Tamahiko and Ryo make the journey to Tokyo together since Ryo wanted to find her brother Ryotaro. It took several days to get to Tokyo by foot, and along the way they both witnessed and heard about the horrors of the aftermath of the quake. When they arrived in Tokyo, the only thing that was left standing was the Tokyo Station, everything else was rubble or had burned down from the fires.
There Tamahiko was able to meet with his uncle and his Tamako, who joins him in his search for Yuzuki. They spend several days searching and eventually find a small lead when they happen to encounter Yuzuki’s friend Midori. They were able to identify her thanks to the talismen she had been holding that Tamahiko gifted her for safe child-birth. We learned that Midori and Yuzuki did get injured from the quake, but the real problem was when the fires broke out and separated the two. Yuzuki spent many days wandering and eventually encountered the children who had been separated from their parents. They were the ones who took care of her when she fell unconscious, and were also responsible for leading Tamahiko to her by the miraculous chance.
The whole scene of Yuzuki going through her life was quite a roller-coaster of emotions, but especially so when we can see how she was struggling to hang on so she could meet Tamahiko again. When she choked out his name that really got to me. They had me tearing up when she finally woke up with Tamahiko holding her. Yuzuki was pretty close to death herself, but she was able to pull through and Tamahiko being there to call her out to keep hanging on. I legit teared up during that scene, and I love how Yuzuki didn’t waste any time to finally confess to Tamahiko properly and straight up pulled him into a kiss. She deeply regretted not doing it sooner, and having survived and reunited with him, she desperately wanted him to know just how much she loves him. Though they certainly made a scene since Yuzuki didn’t realize they were in a clinic with many other patients and friends and family there watching, hahaha!
Leading up to the reunion, it was really nice to see Tamako and Tamahiko have some time to show off how close the two have become. We got to see how Tamako be Tamahiko’s rock when he needed it most. Searching for Yuzuki had taken on toll on him, and the fact she was by his side when the feelings of hopeless was threatening to fester in his mind helped him steer clear of that. And honestly we have to give Tamako so much credit. She can be quite mature so we often forget she’s only thirteen, but we are quickly reminded that she is still just a child when we see her have her own breakdown. It was very sweet to see Tamahiko spoil her with all the head ruffles and how the two (to Tamako’s delight) were holding hands. These are the little things they didn’t experience with each other when they were younger because they just didn’t have that relationship. But thanks to Yuzuki who served as a bridge between them, the two of them have formed a very special bond sibling.
I was also very pleased to see Ryo’s development shine through. It’s wonderful to see her ditch that envious personality of hers altogether, and I appreciated that she actually apologized to Yuzuki for how she treated her when they first met. After how much time has passed, it’s easy to simply sweep something like that under the rug, and hope that maybe by just not mentioning it again they’d forget about it. So the fact Ryo took it upon herself to actually own up for her terrible behavior boosted her likability and respect for her character. Of course Yuzuki never held it against her for it, and she likes Ryo a lot since she sees her as a big sister figure.
Perhaps the biggest surprise though was to see Tamahiko’s father show up at the clinic in attempt to get their uncle to prioritize taking care of the eldest son Tamaki who had gotten wounded from the quake. Frankly nobody wanted anything to do with Tamahiko’s father, much less his own brother Tamasuke who went as far as to cut ties with the Chiba family (good on him). His brother is truly a hypocrite considering Tamahiko is dead to him, but he’ll still expect his brother to prioritize his family when it’s convenient for him. Truly, the audacity. We actually saw just how shitty he is when Yuzuki was looking back at the events leading up to how she met Tamahiko. She actually met his father in the car on her way there, and realized then that this man is utter trash, recognizing what kind of shitty household Tamahiko must’ve been raised in.
We also met their elder sister Tamayo, who decided to tag along for god knows why. I guess she was just curious to see how Tamako was doing considering she is being mentored by their uncle. Tamahiko being there was obviously not within their expectations, so he was more or less of a bonus. Though I find it rather rich of her to criticize their uncle for being close to Tamahiko and Tamako despite having cut ties – when gee, I don’t know, THEY WERE THE ONES WHO CUT TIES WITH TAMAHIKO IN THE FIRST PLACE, so as far as that is concerned, it makes perfect sense for Tamasuke to be in contact with Tamahiko. Once Tamako is old enough, I am sure she will be following suit since she won’t want anything to do with the Chiba family either.
That said, maybe it was just me, but I did feel like it the ending was a tad rushed. But thankfully it didn’t take away the tragic and harrowing circumstances, and we were still able to get a happy ending for most of the characters we have come to meet along the way. Yuzuki’s friend Midori, her baby and boyfriend (much to my relief) all got out safely, Ryo was able to find her little brother Ryotaro, the children who Yuzuki helped and vice versa were able to find their parents, and best of all Tamahiko was able to find Yuzuki and have their happily ever after.
Final Thoughts
Taishou Otome Otogibanashi is a very simple yet sweet story that certainly has its moment of emotional punches like these past two episodes. Tamahiko has grown tremendously from the start, and it’s wonderful to see feel more confident in himself, reclaim his ability to be independent, and forming relationships with others after having grown up in a household where he was unloved and then kicked out the moment he was crippled in an accident. He can be an awkward duckling, but despite the way he was raised, Tamahiko has always been a generous and kind soul at heart. That’s why when Yuzuki first met him, she knew she was going to be okay and eventually fell deeply in love with him.
And in these last two episodes, we really got to see Tamahiko’s growth shine at its best. He was determined to find Yuzuki at all cost, and refused to give up even when things were looking grim for him. When he found her he had the children help him tie her tightly to him so he could still carry her back to the clinic on his own. This is the same guy who in the beginning of the story, didn’t feel like he could do anything for himself or anyone, and now here he is carrying the girl he loves to safety. The power of love has really done him wonders.
Perhaps the the most beautiful thing about Tamahiko’s development is simply his appreciation of those around him, having the courage to live and confidence to find his form of independence and his drive to continiously become a better and more reliable person for the one he loves.
As for Yuzuki, her warm character is the type to touch the souls of many who have trouble forming relationships, depending on others or envious of what she has. With Tamahiko, she helped him find meaning in life, with Tamako she taught her what it means to be unconditionally kind to others, and with Ryo she didn’t hold resentment towards her and instead looked past at who she is at the core: A big sister who cares deeply for her siblings, which is why Yuzuki sees Ryo as the big sister she never had the chance to meet (as she died before she was born). She helped them grow, and in return they have come to deeply care about her in return.
But if there was one thing I would have liked to have seen, it would have been nice to see her character be more fleshed out apart from the pure and good-hearted angel. Sometimes we’d get some glimpse of her inner struggles, but they didn’t get as much attention as Tamahiko’s. Nevertheless, I think I would have liked to have seen her undergo some concrete development of her own, but at the end of the day, I am still fine with how things played out, especially with that emotional ending and reunion as she was still able to fulfill the mother with her mother to lead to a happy life.
In the end, I enjoyed about the series the most was the relationships between the characters, which is more or less the highlight and focus of the story anyways, especially the fluff between our two sweethearts. When you put the two together, you’re really going to get an incredibly precious pairing that ought to make you all warm and fuzzy inside by just how much they love and support each other.
If you’re looking for a simple and sweet romance, Taishou Otome Otogibanashi might help scratch that itch.
Final Verdict: 8/10!
