SENSITIVE INTELLIGENCE REPORT – RESTRICTED DISSEMINATION
SUBJECT: 1. ARRIVAL OF SANADA TOORU AND KATAYAMA HARUKA, PUBLIC DECLARATION OF THEIR ENGAGEMENT.
DATE: LATE FEBRUARY 2010
1. AS WAS SUSPECTED BY C/O, TOORU HAS ARRIVED HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH A SIGNIFICANT OTHER, THOUGH NOT JUST A GIRLFRIEND BUT A FIANCÉ. ARRIVING UNEXPECTEDLY EARLY WHEN ALL PRIMARY ALLIED MEMBERS WERE PRESENT AT THE SANADA RESIDENCE, THE COUPLE WAS A SHOCK TO CHIZU AS WELL AS TO HER FRIENDS. LUCKILY FOR HER ALLIANCE MEMBER KAZEHAYA QUICKLY PROVIDED A CASUAL PRETEXT TO RETURN HOME. SAID FIANCÉ, KATAYAMA HARUKA, APPEARS TO BE FRIENDLY OR AT LEAST NEUTRAL AND NO THREAT TO THE SAWAYAKYAA ALLIANCE OR TO TOORU. ALLIANCE EFFORTS TO RAISE THE SPIRITS OF CHIZU WERE INEFFECTIVE AT THE MOMENT AND IT MAY TAKE SUSTAINED INTERVENTION BY RYU FOR CHIZU TO RECOVER FULLY.
In a strange way something significant happened this episode and not much happened this episode. The only major event was Tooru showing up early and revealing that he is engaged to Haruka, who seems like a nice enough girl. Everything else this week was just the beginnings of Chizu’s reaction to this and her friends’ first hastily thought up and ultimately ineffective responses. Chizu’s shock is something that’s going to take some time for her to overcome, even if the remaining childhood crush she had on Tooru was rather unlikely to turn out well for her. The rest of the characters played a pretty minor role, with Sawako almost as the narrator for the events at some points. While she and Yano were upset that they couldn’t do something for Chizu at the time, the immediate shock to Chizu could not really have been dealt with by her friends. Kazehaya was quick to sense the situation and provided everyone with a convenient way to leave before things got really awkward, but Ryu is likely going to be the most effective member of their group to do something about this in the long term. While he’s not the kind of guy to take advantage of the situation, his feelings for Chizu are going to compel him to comfort her and if that turns out in his favor then so be it. His intentions are good and his feelings honest, I just hope that Chizu in her current state doesn’t either distance herself from him or conversely go for the immediate rebound without thinking.
In matters of animation, I think I may as well be legally blind to issues of QUALITY. Despite talking a fair bit about shot composition in this series and others, almost every time I hear people talk about some episode having crappy animation detail I always think ‘really?’ Crusader and Kabitzin have mentioned it for this episode, but I guess I just rarely ever notice the minor animation stuff when I look at the whole shot. That or I just don’t care and concentrate on the events so my brain just blocks it out. Please tell me I’m not the only one out there that doesn’t immediately jump on these things.
Crusader’s Record of Kazehaya War
It seems that Tooru isn’t an ass and that his fiance isn’t a Kurumi…so sad for Chizuru and Ryuu that their competition is inherently inferior. I guess Yano’s wound will not heal quickly though it is all the more reason to annihilate that college bastard and break his knee caps for life. It was sad to see that afterYano’s break up some ditzy sleazebag tried to initiate something during their respective low points, though I suppose that his desperate state shall be far more persistent. Poor Ryu though he just couldn’t win this year, if Chizuru gets her dream come true then he’s out in the cold, and if Chizuru meets the fiance the soul crushing end of Chizuru’s dreams is all but assured. Ah well one way or another the playing field is clear for Ryuu to have a decent shot to heal Chizuru’s wounded heart. As for Chizuru being a persistent stalker…well I have to commend her for using intimidation through insect means instead of violence or underhanded Kurumi tricks. Also I was rather disappointed at how the animation budget seemed to bottom out, with any luck next episode will be a return to form as Ryu and Chizuru have a special day ahead of them.
That would have taken a lot of effort…
That’s an elaborate way of saying he has the slows…
Keep dreaming meatbag…
Translation: Not you…
…
Hideki!
Doesn’t look Kurumi-class…
No it’s even worse than that…
Pleased to meet you as well, but any Kurumi-like behavior will result in your extermination…
Yeah you can’t decide who your brother marries…
That day will come sooner or later…
FLAWLESS VICTORY…
Sadly none of those beetles was so rare as to fetch a good price…
This time she tried using a moth…
That is one way to conduct a relationship buster operation…
Attrition was most horrid, as was the fear of bugs…
She never thought much of them either…
ExecutiveOtaku’s Unadulterated Adoration of Sawako and Current Intelligence Report
He did try to warn her…
Chizu’s one devoted ramen fan with that poster in the upper right.
Sawako always cries at weddings.
Someone. Not. You. Lonely Driver-kun goes beyond thinking of Yano as his comrade in failed love and now thinks he has a chance with her. Such presumption!
EO’s DAAAWWW of the Week: Sawako DAAAWWW’ing herself when Chizu heads downstairs to deliver the birthday gift.
Chizu was getting back on the right track with Ryu, apologizing for kicking him out the other night and about to give him his gift when it all went down.
Seems like a nice enough guy, though pretty different from Ryu in some respects.
Kimi wa dare to kiss hug wo suru?
Mothers, lock up your sons, Yano is on the prowl.
She’s all ready to be a dorm-dwelling college student. Seriously, I’ve seen people go to class in pajama pants before.
Chizuru was so shocked she turned episode 26 of Evangelion.
There’s a drama bomb in the Sanada house! Get out of there! (and obligatory joke(?) Japanese commercial for 24.)
Kazehaya to the rescue, everyone else seemed to shocked to react.
Don’t worry Ryu, if anyone can cheer Chizu up it’s you.
Kazehaya riding home on the planet of The Little Prince.
Even playing children’s card games for hours wasn’t enough to take Chizu from sad to super special awesome.
You two cheer up too, it seems like Kazehaya is the only one not depressed over this.
Chizu was the Mushi King Queen.
Dramatic pan up shot. Dead leaves blowing in the wind. Just needs some dramatic walking away music.
3 Comments
@ExecutiveOtaku: Nah, I don’t often notice dips in animation quality, either, unless it is absurdly obvious (and by “obvious”, I mean OBVIOUS), because I’m always too busy thinking about what is going on in the story. xD
I wasn’t terribly into the drama earlier in the series, but it has really picked up as of late. That last shot of Chizuru walking away from Ryu’s place was a gut shot for me.
lol, I love the way you write these :3
You can defintely tell that I.G. is running this show on a tight budget (maybe to save funds for more Eden of the East?)…
Feel a bit sad for Chizu though to have the Fiance Bomb suddenly dropped on her (to be honest, Ryu did try to give her a heads up). It is obvious that Tohru inherited all the good looks in the Sanada family, although you’d never know if Ryu decides to grow out his hair like Okazaki or Alto-Hime (hey, it worked for Kazehaya, right?)
Much lulz at rebound guy, especially after getting shot down by Ayane…