It’s road trip, or rather, rail trip time again, as Ohana heads to Tokyo to speak to her mother about the future. However, more than her future gets unveiled there, as her mother works on tying up a loose end for Ohana.
What They Say:
“Compensation for the Dream”
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
As we begin this episode, the writers surprise us slightly by having the show open in Tokyo, not Yunosagi. We instead start in Satsuki’s office as she is writing some piece related to the resort industry. She begins with what is probably nothing more than a statement of the obvious: “Customer service in Japanese style inns is inevitably focused on emphasizing the individual traits of the proprietress and employees.” Obvious, but no less true for that. Satsuki doesn’t seem entirely pleased, however, by her piece.
Back at Kissuiso, everyone is rather down about the prospect of the inn closing. No one more so than Ohana, who is left adrift by the prospect. Her grandmother asks Ohana to travel to Tokyo to see Satsuki in order to decide her future. It happens that Takako is also headed in that direction (she is headed to Tokyo to try to track down the crooked movie producer who swindled Enishi out of the Inn’s money), and so the two will be traveling together. Going to Tokyo, of course, is always fraught with memory and regret for Ohana, as she will naturally think about Ko (and it doesn’t help that all of her coworkers remind her about him every chance they get). After Ohana and Takako take off, there is perhaps only one person more down than Ohana, and that is Enishi. Sitting alone feeling sorry for himself, he gets cheered up by Denroku, who seems far less negative on the future.
From this point onwards, we are treated to a pair of parallel small-scale dramatic scenes, which would be fit just as well for the stage as the screen. One pair consists of Ohana and her new aunt, Takako, who make for an odd pairing, even though it is revealed that they have something in common: they are both only children. This has made them both independent to a certain extent, but they otherwise have little in common. The other pair is in Tokyo already, as Satsuki just happens to go to the bookstore that Ko works at. Meeting him, she invites him out to lunch and for a talk. The exchanges between the two pairs are a study in contrasts. It’s clear that Ohana and Takako have a distance between them that is not about to be closed, Takako even seems to prefer it that way. Their talk, however, reveals interesting details about themselves. Satsuki and Ko, however, engage in verbal sparring. Not hostile, but wary. Ko, however, surprises Satsuki by telling her that he did not dump Ohana, and that he is really interested in learning more about her.
We continue with the two pairings acting separately. Ohana decides to accompany Takako on the trip to Tokyo Tower, where the crooked producer has been tricked by Satsuki into coming to the observation deck. There, Takako literally lays him out (you don’t want to get into a judo match with Takako). Satsuki on the other hand, takes Ko over to her office. As it’s a Sunday, no one is there. Satsuki offers Ko some coffee, but he declines, preferring tea instead. Then, she puts on a DVD. There is a palpable tension to the room, as Ko seems to be extremely nervous. The vibes are reminiscent of a seduction scene (well here’s to you, Mrs. Matsumae), which Satsuki makes light of by telling Ko that it’s not a porn video that she’s about to watch with him. Satsuki is somewhat put out when Ko’s response seems to show that he was actually thinking that.
The video they watch is the film footage that was shot at Kissuiso by the crooked producer, sent to Satsuki (who has been in contact with him, and now we know how he was trapped for Takako to pounce upon). The video reveals one very important thing: in an interview with Ohana, she states that she did not leave Ko behind. This makes Ko want to drink coffee. Why? His coffee ban was not down to taste, but because the last time he saw Ohana he had coffee and he did not want to forget the taste of that day, even if it was bland. After that, he decides to leave the office. Satsuki has performed an important service for him: she has reminded him of his feelings for Ohana, feelings that he had almost given up on. But now, the candle seems to have been re-lit. As he crosses a street on a pedestrian bridge near Satsuki’s office, he remarks that Ohana is nothing like bland coffee. I guess the next thing he will see will be a beautiful cappuccino in front of him.
As we head into the final episodes of the series, it is time for loose ends to be tied up. This episode and the next will clearly settle the relationship between Ohana and Kouichi for all time. We hope. It has been interesting, but clearly, it’s time these two youngsters decided whether they want to be a couple or not. We also have other stray threads gathered in, as Takako shows that she is not just a gibberish of Engrish phrases and a lot of talk. She can also engage in action and can handle herself quite capably.
What remains to be revealed, however, is the longer term future.
In Summary:
This episode plays out almost as a stage play, with two important pairs alternating turns in the spotlight. Ohana and her new aunt Takako take a trip to Tokyo, both with unfinished business to settle. Satsuki meets with Ko and decides to take him out for a meal and a movie, though she does not have plans on substituting herself for her daughter. Much the opposite, in fact. Ko, whose feelings for Ohana have been flagging of late, is reminded again of what he saw in her and leaves Satsuki’s presence determined to see Ohana. Next episode, we’ll see what their meeting produces.
Grade: A
Simulcast by: Crunchyroll
Review Equipment:
Apple iMac with 4GB RAM, Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard
