I will say if Hokazono is actually entertaining Samura's revival and it's not just Chihiro projecting onto Iori and giving her hope, then that's a sour note to start on. I adore the second half though. I think Chihiro having to wrestle with what people interpret of his fathers swords has always been the series at its best. But now it's not enough for him to just cut them down with thicker bloodlust, he actually has to engage with the very real human pain and anger, and sometimes adoration and respect, behind their actions, and create something which can answer it rather than just destroy it.
Well, probably destroy it also. But that's neither here nor there. I wonder though since he's using the other half of kuregumo, whether we're going to have like enten with lighting, enten with the kuregumo dragons, or if it's going to be something altogether new? It'd be really good if he expands the base three powers to be theoretically infinite ala magatsumi, only instead of garden themed it's ocean themed.
