Ghost of xmas pa-…. My final impression is included.

Summary:

Yuu visits Yuuko’s grave, relaying what has been happening recently and leaving with the fact that he will not be able to stop by for awhile. As it is xmas day, all of the familiar couples spend their time together. This includes Mizuki and Kuze, who have been doing well with each other for quite awhile. When Nagi visits Yuu, having been in Japan until recently, she sees that he is drawing quite well as usual. After some idle talk, she takes the chance to question if he is still thinking about Yuuko. Yuu only answers with his usual belief that he has forgotten, however. When all of the friends in Australia gather, they sit to listen to Kuze’s violin and Mizuki’s song in the church.

When Yuu meets Kuze later, he listens as he recalls his belief that he wouldn’t last until another xmas. It had been one year since his operation. As Kuze has gotten a lot better since then, Yuu believes his job has finally ended. With this, he tells Kuze that he has something to make sure of in Japan. Kuze gives Yuu a charm in the form of the rooftop keys before he leaves, wishing him luck. Previously, Nagi had mentioned the strange things her brother had told her. This was that he had met Amamiya Yuuko.

Visiting the old church, Yuu finally meets Yuuko. He has come in search for someone, and she has always been waiting for someone. Yuu finally has the chance to give Yuuko flowers as a xmas gift, and although Yuuko does not believe she has anything in return, Yuu shows that he certainly has the scarf that she made him several years ago. The two sit down together to discuss how much has changed throughout the years, especially with Miki and their other acquaintances, and Yuu credits their ability to meet to the experiences that the other couples had gone through. Yuuko then mentions that she was once told that her duty was to continue to be happy, suggesting that it might have been a message from god. When Yuuko asks if Yuu still believes that god does not exist, he only expresses that he simply lives in his own way. Showing her the keys he has, Yuu eventually asks if Yuuko would come with her to the place where everything started.

Alone together on the rooftop, Yuu finally takes the chance to express his love for Yuuko. Unfortunately, Yuuko corrects him by saying that he loved her. Of course, this meant that Yuuko would finally have to leave. Trying to hold back his tears, Yuu confirms that he will be okay. After all, he has already come so far while being alone. As the clouds open up for her, Yuuko leaves with the wish that Yuu would continue to help people be happy. Finding that she is now gone, Yuu is no longer able to hide his sadness.

Observing the city with her later, Yuu finally tells Mizuki that his dream was to create a beautiful city. This brings the two to recall their belief that nothing will start without a dream. Mizuki goes on to tell Yuu that his dream is not a lie, as everyone’s feelings of happiness are in its creation. Mizuki finds that she has accidentally grasped onto Yuu’s hand after observing the city with him, but this only leads Yuu to wonder if she no longer sees frightening dreams anymore. Yuu mentions that he never properly learned Mizuk’s namei, so she confirms that she was once named “Miki.”

Insert: A full color OP, with happy endings replacing the usual characters bursting into feathers. In the end, Yuuko is revealed to be something of an angel.

ED: A happy ending in the true shaft/ef fashion. Everyone is shown living their everyday lives in a sketchy type style.

Impression:

Yuuko, you are a traitor to all atheists around the world! It’s okay though, we still love you.

So, who saw the time skip coming? After watching all the couples during xmas, I don’t think it was a surprise to anyone that Mizuki would be with Kuze. (That would be such a weird relationship though. Kuze is now like Ken Akamatsu with his cosplay wife.) I really loved the bgm tracks in this episode, and Kuze’s playing with now-singer(?) Mizuki was pretty epic. It was so perfect how everything came together with Yuu and Yuuko too, coming off as very bittersweet despite the fact that we all saw what was coming. Mizuki’s holding hands with Yuu like they did in the past was a really nice touch too, though this also ended up being really awkward because of how everything turned out in the end. Kuze, it is always pedophilia until they grow up.

Notes:

• Nice party hat, Chihiro.
• Danke, lol.
• A few days early for xmas, no?
• Big pink scarfs, a true sign of love.
• Yuuko has been watching a lot of Persona or something.
• lol@Miyako trying to draw.

Final Impression:

I usually start feeling jaded after going through so many seasons of nothing but bad to mediocre anime, filled with only mindless comedy or action, but it’s shows like this that remind me why I continue to watch anime. The ending of this episode alone made me empathize with the feeling of simply wanting to continue living, as well as making me recall how much I love storytelling. I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone anymore that SHAFT is my favorite studio, and they continue to be with their constant pushing of boundaries both visually and creatively. Probably not as impacting as the first season, simply because I had already known what to expect, but ef – a tale of melodies. remained extremely beautiful none of the less. The backgrounds that the creators have as artists is so evident when I watch this production, from being absorbed in the moods created by choice of color to the non-traditional forms of visual storytelling. Sure, the shock factor that the first season had might have been missing this time around, but the symbolism through speech or otherwise was as strong as ever.

Melodies. filled in all the gaps that were evident in the first season, most obviously with Yuu and Yuuko’s backgrounds. I would appreciate it for that reason alone, but the stories that were presented were quite strong in their own right as well. The only reason this season did not seem as strong as the first was probably because I had already become quite used to what to expect from the series. (Would I have found Yuuko’s abuse and Kuze’s depression more impacting if I hadn’t already gone through similar paths with Miyako and Chihiro?) The story itself was also on a more subtle, and generally bittersweet, path. Whereas the first season seemed to focus more on the power of love, I felt like this one taught the importance of living. Of course, both series still shared very similar themes on different levels. Although many were expecting a second season after memories ended (myself included), it finally looks like this is the end of ef. It has been an extremely enjoyable experience, and I now only look forward to seeing more and more quality productions from studio SHAFT in the upcoming seasons.

Kuze poses like a little girl.

Summary:

When Nagi meets Yuu in the art room, she is told to cry in his place. Yuu hands Nagi the key he was given by Yuuko as he passes her, telling her that it would lead to the place where everything started.

Arguing with himself after receiving a letter containing a rooftop key from her, Kuze finally confirms to himself that he wishes to see Mizuki. With this, he destroys all of the masks in his room. Mizuki welcomes Kuze back when he meets her on the school rooftop, but soon kicks him in the stomach before he can reply. Mizuki claims that this is like Kuze has died once, then introducing herself again to who she suggests is a new Kuze Shuichi. Mizuki goes on to express her belief that love does not operate on his ideas of winning and losing, because simply having the feeling of love is like winning.

Mizuki continues by giving her answer to Kuze’s questions of why she had appeared before him among other things. In the end, Mizuki continually answers all of his questions by stating that she loves him. Kuze reminds Mizuki that he will die, guessing that she would not be happy because of this, but she suggests otherwise. Kuze finally asks why she has chosen him, so Mizuki simply replies that it is because he is himself. Kuze finally accepts Mizuki, but as he attempts to hold her, he collapses from a pain in his heart.

At the hospital later, Mizuki learns from Yuu and Nagi that Kuze is in critical condition. Further more, there is only a 50 percent chance he would survive through his upcoming operation. At the abandoned train tracks afterwards, Mizuki tries not to cry because of her promise to Yuuko. She soon gets a call from Hiro, who gives his support for both she and the hospitalized Kuze. Kei and Chihiro soon appear to do the same, bringing Kei to mention the support she got from Yuuko whenever she was having a hard time. This was the case for several other people as well, including Kyosuke, Miyako, and Hiro.

Mizuki later spends her time with Kuze in the hospital, as he wonders how long they will be able to stay together like this. Kuze finally apologizes for all he had done to Mizuki, then admitting that his ideas about winning and losing were mistaken. Remembering the words that Yuuko gave to her, Mizuki tells Kuze that a dream cannot be achieved without first having a dream. Of course, Kuze agrees to keep this idea in his mind. Meanwhile, Hiro and Miyako meet Yuuko at the church. They finally introduce themselves to each other, as Hiro and Miyako wonder if there is anything they can do to help Yuuko meet the person she wishes to.

As all of Kuze’s friends gather in support for his operation, he recalls Yuu’s belief that there are no miracles in the world. As there are only coincidence and fate, he suggests that he will do his best to affect his future. Various preparations are made in hopes for Kuze’s operation to be successful, and as Mizuki sings the song she learned from Yuuko, various memories of the past are remembered. Just before the end of Kuze’s operation, something of a miracle seems to happen.

OP: “euphoric field (Japanese ver.)” by Tenmon feat. ELISA – The first season’s OP with a few changes. I was really pumped when it appeared half way through the episode.

ED: “Egao no Chikara” by Mai Goto – The usual ED, but with Kuze playing a larger role. Obviously, it is also revealed that it was Yuu and Yuuko in the picture with Mizuki.

Impression:

Haha, I know what you’re thinking. “They didn’t have enough content for this episode, so they inserted an extra OP, ED, and a montage to make up for it!” Well, I’ve got news for you, buddy. I love random OPs, EDs, and montages. That’s right. SHAFT FOLEVA. No, but seriously, this episode was just as visually aesthetic as the last, and I really love how everything is coming together. The use of color was really strong this week, with the dream-like palette during Kuze’s reuniting with Mizuki being the one that set off my artsy-fartsy senses the most. I also loved Hiro’s support for Mizuki, as this reflected his sister’s support for Kuze. It’s pretty obvious at this point that Kuze will have a happy ending with Mizuki, and it’s implied that Yuuko will be able to see Yuu again by the last episode as well. That is, unless this season is really going for the bittersweet ending rather than the shocking happy ending that the first did. That’s all to come though, and I really don’t feel like coming up with predictions for something that will be upon us in only a week.

Notes:

• Kuze obviously would have avoided all of this if he just watched Shugo Chara.
• Mizuki is so ready to hurricane kick Kuze off the roof.
• What’s with Chihiro and her china dress-ish clothing?
• SEMPAI GATTA.
• Mizuki and Kuze running together in the ED was pretty cheesy.
• If this post comes off as very lazy, it is because I am busy reading Street Fighter. Hadouken.

Totally kawaii lolis.

Summary:

While knitting in the church, Yuuko is met by who seems to be a young Mizuki. The girl runs out shortly after seeing Yuuko, however, forcing her to chase after her. Meanwhile at school, Yuu has started to draw again in the art room. When Nagi appears, she comments that Yuu still needs more work. In fact, her younger brother Hiro is doing better in grade school. After an awkward suggestion of subject matter, Yuu apologizes for having Nagi help him with this. In response, Nagi simply expresses her desire to help and how much fun she is having while doing so. When Yuu returns home, he is greeted by Yuuko who has prepared a meal for him as usual. This brings them to a discussion about the girls Yuuko met earlier, Chihiro and Kei, among other suggestions of the future. Back on the topic of Yuu’s future goals, Yuuko recalls that he is aiming for the top. However, Yuu replies by saying that he is now only after what is in front on him.

In the church with her, Yuu asks if Yuuko is happy. Bringing up all the things that Yuu has done for her, Yuuko confirms that she is. Saying that her past scars did not hurt would be a lie, but Yuu accepted these. Yuu almost asks something of Yuuko, but the two are interrupted by a sound not far away. When the two check on the source, they find the young girl who had appeared before Yuuko previously. Yuuko finally has the girl tell them her name, which she states is “Miki.” Yuu starts to leave to call a teacher, but Miki tells him not to with a bit of fear. While outside with Yuu afterwards, Yuuko brings up that Miki is unable to trust people because of losing her original parents. This causes her to bring up her belief that god does not exist again, as well as her wish for an ideal world.

While continuing to draw later, Yuu realizes that he has put himself into the job of creating ideal worlds. When Nagi appears to see his work, she expresses that it has become different in that there are no longer any doubts. When she states that there is still a lot to learn though, Yuu wonders if she would pose for him for practice. Nagi denies out of embarrassment, instead giving Yuu a mirror. When she suggests that he pose for himself instead, Yuu then expresses his own embarrassment. At the church, Yuuko asks of a favor from Miki who almost runs from her again. When Yuuko expresses that she is lonely, only being able to see her loved one when returning home at night, Miki calls her weak. Yuuko agrees, then wondering if Miki would become her friend. Despite Miki’s belief that she does not need friends, she accepts Yuuko’s as hers in order to heal her of her loneliness.

Yuu finds Yuuko at the church that night, with Miki in her lap. When Miki finally wakes, she expresses her fear of the dream she always seems to have. At home later, Yuuko takes the chance to enter Yuu’s futon. She wonders why he decides to put his back towards her, so he tells her that it is warm when two put their backs together. This was something that Yuu did with Akane when they were children. With xmas coming soon, Yuuko brings up the strange fact that the holiday happens during the summer in Australia. As she wishes to see this, Yuu jokingly suggests Yuuko make a wish on Tanabata. As he expresses that there are no such thing as miracles in the world, only coincidence and fate, Yuu simply tells Yuuko to sleep with her dreams.

When Miki meets Yuuko at the church, she tells her about the frightening dream she always has. As it didn’t appear on the day she met her, however, Yuuko suggests that this was because they held hands. The two do so again in response, and when Miki asks if Yuuko will do this once more the next day, she agrees to. Yuuko starts to sing a song, and when Miki asks about it, she tells her that it is a song that she heard during a hard time in her life. When she heard Kuze’s melody, it made her have hope in the world again. Miki asks to hear the song again, and as Yuuko sings it, she repeats it in hopes of learning it as well. Yuuko and Miki pass by Yuu while heading home, so Yuuko has him holds hands with her as well. While observing the nearby scenery, Yuu expresses his wish to create a beautiful world.

At home, Yuu opens a letter from Kuze. Inside, it states that he will be returning to Japan on xmas. As he would be with a woman, however, he would not have time to meet them. Yuuko soon wonders what Yuu will be doing for xmas, and though he initially disappoints her by saying that he has work early that day, he makes her happy by promising to get off early to meet her for a date. When Nagi sees Yuu buying flowers for Yuuko on a later day, she expresses how unfitting it is for him. Flowers would certainly fit Yuuko, however. At home, Yuuko waits with the scarf she has been knitting for quite some time.

While alone in the city, Miki starts running towards the sound of a violin playing. Meeting Kuze as a result, she expresses her interest in the song. Shortly after, Miki offers her hand to Kuze. After a strong wind blows, Kuze takes the ribbon out of his hair to give to Miki. With her hair styled to one side, Kuze expresses that she is cuter this way. Thanking him, Miki runs off in happiness. Yuuko meanwhile realizes that she is quite early in arriving at the meeting place. Upon going to pick up a ball that she sees on the street, she is hit by a car. Miki meets Yuu and Nagi elsewhere, and when Miki points to the colors in the sky, Nagi credits this as angels opening up a stairway for one’s soul. When Yuu and Miki find Yuuko, who had seemingly died in song with her wish to see Yuu again, they sorrowfully take her body elsewhere. In the past, when Yuuko met Yuu on the school rooftop, she had given him the key as a gift.

Impression:

………What? Convenient automotive accident there. I guess my assumptions were wrong, as Yuuko really has seemed to die in this episode. That only brings up several questions about how she has been able to meet all the characters in the series though, and how Yuu will be able to meet her again within two more episodes. It was interesting to see that Mizuki (Miki) had actually met everyone in the past though, and it’s pretty obvious that this is going to have a major impact on the ending as a whole (the promotional art always has Yuuko and Mizuki embracing). It looks like the symbolism behind the key is finally going to play a major role in this season as well.

Aesthetically, I absolutely loved this episode. Visually, the use of monochrome effectively played on the concept of time without being distracting. The shots that flashed while Kuze played his violin were also an effective way of representing experience, and it was easy to recall that the city has always been in ruins during Yuu and Yuuko’s dialogs. The most powerful lines in the episode for me definitely came from Yuu, who described art as the job of creating ideal worlds. I obviously connected with this because of having the same belief, as most all artists are idealists. (If a beautiful world is not before us, we will simply create one with the hand of god!) I also loved Nagi’s noticing how Yuu’s work had changed with this new realization, as technique does not become art until emotion is put into it. Yuu’s talk of coincidence and hitsuzen was also appealing (though I think a certain other Yuuko would disagree with him).

We’re almost to the end, and with the events in this episode by us, it looks like we really will be having the bittersweet ending that many have been predicting.

Notes:

• Cameos from Kei and Chihiro were fun, as was the mention of young artist Hiro.
• The hand in Mizuki’s dream is like the creepiest thing ever.
• Nude figure drawing! Who’s it going to be, Nagi or Yuu??
• Ahh! Save me!
• BE MY FRIEND.
• Sleeping in the same futon! No cockblocking!
• Nagi introduces the ahoge radar!
• Kuze is a lolicon.
• But Miki was really cute, so I forgive him.
• Believe in love!
• The ED played “ebullient future” while showing Yuu carrying Yuuko along side of a crying Miki.

Crawling in my skin~ These wounds will not heal~

Summary:

Past:

When Nagi sees that Yuuko has come back to school, then recalling that she had disappeared on the same day that Yuu had, she questions if she knows where Yuu is. Despite Yuuko’s denying the fact, Nagi frankly asks for her not to bring misfortune upon Yuu. Before leaving her, Nagi states that this is something only Yuuko can do. Simultaneously, Yuuko and Yuu recall all that they have regretted not doing with each other. Yuu did not accept Yuuko as his sister, and was not able to draw her. Yuuko accepted a large amount of injuries while trying to get revenge on Yuu, not knowing that she would come to love him so much, then wishing that she could have said that she loved him in the first place.

Akira notices that Yuuko has inflicted injuries upon herself when she reaches home, then punishing her while expressing that there is no need for her to feel guilty for neither he or Yuu. Akira claims that Yuuko has done nothing wrong, but then becomes angry while wondering why his sister had to die. As Yuuko seems to have a resemblance to his sister, Akira wonders why she is alive. Yuu suddenly arrives to state that both of their sisters’ fates were poor, but Akira then claims that the both of them are unable to accept this. Exclaiming that Akira is mistaken, Yuu claims to be carrying his sister’s burden with his life. Akira begins beating on Yuu as he is unprepared, and despite Yuuko being seemingly ready to defend him with her knife, Yuu stops her from taking action. Akira then notices that Yuu has brought his sketchbook with him, expressing that humans are those who cannot quit things they truly desire to do. When Akira opens the sketchbook, he panics at the sight of the image that he has been unable to create for years.

When Yuu follows Akira into his room, he sees numerous faceless paintings of his dead sister. Now in a frenzy to create an image based on Yuu’s sketch, Akira simply has he and Yuuko leave. While treating Yuu’s wounds in her room, Yuuko explains that Akira did not really quit painting. He was simply unable to recreate the face of his dead sister on the canvas. Because of this, he was always crying by himself. Alone with his finished painting, Akira creates a fire in his room. Yuu attempts to save him from the large fire when he is alerted of it, but Yuuko stops him. With this, Yuu and Yuuko are only able to watch as Akira seemingly dies with the single painting of his sister in his arms.

Present:

Alone in his room, Kuze decides that he has finally put and end to everything. Unable to make anyone happy, and not stepping into a fight he knew he would lose, he simply waits for his time to end. While at the abandoned train station, Mizuki begins humming a familiar tune. Realizing that this is related to a song with vocals, she begins to sing the lyrics. When the Shindo sisters appear, they both express how tough and sad Mizuki’s situation is. Kuze wasn’t even able to separate from Mizuki with the expression that he hated her, something that Chihiro recalls she was unable to do to Renji. Chihiro then gives Mizuki a gift in the form of a key, while explaining that a dream is needed before it can be granted. As long as there is one, she can keep on striving for it. Kei realizes that she has a key as well, then giving it to Mizuki as a second charm. Though thankful, Mizuki requests for one more item of help. Getting a single page from Chihiro’s diary, Mizuki writes something down.

As his time continues to run out, Kuze even begins to wonder why he is keeping himself alive. Despite confirming that he has erased everything, however, he finally admits to himself that he is afraid to die. He begins to ask himself if what he has done is truly what he desired, recalling that he has always lived on to prevent hurting anyone. When he remembers Mizuki’s face, however, he wonders if this was a loss. Kuze goes to his door upon hearing the bell ring, and upon seeing a letter from Mizuki, he begins to cry. While kneeling in despair, the door opens before him.

Impression:

Need a fancier knife to cut yourself with there? I don’t understand why Yuuko took so long to realize that she shouldn’t have tried to be Yuu’s sister. I mean, come on now… That would be SISCON! But jokes aside, I really did like the use of physical scars to represent the pain both Yuu and Yuuko felt after being alone from each other for so long. The film strips that surrounded both of them was a pretty nice touch too, as they probably represented the stories of their lives that entangled the pair. I can only wonder how their fates are suppose to turn out now, especially with the hint given at the very end of the episode.

The theme of image creation was another artsy touch that I could really relate to, and seeing both Akira and Yuu’s connection with the ability really made me respect their characters more. I loved Akira’s statement about humans not being able to quit what they want to do. More subtly, his use of cigarettes might help to represent a similar theme. In my eyes, Akira probably died with the work he has been wanting to create for his entire life. It was nice to see him finally go, and he even appeared to be a bit less despicable than he has been made out to be recently. (He still needs to stop slapping people.) That was probably the longest death scene I have seen in a long time though, and even if it was suppose to be represented as powerful, I honestly got the picture about half way through.

Kuze and Mizuki’s story obviously didn’t move as fast this week, as they only had about a fourth of the episode to work with. There were a few things to pick up on though. It was interesting to see the red string attached to Mizuki’s finger while she was with Chihiro and Kei. I’m guessing that her silhouette was suppose to represent her soul? (I was too busy looking at thighs.) Kuze’s refusing to give up and die was also insightful towards anyone who has ever known that they were going to die or wanted to commit suicide. Humans by nature typically want to accomplish things, and even if they have seemingly gotten rid of everything, it would still be hard to go. Of course, it was obvious from the beginning that Kuze didn’t truly want to die. I found it kind of funny when the door opened up to enshroud him with light. “My hikkikomori days are OVER!”

Yuu mustn’t run away!!!!!!!!!

Summary:

Past:

Beat up in his home, Yuu makes a call to Yuuko requesting that she leave the town with him. Yuuko agrees, but as the two are out later, she learns that Yuu has not really come up with much of a plan. Yuu suggests that they first eat, and while at a shop, he describes his plans to find a job among other things to support himself as well as her. Recalling that Yuu was aiming for the top, Yuuko wonders if he would not regret this. Remembering that he already had regrets, Yuu suggests that he will not have any from now on. Bringing up again that Yuuko had called him her first love, and that this love had not ended, Yuu also confirms that his confession to her was not a lie. Yuu and Yuuko are later denied places to stay that night, and after refusing to stay at a hotel, the two find themselves at a shrine for the night. As Yuuko continually expresses her worry for already being used, Yuu simply suggests that the fact that she is Yuuko has not changed. With this, the two share a kiss inside.

The two later find a place to stay in the form of a rather run down apartment. As Yuu takes some of his things out, Yuuko learns that he has both his sister’s watch and his sketchbook with him. When one of her paper airplanes falls out of the book though, and Yuuko guesses that Yuu has already seen the contents of them, she runs out in denial that she wanted to follow him for such reasons. Yuuko runs all the way to the edge of a cliff, but Yuu finally catches up to her. Letting go of Yuu’s grasp, Yuuko suggests that she was a fool for believing in him. When she suggests that he only sees her as a doll just like Akira did, however, Yuu slaps her in deny of this. Although he is the same as Akira in losing his younger sister, he does not see Yuuko as an item. Claiming that he will no longer let go of her hands, Yuu expresses his wish to protect Yuuko.

When Yuu returns to Yuuko after job introductions on a later night, he expresses how nice it is to have a light on above them. Yuuko suggests that this is a given thing, but Yuu recalls that he did not have anyone waiting for him when he returned home before. Yuuko then suggests that the light would be off if Yuu returned late, and that she would do things like not let him inside. Hoping that Yuu would return on time each night because of this, Yuuko states that the apartment has become a place for her to return as well. When Yuu again confirms that he is okay with what he has done with Yuuko later that night, she requests that he draw her.

Yuu is shocked while returning to the apartment one afternoon to see Akira nearby. He instantly denies that he will hand over Yuuko, but Akira simply states that this is neither of their decisions to make. Akira suggests that Yuuko may return to him if she does not have a place to go, then denying that Yuu even has a place to return to. This is because he has been running away ever since the day her sister died. Akira easily sees that, unlike him, Yuu was with his sister until she died. Instead of dying with her though, he ran away. As Akira had handed him his sister’s broken watch before leaving, Yuu travels through the town in wonder if he is running away again. When Yuuko sees that the watch is missing from the container it is usually in at the apartment, she runs through the city in search for Yuu. She eventually meets Akira instead, and when he wonders if they should return home, she seems to agree.

When Yuu returns to the apartment to see a farewell note from Yuuko, he lets out a scream in rage and despair.

Present:

Yuu and Nagi find Kuze passed out in his home, but see that he is fine when he wakes. Kuze then recalls that Mizuki had stopped by, and that he told her not to see him again just like he did with his past girlfriend. Yuu guesses that there are surely fun times in all of the memories Kuze is trying to forget, but when Kuze asks if he has the same, Yuu states that he has forgotten. While outside together later, Kuze panics at the fact that he has finally walked into a battle that he knows he cannot win. He wonders what he should do, but Yuu only suggests that he shouldn’t give up before even trying. With this, Kuze suggests that Yuu isn’t someone that is able to tell him this. Yuu had continued something that has not yet ended, and Kuze finally reveals that he has not been able to see Yuuko in the present. With this, Yuu gives Kuze a punch before leaving. Nagi expresses that there are things that Kuze shouldn’t say, but this only leads him to guess that Nagi is still chasing Yuu. Hoping that Kuze would take some time to clear his head, Nagi leaves as well.

With Kuze’s words still in her mind, Mizuki wakes from the dream that she has not had in awhile. Sumire soon enters her room though, with a package containing Kuze’s violin addressed to her. After seeing the note attached with the package, Mizuki realizes that it was Kuze who was broken all along. With Kuze’s melody in her mind, Mizuki attempts to play his violin on the beach. Nagi then finds her, finally admitting to the lie she told her earlier. Although Mizuki believes she has lost, Nagi believes that she is doing better than Kuze because she has not run away. With this, Nagi mentions that it appears as if Mizuki is the only one who can save Kuze now.

Impression:

DO YOU WANT TO BE ONE?? Oh man, now I’m pissed. What the heck, Yuuko? Obviously not having been in a situation like hers, I’m having a fairly hard time connecting with her ability to return to Akira. I’m sure Yuu is to blame as well, being indecisive after Akira reminded him that he ran away from his dying sister, but really…where’s the love power? I dunno, it’s all very depressing. Kuze’s implying that Yuu has not seen Yuuko ever since that point of time was probably the most impacting part of the episode for me, and it continues to make me believe that we will finally see the two brought back together in the present time by the end of the series. Knowing this show though, we’re probably going to have to watch the saddest of sad scenes until an EVA 26-like episode at the end to show that everything is all right. Oh man, at least Yuu isn’t angsting about his dad…

Notes:

• Yuuko is sad that Yuu doesn’t want to sex her up. I am too.
• Slap on the cliff came straight out of a cheesy romance drama.
• Titanic, anyone?
• I bet he makes her call him oniichan.
• Right, so Mizuki is going to start learning violin and play epic music just like that…
• Flower turning into hand at the end…nice touch.
• The OP was upside down this week…just like the world!! Why must things be this way!???

Contains Yuuko in her underwear.

Summary:

Past:

Yuu falls into a rage after separating from Yuuko, realizing that it is his fault for letting her go. Yuu attempts to stop Yuuko when he sees her heading back to her house, wondering if she truly wishes to return, but she can only ask why he is suddenly bringing this up. In other places, Akira burns a drawing of the young sister he once knew. As Yuuko implies the sort of revenge she has placed on Yuu for abandoning her in the past, she presents a knife to him. This was one that Akira had given her, with the message that she could kill him if she ever wished to. Yuuko seemingly gives the same message to Yuu, but he only walks ahead of her in response. Arriving at the Amamiya household, Akira quickly guesses that Yuu has come to kill him. He soon makes him realize that Yuuko is afraid of being alone, however, then bringing up the several things that would happen if Yuu were to kill him. Even after Yuu suggests that this is not the place for Yuuko, Akira easily sees that he had come without being truly prepared to kill him. Akira reminds Yuu of his advice to be prepared if he wished to be with Yuuko, then warning him that he would kill him instead if he returned in the same way the next time.

Present:

Taking a large amount of pills, Kuze decides that he will only obtain things he believes he can reach. If it seemed as if he could not obtain something, he would not desire it in the first place. With this type of reasoning in Kuze’s mind, Nagi can only wonder if he truly believes that his previous actions were correct. Of course, Kuze agrees while sitting across from her. In other places, Mizuki decides to see her usual dream again while falling asleep in her sadness. Yuu meets Nagi later, then mentioning his overhearing of her lying about being Kuze’s fiance. This was obviously her way of having Mizuki leave Kuze. Yuu is surprised to hear that Kuze once had interest in Nagi, and Nagi further explains that he did not pursue her simply because he knew that she had interest in Yuu. Nagi suggests that Kuze simply did not want to go into a fight that he knew he would lose, then realizing that he was much like her past self. When Nagi wonders about Yuu’s past, he can only state that his objectives have not yet been completed.

Mizuki visits Yuu in the church in hopes of learning more about Kuze, but he can only wonder why she doesn’t go directly to him instead. After seeing Mizuki’s determination, Yuu only tells her to remember that Kuze is a liar. Mizuki denies this as she leaves the church, however, suggesting that Kuze is simply so honest that his words seem as if they are lies. Kei messages Hiro about Kuze when she meets with Mizuki later, finding that he is surprised about the situation as well. Kei then brings up that Hiro was actually quite a fan of Kuze, believing that his music displayed a vibrant amount of colors. Although Kei does not believe that she herself understands this, Mizuki states that she does. However, the colors that Kuze has currently been displaying do not contain their full range. After getting a message about Hiro and Miyako’s search for their own colors, Kei simply suggests that there would probably be no one who could be calm if they knew that they were going to die.

When Mizuki visits Kuze’s house again, he can only wonder why she has reappeared before him. After asking such questions to her, Mizuki leaves with the belief that she does not currently have the answer. Kuze continues to wonder why such things have happened to him while alone afterwards, and after feeling a pain in his heart, he is forced to consume his pills in a desperate state. Kuze finally expresses that he has many things he still wants to do, admitting to himself that he does not wish to die yet.

Impression:

Ahh! Art majors, name the gestalt principles! Or should I really be calling for the psychology majors? As far as the Yuu and Yuuko side of things go, we picked right back up from the end of the last episode this week. I did enjoy Akira’s making Yuu realize how troubled Yuuko would be without a place to belong, and the visuals were quite nice as usual (loving that stylish knife too), but the “you weren’t prepared to kill me” thing is just something that I’ve seen far too much in anime already. Even while Akira was beating Yuu up, I felt like I had somehow seen this all before. Either way though, I’m still very interested in learning more about how Yuu and Yuuko’s feelings develop to the point they reach in the present. After Yuu’s subtle suggestion in this episode, I can only guess that we will learn even more about them in the present time frame later.

After taking a break from them last week, we finally got back to Kuze and Mizuki this time around too. While I’d agree with Aroduc that some of it seemed like rehash, I wouldn’t say it was a complete rip off. Besides, hasn’t every arc in ef so far had a similar scene? Miyako’s would obviously be the most memorable from the first season, but Chihiro’s chains played a similar role. I also felt a relation to most of Kuze’s dialog, and I assume that anyone else who has fallen into deep depression before would feel the same. The question of “why?” is easily the first of many that people in such a state would ask. Kuze’s revealing that he did not really want to die by the end was obviously predictable though, as he would have already done something about this before if he did. It’s also notable that Nagi revealed that she was lying to Mizuki about being Kuze’s fiance. (I’m pretty sure we all expected this already.)

The OP was inverted in several places this week, but as the OP changes so much this season, I did not bother capping any of it. I’m really loving the soundtrack for this season, and it might be one of the rare ones that I actually pick up to listen to later.

Egao no white~! Namida no blue~!

Summary:

Yuu wakes in his house, noticing the sketchbook on his shelf for the first time in quite a while. Yuuko is happy to find that Yuu has started to draw again while on the school rooftop with him later, and after describing how much she likes him, she falls asleep on his shoulder. When Yuu meets Nagi later, he learns that she has stopped being able to draw as she usually does. Nagi denies Yuu’s suggestion that it is simply a slump, describing the belief she has that she may not even be able to draw from here on, before only asking for Yuu to leave. The voice that told her these things was that of the woman inside of her.

When Kuze meets Yuu, he finally reveals the results of his research on Yuuko. From the information he gained from the female students in her class, and his own obvious assumptions, he makes Yuu realize that Yuuko is quite the liar. Meeting Yuu on the beach later, Yuuko asks him if he believes in god. In response, Yuu states that there cannot be one because of the state the world is in. Even if one had existed before, it would have already died. Then describing the concept of faces or masks, Yuuko confirms to Yuu that she is certainly hiding something. After giving him a kiss, however, Yuuko states that she would like for Yuu to learn of it. Yuuko then states that she does not believe a god exists either, because if there was one, the world would be a much more beautiful place. Yuu denies the existence of Yuuko’s ideal world, but in response, she states that this is why she desires it. When Yuuko returns home, she again confirms that she is still alive. Afterwards, she reconfirms her wish to tell her secrets to Yuu.

Yuu finds that Nagi is still in the art room later, then reminding her of Kuze’s leaving party, but she only takes the chance to describe what happens when their names are combined. Putting the two kanji together, they become “yuunagi” or the “evenining calm.” Although Nagi continues to describe what happens to the wind and water during this certain time of day, Yuu can only wonder if Nagi still cannot draw. Nagi remembers this, and recalling that she realizes what the reason is, she finally admits that she has been lonely. Nagi believes that both Kuze and Yuu are leaving her, and although Yuu suggests that he is not going anywhere, Nagi easily sees that this is not the case. Yuu can only apologize to Nagi, but after she denies his wish for him to do so, she only reminds him that Yuuko is waiting for him. Although Nagi could not draw because she could not see her true self before, she believes that she may now be able to.

When Yuu and Yuuko enter a classroom to meet Kuze, they find that they are the only attendees for his party. In actuality, Kuze had only asked Yuu in the first place. Kuze suggests that, rather than a farewell party, this was more of his last performance in the area. As Kuze starts playing his violin, Yuuko grasps Yuu’s hand. In other places, Nagi conveys her teary emotions onto her canvas. Yuuko begins to cry as well, and when she runs out of the room, Yuu is forced to chase after her. Yuuko apologizes to Yuu when he finds her on the school rooftop, then stating her belief that Kuze must have an honest and straight forward heart to produce such a melody. Having believed that there could have been some value in the world after hearing it, Yuuko had run away in tears from her disbelief that she could have such feelings. Yuu can only call Yuuko a liar, however, then wondering how much of her is true. Taking a kiss from her, he demands to know if her feelings for him are genuine. When Yuu finally admits that he loves Yuuko, tears fall from her eyes. This is what she had wanted him to say all along, as she desired for him to long for her.

When Yuu walks into the church with Yuuko, she strips as she expresses her wish for him to know more about her. Recalling the times she had always chased after him, however, she first takes the chance to ask why he denied making her his sister. Looking at Yuuko’s naked body, Yuu can only be horrified. With this, Yuuko finally describes the events that had occurred while she was with Akira. Yuuko was sought as a replacement for his lost sister, but after awhile, it was apparent that this could never be the case. Akira had begun abusing Yuuko as an object, but he would eventually apologize for his actions. During a certain xmas eve, however, Yuuko was finally raped by him. Expressing her wish that Yuu would have been her first, Yuuko states that she now has nothing. Yuu denies this, describing that Yuuko would always have a future and the ability to forget, but this only leads Yuuko to describe the pain she has received every night even after meeting Yuu again. In the end, she describes herself as the girl that Yuu had abandoned. When Yuuko wonders why Yuu did not accept her in the past, he expresses that he did not want to become the same as Akira. Yuuko can only call Yuu a liar, however, and after she states that his confession was 10 years too late, Yuu lets out a horrifying scream.

ED: “願いのカケラ” by Nakajima Yumiko – A perfectly fitting ending for the episode, focused on Yuuko as a child and adult. As usual, I’m not really into the song though. It’s something that I would only listen to while watching the anime.

Impression:

Holy. Freaking. Crap. Where are the haters now? Maybe they stopped watching? This was easily the best episode of the second season so far, and one that I connected with on several levels. Yuu and Yuuko’s reasons for denying the existence of a god were beliefs that I, and probably several other atheists, have cycled through my mind several times while trying to rationalize the often overlooked negative aspects of the world. The events that happened to Yuuko may seem a bit overdramatic in this episode, but anyone who takes their head beyond what they read in books or see in the media would see that this type of thing certainly happens in true to life situations. I’m going have to give it to ef once again for pushing boundaries, and even breaking the standards of the typical visual novel archetype, by touching on such controversial and philosophical subjects.The ending sequence between Yuu and Yuuko was very familiar to Miyako’s phone sequences in the first season, but there was definitely an added style to it that made it just as, if not more, intriguing to watch.

Being someone who is pursuing a future in art, I also related to Nagi’s fear of becoming unable to convey her emotions through her work. Blindness would easily be my greatest fear, and this statement can be understood in more than one way. Artists obviously understand that their art is only a reflection of themselves, and Nagi’s display of this was simply beautiful. At this point, it looks like Nagi is finally out of the picture when it comes to her unrequited love for Yuu. Only being half way through the series though, I can only wonder how her role will begin to change. I’m also going to have to praise Shizuka Itou’s performance again after this episode, especially since this is (to my knowledge) the first time she has played such a role.

After this reminder of why I enjoyed the first season of ef so much, I am now really pumped to see a strong second half to finish off the series. It’s also notable that the OP this week was just an instrumental version of ebullient future, with the characters removed along with the vocals. Nice touch.

I like how the dress blows in the wind.

Summary:

Kyosuke has the film club’s president help him edit material that he has shot of Kei, suggesting that he would like to have the most capable person work on it. While speaking with him, the president also notices the key that Kyosuke has in his possession. Kyosuke received this from Miyako earlier, though he does not believe he really needs it to find happiness. While going for a run outside, Kei runs into Yuuko who wonders if she is already well enough to walk. In response, Kei suggests that she would rather be running at her fullest while she is able. Yuuko quickly guesses that this is because of her sister, so Kei confirms that she must look like the respectable older sister she is meant to be. When Kei mentions the unrecoverable wounds that she and her sister have developed, Yuuko can only wonder if this is truly the case before disappearing.

Kei then takes the chance to send her usual text messages to Chihiro, eventually expressing her interest to meet Renji and to see her again. When Chihiro agrees that she would like to see her as well, Kei expresses a bit of relief. While she discusses the far distance she would have to travel to see her sister with him later, Kyosuke easily sees that Kei is a bit scared to meet Chihiro after so long. When Kei expresses that she does not know what kind of face she should put on, Kyosuke only suggests that she simply decide this when she gets there. When Kyosuke tells Kei that he is there for her, she decides that she is no longer afraid. To the two’s surprise, Nagi also appears to reveal that she will be headed to Australia as well. After confirming that Kei has a passport, she decides that they will all leave together.

Recalling the time that Yuu had denied his need for her to be his sister, Yuuko wakes from a painful dream. When Yuu reaches school, he sees that Nagi is still annoyed with him. Kuze soon meets the two, however, changing the mood by giving them both flyers to see a violin performance that he will be doing. When he suggests to Yuu that he would like Yuuko to come as well, the awkward situation from before returns. While Yuu denies Kuze’s suggestions that Yuuko is compatible with him, Nagi continues to be annoyed. At the sound of broken glass, the three see Yuuko walking out of a classroom. Yuu is quickly angered after confirming that she has been bullied again, opening the room’s doors in an attempt to find the culprit.

Yuu next enters the art room to complain to Akira, but he is baffled to find that he already knows about Yuuko’s bullying. Akira’s story is a bit different, however, as he states that it seems like it was Yuuko who started the fight. When he suggests that she went home without a scratch, Yuu can only correct him by saying that there were certainly injuries close to her neck. Akira goes on to call the problems trivial, as they are Yuuko’s problems, causing Yuu to leave in anger. Yuu finds that Yuuko is actually on the rooftop, and while he questions her condition, Yuuko can only see that Yuu is truly a kind person. While the two walk home together, Yuu learns that a student had tampered with Yuuko’s bag. Though she had decided to act happy no matter what happened to her, Yuuko suggests that she may have simply wanted to try a different reaction this time. The conversation changes to Yuuko’s constant wonder about what had happened to the boy she once knew in the past, but when Yuu asks what she expected of him, Yuuko keeps this a secret.

After marking off another date on his calendar, Kuze sees that Nagi is behind him in the empty living room. Walking away from Kuze after his wish of parting, Mizuki is surprised to find Kei at Chihiro’s usual spot at the abandoned train tracks. Kei finds it interesting that Australia’s surroundings are quite similar to Japan’s, but Mizuki believes her meeting of Kei is even more surprising. Mizuki expresses the happiness she has to see her, but when she gets closer, Kei sees that Mizuki is troubled by something. When Kei mentions the business she had in the country, Chihiro appears to embrace her sister. Chihiro tells Kei of her recollection of the events until her injury, and the two can only apologize to each other in tears and happiness. Nagi meanwhile takes the chance to show up and tell Mizuki about the sisters’ situation, where they would continually be hurt because of Chihiro’s disorder. Of course, this is no longer a problem.

Seeing that they have both experienced many things while they were apart, Chihiro finds it funny that neither of them were chosen by Hiro in the end. When the two sisters ask each other if they are happy, they both confirm that they are. While watching this from a distance, Nagi sees that both of the girls have reached the point where they can stand on their own feet. Recalling the similar situation she has with Kuze, Mizuki then wonders how she would be able to obtain the same happiness. When Nagi realizes that it is Mizuki who has approached Kuze, however, she only tells her to leave him be. With this, Nagi states that it is her who is dating Kuze.

Impression:

ONEECHAN!!!! F YEA!!! This episode was great. Don’t hate! Some may be put off by the constant reappearances of the previous season’s characters, but I can only see this as their gaining of true endings. When -a tale of memories- ended, I thought there was far too much left out despite how much I enjoyed myself. Since ef has so many stories that all tie into each other, it was obvious that one season wouldn’t be able to do the series justice (heck, I don’t even know if this will be the last season). Seeing Kei and Chihiro finally reunite was spectacular, if not simply overdramatic in a pleasing way, so I didn’t have any complaints about that. The themes played on certainly add to Mizuki’s story as well, as the sisters’ stories prove that life’s path is not so clear cut from the beginning.

Of course, Nagi revealing that it was her who had a relationship with Kuze at the end was probably the biggest shocker of the episode. And since it was confirmed pretty early in the series that she was not the one to end up with Yuu, I can only wonder how Yuu and Yuuko’s story develops until the point where we see them as characters who simply overlook the rest of the cast. I’m still really loving the play on time that -a tale of melodies- is pulling off so well, and I can’t wait to see everyone’s arcs develop further. Even seeing more Kyosuke would be nice, since I considered his story from the first season to be the one with the most untapped potential.

Boku explosions and cameos. What more could you ask for?

Summary:

Yuu/Nagi/Yuuko:

When Yuuko meets Yuu in town, she has him have lunch with her. Yuuko starts to wonder about Yuu’s reasons for not typically eating lunch when he mentions the fact, so he simply credits this to his lack of money. All of his funds have been going towards university. Yuuko believes that Yuu is amazing for being able to look so high, but he simply implies that there is nothing else that he can do. This brings Yuuko to wonder if he will no longer draw, and although Yuu believes that this is Akira’s meddling, Yuuko states that she truly liked his drawings when they were children. Yuuko decides that she will not eat if Yuu doesn’t, but this leads Yuu to order something out of guilt.

While sightseeing with her later, Yuu finally wonders if Yuuko plans on continuing to ignore the abuse she is getting by acting as if she doesn’t care. In response, Yuuko states that she is fine since she is having fun. When Yuuko then mentions that she was able to go on a date with him because of the previous events, Yuu can only disagree that they are doing such a thing. Yuuko suggests that it is too late since she already believes that they are on the date, however, then describing how special it is for both of them to both be on their first date together.

The two next visit the church that they spent their childhood at, and when Yuuko wonders if she has upset Yuu by choosing this area to go to, he denies the statement. After noticing the current state of the building, Yuu and Yuuko further recall how they would always break the rules by leaving the church to do things. Entering the church, the two are surprised to see Akira inside. Yuu wonders if Akira is a Christian, but Akira denies by revealing that it is actually his younger sister that is. Yuu throws a ball he found outside at Akira when he implies that there is a relationship between he and Yuuko, but Akira turns to use this ball to have Yuuko leave the area for a moment. Within this time frame, Akira tells Yuu that he should be prepared if he plans on becoming involved with Yuuko. Akira leaves as Yuuko returns to Yuu’s side, and Yuu takes the chance to reveal his surprise about Yuuko being a Christian afterwards. Yuuko states that this is wrong, however, as it was actually Akira’s true sister that held the religion. Akira was like Yuu, in that he lost his little sister during an accident in the past.

While returning home alone later, Yuu runs into Nagi. Yuu wonders why Nagi is wearing her school uniform even though it is not a school day, so she implies that she does not wear anything else. Yuu then wonders what Nagi does when she gets in the bath, so she reveals that she does not wear anything as she goes to bed. This conversation eventually leads Yuu to recalling that Nagi has a younger brother, so she confirms that she lives with both him and her father. Nagi then mentions that Akira had visited her house earlier to see her father, and that he said that Yuu and Yuuko were out on a date. Nagi expresses her interest in this, but Yuu suggests that the two of them were only out buying things. Yuu further wonders why Nagi would be concerned with such a meaningless thing, but this makes her walk off with a bit of frustration.

Looking at his broken watch that night, Yuu recalls when he had bought this item for his sister. Yuu had noticed Akane looking at it in the city one day, and although she denied that she actually wanted it, he had bought it for her anyways. As the siblings were very close, Akane one night went to Yuu’s bed for warmth. Seeing that he was awake, she guessed that Yuu was going to start drawing. Although he denied this, Akane reminded him how much she liked his drawings. Later in the night, an earthquake caused some of the items in the children’s house to start a fire. Yuu had searched for Akane in panic, but her desperate cries were the last he heard from her. In her own home elsewhere, Yuuko takes something froma drawer without Akira’s knowledge.

Kuze/Mizuki:

In his house after the previous events, a troubled Kuze turns to drinking to keep his mind off things. After Mizuki had saved Kuze’s violin, she had asked for a reward. When Kuze visits the Aso household the next day, he learns that Mizuki is sick in bed. He goes to check on her after presenting Renji with some cake, but when Kuze hears Mizuki mumbling the words “save me” as he starts to leave her room, he returns to grasp her hands. Mizuki takes this chance to share a kiss with Kuze, describing this as her reward for earlier. Kuze later visits Yuu in the church, easily guessing that it was he who tipped Mizuki off earlier. However, Yuu truthfully suggests that Mizuki moved through her own will. When Kuze returns to his house with Yuu, he requests a calender. Putting on one of his masks, Kuze expresses the fear he has for the current situation he is in with a bit of laughter.

Kuze goes out with Mizuki the next day, stopping to have his violin repaired while they walk together. Kuze later lays on Mizuki’s lap, and although Mizuki wonders if they cannot become a couple, Kuze only reminds her that his eventual death is not a joke. Kuze then describes all of the preparations he has made already, such as cutting off his relations with people and distributing his belongings. The violin was the last of these. Mizuki finally takes the chance to ask if Kuze had a lover in the past, which he confirms. Even after marriage involvements, he was forced to cut his ties with her. Hearing this, Mizuki is put to tears as she apologizes to Kuze.

When Yuu finds Kuze asleep in Mizuki’s lap later, he expresses that this is the first time he has seen him with his guard so down. As the two begin discussing Kuze’s illness, Yuu mentions that he may have already become used to people dying. Mizuki wonders if he is not afraid because of this, but he suggests that it is quite the opposite. Before Yuu parts with her, Mizuki has him perform a priest-like blessing for her. After dozing off, Mizuki is later waken by Kuze. Kuze takes the chance to ask what Mizuki wants to be in the future, and although she is unsure, she states that she would like to be happy. Kuze finally states that he also likes Mizuki, but because of this, he cannot answer her feelings. With this, he suggests that they go home. After doing so, he hopes that she would never show herself to him again. When Kuze returns home, he circles on his new calender the date he is planned to die on.

Hiro/Miyako/Nagi

Running out of time during one of his manga deadlines, Hiro is forced to call his older sister to help. Nagi is extremely fast with pages when she arrives at Hiro’s house, but she is then forced to hurry her brother who insists on doing several of the pages himself. Nagi reminds Hiro that she must leave for Australia soon, but before doing so, she recalls how Hiro had abandoned several expectations to become a manga author. Hiro apologizes, but Nagi suggests that this was actually a good choice because he has made his own decisions. Hiro soon receives a text message from Miyako, spending her time on the school rooftop as usual. Yuuko sees that Miyako is fine as she stands there with her, and Miyako confirms that she is no longer lonely. Yuuko further notices that Miyako has become strong, and she credits this to having a place to return to. Looking to the rooftop key she has in her hands, Miyako wonders if she no longer needs this item. Miyako then prepares a meal for Hiro, and when she reaches his apartment, she simply leaves this to Nagi to care of for her.

Impression:

Even though it seemed like there wasn’t much that happened this week, I was really psyched about seeing Hiro and Miyako again. This was probably to be expected after seeing Chihiro last week, but seeing the older Nagi definitely went against my predictions (in a good way). Seeing Miyako in non psycho form was a pretty nice change of pace, and it definitely gave off a feeling similar to the one I got from seeing a cured Chihiro. It’s like when we see a supposedly dead character return after the time skip in mecha anime. It’s just epic.

As far as the arc dealing with Yuu’s teenage years go, I appreciated learning more about Akane and how exactly she lost her life. Akira’s similarity to Yuu is interesting as well, and his meeting with the others in the church may have been a hint towards the future (with Yuu and Yuuko always hanging out in the church in the first season). I was very (very boku) glad to see Nagi too, though it was extremely predictable that she would start getting jealous over Yuu spending time with Yuuko again. I also laughed at the suggestion that she walks around the house naked because her family of artists aren’t effected by it. Yuuko’s side of the story more or less filled in the gaps dealing with the time she spent with and away with Yuu.

Kuze’s emo adventure wasn’t as interesting this week when compared to the last, but it was nice to see more of his inner thoughts about the situation he is in. I can only imagine that there would be several different thoughts for someone who knows when they are going to die. Some would probably give up on anything they are trying to accomplish, while others might try to enjoy what time they have left. Kuze’s trying to erase everything about his life from existence reminded me a bit of Nabari no Ou’s Yoite from the past two seasons (What? Nobody watched this show?), but I could easily see the same thing happening in a real situation. It looks like Mizuki is going to have to fight a situation similar to the one Chihiro and Renji did, and we have still yet to see what the meaning is behind the dying flowers she sees in her dreams is.

Side Note:

Ugh, I’m going to be honest. As much as I appreciate this show, writing for it can sometimes be a chore. Reviewing each post each week, it always seems like I’m actually covering two or three shows at once. Because of that, my impression always ends up being more of a cluster of my trying to gather thoughts rather than an actual opinion. With that in mind though, I’ll try harder to write something more interesting than a recollection of events from here on. No promises though, since we all know I’m a total sell-out.

OP: A bit of color was added to parts of the OP. I wouldn’t be surprised if this happened progressively until everything was complete, much like the studio did with the Zetsubou Sensei opening during its second season.

Summary:

Past:

Yuu picks up a paper airplane on the ground outside school, realizing that Yuuko is on the rooftop again. Yuu runs into Akira on the way up the stairs, who repeats his wish to see him create images. Of course, Yuu again denies his interest in the subject. Yuuko meets the two on the way down, annoying Yuu as she seemingly refers to him as her older brother. Yuu soon learns that she is actually referring to Akira, however, as Yuuko reveals that she currently has the last name of “Amamiya.” Akira leaves afterwards, but while watching Yuuko follow, Yuu sees that she does not have any shoes on. Yuuko simply explains that she could not find hers in the morning, but Yuu is unable to let her walk around the school in such a state. Telling her to wait in one spot, he runs to get a temporary pair of footwear for her. When he returns, Yuuko thanks him for his kindness.

Akira has Yuu meet him in the art room later, asking him about his past relationship with Yuuko. In response, Yuu makes it seem as if they were not as close as Akira suspected. Akira then requests for Yuu to tell Nagi not to draw herself in the nude anymore, but Yuu simply takes his leave without actually answering to this request. Yuu meets Kuze afterwards, getting into a conversation with him about the types of women he knows about. Nagi soon shows up as well, wanting in on their conversation. Yuu eventually gets to the point by asking Kuze to learn more about Yuuko’s condition, but Nagi seems to realize something before then.

When the three reach the entrance of the school, Nagi points out that Yuuko’s shoes are actually above the lockers. Yuu notices that Nagi is barefoot when he picks her up to get the shoes, but when she reveals that she had just come from drawing herself as usual, Yuu awkwardly realizes that she is wearing nothing but one layer of clothing above him. When Yuu wonders how Nagi knew the location of the shoes afterwards, she reveals that she had once lost her shoes in the same way. Kuze then tells Yuu that he should return Yuuko’s shoes right away.

Yuu returns Yuuko’s shoes when he finds her in an empty classroom that night, but becomes angry when he sees the condition of one of her books. He is further concerned when Yuuko reveals that this is a common thing, as she is a seemingly ideal target for abuse from other students. Despite this, Yuuko later believes that not all things are bad about pranks. This is because she is able to go home with Yuu. When Yuuko looks into her shoebox, however, she finds that her shoes have been burned. This angers Yuu even more, making him want to find the culprits immediately, but Yuuko states that such things are small. After all, this is what humans are like.

Present:

Kuze wakes from a dream where he is playing his violin on stage, but is shot down by his other self. His mask falls off in the process. At the same time, Mizuki wakes from her usual dream where a flower falls apart in the darkness. Mizuki later knocks on Kuze’s door, but even though he hears it, he refuses to answer. Mizuki enters the nearby church in curiosity, seeing Yuu sitting on a high platform. When Mizuki suggests that existences such as god would be angry if he did that, Yuu denies that such existences are there. He instead claims that the adult world deals with many things, but this makes Mizuki suggest that this makes it seem as if he is claiming that there is nothing in a child’s world. Yuu agrees that there could be more to a child’s world, but he has forgotten about his own past. He also adds that adults are simply children who have gotten bigger. Mizuki eventually gets to the point by asking about Kuze, who she previously had a promise to meet with. Yuu denies his knowledge about this subject, but warns Mizuki not to become involved with Kuze.

Traveling across train tracks later, Mizuki sees Chihiro at the abandoned station. She quickly reintroduces herself to her in excitement, and is happy when Chihiro remembers her as well. The two notice how much the each of them have grown, and Mizuki takes it a step further by expressing how beautiful Chihiro is. After embracing her, she expresses her belief that it is a waste for Renji. On the other hand, Chihiro believes that she is the one always causing trouble for Renji. Mizuki then expresses her envy towards those who have such great love, again wondering what has happened to Kuze. With a look through her diary, Chihiro finds information about Kuze that may help Mizuki. She first asks if Mizuki loves Kuze, however, bringing up the helpless feelings that one in love would have. When Mizuki seems to confirm the similar feelings she has, Chihiro allows her to see what is written in her diary.

Kuze meanwhile meets Yuu, who notices how bad of a condition he seems to be in. After learning from Yuu that Mizuki has been searching for him, Kuze reminds Yuu that he cannot have someone claim to love him. Leaving the church afterwards, he expresses his determination to erase everything that night. After all, it has been decided that he is going to die. Mizuki fears this fact when she reads it in Chihiro’s diary, and Renji shows up to further reveal exactly what is wrong with Kuze. This deals with a heart condition; one that Kuze had even collapsed from during one of his performances in the past. Mizuki wonders how Kuze was able to spend time with her despite having such a condition, but Chihiro reveals from experience what humans are capable of.

Chihiro visits Mizuki that night, relaying information that she had heard from Yuu. If she wanted to hear Kuze’s violin, she should go to the beach. This would probably be the last time she would be able to hear it. When Mizuki makes it to the beach, she certainly hears Kuze’s elegant violin playing. However, she is is shocked to see him light the violin on fire after he finishes. Unable to accept this, Mizuki quickly runs to put the fire out. Mizuki is successful in saving the violin in its casing, but when Kuze urgently asks to see her hands afterwards, he sees that they are scorched as he expected. Kuze attempts to scold Mizuki, but she only claims that it is not time yet as long as they are still alive.

Impression:

Man, it really feels like I am writing about two episodes each time I watch this series. It helps that I enjoyed both arcs this week though, especially with Kuze/Mizuki’s story showing a lot more impact than it did in the last episode. I’m pretty sure everyone will be talking about the burning of the violin this week, which felt a lot like some of Hiro/Miyako’s scenes from the first season. The studio really does a good job in creating suspense with these moments, especially with the great soundtrack. Even though I have already been comparing this season’s arcs to those of the first season’s, Kuze and Mizuki’s interaction is really becoming more and more like Chihiro and Renji’s. The only difference would be a switch in roles for the genders and the addition of a musical theme that ties into the series’ title. But while on the topic of previous characters, I was very excited to see Chihiro return this week. It was hinted that she would show up again, but this episode still seemed to give her that epic time skip return that we all love in anime. I can only wonder if we will see more old characters return, or if this would have to wait for yet another season (maybe it’s a little early to be thinking about this…).

Although not as dramatic, I enjoyed Yuu/Yuuko/Nagi’s parts just as much. My appreciation for this arc came from more subtle things, like Yuuko’s talks about human nature. It was definitely interesting to see Yuuko’s indifferent reaction to her ruined shoes, which would probably cause a lot more stress to a less insightful individual. I also wonder how much her relation to Akira will impact the overall story (if it will). It is notable that her name has not changed in the “present time”. And on the topic of time, I am really loving the overtones of the very theme that the series as a whole has right now. The shifts in the episodes themselves obviously illustrate this, but things like Yuu’s talk in the church also displayed the same ideas. His statement that “adults are only children that have gotten bigger” easily caught my attention, even if it might be a theme that has already been used in various other media. It will be nice to see how everything ties together by the end, especially after already having seen how much characters like Yuu and Kuze have changed since they were younger.

Also, Nagi needs more screen time. (BOKU~!!!) That is all.