This is one of those episodes when marathon watching the series, I’d say skip it. The only real purpose it serves is to give us an idea of what the teacher from episode one and the opening, named Mr. Isozaki. This episode is less like an episode of Sakurako-san and is more like have us spend more time with the series side characters the series. Shoutaro and Sakurako not having any direct interaction with the plot until 16 minutes and 30 seconds into the episode.
So we’re left with Kogami, Isozaki and Utsumi fumbling around in the dark for 16 minutes. Trying to figure out what it takes less then half the rest of the episode for Sakurako to come up with.
I guess that’s the real problem with this episode. There is really very little to be interested in, in the beginning of the episode you see a woman in a black Kimono about to throw this envelope off a bridge. However, she instead sets the envelope down and leaves it behind. Kogami thinks the woman is suicidal and ropes in her teacher and Utsumi into trying to find the woman.
They open up the envelope and there is a letter and a ring. A letter that Kogami mistakenly thinks is a suicide note. Which we find out immediately after Sakurako shows up that she was, in fact, in mourning. The ring that was in the envelope was made of the bones of her dead lover and instead of trying to kill herself. She was trying to let him go, she’d found someone new.
The only real drama in the episode comes from the conflict between Kogami and Isozaki, and their conflicting ideals on if they should be trying to save this woman or not.
Isozaki may come off as sort of a jerk, but you can almost tell that there is a deeper story to him then you think. That rears it’s ugly head in his talk with Kogami about taking the burden of someones life onto her shoulders. I feel as if he may of been speaking from experience. I’ve been hoping to learn more about him.
I’ll be looking forward to the future episodes with him, I don’t believe he’s a cold as he claims.
For the most part, this episode was pretty boring. It tried something new, but it didn’t pan out as well as it should of. I believe if you’re going to have an episode about the side characters. You should actually have them do something beyond wandering around lot, calling the main characters.
~Midnight
I read your review just now. Gotta say, I really like your review of the episode. I thought it was kind of refreshing seeing other characters in the spotlight, though I really don’t enjoy that police officer that much. The teacher was kind of a blah character. He’s there, though I don’t think much about him. Kogami had the most impression, since I think she was in previous episodes before.