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| Ren is in the background. |
After five years, they finally meet and it's Oto who finds Ren. Actually, ever since Episode 2, it's always Oto who's finding him. This wasn't my favourite episode but after replaying it, I've slowly realized how symbolic this episode was. It mirrors Episode 1 but instead of Ren rescuing her, it's Oto who needs to save him.
Mitsushima Hikari cameos as Oto’s mother. Oto is now 27
years old, which happens to be the age her mother died. That morning she woke up
from a dream where her Mother
defines what love means to her: “It’s a place to return to. After losing a
home, and losing a job, it’s a place to return to for someone who has nowhere
left to go.” To be honest, I’m
a little worried about what disease Mom died from. Is it inheritable?
Side note: Mitsushima Hikari was in the director’s
previous works: Soredemo, Ikite Yuku (a very very sad drama)
Work for Oto is tough. Her subordinates are useless
teenagers and her workload has increased three times but her pay hasn’t
increased at all even with her extra credentials. Even ordering a drink out at
dinner is a luxury. Essentially, life in Tokyo still sucks for her after five
years but there’s another thing that hasn’t changed: her optimism. Despite
struggling, Oto faces each and every day with a bright smile.
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| I don't like neither of their hairstyles |
After returning from dinner with her friends, Oto comes across
Kihoko at Shizue-san’s place. It’s the first time in five years they’ve seen
each other. The two are awkwardly friendly, each taking turns to ask the
other a question.
Kihoko now works at a design firm and they arrange to eat yakitori
sometime. It takes a while until they finally address the elephant in the room:
Ren. Both of them thought that the other person was dating Ren and neither of
them have heard from Ren since the earthquake (he sent messages to them about
his safety). There’s another
thing to mention: Oto is dating Ibuki. I’m not too shocked though. I knew it was
going happen given Ren being gone for five whole years. I also know Oto doesn’t
really love Ibuki – I mean how can she betray Ren! I'm more shocked at
Shizue-san having a boyfriend, and he’s even younger!
Eventually Kihoko tries to call Ren (Oto had lost his number
when she broke her phone) but Ren had changed his number. Kihoko acts relieved
but seconds after there’s disappointment in her expression. Kihoko isn’t alone,
Oto is disappointed too. Kihoko thinks aloud to herself why she retreated from
Ren when him and Oto haven’t even contacted each other (meaning Kihoko still likes Ren?). She admits to
Oto she occasionally searches for Ren (e.g. Google search). Oto simply nods. She’s
not being truthful; Oto “googles” him too.
As for Ibuki, his career has improved; he now works for the
head office but he’s only in charge of introducing new temporary workers to
nursing homes. I love it when that annoying Manager has to suck up to Ibuki but
I don’t love it when he’s still mean to Oto.
I think it’s Christmas (don’t quote me on that) and Oto and Ibuki are
celebrating it at some fancy restaurant. It’s the first Christmas they’ve spend
together since two years they’ve been together and that’s because she was
always busy with work (more like her friends wanted to hang out with their
boyfriends and she’s fine giving up the special holiday). Ibuki had planned to
do a classic romantic proposal at the restaurant but he’s afraid of a
rejection. There’s no need to worry though because he doesn’t even get a chance
to propose. Oto’s friend, Funakawa, had interrupted. She needs their help ASAP
and so the two leave the restaurant and meet up with her. By the way, Ibuki comments on Oto’s
necklace, which was a present from Shizue-san, and how rare it was for her to
wear any accessories. The only “fashionable” thing Oto wears is her scarf and
it seems like every time we time jump, she gets a new “stylish” scarf. I’m a
little happy to see her snuggled in her scarf because it reminds me of her and
Ren’s fashion talk in Episode 1.
Is it just me or I keep missing out on what the pendant looks like? Is the drama purposely
hiding it?
Funakawa has been overworked and underpaid. Her superiors
blame her for her lack of efficiency and tell her to write refection letters
every day. The poor girl is mentally exhausted and fears that her job is expendable.
Ibuki agrees to help because she is Oto’s friend, otherwise it’s really not in
his area of speciality. Later that evening, Ibuki invites Oto to be his date
for his company’s 10 Year Anniversary dinner. He’s patient in convincing the
very stubborn Oto to go (who was making ridiculous excuses like she’ll knock
down all the champagne glasses).
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| I like Sabiki's hair much better this way |
After work the next day, she sees the truck from Ren’s old
company, Kakitani Transport. She even goes out of her way to ask the Boss for
Ren’s whereabouts. Omg their
business expanded, they’ve got secretaries. Boss directs her to Sabiki.
However, getting information from him isn’t easy. He lies that he taught Usain
Bolt how to run. And omg Oto
believes him. This reminds me of Ren in the first episode. Oh these two. Sabiki
also corners her into admitting she wants to see Ren. Fortunately Sabiki eventually updates her: Ren’s grandfather died and he’s in Tokyo. He gives her Ren’s
business card. If I seem curt about updating Ren’s whereabouts it’s only
because Sabiki was this curt.
I think
Oto is reluctant to admit how much she misses Ren because if she does she’ll
be the loneliest of them all. Out of everyone, she cares about Ren the most. Admitting
she misses him might shatter her optimism. I think it’s the hope that Ren is
out there happy and safe that drives her optimism.
Sabiki was curt probably because Ren’s current job completely
contradicts Ren’s character. He and Haruta scams vulnerable individuals into
taking jobs they offer in which the pay is beyond meagre. At least I’m
comforted that the Ren I know is still there. Ren pats one of the boys, giving
him comfort and compassion and that boy cries in his arms. Apparently, there’s something
about his tattered running shoes that catches Ren’s attention? It's branded?
Ren only helps recruiting the boys, he doesn’t take part in
convincing them to sign any papers. Not that that makes him better, but I’m just grasping at anything
here. It’s Haruta who readily convinces them to sign the contracts. Ren
is emotionless on the side, constantly looking down and away. Even when the boy
thanks him (for rescuing him out of his loneliness), he’s emotionless.
Ren doesn’t take his portion of the pay after scamming the
boys. Instead, he grocery shops. On his way back home though, he ignored an old
man who fell off his bike after shoplifting. I’m pretty sure the old Ren would
have stopped and help. At home, which is an ex-karaoke bar, he cooks curry for
two. Apparently, there’s another person living with him but we don’t know who
it is yet.
Ibuki meets up with his brother to talk about Funakawa’s
case but the brother is disappointed in Ibuki for giving special treatment to
his girlfriend when Ibuki was all about changing the world for the better (I believe that was his ‘Tokyo
Dream’). Strangely, it’s the brother who’s got the righteous ambitions
now. He confesses he’s only his father’s puppet. His sole responsibility is to
fire everyone from ruined companies so his father can acquire the property. Consequently,
to everyone else he’s monstrous and inhumane. The bother has had enough and
wants to change the company; he wants to overthrow his father and he asks Ibuki
to join him.
We don’t get to hear Ibuki’s answer though. He’s later
summoned by yet another family member: his father. His intentions are clear: he
wants to make Ibuki the successor and fire the brother. I’m more surprised that this boy is supposed to
be 30 years old. This boy is going to take over his brother’s job of being a
monster? This boy? I hope he sides with his brother instead. The father doesn’t deserve
family members. Who calls their own son with a withheld number??
Since Ibuki has some life-changing decisions to make, he cancels
the anniversary dinner last-minute on Oto. At that time, Oto is already at the
bus stop all dressed up looking pretty and expensive. Even pedestrians are
eyeing her enviously. With nothing planned on her to-do-list, she searches the
internet for “Smart Recruiting,” the company that Ren works for. It’s got awful
reviews about being scammers and having ties to the underworld.
Curious, Oto personally goes to the address on the business
card and we see it’s located in a neighbourhood full of graffiti. She's a little nervous to enter and opts to leave but she “feels” Ren’s presence nearby.
She runs up to him but he’s leaving and doesn’t see her. Her heels limit her
running capacity, eventually she loses both her shoes, and is only left with
her voice to catch Ren’s attention. Oto
has to shout “Mr. Mover” twice for him to hear.
Ren stops in his tracks, turns around but after seeing Oto,
he turns back around and walks away. Eh. At least he eventually walks back to her.
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| Oto pretends to catch a speck of dust |
He brings her to his place and Oto is once again, the
chatterbox. Ren was always a man of few words, but with Oto he does talk a lot.
This time, however, he’s practically silent. Oto is proud of herself when she
manages to get Ren mutter a few words, but still he’s curt with her.
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| Oto pouts at Ren's cold attitude |
He asks her if she needed anything, because other than that
there’s really no reason she should be here. Well, that’s what he thinks. He
even stops Oto from calling him Mr. Mover. Oi. He tells her to address him as Soda. Oi Oi! Oto attempts to call
him Soda-san but she quickly reverts back to calling him “Ren” at her own whim. He asks Oto
once again whether she needed anything from him and since there wasn’t anything
she needed, Ren opens the door for her leave.
They’re interrupted by a shattered window. Someone had
thrown a rock at it. Ren takes Oto behind the counter and they wait there until
its safe. Remaining optimistic, Oto jokes that it’s a meteorite. At this point,
Ren’s not afraid to be honest about his job and how the victims take vengeance
on him.
Oto is
disappointed in him, but she’s much more bothered by him questioning her on what
she needed from him. Oto frustratingly tells him: “I just wanted to see you. I
just wanted to hear your voice. I’m glad you’re safe. I’m glad you’re here.
That’s all. – Scratches her nose.”
Ren picks up her
expensive bag and tells her: “Someone like you wouldn’t understand. You wouldn’t
– He points to himself and to her – because we’re different
now.”
He signals for her leave and even shuts the door in her
face. The things that could
be done if you two had just explained everything to each other.
Soon after Oto leaves, Konatsu comes out of her room. She looks like a mess. To protect the
emotionally unstable Kontasu, Ren assures her the window just shattered on its own. Maybe Konatsu saw through the lie because the next second, she
hyperventilates.
Haruta comes home and
finds Ren tending to Konatsu. He leaves her room quietly, seeming to have understood
what had happened. After Ren is done caring for Konatsu, Haruta asks Ren: “You okay taking care of Konatsu all your life? Do
you intend to spend your life atoning?”
We don’t get to hear Ren’s answer as we scene jump to Ibuki
and Oto. Ibuki appears calm but his insides are probably quivering. He gives
Oto a back hug and mutters in her shoulder that he met with his father who
finally looked him in the eye. He drops another bombshell: Ibuki proposes to
her. This is completely out of the blue for Oto. She can’t seem to be elated or
agree to his proposal. Waiting for her answer, Ibuki takes out the ring from his
pocket, showing his sincerity.
We also don’t get to know Oto’s answer as the camera pans
out and we see the canned peach, safely packed away on her upper shelf. Remember that miming Ren and her did in
the last episode about locking their love away secretly? She still loves Ren.
- - - Comments - - -
I get the ominous feeling Oto might accept Ibuki’s proposal
even if she doesn’t love him. Let’s hope I’m wrong. And I guess I shouldn’t
have hoped for something bad to happen to Konatsu in Episode 3 because that
came true. I just wanted her to be a little more mature… I did not expect Ren
to have pay for this, whatever “this” is. I guess Haruta and Konatsu got what
they want: Ren to remain at Konatsu’s side for the rest of his life…
Ren in this episode is so impassive.
He’s always looking cold, crossing his hands, secluding himself from
others. Remnants of the old Ren is still there though; he had fed a stray dog,
and helped a lonely boy, or sort of helped. However, he walked away from an
injured old man. Even if that man shoplifted, to commit that crime at his age
means he’s desperate, no? He’s also emotionless when the boys were signing
the contract to sell their body for unfair labour. I know he hates himself right now.
He misunderstands Oto. She
should have just explained she doesn’t dress that lavishly on a daily basis. Because of the way she's dressed, it makes Ren reluctant to warm up to her. Ren really cares about the disparity between him and
Oto. When he invited her into the karaoke room (his home), the first thing he did was open
the curtain to brighten up the shabby place. He wanted to offer her food but
there was nothing decent to offer. While Oto talked, he could only stare at her branded bag, which only solidified their class disparity. It bothers him that he’s in such a lowly state in front
of the girl he loves.
His reaction to Oto really
serves a contrast with how he treated Kihoko in the beginning. There was an
obvious class disparity between those two as well, but Ren didn’t mind. The
reason being he doesn’t nearly care about Kihoko as much as he does for Oto.
Speaking of the beginning,
this episode is like a déjà vu of Episode 1 but reversed. It’s Oto with Ren’s
business card, searching for Ren. Is it Oto’s turn to save Ren? Oh man, I can’t
wait for that.
Recalling what Oto’s Mom
said, I hope Ren can once again feel at home in Oto’s presence. That reminds
me, when he confessed to her in Episode 4, he described his love for her was
like feeling at home. So Ren and Oto’s Mom are similar? Is that why Oto loves
him so much? He unconsciously reminds her of her mother?
Oh dear. I talk too much. But remember that dam story from Episode 1? About how Oto wished her town would be drowned so that she can escape and be reborn as Sugihara Oto. That tsunami in 2011 drowned Ren Soda. Or at least that's my hypothesis. When Ren was staring at the river, I'm thinking he was recalling Oto's dam story and hoping someone would save him. It really is Oto's turn to save the drowning Ren.
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| Ren is in the background staring at the river. |
Credits to Sanashi (for subbing) and Cubical Noses (for timing).
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