Pushing back important conversations can lead to awkward misunderstandings
What They Say:
Meetings, meetings, meetings… can’t we just have a casual conversation? When setting up an important meeting, its easy to get anxious – what could be so important that we need to have a formal meeting? As Goto-sensei racks his brain over the negative possibilities, he fails to realize what positive changes he can make in the present.
The Review
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
“I’d like to hold a family meeting” was probably one of the last things Goto-sensei thought he’d hear Hime say. Apparently Kakushi Goto and important meetings don’t blend very well. In this week’s episode, we’ll see Goto make full use of his worst personality trait – coming to his own conclusions about conversations he hasn’t even had.
When Hime suggests a family meeting, Goto’s immediate reaction is avoidance. They don’t have a meeting room in the house, so how could they hold such an important meeting? Goto’s silly justification buys him some time to think about what Hime wants to hold a meeting for. But as we already know, the more Goto thinks about things, the more off-track his understanding of the situation is. As he wanders the streets mulling over the topic, he runs into both Tomaruin and Rokujou-sensei. All three of them are worried over an upcoming meeting, and in talking about their worries, they create a triangle of misinterpretation. But while talking about their discrepancies with meetings in general, they realize they’ve formed their own casual meeting spot in front of an old well. When looking at meetings as a form of communication, every has a different approach. Meetings are a clear-cut time frame for people to talk things out – some like to keep things formal while others prefer a more casual atmosphere. And then there’s people like Goto-sensei who would prefer to get rid of meetings altogether. The irony is that Goto, as well as Tomaruin and Rokujou, have clearly misunderstood that they’re each talking about their own meetings. Goto may want to eliminate meetings, but if he isn’t forced to confront the topic at hand, he’s likely to misconstrue the intent of others (as we’ll see throughout the rest of the episode).
Hime and her classmates continue the discussion at school. Hime’s friends tell her that you don’t need a designated meeting room to have meetings. But in most cases, people like to congregate in certain areas to have these kinds of conversations, like ‘water cooler talks’ for example. And so, the Meguro River Detective Agency has a new task – find Hime a ‘water cooler’ spot to have a meeting with her dad. Really makes you think when the adventurous grade-schoolers are more productive than the adults.
Meanwhile, Goto moves from one misunderstanding to the next. Tomaruin invites Goto to have dinner with the magazine’s editor-in-chief. Likewise, Tomaruin invites the editor-in-chief to a dinner with Goto-sensei. Just as you’d expect, both of them imagine the worst-case scenario. To have a luxurious dinner with the editor-in-chief could only mean one thing – Goto’s manga was getting the axe. And for a manga artist to invite the editor-in-chief to dinner meant he must be displeased with his current circumstance. There’s already a clear message to these constant misconceptions – if you’re going to have a meeting, it’s important to outline the topic of conversation ahead of time!! The two exchange their transgressions and come to a compromise – Tights in the Wind will receive color pages in 10 weeks. In Goto-sensei’s convoluted mind, that means he has 10 weeks to finish the story. With an ending in sight, Goto heads toward Mangaka Purgatory, a perilous period when a manga artist must create a new series before losing all relevance and falling further off the deep end. But the end of a series is also a time to shine. In many cases, an artist can do their best work when they have a clear goal in sight, and so Tights in the Wind sees a short window of boosted popularity. Of course, that all ends when Goto realizes he isn’t getting the boot.
Finally, Goto and Hime have their family meeting. Hime brought up her birthday party previously and Goto promised to throw her a grand party with tons of fried chicken. This family meeting was simply Hime asking Goto if he could make fried chicken for her friend’s birthday party as well. All of that worrying Goto did was for nothing, and all it took to clear the air was sitting down and talking to Hime. We flash forward, leaving winter behind, gliding through spring to Hime’s birthday party. It’s a wholesome gathering of all the characters, with plenty of fried chicken, presents and laughter to go around. Goto also promised Hime a 2nd birthday party, one with just the two of them (three including Roku). In this lovely moment, the two wished they could do this every year for the rest of their lives… and then we return to Hime on her 18th birthday.
She’s sitting in Goto’s old storehouse, flipping through an old photo book, a much bigger Roku by her side. Suddenly, she hears a sound coming from the front door. A key and a map lay on the stoop, with a letter that reads “secrets lie here”. Hime heads toward the mysterious location, where all the secrets will finally be revealed.
In Summary:
I can’t believe there’s only one more week of Kakushigoto. There’s still so much mystery behind the Goto family, and based on the dialogue from the preview, we’re in for some other surprise reveals! The manga is set to release its final volume at the same time as episode 12. It’s almost time for Goto to come clean… I already can’t wait for the season finale!!
Grade: B
Streamed By: Funimation
