answers and who Aoi really is inside the school. But we’ll continue to find out, just as we continue to wonder how Nene can keep her dream of finding a boyfriend alive…