In a world often seeking neat resolutions, the anime adaptation of Sai Naekawa’s compelling yuri horror manga, This Monster Wants to Eat Me (Japanese: Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi), concluded its inaugural 13-episode season on December 25, 2025, with an ending that defied easy categorization. Titled “Warmth on the Sea Floor,” the season finale delved deep into the intricate emotional bonds of its protagonists, Hinako and Shiori, leaving viewers with a poignant sense of lingering hope amidst profound uncertainty. Rather than offering a definitive closure, the episode emphasized the complex, often contradictory, nature of their relationship and Hinako’s journey toward a fragile acceptance of life.
Unpacking the Premise: A Pact Born from Despair
The series centers on Hinako Yaotose, a high school student burdened by survivor’s guilt and a deep-seated wish for death after losing her family in a tragic accident. Her unique blood, however, makes her irresistibly delicious to yōkai, or monsters. Into her desolate life steps Shiori Oumi, a powerful mermaid yōkai who proclaims her intent to devour Hinako, but only once Hinako reaches her “most delicious point”. Until then, Shiori promises to protect Hinako from other predatory yōkai.
This seemingly morbid pact forms the twisted core of their relationship. Unknown to Hinako for much of the series, Shiori’s true motivation is not consumption but protection. Shiori saved a young Hinako in the past by sharing her mermaid blood and realized that Hinako’s passive desire to be eaten was the sole reason she clung to life. Thus, the promise to eat Hinako became a paradoxical lifeline, a long-term deferral of death that inadvertently compelled Hinako to live. The manga, serialized since August 2020, and its anime counterpart, streaming on Crunchyroll, have captivated audiences with their unique blend of horror, romance, and psychological drama.
“Warmth on the Sea Floor”: A Finale of Emotional Depth
The season finale, Episode 13, airing on December 25, 2025, eschewed grand supernatural battles or dramatic twists in favor of a profound emotional exploration. It opened with a quiet, introspective tone, focusing on the strained yet undeniable connection between Hinako and Shiori, alongside their fox spirit ally, Miko.
Revelations and Renewed Promises
A pivotal moment in the finale involves Shiori gently touching Hinako’s face, unintentionally unlocking a flood of suppressed childhood memories. These memories reveal Shiori’s long-standing, hidden efforts to protect Hinako, including the truth about the mermaid blood that allowed Hinako to survive her family’s accident. This revelation, however, doesn’t bring immediate solace. Instead, it shatters the carefully constructed illusion Hinako had held, leading her to confront Shiori’s lies and half-truths. Hinako, no longer able to cling to the idealized past Shiori held dear, pushes her away, admitting she no longer knows how to live.
In response to Hinako’s despair, Shiori makes a new, crucial choice. She proposes a renewed pact: she will only eat Hinako when Hinako truly smiles, genuinely happy, regardless of how Hinako might “taste” then. This isn’t a threat, but a further delay, a desperate bid to keep Hinako alive and offer her a tangible, albeit bittersweet, reason to pursue happiness. Hinako, though still cautious, finds a strange comfort in this modified promise, seeing it as a way to gain more time without definitive finality. She drinks Shiori’s blood again, symbolizing a silent, renewed contract.
The Role of Miko and Lingering Questions
Miko, the guardian fox spirit, continues to serve as an emotional catalyst throughout the finale. Her presence often nudges Hinako and Shiori toward moments of honesty, highlighting her role as an “uneasy ally” united by the goal of keeping Hinako alive. The finale subtly showcases how Miko, despite her occasional bickering with Shiori, has become an integral part of this peculiar trio, offering a touch of normalcy and thoughtfulness amidst the heavy emotional landscape.
The episode deliberately leaves many questions unanswered. Hinako isn’t “healed” or “saved” in a conventional sense; her journey is ongoing, and her happiness remains a distant, conditional goal. The ending emphasizes that choosing to stay, even when it hurts, is a powerful act. Shiori’s love is intertwined with her monstrous nature, forcing her into a future she both desires and fears.
Themes of the Finale: Life, Death, and Complex Love
The season finale of This Monster Wants to Eat Me beautifully encapsulates several core themes:
- The Paradox of Desire: Hinako’s desire for death ironically becomes her reason to live, mediated by Shiori’s presence. The new pact further complicates this, making her pursuit of happiness a condition for her eventual “end.”
- Unconventional Love: The relationship between Hinako and Shiori defies traditional romantic tropes. It is a bond forged in despair, sustained by a twisted promise, and evolving into a form of love that demands both sacrifice and self-preservation.
- The Choice to Live: Despite her suicidal ideation, Hinako’s acceptance of Shiori’s renewed promise signifies a subtle, profound choice to continue living, even if only to meet a conditional fate. It highlights that healing is not always a sudden event, but a gradual, often painful, process.
- Emotional Growth: Both Shiori and Hinako exhibit growth. Shiori learns restraint and the complexities of true affection beyond primal instinct, while Hinako takes a step towards embracing fleeting moments of joy as part of her path.
A Glimpse into the Future: Season 2 Prospects
While a second season for This Monster Wants to Eat Me has not yet been officially announced, the deliberate ambiguity and open-ended nature of the finale strongly suggest potential for continuation. The story concludes precisely where it needs to, hovering between hope and inevitability, much like a breath held underwater. Fans will undoubtedly be eager to see how Hinako’s quest for genuine happiness unfolds and how the intricate, “toxic” yet deeply affectionate dynamic between her and Shiori further develops. The manga is still ongoing, with eleven tankōbon volumes released as of October 2025, providing ample source material for future adaptations.
The finale serves not as a definitive end, but as a compelling pause, cementing This Monster Wants to Eat Me as a thought-provoking series that explores the depths of human emotion, the allure of the monstrous, and the enduring, complicated will to live.
