It's easy to say Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress (Koutetsujou no Kabaneri) has already surpassed everybody's expectations three episodes into the series. With stunning graphics, strong characters and intricately woven plotlines, Kabaneri has sealed its place among the best anime series this year.
But other than the strong points I mentioned above, the mysterious aura surrounding the protagonists of the series makes every episode a must watch.
There no other character in the series that personifies the word mysterious than Mumei. Apart from being such a badass Kabaneri, we haven't known a lot about her. Her origin, affiliation and goals, all still unknown up to now.
The only certain right now is there will be a big revelation at the end of the series. And I believe it will answer all the questions surrounding Mumei, Ikoma and the rest of the cast. However, after analyzing the flow of the story through the first three episodes, I think I have figured it out the connection that lies between Mumei and Ikoma. Brace yourself for this bold prediction that could turn out to be a major, major spoiler for everyone.
Mumei is Ikoma's sister all along, and I have proofs to back it up:
Proof no.1 - Speechless at first sight: While collecting Kabane's hearts for his experiments at the train station, Ikoma was left speechless for several seconds the first time he saw Mumei off the Koutetsojou. Takumi asked him if there's something wrong to which Ikoma replied 'nothing,' but Mumei without a doubt looked familiar to him based on his look.
Proof no.2 - What's with the color?: Notice that Mumei and Ikoma's sister have the same eye and hair color: brown to gold color scheme. Attention to details has been the driving force behind Tetsuro Araki's success in the anime industry. For sure, there's correlation behind the color scheme of both characters. I feel there is.
Proof no. 3 - It's all in the Ribbon: If your eyes are sharp enough you would notice that Mumei's purple ribbon that restrains his Kabaneri power is similar to the ribbon Ikoma's sister had in her hair at the time of his 'death.' Perhaps, it's just coincidence, perhaps not. Notice that the young Ikoma placed the suicide bag below the heart of his sister, which is so wrong. In order to kill a Kabane, you have to place it right on the heart. Fortunately, Ikoma did not follow the instruction well, so there's a really chance his little sis is pretty much alive, not as a Kabane but maybe, just maybe a Kabaneri!
Proof 4 - the Opening: The opening of any anime series is always riddled with tons of clues and spoilers. We all know that! In the Kabaneri opening, we see Ikoma lying along the rails seeking help from his sister, but in just split seconds, the image of his sister becomes Mumei. I don't how you interpret that stuff. For me, it's simple...Mumei is a spitting image of Ikoma sister, because the fact is she is his sis all along.