I know I’ve only known Rikuto Tsuji for one episode, but I want him to succeed and I hope he and Kaoru can meet up again in the future. ;_____; This episode was so cute! I am a sucker for things like this! They are doing their best and want to support each other! Maybe they aren’t exactly looking to be in a fully committed relationship with each other, but just the little messages they were able to send back and forth to each other just tugged on those heartstrings. And the note at the bus stop!! Look, I know that I’m a crier, but I lost it at this moment! It was so simple, but so sweet!! Kaoru you better stand on the silver bridge!!
I knew Kaoru was going to get her own episode feature, but I never expected something like this. First and foremost, I love that her lineage is not the absolute forefront of her story. Yeah, it definitely motivates her into getting into Kouka. But it was nice to see that her grandmother and mother didn’t exactly force her to get into the school (now of course, we didn’t see too much of her mother, so there might be more behind the scenes). In fact, her grandmother didn’t really even mention that she wanted her to go to the school. Yeah, she would be a legacy student, but is that what she truly wants? And I’m happy that even at the end of things, Kaoru did decide that she does want to go to Kouka!
But I think what I adored most about this episode is how she was able to connect with Tsuji. She isn’t exactly being forced to get into Kouka, and yet she is consistently compared to women in her family that came before her. And then there is Tsuji who is constantly living in the shadows of his brother in the baseball world. I can only imagine how troublesome it could become that people only know who you are because of who came before you. The closest thing I can think of is with my brother – I mean, neither of us are probably going to be famous one day, but even just the simple “You’re X’s sibling, right?” does kind of hit a nerve sometimes. It’s like, yeah! I am x’s sibling, but I’m also quietcupcake a whole person! But I think another thing that connects the two are the off handed comments from peers. We meet Tsuji as he’s waiting at the bus stop and some girls are gossiping about him within earshot. People gossip about Kaoru all the time for her actions and the fact that she hasn’t made it in yet. They don’t really have a conversation about it, but I think that’s another reason they were able to become close and connect with each other.
I know this episode didn’t get into heavier topics as it has with other characters, but I do appreciate how well they were able to do a more romantic based episode. And to keep all of it within the confines of a 24-minute episode! Something like that could easily be a full season, but they did a really good job with the relationships, the drama, and the story! And it’s still open ended, Kaoru may have blocked his number and hasn’t talked to him since, but with the note up at the bus stop I would love for the two of them to meet again when they are successful. So gosh darn it Kaoru, you better become a top otoko-yaku so you can stand on that silver bridge in the spotlight. I’m cheering for both of you!
And I think they really hit the ball out of the park (haha get it?) with that ending! Her voice was really powerful at the end. I love that she got a blue rose for her song. I’m not all too familiar with floral imagery and what they could mean, but I did a quick search and there are a couple of things that might fit her pretty well! It could mean unattainable, in that it’s something that is meant to remain a dream. If that is the case, that hurts quite a bit! But at the same time, it could mean new beginnings – when one door closes another opens and she’s just starting her career with Kouka! Or maybe it’s just because she looks good in blue. But regardless, I loved the ending, I loved her story, and I can’t wait to see what comes next!
