Asakomi

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As it turns out.. I’m not going to have time to post any sort of in-depth synopsis for this episode or for FMP. I’m house sitting for a friend of mine until Monday, and I have a million things to do between now and the time my flight to Europe leaves on Tuesday.

So, in short, I have to say that one of the things that draws me to Suzuka is how realistic the characters are. Our core group is not at all over the top. They respond in ways that normal people like you and me would, and it’s definitely not boring. I really want to know why Suzuka seems to want to hold any feelings she might have for Yamato in check. There were multiple times in this episode when she seemed on the verge of admitting that she likes him, even if only to herself, but then at the last second she pulls back and ends up making some rude remark to him as a result of her internal conflict.

I also enjoy how Hattori isn’t *just* a player. He’s actually quite wise, which I think balances out Yamato’s naiveté when it comes to the opposite sex.

So, yeah. Suzuka rocks. I gotta give Mentar all the credit for recommending and getting me so excited about this show.

First day of school! Suzuka, Miho and Yamato walk to school together. At the school entrace ceremoney Suzuka and Yamato learn that they are in the same class, though she doesn’t seem that excited about it. We see the shrine maiden from the last episode looking over a class list and finding Yamato’s name.

Suzuka asks Yamato to go shopping with her after class. They promise to meet after school and then Suzuka runs off with her track and field buddies.

Yamato attends class and feels left out since everyone else seems to already have friends, even Yasunobu. He’s feeling sorry for himself when our shy miko walks up to him. She seems to know him, though he doesn’t remember.

Even when she introduces herself as Sakurai Honoka the name doesn’t ring any bells.

Suzuka comes in and sees the two of them talking. Yasunobu tells her that he and Honoka were in the same junior high, and that it’s really rare to see her initiating a conversation with a guy. Yasanobu thinks that they must be talking about going out afterschool already. Suzuka doesn’t look impressed at this thought. Yasunobu continues on saying that since they are going out, well he and Suzuka might as well go out too, right? She doesn’t take him up on this offer.

As class starts Yamato tries to remember where he knows Honoka from. After class he sees Suzuka still sitting at her desk and asks where he should wait for her, but before she can answer Honoka interrupts them. Suzuka doesn’t look too happy and she stalks off in a pissy mood declaring that she’ll go shopping by herself.

After she leaves Honoka asks Yamato who Suzuka is.. meaning is she.. well.. is she………you know.. his…

…His friend of course, Yamato responds and Honoka has an obvious expression of relief on her face. Yamato then asks Honoka to explain where he knows her from.

They were in elementary school together and he came to her shrine to pray. She broke the bell while playing with it and Yamato saw her with it. She was worried that he was going to tell on her, but instead he helped her fix it, thereby saving her from getting into big big trouble. They promised to always keep the dented bell a secret between one another.

Now he remembers! He also remembers eating croquettes. Honoka makes a bold move and asks him if he wants to go get something to eat. Yamato is torn between keeping his promise to Suzuka and going out with Honoka…

Suzuka’s practice goes longer than usual and she hurries off to go get the sports drinks. She briefly regrets telling Yamato that she’ll go by herself, but she’s still pissed off at him for talking to Honoka.

However, when she leaves the school she finds him waiting for her. He’d been there for five hours and had caught a cold in the process. They bicker, but head off shopping.

Honoka thinks about Yamato while in the bathtub, and admires him even more for keeping his promise to Suzuka.

Suzuka and Yamato continue to bicker.

The next morning Yamato is still sick. He tries to get sympathy from Suzuka, but she says it’s his fault for wating since she said she’d go herself anyway. She’s going to school. Of course she can’t stay and take care of him, she can’t take the chance that she might get sick before the track meet.

Though it appears she’s being heartless, as she leaves she does give him a softer look which to me indicates that she does feel bad that he got sick because of her. She won’t let him see that side of her though.. ohh of course not. Heh.

Yamato is home alone since Ayano had to go out and Miho and Suzuka are at school. He feels like he’s getting worse. When the doorbell rings, he hopes it’s Suzuka coming to check on him, but it’s Yasunobu - the last person Yamato wanted to see. But he brought Honoka along, who asks in her faltering voice if he’s ok. Yasunobu leaves Honoka to tend to Yamato, an obvious ploy to put the two of them alone together.

Yamato tells Honoka how much nicer she is that Suzuka, who he doesn’t expect to come see him even though they live in the same house.

Honoka tells Yamato that she’ll go to her house to get some ingredients to make him something to eat, and as she leaves she vows to work harder than ever to make sure that she gets closer to Yamato than Suzuka is.

She opens the door and encounters Suzuka. They speak civilly but awkwardly to each other.

Honoka makes some food, but it gets eaten by Yasunobu and Saotome instead and there’s none left for the poor sick boy.

Then Saotome tries to give Yamato a shot, but he dodges her every effort. So if the patient won’t accept a shot then the obvious next step is to… strip him? Huh?

Eventually everyone leaves, and Suzuka shows up with some eggs she made for Yamato. She also gives him some honey and lemon juice.. without the honey since she didn’t have any. Yamato drinks it anyway and tries to eat the mirowaved eggs but they end up exploding in his mouth. Ok, so she’s not a good cook but at least she did something nice for him in the end.

What I like about both Yamato and Suzuka is the fact that they both have personalities. Suzuka’s moody, mostly due to all the pressure on her, but at the end of the day she’s really a good person. She doesn’t fawn over Yamato like a big weeny. Her whole life isn’t wrapped around whether or not he likes her. What I like about Yamato is that he can hold his own in arguments with her and, so far, hasn’t just turned into a whipping boy.

I found Honoka a bit boring, but she’s got plenty of time to prove me wrong. The groundwork that’s been laid for the rivalry between her and Suzuka was very realistically done. Instead of screaming their faces off whenever they are in each other’s presence and making a big dramatic production of it, instead they are forcedly nice while they stew and brew and plot how they’re going to win on the inside. Though I think Honoka is a little more honest with herself about her feelings than Suzuka is, which at this point could give her the upper hand.

No detailed writeup this time because I’m just not feeling up to it. I’ve had a really bad couple of days. For a play by play and some great thoughts head on over to Mentar’s site.

But I will say that the the op is starting to really grow on me. It’s super catchy. So, some character development and a character intro this time around, as well as some incredibly funny scenes between Yamato and Suzuka. My personal favourite was their quibble over toilet seat covers.

We begin by viewing our male lead, Akitsuki Yamato, walking past the school in Tokyo he is about to attend, a few days before the semester is to begin. There he sees a girl practicing high jump, and he stops to watch her and marvels at her beauty. Of course he doesn’t believe he could ever get a girl like her.

Cue the OP:
     
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