WARNING:This episode contains scenes of nudity. Viewer discretion is advised!
Picture Book (Ehon 絵本) is the first episode of Garo: Chapter of the Black Wolf and the first episode of the Garo Series overall.
Synopsis
Plot
The story opens on a museum curator in his storage room examining his new paintings, only to hear what sounds like a young woman's laugh. Upon investigating, he finds a beautiful painting of a naked woman, the painting then comes alive and transforms into a monster which possesses his body. A young woman named Kaoru plans on visiting the museum to display some of her artwork, but visits her therapist beforehand and talks about a childhood memory she has of a picture book and monsters that tried to eat her before being rescued by a knight from her book.
Meanwhile, a young man named Kouga Saezima is training with his sword in a dark room with bladed pendulums before receiving orders to destroy the Horror from his butler, Gonza. During Kouga's training, the Horror devours an employee of the museum. Upon arriving at the museum, Kouga's ring, Zaruba, senses that the Horror is there somewhere in the building. At first, Kouga mistakenly thinks that Kaoru is the Horror, before using his Madou Lighter to confirm that she is human. After Angry springs a trap for the Makai Knight by summoning cloaked warriors, he attempts to devour Kaoru, only for Kouga to interfere after defeating them.
Kouga then battles the curator until the Horror kills him by shedding from his body, then tries to hide from Kouga inside a painting, only for the knight to use his lighter to draw him out. Kouga then dons his Garo armor and the two fight, ending with the Horror being cut down and Kaoru getting its blood on her.
At first, Kouga attempts to kill her, as those stained in the blood of Horrors must be cut down, as it is a law of the Makai Order. When Kaoru faints in terror, Kouga hesitates and decides to spare her, deciding to use her as bait to attract and lure more Horrors to him. When she wakes up, she finds the knight standing next to her in her apartment. She is angered by his threat to kill her as well as ruining her big debut as an artist, only for Kouga to say he was serious about what he said about her painting earlier and that he wants to buy it before leaving.
The scene where Kouga equips his armor and walks toward Angley is paid homage to in the first episode of The Makai Flower, Fossil, when Kouga's son Raiga dons the armor.
Home Video Release
Garo Vol. 1 Blu-Ray disc set
Garo Season 1 Vol. 1 featured episodes 1-13 on two discs, with English subtitles by Kraken Releasing.
