Hey, you know how Ikoma attacked Mumei in the film?
Doesn't that resemble what happened with Ayame in episode 3?
There's a pattern of him losing control and ~conveniently~ ending up on top of a cute girl, isn't there? He never ends up on top of Sukari, or Takumi, or Kurusu, or any of the boys. It's never an older woman either, always a tween-teen girl with the camera panning up her body.
To be clear, I'm not trying to say that Ikoma is deliberately using his near-succumbing to kabanehood as a cover for being a lech. That has no canonical support whatsoever - It's made very clear that fully infected people have very little control over their actions. They may mimic, communicate within their group, but not make deliberate and intricate plans without guidance from a figure such as Kageyuki. They are highly efficient hunters, and are almost always indiscriminate in their targets. (Plus, it doesn't fit Ikoma's character to take such a big risk for something so thoroughly self-gratifying.)
Subtle fanservice could be the aim of the game here, especially in Mumei's case as the film does a lot to emphasise Mumei's body through her new outfit alongside her expressions of distress/pain, partly to help facilitate Ikoma × Mumei as a ship. By "new outfit", it's not so much her fighting gear I'm referring to, though some may object to the length of skirt (though the context of modern Japanese fashion being more okay with short skirts than cleavage should be noted here). To me, its her casual clothing that she wears during the attack scene, in particular how it is used and framed. By itself its a perfectly serviceable indicator of Mumei's growing interest in refining a personal style - the bow colour is familiar, as is it's length, with the fabric and off-shoulder style being the innovations. However, she's often tugging at it, either due to nerves or to get it in its proper place - that makes the choice feel, at least to me, less like it's a natural evolution and more like something she's putting on for Ikoma's sake. Before, there's been an emphasis on practicality in her outfits - it's named as the reason her pink kimono is mid-thigh and not longer like that of other characters.
The most obvious indicator of the intention is a piece of merchandise that revealed the outfit (picture here). Her rosy expression to the viewer and pose of tugging her dress down are both intended to be appealing in a cute way, and can easily be interpreted as a romantic/sensual cuteness. (Especially compared with Ayame of the same set, the framing is clear - Ayame is likely outside doing something, the viewer interrupting her, while Mumei is indicated as inside due to her lack of shoes, paying full attention to the viewer. This isn't the most egregious example of Mumei's framing as an object of desire in merchandise, but that isn't why I initially started writing this.)
The stuff above could be considered Doylist: analysing aspects of a story (in this case the actions of a character) in terms of outside intentions of the creator/creative environment. I have an idea as to why Ikoma ends up attacking Ayame and Mumei and why the framing is the way that it is.
But in terms of the Watsonian lens, analysing aspects of a story within its internal logic, how do we explain it?
One answer could be that the "kabane brain" is seeking targets that it deems convenient. Ayame was alone in episode three, while Mumei was the closest to him in the Unato scene. However, in the case of the latter, there were people between him and her that he pushed past I think? on the way to her. It could be a direction thing, it could be that the "kabane brain" sees those AFAB as easier or more desirable targets (various reasons, including the implication that they are the only ones that can create a Fused Colony).
Another answer could be to do with Ikoma himself. I'll start by saying that this is all second-hand - I am not fluent in Japanese, this is quoting a post that is posting a 4chan translation. Essentially it's something I mentioned in a comment on a Battle of Unato post: that Ikoma has not had much contact with women outside of his sister, so ~naturally, he wouldn't know romantic feelings within himself even if they were super obvious to an outsider (Takumi) ~.
This is consistent with Ikoma's habit of keeping all but a select few at arm's length due to his survivor's guilt and self-hatred. Any type of affection he may feel for someone likely starts as muted because he doesn't want to go through a potential repeat of the emotional trauma of losing Hatsune. It takes persistence and encouragement from Takumi to become as close as the two were.
If we take these and apply this to the attack pattern, we *could* extrapolate that his pattern of unintentionally targeting girls when he's on the edge of turning may be an extension of a sort of repressed affection/longing. (Longing is mentioned as it's likely what the writers intend with Mumei in the film. Also, you could argue a somewhat romantic lens in the scene preceding Ikoma's attack on Ayame.)
The "kabane brain" notices that Ayame and Mumei are important to him in a strong way. It then has that as its impetus - Ikoma, upon beginning to succumb, might worry about her first due to the repressed emotions, and the "kabane brain" uses that focus as fuel for movement.
Ikoma: "No, I'm turning! I can't hurt [Mumei/Ayame]!"
"Kabane brain": target selected - [Mumei/Ayame]
The affection/longing part may come in as a psychological hook that prevents or stalls resistance. The "kabane brain" frames both Ikoma's hidden/deliberately muted feelings and its physiological needs as "hunger" -> "I'd like to be closer/I need to get closer" -> "I want to protect/I need to consume". If we wanted to integrate the framing of the camera, there may be a longing for physical closeness either already within Ikoma's psyche or brought upon by the concurrent emotions and instincts of both "minds".
That said, I realise the last theory may be a stretch. The idea that targetting Mumei is in any way, conscious or subconscious, Ikoma's intention is muddied by the psychic aura created by Kageyuki and the Unato Castle Nest with Miyuki inside.
Even if it was his intention, the reason above may not be why. It could be just as likely that his connection with Mumei is causing him to subconsciously target her as he believes she is the only one capable of subduing him.
As for Ayame, the potential romantic tinge to their dynamic isn't really ever brought up again.
I suppose I just wanted a way to justify this pattern within the narrative, or at least draw attention to it.
