I bet a song would bring out the emotion… My final impression is included.

Summary:

Returning to Hokkaido, Sora is quickly greeted by her mother. Eating lunch with her after arriving home, Sora mentions her meeting of Gouta and the gladness that she had for going to Tokyo. Sora later travels to the large tree in town, expressing to her father that she has also become a mage. She receives a photo mail from Gouta while there, sending one back to him before he goes for a surf. When Sora’s mother reaches the tree, Sora brings out one of her father’s requests from when she was a child. Generating the spell that she had worked to become a mage for, visions of Sora’s becoming a bride flash by. By her side, is Gouta. After seeing this, Sora falls into her mother’s arms with a peaceful smile on her face.

In the future, requests are still being fulfilled by the Hara Agency. Hiyori has become an upperclassman for a studying mage, and at the moment, this student expresses the difficulty she has with magic. Hiyori brings up the girl’s hopes by making her realize that magic isn’t so simple, mentioning what she had learned from Sora in the past. This was that, the most important thing in magic is the recipient’s feelings. While remembering this, however, Hiyori can only look up into the sky to reminisce. Kouji and Honomi discuss traveling plans in the city, getting into a small argument about things as usual. When Kouji mentions visiting Sora’s home, Honomi can only deny the thought. Remembering her, Honomi can only express how amazing Sora was. YASUKO has become quite popular with her music, preforming for a record store in the city. She mentions to her fans that she will be playing a song that she often did while she preformed on the streets, delighting some of her devoted fans.

Gouta finally visits Hokkaido via bike, getting the large tree’s location from one of the friendly residents. The woman also passes him a tomato, mentioning how delicious they are in their area. When Gouta reaches the large tree, he expresses how glad he is to finally have been able to see Sora. Bringing out the blue stone that he now wears around his neck, he states that he is always with her. Gouta had traveled to oceans around the world to surf, then wanting to show them to her. With this, he generates magic to make one of the scenes come from his mind.

ED: This mostly consisted of montage from previous episodes in the series. Before parting with the series, we are reminded of the time when Sora gave Gouta her blue stone.

Impression:

NoooOOOOOOOoooooo!!! Sigh….well, I guess I should have been expecting it. The last episode ended up being very bittersweet, leaving me with a feeling much like I had after watching presentations like Byousoku 5 Centimeter or Honey and Clover. I found it very interesting when we had a time skip to the future, but after Honomi and Kouji’s scene, I knew I would have to start bracing myself for a bit of emotion. Sora’s last performance was spectacular, putting her story in a full circle by completing her father’s request. Her mention of this being the reason became a mage was so great, especially considering how much power she held. I am slightly surprised that Gouta stayed loyal to Sora despite seemingly not having a lot of contact with her, but I loved how he had actually pursued his original dream of surfing around the world. The end of the episode also seemed to suggest that Gouta’s magic had become extremely powerful; close to or at the level of Sora’s. The ending seemed to show what most slice of life series do; that you should enjoy life to the fullest, even if you may not a long time to do it. Although short, Sora’s life was wonderful while she made other people happy.

Some parts of the animation in this episode were very interesting. During YASUKO’s performance, and a small part during Gouta’s visit to Hokkaido, the characters were rendered much more detailed than they usually are. I wouldn’t say that this was only done because they were not moving, so I can only wonder if it was for a simple aesthetic purpose. I also loved how they presented the series title in the beginning of the episode. YASUKO’s records were also nicely created, and I loved the TOWER and Catistar (a play on Napster) signs around the record store. Speaking of the singer, the OST for this show has come out quite recently. Despite my looking forward to it for quite awhile, I have yet to take a chance to listen to it properly. I am definitely going to have to do this during a low point in the weekend.

Final Impression:

If I had to compare this series to any other during the season, I probably couldn’t do it. This anime is one that stands out from most any other, no matter what generation it was created, making it seemingly timeless. Having become interested in Natsu no Sora after hearing that it would be directed by Osamu Kobayashi (Beck, ParaKiss), and that it would be produced by Hal Film Maker (the Aria series), I was not disappointed at all after picking it up. Despite how much people criticized it when this show started, I found the use of photographic backgrounds and minimalist animation was beautiful, unique, and inspiring. This series was astonishing in both visuals and sound, with an amazing soundtrack to boot. I constantly talked about how much I wanted to hear the series’ OST, and I am even eager to do so now. Cast-wise, the series did not have any weak links. Kana Hanazawa did very well as Sora in particular, just adding to her growing portfolio of successful roles.

Add all this to the slice of life story involving everyday kids (who happen to be able to use magic), music, and individualistic culture, and I felt myself connecting to this series on several occasions. Along with all of the themes of friendship and life appreciation, there was a simple, yet very believable love story. Not attempting to follow stereotypes that other shows have created, Sora and Gouta’s relationship was a joy to watch from start to finish. The bittersweet ending of the series was beautiful, focusing on the dreams and accomplishments that people can obtain despite what losses they have had in life. In the end, I would not rate this series as highly as Beck or Paradise kiss (the two shows that come closest to relating to the series), simply because I could relate to the themes of music and art in those two series so much more. I am very glad I watched this animation though, and if anything, I would probably re-watch it in the future for an inspirational kick.

A happy graduation before the finale.

Summary:

After Gouta reports to Saori and Seiichirou about finding Sora, they both express their great relief. While walking home hand in hand with Gouta, Sora thanks him for his help. On a later day, the institute’s students all leave their host families with thanks for all they’ve done. Upon reaching the classroom, the students are given the first part of their final test in the form of a written exam. After the second test, a more successful trial of the ice molding during the introductory class, Kawada delights all of the students by announcing that everyone has passed. Several students receive their graduation certificates afterwards, officially making them mages. In a slightly humorous atmosphere, Kouji is required to take a few extra classes before receiving his because of his absences. When Gouta accepts his certificate, he turns to notice that his parents are in the room to congratulate him. As everyone recognizes how hard he has worked until this point, he receives a round of applause from the class. Sora is given the same treatment, as Kawada mentions how much her display of magic had given them courage.

Sora is surprised to see her previous acquaintance Mami at the graduation, speaking with her afterwards. Mami expresses how well she is thanks to Sora, as she will even be traveling to England soon to see her family. Gouta speaks with his parents in the meantime, becoming glad to hear that his mother would be returning home. He also takes the chance to introduce Sora to them, describing that he probably couldn’t have become a mage without her help. The usual group of friends meets in the classroom afterwards, all agreeing that they would meet Sora at Hokkaido one day. Outside with Gouta later, Sora mentions the large amount of thinking she had done the previous day. She had decided to tell him to forget about her, but this clearly wasn’t what she truly wanted to say. Sora tells Gouta not to forget about her, saying that it would even be okay if he got married and had kids in the future. As tears appear in Sora’s eyes afterwards, Gouta quickly grasps her hands to comfort her.

That night, Gouta and Sora are given a song by YASUKO as a congratulations for their officially becoming mages. Sora thanks Seiichirou again for helping her become a mage that night. When Sora leaves for the station the next day, Gouta’s name is the only thing that comes out of her mouth. Gouta says Sora’s name in other places as well, looking up into the sky in thought.

Preview: The summer’s sky.

Impression:

This episode was pretty much a cool down after the drama from last week. With us knowing that the title would be “Graduation” before the episode aired though, it wasn’t hard to expect exactly what was going to happen this week. Seeing everyone graduate was definitely fun to watch, and it made me feel nostalgic about my own graduation just a little over a year ago (I guess I still have another one to go though…). Even some of the minor character’s profiles were fun to watch. I chuckled at the girl who kept turning her head, because I actually know someone who has that problem. Like…he just can’t stop turning his head from side to side if he doesn’t think about it. Er, But yea…I also liked the special attention Sora and Gouta got, as it would be hard not to notice their efforts if anyone was in class with them. Stuff like this just mirrors true to life situations, which I just can’t get enough of in anime. I will also say, for maybe the 10th time, that I can’t wait to hear more of micc’s work. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if she came out with a whole album that is associated with this series. I don’t keep up with stuff like that though, so I could easily be wrong. From looking at the preview for the last episode, I’m fairly sure that there will be a happy ending to top this series off. If there isn’t, I wouldn’t know what to think.

Slice of life gone fighting anime!

Summary:

Gouta wakes in the live house, but upon returning to Saori at the agency, he finds that Sora and Seiichirou are out together for business. He continues to be angry upon reaching the institute, making it easy for the other students to guess what has happened. Alone outside elsewhere, Sora calls her mother with wishes to return home. After getting off the phone with her daughter, however, Sora’s mom is assured that Sora isn’t so weak that she would come back so quickly. Sora visits the family that she had helped previously, hoping that she could use her magic again to help restore the mother’s memory. The father assures that there is no need to, however, as the family has already started to make new memories. When Sora leaves the residence, she certainly sees that the family is enjoying themselves. However, she struggles with the inability to look forward to the next day in the same way.

Gouta eventually returns to the agency, expressing his anger towards Seiichirou when he sees him. Seiichirou soon corrects Gouta’s misunderstanding, as he reveals that Sora is dying. Sora has been suffering from an illness from quite some time, and she had recently left the hospital she had been put in. With this new knowledge and panic in his mind, Gouta quickly exists to search the city for Sora. Gouta is unsuccessful throughout the day, but when Yasuko calls out to him that night, he learns that she had certainly seen Sora earlier. Gouta requests to use memory magic on her, and when she agrees to, Gouta is able to create an image of Sora to follow through the town. When Gouta finally finds Sora, she scolds him for using magic the way he did. However, he is only glad that he was able to find her. Gouta reveals that he has learned about Sora’s condition, then guessing that Sora is probably the one suffering the most. Sora eventually gives in, crying in Gouta’s arms while expressing her wish to live.

Preview: Graduation.

Impression:

Sora’s punches were lightning fast! Of course, I’m kidding. If anything, this episode turned out to be exactly like I predicted. Sora actually is suffering from a fatal illness (dealing with her magic), and Gouta finally learned that Seiichirou wasn’t taking advantage of her (duh). Honestly, with the end result being so obvious, I might not have enjoyed this episode as much as I should have. I did like the presentation overall as usual, but seeing three of four rounds of Gouta wandering the city only stalled the inevitable for me. On the other hand, Sora’s visiting her old client was a nice touch. It just showed how desperate she was to help other people, even though she was the one suffering the most. Even if this story is fictional, it does make me remember that people like this certainly do exist in the world.

The micc/YASUKO insert was great as usual too, especially since the lyrics played very well with the scenes it was presented with. micc’s single is out, but I’m still waiting for their album or the Natsu no Sora soundtrack! Next week seems like it will be quite a bit more positive than this week’s, but I can only hope that this series won’t end on a sad note.

Contains a milf.

Summary:

In the morning, Sora talks on the phone with Michiru about what the each of them have been doing recently. Michiru states that she will be seeing Tomoya soon, again giving credit to Sora for allowing them to get so far in their relationship. When Sora meets Gouta a bit later, he thanks her for helping him to use magic the previous day. Further more, he expresses that there is a place he would like to take her. This turns out to be the sea, as Gouta takes Sora on a date to go sight seeing. Gouta finally reveals the decision he made after being scolded by Saori quite some time ago, which was to stop surfing like he had been doing before. This was because if he felt like he had a way to escape, he would run away from using magic. Gouta comes up with the courage to grasp Sora’s hand, and when he does, Sora naturally does the same. Stopping to eat, Sora brings up the attitude Gouta had when she first met him. After recalling how amazing Sora’s magic was back then, Gouta simply explains that a lot of things were going on with his family at that time.

While sitting at the beach side later, Gouta receives a call from Hiyori. When Hiyori finds that Gouta is spending his time with Sora already, she starts to feel down by herself. She receives a call from Honomi soon after, however, who cheers her up by offering to eat ice cream with her. Gouta and Sora later find a crying child on the beach, so they assist him in finding his parent. After leaving the boy with his parent, Gouta and Sora find that his name is similar to both of theirs. Gouta and Sora continue to look around a festival and shrine afterwards, but Gouta still keeps the area he wants to show Sora a secret. Gouta finally brings Sora to a seaside restaurant, and before they start to enjoy their meal, Sora gives Gouta a blue jewel that she had found at the sea previously. Later that night, Gouta and Sora share a kiss.

Gouta and Sora continue their usual routine the next day, but this time as a couple. The students at the institute realize this quite easily, with Hiyori being the only one who seems disappointed. Further more, Gouta seems to have gained quite a bit of reputation after his previous display of magic. Returning home in the rain later, Gouta is alarmed at the actions he sees between Sora and Seiichirou. Gouta travels around town the following day, unable to escape his depression. Upon reaching the empty live house, he attempts to order a drink. The bartender easily sees that he is underage, however, making him settle for oolong tea and a song.

Preview: Life.

Impression:

It’s funny that Gouta makes the same joke in the episode. But man, what the heck? This episode was going great until the random drama at the end. I don’t think there’s anybody but Gouta who actually believes that Sora is in a relationship with Seiichirou. That would just be silly….and gross. With the way Seiichirou put his head on Sora’s chest, and the next episode title being “Inochi” (or “life”), I’m suspecting she has some kind of health problem? I’m really hoping this series doesn’t go in a direction where Sora has some fatal illness, because that would just be depressing.

Even if the end was obviously what stood out the most in this week’s episode, I’d still like to talk about the earlier parts. I loved how naturally Sora responded to Gouta’s wish to be in a relationship with her, which I actually wasn’t suspecting because of all the seemingly unrealistic situations in anime I’ve been exposed to. This episode was also quick to the point about this relationship, which was also a surprising change of pacing. It’s funny that some people criticized this anime early on by calling it a “tourist attraction” because of its use of photography, when Sora and Gouta really did make it seem like this in this episode. Most all of the scenes were very aesthetic though, especially the unique take on Sora and Gouta’s kiss.

There was also yet another nice insert song in this episode by YASUKO (micc), during Gouta’s emo adventure. I continue to love the influences of music in this series, with the end of this episode even ending in the live house. I hated how Gouta tried to escape his problems with alcohol though (If it looks like piss, and tastes like piss, then it really must be piss). I also chuckled at Gouta’s entering the movie theater to watch a movie by himself. I’ve never understood this stereotype about troubled individuals. Does this really help love problems?

Let’s save the dolphins!!!

Summary:

On a certain morning at the agency, Sora helps Gouta cook breakfast everyone. The group finds that Gouta’s fish is delicious at the table, even wondering if he would prepare it again. Kouji has not returned to school when everyone else reaches the institute later. A little into the day’s lecture, Morishita rushes in with a message for Kawada. Kawada soon announces that the students would be helping marine rescuers with magic. This has the usual students traveling to the ocean, and while having a conversation in the train, everyone’s dreams are brought up. The dreams include wanting to open an agency, simply using magic, and Gouta’s wanting to surf throughout the world’s oceans.

After a taxi ride to their destination, the students receive a manual from one of the emergency personnel. To save the dolphins they have come to help, the students would need to form a bubble around them and return the creatures to see. Honomi initially has trouble with this, but when she receives advice from a familiar voice, she is quickly able to get used to the magic. To her happiness, Honomi learns that Kouji had come to help after watching the news. With just a bit of encouragement from Sora, Hiyori is actually able to transport quite a few dolphins. Gouta is constantly unsuccessful when he tries his magic, but even after retiring for a short time, he continues to try with various forms of encouragement.

As the rain starts to pour, Gouta almost gives up hope. Sora urges him to go on, however, even offering to help him with some of her magic. With this, Gouta is able to save several dolphin lives with his magic. Kouji approaches Gouta in the aftermath, thanking him for visiting him earlier. Offering Gouta a bottle of water, he simply states that they are mages. When Kouji rides back home on the train with the rest of the students, Honomi gives him a welcome back. Seiichirou and Saori congratulate Sora and Gouta after dinner that night, as Sora describes how amazing Gouta’s magic was. She also brings up how she remembered Seiichirou’s helping her with magic. This was the same technique she used earlier. After Gouta falls asleep from exhaustion, Seiichirou and Saori discuss the similarity Gouta seems to have with an 18 year old boy named Haruka.

Preview: First Love.

Impression:

Haha, I didn’t see that coming at all. This episode definitely had a different pace to it, but that certainly doesn’t mean it was bad by any means. As soon as I saw that the class was going to participate in a major group event, I knew something big had to happen. Almost expectedly, Gouta’s magic turns out to be quite powerful during his first major use of it. This could be credited to Sora’s assistance, as she is clearly one of the more powerful mages in the cast, but this was also an amazing turn of events. Kouji’s not showing up initially made for some nice storytelling too, and I loved how relieved Honomi seemed when she saw him appear. Those two are clearly getting closer to each other, and with the next episode being titled “Hatsu koi” or “First Love”, I’m sure there could be development between them. The other possibility would be with Gouta and Sora, and I wouldn’t even be surprised if the episode focused on both pairings.

Production wise, I noticed a few things in this episode. Although I am not one who criticizes this anime for this, I could easily see how little of this episode was actually animated. It has been common for the series to use stills throughout all the time it’s been airing, but with only conversations and not much action, moving lips were most of all I saw this time around. Sound wise, I loved the segment in the train while Gouta was speaking. Distance from voice typically isn’t presented in anime this way, and I thought that was really interesting. The way scenes are “shot” are so lifelike, and I still can’t get over how much I am attached to this series for that. And of course, we’re winding down on the number of episodes left. It’s definitely starting to feel that way, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to let go.

“Boku wa…”

Summary:

Previously, Kouji had run into trouble with the clients he had helped. The first requested to have his watch returned to the way it was before, but Kouji had made it seem new instead of having it bear the name that was originally written on it by the client’s parents. Despite the request not being properly described, the blame was placed on Kouji. The second client was a woman who was constantly annoyed with Kouji’s actions. Kouji was unable to preform her request to fix a broken object, causing him even more embarrassment. After parting ways with Hiyori and Sora in the present time, Honomi meets with Kouji in the city. Kouji describes his wish to bring Honomi around the nearby shopping mall, so the two spend quite a bit of time browsing the stores inside together. Honomi brings up the questions Kouji wished to ask her after awhile, but when he does not get to the point, she quickly becomes angry. With this, the two part ways before even discussing what they planned to.

After having received Kouji’s message the previous night, Gouta and Sora discuss the reason he would feel like quitting while traveling to the institute. Gouta also describes the great feeling of a satisfied client, however, making Sora mention that he seems to have changed a bit. At the institute, the usual students discuss visiting Kouji to try to convince him to do otherwise. Honomi refuses to go, however, believing it to be a waste of time. Sora almost gets into a car accident while at the agency later, and the residents discover that she has a cold. While Gouta attends to his usual activities later, most of the people he usually interacts with quickly notice that Sora is missing. Gouta and Hiyori finally visit Kouji, then attempting him to think about his actions. When Honomi shows up, she is quickly able to make Kouji do so. As she makes him realize that he has failed, and that there would be failure in magic, Kouji is brought to tears. After leaving together with the girls, Gouta expresses his hope that Kouji would change his thoughts.

Preview: Maho tsukai.

Impression:

Strong words for a strong scene. There’s something about those words that always gets me in anime, probably because such words can only be expressed in Japanese. This might not make complete sense at first, but anyone who has studied multiple languages will know that there are some things that just don’t translate into other languages with the same meaning. I really think that’s why art students are typically required to take language classes and gain new culture. It brings a whole new mindset to the table, which wouldn’t otherwise be able to be achieved. But if you’re one of the people watching this show, I guess you already know that.

This episode was great, and I appreciated it as much as ever. I loved the repeated use of scenes we have already seen, and that’s not a joke. It really makes you sense the feeling that life typically happens the same way each day, with small differences in each. This is how life really works, whether we like to admit it or not. Slice of life series typically break this border between real life and storytelling, hence the name. Doing this also made it obvious how different life was for Gouta when something drastic happened to Sora. It might be a given when someone is close to you, but when they’re gone, it becomes easily noticeable.

The song played by Yasuko (micc who sings the ED) in this episode was great as well, and I loved how it played in a way to advance time while showing all of the characters’ actions. I just can’t get over how amazing of a soundtrack this series is representing, and I’ve actually been listening to the OP single for quite awhile now. Voice talent is also notable, with Maria Inoue doing spectacular in this episode. Honomi is probably going to start getting closer to Kouji in her own way, and after this week’s episode, I’m already sure that she will be the one to save him. With the next episode being titled “Mahou Tsukai”, or mage, I think both Kouji and Sora will finally get closer to realizing their places as magic users.

Babies can’t be created with magic!

Summary:

Sora wakes to the sound of her cellphone, but the events of the previous night still won’t leave her mind. Gouta notices that Sora is troubled while on the train with her, but she assures him that she is okay. Kouji attempts to get Honomi’s attention about something in the classroom later, but this is soon interrupted by a phone call. Hiyori meanwhile tries to invite Gouta to hang out with her and some of the other regulars, but he denies because he isn’t usually into this type of thing. Gouta continues to notice Sora’s troubled expression during class, as she recalls what Seiichirou had told her previously. Before parting ways with her after class, Gouta suggests that it would be better if Sora had a smile on her face. The girls meet up at a cafe later, and even they notice that Sora is down. Gouta practices magic at the agency in the meantime, though he doesn’t have very much success.

When the girl’s reach the Hara Agency, they find that a small girl is waiting outside. The girl expresses that she wants a baby, explaining that her mother is no longer with her. The girl’s father had also died, only leaving her with a step mother and non blood related family. The girl introduces herself as Ruiko when Sora asks for her name, but she does not give a clear reason as to why she wants a baby. Ruiko is surprised when the girls explain that they are all mages, but when they reveal that there is no known magic to create children, she simply runs away. Sora suggests that they search for Ruiko, making the girls recall that there are some things children do not understand no matter how much is explained to them by adults. Despite the girls will to look for Ruiko, they are unsuccessful after several searches through the town.

While pondering what they should do afterwards, Sora brings up her thought that there are times when magic should be used even when there is not a request. However, she cannot clearly state what would validate such a situation. The girls simply decide to search more, and when Honomi sees that the cafe they visited is named after Ruiko’s family name Nishihara, she decides that she has finally found Ruiko’s location. When all of the girls gather, Ruiko finally explains that she wanted to play with a baby. The friend that she would usually play with, Ayumi, had recently gotten into a fight with her. Bringing up other children that she could spend time with, Sora suggests that Ruiko try reading a book to them later. Before the girls leave the cafe, Ruiko asks Sora if she would be able to make up with Ayumi. Suggesting that she had already cast such a spell, Sora assures Ruiko that she would be able to. At the dinner table that night, Gouta gets a mail from Kouji. In it, it states his plans to quit.

Preview: Kiro.

Impression:

Hiyori, you pronounced “See you tomorrow!” totally wrong! This episode turned out to be a bit different than I suspected it to be from last week. The theme of “friends” was just played on in a different way, introducing a conflict with Ruiko’s friendship and showing the friendship Sora shares with her friends at the same time. I honestly didn’t think Ruiko was a very strong character in this episode, as she was overshadowed by the actions that the girls actually took to help her. More interesting was the way this episode presented Sora’s thoughts and the sights of the city. I can already see people complaining about the flashbacks being an easy way to reuse footage, but really, I see this as a way of presenting how thought is really seen in real life. It was funny how Honomi mentioned that what is important in magic is the image, since in some beliefs, magic is simply described as art. I loved the sights of graffiti and simple things like that in the city as well. It really made me feel like I could just stand on the streets that the girls ran through. Next week will probably deal with the conflict Kouji has brought up, which left an interesting cliffhanger in this episode. I wonder how Sora-oneechan will deal with this!

Play the guitar.

Summary:

On a hot day, Sora accompanies Seiichirou to another client’s home. Inside, an elderly woman introduces herself to the two while speaking about her late husband. The woman’s husband was a soldier, and she had been left with the remains of an item he had carried around with him during the war. Sora does her best to return the item to its original form according to the woman’s request, but a fire appears as she has difficulty with the spell. With Seiichirou’s help, however, Sora is successfully able to complete the request. The original form of the item turns out to be a comb, one that the woman’s husband had given to her as a gift in the past. Sora expresses her disappointment with her inexperience afterwards, but Seiichirou reminds her that she wouldn’t be in training if she knew how to do everything herself. After dinner that night, Sora and Gouta volunteer to clean the dishes. While doing so, the two express their want to have each other try dishes from their home towns. Seiichirou meanwhile makes a regular visit to a live house.

In the classroom the next day, Gouta asks some of the usual students what he should do to use magic properly. However, he is disappointed when they agree that it would have to be learned from a parent. When Sora arrives late as usual, however, Gouta is able to put a smirk on his face. Seiichirou visits the live house again during the day, but he finds that no one is there at first. His acquaintance finds him playing the guitar when he arrives, then mentioning a certain fan’s first live that would be taking place soon. Seiichirou expresses that he has to work, but promises to do his best to stop by. During the night, Sora is given the important task of using magic to wake a sleeping patient. After visiting the requester’s house and meeting the patient’s young son, Sora does her best to preform the request at the hospital. The patient certainly wakes, but she is unable to remember who she is or anything about her family. Sora is again disappointed at such a sad turn of events, but Seiichirou again tries to convince her that she preformed her duty well.

When Seiichirou visits the live house again, he meets with his acquaintances from a band as usual. When a conversation about future hopes comes up from one of the members, Seiichirou can only remember Sora’s thoughts. Elsewhere, the usual guitar player sings a song outside. When Gouta returns home from his job, he notices that Sora is seemingly asleep already. Inside her room, Sora can only recall her learning that magic isn’t perfect.

Preview: Friends.

Impression:

Although it really has seemed like this show has finally started taking the episodic route, I thought this week’s episode was a bit different in that it introduced several things at a fairly rapid pace. Of course, Sora’s visiting multiple clients probably just helped to establish one of the main themes of this series – that magic cannot solve everything. That fact definitely hit Sora pretty hard in this episode, and I think it will be something that she continues to struggle with for awhile. There’s something about slice of life series and their mixing of supernatural and every day things. I think this just helps to create a more dramatic effect at times, and it’s probably no exception when it comes to Natsu no Sora. Although I do appreciate that much from this episode, what I didn’t like was the rapid introduction of new names. I guess we’re not really expected to remember all of them, since half the characters will only be showing up in this single episode, but it just makes me wonder if I should even put in the effort of pausing to write all of them down.

On the other hand, I loved the revealing of Seiichirou once being a guitar player. I guess I could have suspected this from what Sora’s room looked like, but it actually came off as being a really pleasant surprise today. Rock music has played a pretty big role in both of Kobayashi Osamu’s major works BECK and Paradise Kiss, which might be one of the reasons I have appreciated both so much. Growing up, this was the kind of culture I was constantly surrounded by. Seeing things like the guitar and live houses were pretty nostalgic, if not still familiar in the present time. There were even more nice music tracks in this episode, and I still can’t wait to get my hands on the OST. The preview for the next episode suggests that Sora will be meeting a new friend, so that should be interesting as always.

Conjured breast milk.

Summary:

When Sora notices that Gouta finishes his fish in the morning much faster than she does, Gouta explains that he is good with fish because of the area he lives in. Sora is envious that there is a sea so close to him, but Gouta believes that Hokkaido’s food is just as good. When the usual students meet in the classroom, they ask each other about their first projects. Most of them believe they have done well, but Gouta is unable to answer when he is asked about this. During lunch in the past, two of Gouta’s friends were amazed at the large lunch he had. When Gouta returned home, he thanked his mother for the delicious meal. This surprised her, since Gouta’s father also sent a similar message to her that day. When Gouta wakes from this dream of the past, he is scolded by Kawada-sensei.

Gouta later accompanies Saori in meeting a client who wishes to use magic to find a missing item. When the two meet the client, Gouta finds that he is very uncaring and rude. Quickly becoming annoyed, he simply leaves the room. Saori tries to make Gouta realize that he cannot live by running away from everything he doesn’t like, but Gouta claims that he does not need such a world if this is true. Gouta remembers a time during his past, when his father finally revealed that he was a mage. He had given up on magic because he could not use it well, and he was too afraid to tell Gouta because he knew his son disliked magic. Unable to live with someone who told lies, Gouta’s mother decided to leave. Gouta was unable to leave his friends and school, leaving him in conflict. When Gouta’s classmates learned that he was a mage, the majority of them pretended not to know him. At that point, Gouta only had bought bread to eat.

Returning to their previous client, Gouta and Saori successfully complete his request. Afterwards, Saori makes Gouta realize that there are many different people in the world. She also praises him for putting up with the client this time. In the afternoon, Hiyori has Sora listen to music with her out in town. When Sora returns to the agency, she is reminded of her late father by looking at her watch. When Gouta returns, he expresses his want to go out to eat that night. Sora decides to accompany him, but she is annoyed when he speeds past things like the singer she enjoyed seeing previously. When the two reach a sushi shop, Gouta realizes that it is Sora’s first time. However, she easily learns how to enjoy herself.

Gouta and Sora recall how fun the sushi bar was when they ride on the train together the next morning. When Honomi hears about Sora and Hiyori’s activities of the previous day in class, she expresses her willing to go with them next time. After classes, Kouji seems to be troubled about something. Gouta and Saori visit another client in the afternoon, but Gouta asks for Saori to preform the request because he still cannot use magic properly. The client’s wish is to taste a drink that she enjoyed in the past, and after hearing her description, Gouta comes up with the correct magic for Saori to preform. When the woman first drinks the conjured liquid, she does not believe it is of the sweet taste she had before. She quickly changes her mind, however, after sensing how nostalgic the taste is. Gouta explains that the liquid is breast’s milk, then telling a story his mother once told him about such a taste. At the agency, Sora and Fune how large one of their fish has become.

Preview: Shimokitazawa

Impression:

I definitely had a small laugh about that. This show really doesn’t deserve my poor jokes though, so I guess I should get to the point. So, even after a week break from this show, coming back to it was just as great as ever. This week’s episode focused a lot on Gouta’s backstory, which turned out to be quite interesting. Though his parents split due to something supernatural, magic, divorce is something that several people experience in their life. Adding this with the major life change that he’s had to make, this episode probably made me appreciate his character a lot more. His development with Sora was also a joy to watch, even when it just involved a simple visit to a sushi shop.

Watching the flashbacks Gouta had really made me think about the presentation of this show too. I didn’t really feel the emotion Gouta’s mother showed the way I felt like I should have, which I probably credited to her reactions not being as dramatic as they could have been. After watching the episode further, and seeing the major images with things like Gouta’s large lunch turning into a simple bread meal though, I felt like the impact was still there. This makes me wonder about the difference between visual art and storytelling. An animation can easily have both, but when does experimentation start to overpower what should be a standalone great story? Of course, I’m not saying that this show is failing to present its story at all. With all of the realism I feel in watching it, I actually think quite the opposite. But hey, it’s something to think about.

This episode in particular also made me very excited to hear the OST when it comes out. I typically don’t listen to anime soundtracks, but I was so hooked to the rock and new wave tracks in this episode that I was almost too distracted to pay attention to the actually dialog that played during the scenes. The songs that Sora hears while in the city really make me feel connected as well, and I’ve actually been listening to THYME’s stuff quite a bit recently. I’m really loving this show more and more with each episode I watch, and I can already see it at the top of my favorites list. I don’t know what to expect from the next episode at all, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.

On a side note…powerbook alert!

Opening the vault to someone’s heart.

Summary:

Sora wakes in her room, remembering that she had fallen asleep while exchanging mails with Michiru. After brushing her teeth next to Seiichirou, she is surprised to see Gouta return with a large surfboard. Shiraishi Saori appears to scold him, but Seiichirou convinces her to calm down so that they can enjoy breakfast. At the table, Seiichirou asks Gouta how his surf was that morning. To Sora’s amazement, Gouta seems to be extremely well informed on the subject. Sora meets a woman named Fune later, who usually helps Seiichirou with his work. At the same time, Gouta meets with Saori who recalls that Gouta’s magic capabilities have only recently been realized. Although Gouta has never used magic before, she states that he cannot run away from what he certainly holds. After Sora accepts the request she has been given, she takes the train to the institute. Gouta meets her on the way, helping her inside the train.

Once everyone reaches the classroom, they begin discussing their abilities to use magic. Most of the students have only begun recently. When Kawada-sensei enters the room, she has everyone who has used magic before to raise their hands. Picking on Sora, she asks when she had used magic before the previous test. With this, Sora recalls the truck she had stopped from falling just days before. Kawada further explains that magic used before being accepted into the institute is not recognized, though magic used from now on would be. During their break, Hiyori wonders to Sora if Gouta would be all right. She notices that he does not seem to be able to use magic, after all. Sora begins to wonder this as well after class, mentioning it to Seiichirou on the way to their client.

Upon reaching their destination, Sora is introduced to her client Motohashi Mami. Mami is quickly annoyed with Sora when she sees how young she is, but Sora still does her best to preform as expected. The current request is to open a vault, and because Mami does not hold the key to it, mages are constantly called to open it each time. Sora recalls that nobody really knows what is inside the vault, so she asks Mami why she constantly opens it when she does not have the key. Sora easily opens the vault, but afterwards, she surprises everyone by taking the contents inside. Outside, she expresses her wish for Mami to go outside of her home. Inside the vault’s books are pictures of people important to Mami, but she seems to refuse to actually see them outside of the books. Despite Seiichirou’s attempts to stop Sora, she continues to try to help Mami in her own way. Sora explains that what is important is not locked inside a vault, but Mami’s feelings.

Sora and Mami exchange information about their families afterwards. Mami’s husband had passed away, but when he was living, they would travel to many countries because of his position. When Sora mentions that her father has passed away as well, and that her mother lives alone, Mami seems to understand how lonely her mother could feel by herself. This makes Mami state that she would sometimes feel as if it would be better to have been alone from the start, but Sora is put to tears after hearing such a lonely statement. She wishes that Mami would not say such things, as meetings and memories are so important. In other places, Gouta expresses his frustration with having tried many types of magic but not being successful with any of it. Saori reminds him that no one can use magic successfully from the very start, but Gouta finds it troublesome to be called a mage so suddenly. When Saori wonders if Gouta would rather go home, however, he seemingly already knows the answer.

Preview: Gouta.

Impression:

What a great episode. This week further revealed the responsibilities a mage has, as well as continue to develop Sora and Gouta’s characters. This may be one time where having watched the original series may have helped to understand the plot a bit easier. Not that it was a necessity, but it was nice to know about the magic regulations beforehand. Despite its strong influence on this series, magic isn’t really the focus of the story anyways. Sora picked up her first job this week, which I think may become a regular thing. Although this could be considered episodic, with throw away characters to boot, this week’s story alone was very touching and meaningful. I loved the symbolism with the vault that Sora opened, and how Mami seemed to also be locking herself up. In just the little time we were given with her, it was easy to see how Mami opened up to Sora. Such honest reactions are rare to see, but watching this made me realize that people like this really do exist in the world.

I really loved the beginning of the episode as well, with Gouta’s early surfing trip. This easily fit into the theme of the rest of the episode, as it simply showed the importance of living one’s life. The way each episode is presented just makes me feel this, amazing me each time. Of course, by now, it also seems obvious that Gouta and Sora may be developing feelings for each other. Gouta’s character is quite interesting in itself, as he has been forced to become a mage against his will. There is also the question with his father, however, and why he does not seem to like him. Next week may answer some of these questions, especially with the title being his name. On a side note, I still think that Morishita (the assistant teacher) is hilarious. People like this really exist as well.