I’m going to be honest, I have a lot of mixed feelings about this episode. Lili’s now on her sixth month, making this critique session her last chance to meet the conditions she agreed with her mother. Get first place, and she can continue her studies there. If she fails to do so, she must return home.
Unfortunately much to my irritation, while Lili had already made the resolve that morning that she wouldn’t stress about getting first place, she ended up opting to skip out participating in the critique session altogether just to prioritize checking up on Kit’s well being. And look I get it the idea behind her skipping it, but it ticks me off that Lili didn’t even participate. Like, what the hell? She’s been working her ass off all this time, only to amount to this? Give me a break. I wished they had gone about it a different way so that she’d at least everything she has learned in these past episodes to work. I really wanted to see what kind of vision she was going to draw for the theme of “Freedom”, I wanted to just do her piece– it wouldn’t have matter if she didn’t get first place, I just wanted to see her do it anyways. That would’ve been a lot more rewarding than just opting out altogether. Like by not even participating, she gave up her last chance to stay in London even just being herself— you know what I mean? What if she had won just by doing that? THAT is what annoys me so much.
But it appears Kit ended up submitting her entire sketchbook to Professor Brant, perhaps as her submission for the critique. Everything she has drawn in there seems to invoke something in Kit that made him realize that her drawings in her sketch-book is a treasure grove in itself. But even so! I still think it’s a freaking waste that Lili didn’t even think to try submitting it herself. UGH!
Lili’s putting up a strong front saying that she can return home with her head held high, all because the one she aspires to be like praised her art. And to her, nothing makes her happier to hear that. But as we can see afterwards, sure, that may have been true, but it doesn’t mean she isn’t heartbroken over the fact the condition she’s expected to up-hold is denying her from graduating with the rest of them, which is pretty depressing. Like her mother couldn’t have let her at least graduate if she was going to be enrolled for a year? Baffling really, but that’s just how her mother is.
Apart from that, there was an notable instance that it appeared Kit was about to confess his feelings to Lili. But unfortunately she freaking interrupted him, be it deliberately or not to let him know she’ll be returning to Japan. You could see it in Kit’s eyes that he was quite emotional about it, it’s very discreet but you can see it with the way his eyes were trembling and his brows were knitting.
And finally we have Peter, who much to my relief returned into the picture. I honestly wasn’t sure what was going to become the guy. A part of me was worried he had gone ahead and withdrew from the academy altogether. But thankfully the reason for his absence was merely because he went down to Liverpool to help his father with some art dealings. He definitely needed a change of pace for a serious detox. He owned up to his mistakes, apologizing for his hurtful words and behaviour. But what was also good to see Kit owning up to his own mistakes, of not being more considerate with his words, and how they end up hurting others. He wanted to let Peter know that he really does cherishes him as a friend, because he was the first person to befriend Kit when he was all alone at the academy. That’s all the more reason why he was trying to look out for him, by reminding him to be true to himself.
With that said, I’m feeling a bit skeptical about how things are going to pan out now. Hopefully they can pull the story together with however they plan to go about this.
