Just a little different. My final impression is included!

Summary:

The cherry blossoms have started blooming, so the whole gang is out to view them. Juju has trouble dividing a pizza among everyone, and Nagisa doesn’t do very well either despite her original confidence. While Natsumi reassures Minamo that is was ok for her to attend, the whole group discovers that Oba Tsukiyo is there with them. This is a student that does not appear often, and she even panics when everyone notices her. Finding different cherry blossom trees, the class begins attaching a few to personalities in the class. There is a lively one like Negishi, and even one that follows its own pace like Sora. When she sees this late blooming tree, Hiyori expresses her wish for it to hurry. When she even convinces the class to attach to it in an attempt to help, Nagisa suggests that it might be fun. She suggests to Sora that they can hear the tree’s sound, which Sora finds is true as she closes her eyes. Hiyori goes on to have Negishi preform a cheer from the tree’s branches, but the tree obviously doesn’t bloom by the end of the day. The class starts to leave, but Sora suggests that she will stay a bit longer. Looking at the blossoming trees by herself, Sora notices that it is a bit different from when she was with the others. Minamo meets Sora shortly afterwards, presenting her with the pictures she took of everyone before. Minamo expresses all the fun she’s had, before leaving herself. When Sora sees the picture inside the envelope, she smiles to herself.

The cherry blossoms have become even more beautiful when Sora and the other girls get to school later. Natsumi states that she will not be going to club as she has a dentist appointment, and Hazuki has some important business of her own. When Sora ges to the clubroom, she finds that no one is there. Taking a seat, she enjoys her regular tea before getting to work. Looking around the room, Sora wonders where everyone is at. She notices the slow paced tree outside has properly bloomed, believing that everyone had helped. Sora finally decides to draw from the photo Minamo took. Sora recalls that, at some point, Natsumi and Hazuki being next to her became a normal thing. Ryo and Fu suddenly enter, but realizing that no one else is there, they quickly leave. As Sora continues to work, she also mentions that Ryo and Fu are always together. Sora describes Nagisa’s knowledge on insects and the fact that Juju is always smiling, when they walk into the clubroom. Juju searches for the teacher, as Nagisa chases after a butterfly that has entered the room. The two leave to draw outside afterwards, however. When Sora gets back to her drawing, she finds that the butterfly was on top of the canvas.

Kokage enters the room next, hiding herself next to the door. Sora recalls that it was Kokage that made it easier for her to talk to Negishi, as Negishi walks into the room. He mentions that he is looking for Mike, before leaving as well. Kokage describes how Negishi was fooled by believing that Sora was the only one in the room, before stating that there are things better left unknown. Kokage states that even if no one was inside of it, the room they are in would remain to be the clubroom. While Kokage describes even the smell of the room, Sora notices that she is a bit different than usual. Kokage reveals some moldy bread in a locker, however, before taking her own leave. Sora begins describing the rest of the club members’ personalties, and even adds the cats to her drawing. Sora looks outside to see Mike during her break, believing that he may have come to see the cherry blossoms as well. Sora gets to Tsukiyo, expressing her interest in her despite her low attendance. Sora adds Minamo and Ao next, completing the drawing portion of her artwork. Although the room is empty, Sora feels as if she is not alone.

Sora begins to paint next, as she imagines that everyone is there with her. Sora believes that everyone is full of different colors, and wonders if her color is there as well. Hiyori finally arrives to the clubroom, noticing that Sora is the only one there. She takes a look at Sora’s painting, mentioning how rare it is for her to do one. Hiyori then leaves the clubroom as well, but not before complimenting Sora on her work. Finally finished, Sora walks outside to view the cherry blossoms again. She sees many different colors and trees, before stopping at the tree with its own pace. Sora believes that this tree may be like her, in that it takes its time. However, that is fine. Sora decides to live life at her own pace, and guesses that it must be the same for everyone else. Hazuki meets Natsumi on the street, so they begin walking home together. Sora sees them as well, but she is unable to catch up to them because of a stop light. Sora calls out to them instead, so the two quickly run back to her. When the three stop by a restaurant, a friendly waitress introduces herself to them. Natsumi and Hazuki introduce themselves in return, but are surprised when Sora uses her own voice to introduce herself as well.

ED: “Tanpopo Suisha (たんぽぽ水車)” by Kana Hanazawa, Asuka Nakase, Yui Makino – The ED is played while we are shown everyone living their lives as usual. Hearing Yui Makino sing along with the other two main seiyu was definitely a treat, and I can’t wait for the single.

Impression:

Like any other true slice of life anime, this episode was left quite open. You could say everything was concluded nicely with Sora’s painting though. Watching Sora draw out all of her friends, it was like all of the previous episodes were coming back to me. Like a few others, I was kind of surprised that Tsukiyo’s introduction did not come until the end. After realizing her role in this episode, however, I thought it was very fitting. I definitely laughed when I heard Mamiko Noto’s voice before everyone else realized who was sitting next to them.The cherry blossom theme was a very nice one to play on, and I really loved the parallels with the “my pace” Sora. Watching her finally be able to start speaking up at the end of the episode was wonderful, and it probably reminded me a bit of myself. I don’t know what else to say about this episode. Watching Sora create her artwork and watching everyone in their usual wackiness was a great as ever, and the new insert song made the episode even better. I guess I’ll sum it all up with my final impression…up next!

Final Impression:

Needless to say, Sketchbook has been a great ride for me from start to finish. I had high expectations for the series before the season started, and it exceeded them every single time. There was not a huge audience for this show, but that’s the case with practically any slice of life anime. Meanwhile, the few of us who took the chance to enjoy this show experienced a wonderful treat. Sketchbook’s theme has always been around those of friendship, change, and family. It seems like you can only get such touching themes from underrated anime like this. Another reason I appreciated this show so much so its predominant art theme. Being an artist myself, I could relate to things in just about every episode. Sora’s inner thoughts were those of a true artists’, and it is clear that the creators have brought their own experiences to the table for this.

The lovely thing about this show is that all of the characters mirror true to life ones. Especially in an artistic environment, you would find many quirky personalities all around. Even Kate’s late entrance as a transfer made things feel more realistic. I loved each and every character in Sketchbook, but I probably liked Sora the best because of my own relation to her. I was, and maybe still am, a shy artist. Watching Sora’s slight difficulty interacting really got to me, especially when I knew she had her own insight about all the things around her. The cats were just as wonderful as the humans, as they had their own little cast and world. It’s rare that side characters become just as lovable as the main cast, but Sketchbook pulled it off with ease.

Add all of these great things with a wonderful soundtrack and cast including Yui Makino, and Sketchbook will remain to be one of my favorite anime of all time. It doesn’t matter if not many people watched this show. Those that have will never forget the wonderful masterpiece they have seen. I wouldn’t mind a sequel in the future, but the series is also fine as is. For now, Aria will probably fill my slice of life needs next season. Who else feels like going out to enjoy life right now?

GAO~!

Summary:

Sora has a dream of the past, where she spent time with Ao in a park. She wakes on the train with her friends, finding that they have arrived at their destination in the city. After the girls spend time doing various things in town, they make their way to the arts and crafts store. Hazuki finds that some of the paint she needs is very expensive, and the alternatives Natsumi suggest aren’t exactly the best. Elsewhere, Kate helps a man with the names of some paints. After a bit of introduction, the man reveals that his sister’s birthday is soon. Finding that the man’s sister likes painting, Kate begins suggesting many ridiculous things for her present. When Kate mentions that it is the thought that counts, Sora cannot help but ponder the relationship of an older brother and younger sister. After Kate suggests a few more things to the man, Sora finally suggests a Sketchbook. The man decides that this would be a perfect gift. When the girls visit a family restaurant afterwards, they find that they have all bought sketchbooks as well. As Sora looks at the first page of her blank notebook, Natsumi and Hazuki discuss how difficult it is to decide what to draw first. While Sora thinks to herself that she was not the only one who thought this, Kate has already decided that the first thing to write is her name. Also in the restaurant, a waitress is forced to take an order from Ryo and Fu who are being their usual selves.

After the girls leave, they find Minamo taking pictures of Negishi and Inuo. While Sora learns that Minamo is taking pictures of Negishi to send to their father, Negishi attempts to make Natsumi forget what she just saw. As Negishi leaves with Minamo in embarrassment, Sora realizes that Negishi acts differently while with Minamo. He becomes an older brother. Hazuki is unable to forget her lost opportunity from earlier, but she becomes excited when Sora points out a Tokunosuke claw game. Hazuki worries about her chances of success, when Sora sees Ao not too far away. She notices that when he is not at home, Ao also becomes slightly different. On the way home, Sora wonders what she should draw in her sketchbook first. When she sees some kids playing in the park, she remembers her past with Ao again. Ao had asked Sora to draw a monster for him, and he ripped the picture to shreds in battle after she did. At dinner that night, Sora attempts to remind Ao of his past self. It is actually Asuka’s birthday, so she receives gifts happily from her siblings at home. One is a collar for Kuma. The other of course, is a Sketchbook. In another home, Negishi hesitantly helps Minamo pick out a picture to send. The first thing that Sora ends up drawing in her sketchbook is a monster, as she has thoughts of family in her mind. At school the next day, Natsumi and Hazuki reveal what they have drawn first in their sketchbooks. Negishi notices that Asaka has a new sketchbook, so he asks her what she plans to draw first.

Preview: The last episode.

Impression:

Loli Sora was so cute!! As usual, Sketchbook played on the concepts of new things, family, and friends. I’m constantly appreciating this show because of its obvious appeal to artists. I mentioned the gripes I had about expensive art products during my last episode review, and they totally played on that today. Probably one of the coolest parts of this episode was the “Aria style” opening, with the use of the more upbeat song “Natsu no Kioku” that is also included in the Kaze Sagashi single. I think it’s pretty funny how close the group was to many of its peers in the city. It must be a small town, because I rarely see that many familiar faces when I go into the city. I also enjoyed seeing more of Hazuki in this episode, because it just feels like she doesn’t get enough screen time at all. Maybe it’s just that she’s so unspoken. Like I’ve been observing in the last few episodes, Kate has definitely become a regular of the group. I couldn’t help but be proud of myself again for understanding the kanji she showed. I guess it helps that the kanji she uses is really basic. Haha, I need to study more.

It was really nice to see Minamo again with her brother, and it really played well into the theme for this episode. I didn’t predict that the guy Sora and Kate met in the town would be Asaka’s brother either (Kuma finally got his collar!). You know, I could easily relate to the siblings theme too. I have an older and younger brother, and we all really do act differently when away from each other. I loved the sketchbook theme too, and I almost expected one of the girls to say “full colors” at one point. Sora’s choice was very tasteful, as funny as it was. When it comes to art and creativity, it doesn’t matter how old you are for it to be great. It’s just a matter of expression, and that’s why I love it. The next time we see the Sketchbook gang will be the last for the season. I don’t know if I’m quite ready to part with Sora!

Woo! Finally caught up…

Summary:

While walking outside one day, Sora notices how cold the weather has become. She starts having fun watching her breath, but as a result, she catches a cold. Ao cares for Sora a bit the next morning, but he has to go to school afterwards. Mike and Ha-san notice that Sora is sick, and panic when she sees them through her window. Sora does her best to provide that cats with food outside, but Mike and Ha-san have some trouble appreciating it. Mike decides that he must do his best to eat Sora’s food because of how much she struggled to bring it out, but Gure gets to it before he can. As Mike and Ha-san notice how much Gure actually enjoys it, Kuma also shows up. While Sora lays in bed, she can only notice how much free time she has. Wondering about Mike and Ha-san for a moment, Sora looks around her room in an attempt to entertain herself. Natsumi and Hazuki meet with everyone at school, and inform them of Sora’s situation. While Natsumi has a drink, Kokage has a little fun. Traveling around town, Ha-san starts giving voices to humans like they do for animals on TV. This leads to some new plotting from Kuma.

Still bored in her room, Sora wonders what everyone else must be doing in club at the moment. Elsewhere, Buchi finds the rest of the cats in their current antics. Natsumi, Hazuki, and Kate catch up with Ao in the neighborhood, so he takes them to see his sister. The group presents Sora with many gifts that her friends have prepared for her, making Sora quite happy. As the girls leave, Ao mentions how strange her sister’s friends are. More visitors show up later, presenting Ao with many things to help Sora. While getting ready to prepare dinner, Ao again mentions show strange Sora’s friends are. However, he realizes that they are all good people. Outside, Buchi finally tells Ha-san about a way to get across to the humans. With all of the new things in her room, Sora no longer feels lonely. The cats preform a ritual through Buchi’s instructions that night, and Sora wakes from a dream at the moment. When she walks into the kitchen where Ao is preparing dinner, she learns that the food she gave away to the cats had gone bad. Mike and Ha-san wake up in a not so pleasant state the next day, but their moods change when Sora brings out food for them again. She treats them to surprisingly good fish this time, making them extremely happy.

Preview: Let’s go shopping with Kate!

Impression:

Sketchbook is gonna turn me into a cat lover, for real. As the preview from the last episode suggested, this was kind of split into two parts. The cats’ story was full of hilarity, and Sora’s story was very sweet as usual. I said this before, but I wish I had an older sis like Sora. She’s way too cute. I loved how even her sneezes were quiet! I was dying when Sora horrified Mike and Ha-san with her first treat, and Ha-san’s voicing of humans was great. The fun didn’t stop there, as Buchi totally caught me off guard with his engrish. Kuma and Gure are pretty funny with their own quirky personalities, but I just can’t like them as much as the main two cats. Sora’s friends bringing all kinds of gifts was really touching, especially since you really don’t see that kind of stuff anymore. I also liked the representation of Sora’s sick state. They even had the screen move through her eyes, to speak. I dunno, I just love the small things like that in this show. I’ve been wondering about a few things though. Where are Ao and Sora’s parents at all the time? Also, it’s interesting that the cats and Sora call each other by the same names. Haha, well I guess it makes as much sense as talking cats do. The next episode looks like a lot of fun, and Kate’s totally become a regular in the group! Art supplies are really expensive by the way (speaking from experience)!

If you thought the cats were cute… O_O

Summary:

After tests have ended, the seasons have started to change. When Sora arrives at school, everyone has already gathered for another art trip. However, the destination Hiyori has them go to is only a bit further away from school. Sora notices that things have changed slightly without their noticing, and she even tries to correct Natsumi who claims that nothing has changed from the usual. As Sora notices different kinds of insects around, she finds that Nagisa has even more knowledge about them as usual. Negishi is not very motivated because of Hiyori’s actions, so he goes to sleep. Meanwhile, most students discover various unique things of the autumn. When Sora takes a break to drink tea, she looks up to notice that the scenery has changed as well. The students all take a break to eat, and they notice a small puppy approach them while they do. Kokage has the puppy follow her to a sleeping Negishi with food, resulting in Negishi’s panicking from the dog jumping on top of him. As the group notices how cute the puppy is, Hiyori appears to call it the next drawing subject. Everyone gathers around to draw the puppy, but Negishi cannot keep calm with it being so attached to him. The puppy continues to follow Negishi back to the school, making the girls ask for him to take responsibility for it. Negishi is unable to keep calm despite the girls’ attempts to help, but he eventually lets the dog follow him home. While Negishi struggles with his new friendship, the middle school girl appears to snap a picture.

The students talk about the puppy he next day in the art room, and find that it is actually in the room with them. The middle school girl comes in after it at that moment, calling the puppy Inuo. When Negishi addresses the girl as Minamo, the group learns that she is actually his sister. After the class learns a bit more of Minamo and Negishi’s situation, Minamo approaches Sora. When Natsumi questions her relation to Sora, Minamo becomes very happy after hearing Sora call her a friend. Minamo lets Sora test her camera after showing her some pictures, and goes on to suggest that she actually take a few shots. Negishi has Inuo go with Sora, and she leaves soon after. Hiyori meets Minamo while looking for her chicken, and she praises her knowledge on potato chips after letting her try some of the ones she has with her. Sora tries her best to take pictures outside, and coincidentally finds Pi-chan. Inside the art room, Minamo experiments with painting. After Kokage notices her talent, Juju has Minamo try hand painting. While Sora and Minamo attempt different styles of art, they both find it interesting. When Sora returns the camera to Minamo later, Minamo requests to take a picture of everyone. Everyone poses outside, but Minamo takes one picture before the group expects it. On her screen, she has captured a picture of Sora with an autumn leaf on her head.

Preview: Awww…Sora has a cold. Part three of the cats’ story!

Impression:

Woo! Friendship power! Someone told me today that this show wasn’t one that you desperately waited for each week to watch, and I might be able to agree with that, but I still end up feeling very satisfied after watching each episode. The first half of this episode reminded me a lot of episode four, as it even had the same type o messages. The twist came towards the second half though, with Negishi’s new puppy Inuo and the introduction of Minamo. Funny, because one of you predicted that Minamo was going to be Negishi’s sister, and it proved to be true! For some reason, I really thought that Minamo sounded a lot more mature in this episode than she did before. Maybe it was because of the different situations, but I really wouldn’t expect such speech from a middle schooler. Minamo’s letting Sora borrow her camera was so simple, yet it produced some beautiful results. I loved how the two stepped into different grounds by trying different styles. I’m not sure if the feelings they had could be explained, because it’s really only truly understandable if you’ve experienced it yourself. Everyone has a different type of artistic talent, and you really just have to find the one that’s right for you. The friendship messages were all over in this episode, even with Negishi meeting Inuo. I really loved Kokage’s actions in this episode, especially when she spoke for Inuo. Speaking of that puppy, it was ridiculously cute. Haha, oni~.

Finals may be over for me, but the tests are just getting started in Sketchbook!

Summary:

When Sora brings some tea to her brother, Ao requests some help on his homework. Sora agrees, but she finds that his brother knows more about the work than she does. She tries to regain her composure, but Ao sees right through her. At school, everyone is studying hard for upcoming tests. Natsumi expresses how difficult things like English are outside, and the usual group expresses how lucky Kate must be when she shows up. Kate obviously does well with English, but she has a lot of difficulty with Japanese kanji. The group decides to get advice from some upperclassmen, so they travel throughout the school to visit everyone. Most of their friends have very odd ways of preparing for tests, but some people such as Negishi actually have good solutions. Sora is typically more convinced than the rest of the group towards each piece of advice. Hiyori eventually catches up to the group, wondering why they wouldn’t ask her as a teacher for advice. However, they find that she cannot even answer a basic question. Elsewhere, Ryo and Fu preform their own ritual for the upcoming events.

The usual clubroom becomes a study hall because of the upcoming tests, but the students cannot help but be their usual quirky selves. Because of this, Sora and the usual group decide to head to the library. They find that Ujo is there as well, so they ask him advice for studying. His response is frightful for them, but Sora takes to heart his suggestion that his form of studying is only for him. The group has their usual trouble with studying afterwards, causing a bit of a ruckus in the library. Sora finds that she has forgotten her tea container, so she makes her way back to the classroom. Inside, she finds that Nagisa is the only one left studying. Sora prepares to ask her a question after getting her tea container, but Natsumi and Hazuki interrupt by entering. Sora continues anyway, asking why Nagisa studies. She replies that it is because she has something she wants to do, and it has to do with her love or protecting insects and living creatures. Sora believes that Nagisa’s goals are actually quite hard to understand, but it was a very wonderful thing to see how enthusiastic she was about them. After everyone returns home, they begin studying in their own ways. When Sora asks Ao why he studies, he replies that there is someone he does not want to lose to. As Sora looks up into the night sky, she notices how far the stars are. She realizes that she may be able to see her future aspirations quite yet, but that is why she is studying now.

Preview: Negishi meets a new friend.

Impression:

Oh my god! I missed this show so much. I don’t know how you guys do things like waiting for fansubs. Anyways, like I said, I’m done with finals. Being at home for awhile, I can finally catch up on this show. Speaking of finals, what great timing for an episode like this. There were a lot of great messages sent as usual, especially with the relation of studies to future hopes. I could totally relate to Kate’s difficulty with kanji. it’s tough stuff! I also liked the usual “older sister must be smarter than younger brother” thing. It was really fun to see everyone’s odd ways of studying, but it’s definitely true that everyone has their own way. It was also really great to see the cast in action again. Sora freaking out from seeing Negishi and Hiyori’s usual unreliability was just a pleasure to watch. I’m so gonna do that eraser trick to someone by the way. Anyways, I’ll probably catch up with the rest of the episodes soon. I need some breaks between each episode though. I wanna play my Wii! I’ll definitely get done in time for the new episode on Monday though.

People still use stereos?

Summary:

Hazuki is having trouble with her stereo, so Natsumi thinks of people in the art club who would be able to fix it. Most of the options will not work, but they finally decide to let Ryo and Fu help them. Hazuki and Natsumi have their doubts about the pair, but Sora is sure that the two would be successful. Natsumi and Hazuki decide to see them on Sunday, but Sora refuses to go because it looks like the weather will be good on that day. Sora goes out with her usual preparations on Sunday, expressing that it is slightly unfortunate that she would not be able to see Ryo and Fu. When Ryo and Fu take a look at Hazuki’s stereo at her home, they quickly decide that it is broken; even before plugging it in. Sora starts drawing various things, as she notices many things of the Fall. Ryo and Fu again decide that Hazuki’s stereo is broken, so they declare that they will fix it. When Hazuki and Natsumi go out to prepare tea, Ryo and Fu quickly spring into action. Natsumi notices Hazuki’s plants in the kitchen, but they aren’t exactly what she expected. Elsewhere, Sora has begun to enjoy tea with an elderly woman. Ryo and Fu have found the source of problem by the time Hazuki and Natsumi return, so they get permission to work on the stereo. The two perform an odd ritual to the stereo, before declaring it fixed. As Ryo and Fu leave, Hazuki and Natsumi become shocked to find that the stereo is actually fixed.

Sora makes her way to a park, where she finds a slightly different than usual Mike. While trying to draw him, Sora runs into the girl she met in the past. The girl stops Sora before she can take off, and gets permission to look inside her sketchbook. The girl expresses that a very kind feeling is coming from Sora’s drawing, as Sora loses Mike. Sora decides to walk a bit farther than usual, but she wonders why the girl is following her. Sora sees many scenes that she would like to draw, but she is unable to catch them in time. On the other hand, the girl is able to snap them instantly with her camera. When the girl graciously offers to let Sora look at her pictures, Sora decides to draw from them. This changes Sora’s disappointed mood, as she quickly gets to work. As the sun starts going down, Sora takes the chance to draw the now sleeping girl. When she wakes, Sora offers her tea. Sora asks the girl what grade she is in, confirming that she is in middle school. When the girl looks through Sora’s sketchbook, she finds the drawing of herself. Sora describes that she drew her as she saw her, in a comfortable state. The girl reminds Sora that they have actually met before, and expresses her happiness that Sora let her see her drawings this time. Sora gives the girl the cute drawing of herself, before parting ways with her. Sora states that the Sunday was slightly different than usual, but it remained a good Sunday. Sora meets Hazuki and Natsumi on the way home, and she agrees to eat dinner with them.

Preview: A test is coming up!

Impression:

This show is so all about friendship! I don’t know what’s better, this or love power vibes. Sora’s second meeting of the young girl was really great. I know from experience that those kinds of enthusiastic people can be drawn to shy people like Sora. The way their new friendship was displayed was spectacular, and totally believable. I remember giving out drawings to people back in the day too! From an artists’ standpoint, I loved the fact that the girl could snap shots before Sora could draw the subjects. This is common sense, but it was represented so well. I personally have numerous cameras, and I bring one with me at all times. Snapping pictures is a great way to capture a unique scene, and like Sora, work on it later. As we have not even gotten her name yet, I’m sure we’ll see the girl again towards the end of Sketchbook. She and Sora make such a great team! As far as Ryo and Fu go, they were as funny as ever. Sora showed her powerful insight again by being the only one who did not doubt their abilities. It was great that they actually showed the two working on the stereo in Hazuki and Natsumi’s absence, making the miko scene even more hilarious. There are artists with quirky personalities too, you know! Next week looks like more school fun, and I already know that this show will never disappoint me.

One touch…..ok?

Summary:

As a black cat passes by Sora, she takes the chance to pet it. When she sees a foreign owned cat, she cannot resist the chance to touch it either. She asks for permission in English, before experiencing a bit of joy. At school, Natsumi is given the task of helping the new student that has arrived. She is very excited to be told that she has the best qualities for doing so, but becomes shocked to find that the new student is a foreigner. The girl introduces herself as Kate, before revealing that she actually knows a bit of Japanese. The girls do their best to introduce themselves as well, and Sora reveals a pre-prepared page of her sketchbook with her name written on it. In other places, Mike has trouble with a language barrier between himself and the new cat who has showed up. When Ujo asks Hiyori why she picked Natsumi to help Kate, she brings up the time she overheard Natsumi talking about her puppets. As they all had English names, Hiyori assumed that she was good with the language. As Kate is confused with a bit of Japan’s customs over lunch, Natsumi quickly obtains the resolution to teach her. The girls prepare a welcoming party for Kate in the clubroom, but they continue to have language troubles. Mike has similar troubles with the foreign cat, but he is shocked to find that Ha-san can speak English. Mike reveals his wish to travel the world, but it is obvious that he cannot do so.

Kate learns more from her fellow students in the classroom, as Ryo and Fu set out to make preparations for her welcoming party. When Natsumi is told that her Japanese is a bit strange by Kate, she falls into despair. Hiyori wonders why Natsumi isn’t teaching Kate English, when she finds the notebook she has prepared on the ground. In the meantime, the local cats discuss locations of learning. As Kate continues to learn more about Japanese culture, Sora finds the chance to present her with Natsumi’s notebook. With a bit of oddities from Ryo and Fu, Kate’s welcoming party finally starts. Natsumi is still down, but Hazuki brings her into the group. When Kate’s turn to talk comes up, she takes the chance to reveal a bit of magic to everyone. She presents her newly generated flowers to Natsumi, and thanks her for what she’s done. With this, the mood becomes lively again, as the entire class enjoys themselves in honor of Kate. On the way home, the girls find out that Kate has a cat. She introduces it as Buchi, as Sora takes the chance to pet her new friend again.

Preview: Ryo Fu combo! That one chick returns.

Impression:

Oh my goodness, being forced to watch this late is such torture! Why must my favorite anime of the season be one that almost no one is watching? I should probably get used to it, because that’s usually the case with my tastes. Anyways, this was the anticipated foreigner episode. From the preview of the last episode, I was so ready to make fun of the bad english. Surprisingly though, that wasn’t the main source of laughter! The engrish actually wasn’t bad when compared to other shows, and the episode was full of cultural jokes. I’m going to be completely honest. I didn’t get half of them. I was kind of proud of catching some of the kanji ones though. I think Kate might be as good at making really bad jokes as I am! I almost died laughing when Natsumi went into despair after being told that her Kansai way of speaking Japanese was weird. Don’t hate on the Kansai! I’m also loving the cat side stories, and how they have their own little world along with everyone else. By the end of this episode, I was feeling as wonderful as ever. That’s why I love slice of life so much. Building on concepts like new friendship, they just make you appreciate life. Ryo and Fu will be getting more screen time in the next episode, which I will try to watch asap. It should be full of hilarity!

Note: The OP and ED changed slightly to include our new addition to the cast. Kate love!

Why don’t we have a ping pong club?

Summary:

Sora notices that summer break is approaching soon, as Kasugano-sensei lets out a sigh. After Hiyori fantasizes about summer events in class, Natsumi and Hazuki express their excitement about the events with Sora in the hallway. Sora meets with Mike outside after school, and finds that it is very hot. After more of Hiyori’s childish complaints in class, she declares that they will do a gashuku. On a later day, Sora and the other girls meet up with the rest of their classmates for the trip. When Hiyori finally arrives, the students hop the bus. The class becomes shocked to find that the gashuku location is at the school itself, but Sora is excited none the less. The students only do what they usually do in the club room, so Hiyori suggests that they go somewhere else on the school grounds. The girls split up afterwards, and Sora explores the slightly different than usual school. Sitting in her empty classroom, Sora remembers a bit of her past. She had wondered what kind of club she should join when she entered school, thinking about the different options.

As Hazuki and Natsumi look for things to draw in the afternoon, they remember how Sora acted in the past. When Natsumi met her, she did not speak much. Hiyori’s club was empty, but Natsumi and Sora became her first two members. Hazuki showed up soon afterwards, and Sora hesitantly introduced herself to everyone. In the present, Sora returns to the clubroom as she recalls how nervous she was the first time she had went in. Inside are the rest of the students, as well as a very enthusiastic Hiyori. The students all enjoy curry that night under the beautiful stars. They all play with fireworks afterwards, and Sora thinks to herself that she is glad that she joined the club. That night, the students are unable to sleep because of the bugs in their room. As everyone starts the day off the next morning, a blonde girl approaches from afar.

Preview: Kate appears! Foreigners and their english…

Impression:

As I expected, I enjoyed this episode a lot more than the last one. The last episode was fairly good, but it just didn’t leave that good impacting feeling on me that Sketchbook usually does. Sora is definitely one of my new favorite girls of all time. I really love her insights on things, and I can just relate to her so much. Her meeting of Natsumi and Hazuki were totally parallel to my meeting of my close friends, as I was also very shy in the past. I do find it a bit odd that Sora is still like that at a High School level, but it is very believable. As I discussed with the Scrumptious girls and Impz before (in IRC…this isn’t recorded), many artists are very quiet and can only express their thoughts through their work. I’ve already noticed that some people cannot stand Sora, but like many other concepts that I look at, I believe that it is only because they cannot relate. Hey, that’s why I bring my unique opinion to the blogsphere. Maybe there are others who can relate as well. This isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy the other characters just as much, however. I love Natsumi’s Osaka-ben, and Hazuki is automatic win with Yui Makino playing her voice.

As far as the actual episode goes, it was simply excellent. A “gashuku” is like a meeting that goes on all day and overnight. I think it is more common in business situations. As I stated above, I loved Sora’s insights on the empty school. The revealing of her past and entrance to the club was great, and I think it is very fitting that the three main girls were the first members to revive Hiyori’s hopes. Speaking of Hiyori, her childish actions were as cute as always. “Even if we’re told to act like adults from someone with a chicken on her head…” was one of the best lines ever. The student’s usual wackiness was enjoyable as well. Shimono Hiro’s performance as Negishi stood out in particular, just because I can’t get Ikuto or Hiyuu’s faces out of my head when he speaks. The last few scenes with the fireworks were just beautiful, and I love how Sketchook actually puts a lot of emphasis on perspective (this is something that I am currently focusing on a lot in school). I also love the emphasis on small things like the pillows and small electric fans, which are usually looked over. I’ve said this before, but this is truly a deserving art anime. I am very ready to make fun of how the Japanese present foreigners next week, with the introduction of Kate. I was already falling out of my chair during the hilarious preview.

Garfield can talk too, noob.

Summary:

As Mike is walking through the neighborhood, he runs into a large cat. Sora witnesses this, but she believes that there are times where she should not enter the cats’ world. Mike introduces himself to the large cat, and learns that his name is Kuma. Mike feels extremely threatened by Kuma’s actions, especially because cats hold superiority when they are on higher ground. Mike attempts to beat Kuma, but this ends in vain as Kuma takes his place on a high pole. When Mike asks what Kuma is looking for, he replies that it is a human that will give him food. Relating this to a charm point, Mike is put into amazement. Kuma continues to seemingly guess what Mike is thinking of him, until he finally takes off.

Nagisa, Asaka, and Ujo observe an insect on a table outside. Relating its actions to a cat, Asaka expresses her wish to draw a cat. In the art room, Natsumi tells Hazuki about the big cat she saw earlier. Sora mentions that she saw Kuma as well, and corrects Natsumi about its large size. While expressing how hot it is, Mike looks at a cat inside a home. As it is taken away by its owner, Ha-san appears behind Mike. While sharing some small talk, a cat’s pride is brought up. This makes Mike remember Kuma, and Ha-san continues to go on about things that humans feed to cats. Since they are talking about Sora, this causes her to sneeze in class. Elsewhere, Kokage puts her cat Yutanpo on her head.

Ryo attempts to convince Fu that she has a sister who was involved in an incident, but she puts this off as a cat’s deceit. At home, Asaka begs her older sister for a cat. Asaka brings up that she promised to buy one for her, and this indeed happened when they were a lot younger. Mike and Ha-san meet a cat named Gure, so they ask him what it feels like to be a bought cat. However, the cats’ language does not travel to him. Gure suddenly appears and jumps down to their location, as he wants to inspect Gure’s collar. He even tries it on, producing strange results. As Asaka continues to wine about about buying a cat, she receives a 100 yen coin from her sister.

Kuma decides that he must have the right sized collar to wear, so the cats all search the town for something appropriate. They find a box for Kuma to be sold in, and begin writing various things on it. Sora runs through the neighborhood with food for the cats, but finds that they are not where she left them. As Asaka returns home from shopping, she picks up Kuma from his box. Her sister is soon convinced to keep Kuma as well, despite her previous resolve. Asaka begins washing Kuma, but he runs out when she opens the bathroom door. Gure returns to Mike and Ha-san, but they find that his collar is missing. Sora appears soon after he leaves, so Ha-san quickly goes to receive food from her.

Preview: The feeling of summer.

Impression:

If you’re wondering about my opening line, that’s what I told my room mate when he saw the talking cats on my screen. “Cats can’t talk”….yea right! Anyways, to tell the truth, I found this episode kind of boring compared to the last few. I just need Sora on screen to be happy! That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy this episode at all though. I laughed pretty hard when Kuma started talking. Any time Nakata Jouji plays a role, I instantly think of Giroro from Keroro Gunsou. After that, this episode continued to give me Gunsou vibes from start to finish. Mike and Ha-san were really cute, and I thought it was hilarious when Gure did not speak their language (because he was a “bought cat”). I enjoyed the box marking scene too, because I could actually recognize some of the kanji, haha. I’m still learning the Japanese written language, and it’s moving so slow. I thought Asaka was kind of funny, but there wasn’t actually much development besides her obtaining of the cat she wanted. We also got another small scene with Kokage’s odd relationship with felines. Next week should be a lot more fun with the focus shifted back to the students. I need more Sketchbook!

Kero kero kero kero kero~

Summary:

Upon hearing about the weather conditions from Aou, Sora makes the proper preparations for her art trip. As she leaves the house, she expresses that no one may come because of the forecast. However, it has not begun to rain yet. Sora greets a cat at the meeting location, and finds that the only other person to show up is Nagisa. As Sora watches Nagisa play with a bug, Kasugano-sensei arrives in her car. Since the two students still insist on going despite the weather, she lets them in. Sora and Nagisa find that Hiyori’s car is full of chickens, and she insists that her car is fast when it isn’t. Elsewhere, Natsumi plays with her dog in the heat.

When they reach their destination, Sora finds that Nagisa is very excited. Hiyori insists that she will wait in her car, as the two girls set off. Meanwhile, Hazuki shops for various food products. Sora guesses the things that Nagisa wants to draw, but finds that she only wants to play around. Sora settles down to draw a scene in the distance, but she is interrupted when she sees a bird fly by. Behind her, Nagisa states that this means that rain will be coming coming soon. Sora then thinks to herself that although they were looking at the same thing, she and Nagisa’s views are quite different.

Ryo and Fu are waiting at the pickup point, but they are far too late. Looking at the bad weather, they let out a call. In other places, Hazuki meets Natsumi in town while her dog is acting strangely. As the atmosphere changes, Sora notices something in the scenery she is drawing. She feels as if it feels familiar, yet she cannot remember what it reminds her of. Looking up, Sora watches as the rain falls around her. While in a cafe, Hazuki wonders if it was ok for Natsumi and herself to skip the trip. Natsumi expresses that it is fine because of the rain, as they notice it start to pour outside. Nagisa suggests that Sora go back to the car while she spends a bit more time out, but Sora insists that she wants to stay.

While following Nagisa around, Sora expresses that a different side of the mountain can be seen in the rain. Sora wonders if Nagisa came on that day because of this, as she reveals a butterfly under a leaf. With this, Sora feels as if she was able to see what Nagisa does. When the girls finally return to the car, they turn to see a beautifully colored sky. Behind them, there is also a large rainbow. Natsumi and Hazuki see this in town as well, but they wonder if they would have been able to see it better on the mountain. On the way home, Hiyori finally realizes that her car’s side break is what has been making her car so slow. Sora turns once more to see the rainbow, and she draws into her scene something that she would not have been able to see on a different day.

Preview: More cats! Mike and Ha-san are in trouble with a bigger cat.

Impression:

This is a bit late, but that doesn’t even matter does it? What an awesome episode. This episode focused a lot on Nagisa, with some hilarious effect. I liked how she called Sora a “peculiar person”, and Sora thought to herself the same about Nagisa. Some other funny parts in this episode included Kasugano-sensei’s usual silliness in her car, and Ryo and Fu’s frog call. Wow, that gave me so many Keroro Gunsou vibes. I’ve seen pocky twice in anime today, and it really makes me want to call them overrated as usual. Maybe I’ll go eat some after this write up…

I really loved Sora’s realization that she and Nagisa see different views even when they are looking at the same thing. It’s easy to tell that this show is made by artists, and meant to appeal to artists. As the beautiful rain scenes and rainbow appeared at the end of the episode, I was wondering how they could keep topping each previous episode. I could go on and on about the rain’s symbolism, but I’d rather not go on an artistic rant. Either way, I’ll say that this anime really makes you appreciate the world around you.

If the great message wasn’t enough, the Yui Makino song that played just blew me away. I have been a fan of her work for so long, and I love everything she releases. Speaking of that music, the OP and ED singles for this show have been released. They are very good as expected, and I’ll definitely be listening to those for awhile. Next week’s episode looks as fun as usual, and I’m totally ready for some more cute Sora.