The title of this epi is ‘Misunderstood’. Hopefully, like most misunderstandings, this one will be cleared up soon and we can return to more bubbles and sparkles, as opposed to shadows…
Summary-in-a-sentence:
Blondie, Dummy and Mummy all try to get Mr Stubborn-as-a-slow-poke-mule to Man-Up, and fail.
Crusader
Yano is so frustrated...
These days it seems Kazehaya is going to be in for a downward slide, too sociable to be forgiven for being overly shy, and too popular, in his mind, to make much of a move. Kent is showing himself to be an Ume class slime ball. He tries to divert his foe and is masking his desire for Sawako as some sort of “concern.” I am sorely disappointed by Kazehaya’s lack of courage to simply damn public opinion and lose his fangirls so that he won’t lose his Sawako. Sawako’s friends are not so disloyal as to turn on her when they start dating. I hope he doesn’t heed Kent’s lousy advice and feigned ignorance.
Hopefully that Yano kick will make Kazehaya eager for a BIG FIGHT with Kent. Kent’s antics seem to have reignited Ume’s foul ambitions and I suspect soon that Ume being a bad loser is going to try and make a move. Yano is playing a good fire fighter and keeping the situation contained. Still Yano will need all her wits about since Kent’s gamble will surely fail and that foppish slacker will soon be going on the offense. I hope Yano demolishes him, preferably with a sac that breaks two or more bones and gives Kent a concussion.
Sawako seems to have been rattled by Ume’s last blitz and hopefully will recover after Yano’s pep talk. I hope Sawako will soon be in it to win it. This nervousness thing is growing tiresome, but thankfully the Yano Defense and Yano Offense are the best in the school and I doubt Kent and Ume have the mental agility to match Yano. Now that the Kent challenge has been thrown I hope Kazehaya is going to answer instead of slink away.
Don't you think you should shut the fuck up Kent?
Now you sound like Ume, peanut gallery opinions be damned! This is True Love not popularity seeking.
Kent is pretty damn stupid, I bet he can't even read.
Let's just hope he's not Kent Dumb.
Mendenhall's Fumble?
Look Yano is BURNING RED!
Kazehaya is starting to turn towards the dark side...
I know how the fuck did this happen? This isn't the NFC...
Now calm down part of that can be blamed on Ume interference. Upon review of the play I would call Love Interference and penalize Ume 10 decades before her first love.
Hey it happens.
Kent and Ume have been coming up with a lot of trick plays, but the Yano defense is like a wall they can't get t'rough it...
NMaybe we are getting somewhere after all...
I would have preferred a sac to really rattle him.
The Yano Offense.
How about saying what your HEART damn well pleases?
Don't worry Chizu all you have to do is let Yano call the plays and all you have to do is find Kent and Ume and WRECK THEM.
A problem called Ume and Kent.
I hope we do not have to wait too long.
Kazehaya time to take the fight to Kent, go for the jugular, MAKE HIM BLEED.
Hana:
Sheesh, talk about leading a horse to water… In this epi, all too appropriately entitled ‘Misunderstood’, we see not one, not two, but three, er, helpful, folks trying to sort out the deliciously frustrating angsty mess that the OTP seem to have drifted into. Even if you haven’t seen the episode yet, you can imagine how successful their attempts turn out to be….
…In short: not very. Though I’m sure that we’ve all wanted to give him the good kick up the arse that Yano so gloriously gives him, Kazehaya may perhaps be forgiven for being a wee bit miffed and confused himself by the end of this epi. However, that’s all I can forgive him for at the moment. *Sigh*
Okay, so the screenshot immediately above is from nearer the beginning of the epi as opposed the end, but I thought it was also a good indication of the use of shadow and shade/ muted colours in the episode. The bubbles and sparkles were still there, of course, and used pretty well, especially during the post-Yano rant, but I thought the use of the former was a very subtle way of conveying the general mood of quiet (or not so quiet in Kazehaya’s case, lol) frustration.
Observe:
Not quite sure what to make of Master Kent’s rather contradictory advice to Kazehaya at the beginning of the epi, but I’d say he still appears to be a generally positive force in Sawako’s life. Poor Chizu and Yano, on the other hand, have yet to see such immediate results following their various pep talks and butt-kicking, however the sparkly bubbles following Yano’s it’s-ok-to-be-scared-but… talk with Sawako and the title of the next epi thankfully shine a more hopeful light on the proceedings…
…Lord knows these confused kids could do with it.
And, for the love of God, can we please have more Ryu?!
12 Comments
Kazehaya really, really needs to man up. Until such a time that that occurs, I am full on rooting for Kent in whatever actions he takes. Even if they take the story in a direction that has them start something up first before all these misunderstandings are cleared up. I feel like he’s bringing a different, but valid perspective on all the social interactions, and is generally trying his best to do what he thinks is good for all involved. Kent is also much more perceptive than our boy Shota. He’s trying to help him out in this episode as best he can, but even with some ridiculously obvious hints Kazehaya just isn’t getting it. It also doesn’t help that he keeps asking the wrong questions in conversations about Sawako, and therefore gets more and more depressed about the whole situation. I can’t really fault Kent for giving his observations on things. Even if some of the conclusions aren’t quite correct, they are correct assessments of how the relationships actually appear. I also can’t help but worry that Kazehaya telling Kent that there’s someone he likes (without saying who) will end up coming back to bite him…
In short – I agree!
All hail the strategist (Yano)! On one hand I’m annoyed at Kazehaya for being ball-less and dense, but on the other hand I’m annoyed at Kent for butting in.
Meh.
SawakoXUme yuri shipping anyone?
Hell no to the yuri, but hell yes to crowning Yano-chin the BBF of the season!
Lame lame lame..This isn’t the Kazehaya of the first season. I understand being shy. Who wasn’t at that age. But this lack of courage, I mean he was the first to approach Sawako, then beat some sense into her when they were drifting apart cause of the Ume plot, where is that courage now? This is really out of his character. Maybe its his man-less evil twin.
Argh the angst.
Agree agree agree..
Why all the hate on Kent? I still think he is a good guy who doesn’t want Sawako to get hurt… At least Sawako is happy most of the time when they are together (yes yes, I know what happens in the next episode, but hey at least he is trying..). Whereas when Sawako sees Kazehaya, she starts to over-think things and ends up being sad.
=)
I’ll let my esteemed colleague answer that one… brace yourself, though…
One thing that has occurred to me is that Kent’s actions with Sawako have mirrored Kazahaya’s in the first season. He interacted with her, sat next to her, and initiated a review session with her as the teacher. All things that Kazahaya did last season but has failed to do this. All of his comments to her and Kazahaya could be taken as self serving so he can take Sawako away from Kazahaya or he could really feel he is telling the truth and doing the right thing. His personality coupled with the viewers knowing about Ume and Kazahaya’s personality, I think, prejudices them to see him as a slime ball. I’m not convinced.
Ooh, that’s an interesting observation… we’ll see if the consequences follow suit in the same fashion too, eh…
And those lack of chocolates, as well. I mean come on, Kuronuma does like him, right? Giving chocolates to the whole class (even Pin), and yet Kazehaya is empty-handed. Kuronuma ought to have the Yano kick up the behind.
Yesss – as adorable as she is, that was STOOPID!
Yano arse-kicking FTW!