Ah, it’s almost a shame that there are just two episodes left, but that’s the strength of a good Noitamina-series: they’re short, but really, really sweet. This episode was the calm before the storm: preparing everything for that finale, and it’s promising to become an awesome one that is going to involve every single character significantly.
I really liked how both Jinta and Poppo nearly broke their character. Unlike Yukiatsu who isn’t afraid to show his personal feelings or Naruko who is terrible at hiding them, both of them have been quite good at dodging these things. This time, even that composure broke. Especially Jinta, who right now is the one threatening to screw everything up.
As to the “big plothole” of this series, I think that it has a lot to do with this. While it remains questionable why Menma waited so long on announcing her presence, it is clear now why Jinta didn’t push her to do that: it’s pretty much as Yukiatsu said; Jinta wants to stay with Menma and wants to have her for himself, while at the same time he still has parts of the attention whore that he was when he was younger.
Meanwhile, Tsuruko also finally showed some new things of herself. She really is going to be a big mystery for that ending as well: she’s the most composed member of the cast so she really had relatively few scenes to show her character off compared to the more unstable characters, but with Yukiatsu getting stranger and stranger (he’s also hitting on Naruko now? Is this because he’s interested in her or because he just wants to take everything away from Jinta?) we finally get to see that she too has at least a crush. Her character was invaluable to the series, though. It showed that the cast wasn’t entirely made up out of people with issues. It was exactly what the cast needed here for variety.
Rating: ** (Excellent)
I was hoping for an awesome follow up and this sure didn’t disappoint. There was development in directions I totally didn’t expect but fit it perfectly. It addressed the effect of the others not being able to see Menma on levels I didn’t anticipate. Interesting little twist, how Menma can only write in either her diary or the pillar of their secret base; Places she had only written in in life?
it is clear now why Jinta didn’t push her to do that
Hm. I still think a part of it was Jinta still being unsure whether the Menma with him was real or just a figment of his imagination.
he just wants to take everything away from Jinta?
Hm. I’d like to think it’s less about that than him just trying to get over Menma through a person in a similar position. Jinta doesn’t see Naruko in that way anyway. Well, we’ll leave the question of whether Yukiatsu actually has any feelings for Naruko or whether he’s just using her as a replacement for Menma for later. I don’t see Yukiatsu as truly mean-spirited. He held off on punching Yadomi at the end of the last episode and cried. I think he cares about Yadomi in his own way and felt sorry for him for his apparent delusions and went along with it to help him get back to his feet, in spite of all the pain it was causing. Well, there might have been a part of him that wanted to settle his own past feelings.
we finally get to see that she too has at least a crush
Hm. I think Tsuruko has been in love with Yukiatsu since childhood. She kept the hairpin Yukiatsu threw away and still wears it from time to time. She hangs around him even though she knows he’s still hung up on Menma. I think she only turned him down to his tea offer way back when because she knew he wasn’t really interested in her yet. She’s another one still living in the past, still liking Yukiatsu from the shadows as he liked Menma. This new plot twist is interesting.
I’m also curious about Poppo too. What was he trying to ask?
Wasn’t Tsuruko smiling when she saw Yukiatsu and Anjou talking, or was that frown? I can’t quite remember. In any case, it’s nice to see that Anjou and Yukiatsu are using each other to deal with the pain of rejection. Their kindred spirits in that they both failed in their love struggles, as much as Anjou wants to deny it, it’s true.
In any case, it’s nice to see that Anjou and Yukiatsu are using each other to deal with the pain of rejection.
Yea. I think these two are moving forward, although I’m not sure if they’ll work out as a couple, even after this series is over. Unlike Yukiatsu, Anjou still has a chance with the love of her life if Menma moves on. Yukiatsu might wind up responding to Tsuruko’s feelings too, once he finally notices. And Poppo might have some loose ends to tie up too.
Jin-tan and Yukiatsu seem to be having a contest this episode about who can be the most insensitive jerk. Jin-tan’s got no eyes for the land of the living now that the others believe Menma exists and he feels he can talk to her wherever, and Yukiatsu’s got no eyes for those that have been around him and supported him all this time.
Poor Menma really is part cure and part poison for the group (in different quantities each episode), but she’s too immature to realise it. Jin-tan was moving in a really promising direction a while back, but I’ve been pretty disgusted with him since he ran away from Anaru last episode, then didn’t even notice how much he was hurting her in this one because he’s too fixated on the dead girl.
I really hope that the ending can resolve everything properly (Personally, I think Menma being happily sent off and Jin-tan and Anaru hooking up, and probably Yukiatsu and Tsuruko doing the same is the best hope of salvation for each of them) – but if there are only 2 episodes left it really does seem to be cutting it fine.
but I’ve been pretty disgusted with him since he ran away from Anaru last episode
Really reminds me of Menma running away from Yukiatsu when he tried to give her that hairpin.
but if there are only 2 episodes left it really does seem to be cutting it fine.
Agreed. There’s no way this would get extended into a second season…right?
Meh. I think she deserved it. Anjou basically proved that she was never thinking about his well-being, just feeling sorry for herself. She deserves the cold shoulder. Poor Menma? Poor Jinta.. no one’s helped him all these years, and now he’s having to figure everything out for himself.
Exactly. He’s even got a good reason to be bitter about it.
He’s one of the most interesting characters I’ve seen in recent times, and fast becoming my favorite character in this series. I like the idea that on some level he’s trying to hurt Jinta, for something the poor kid doesn’t really deserve.
It’s true what they say, if you want people to hate someone, just have them give an annoying and cute moe girl the cold shoulder.
yukiatsu and anjou are definitely helping each other to move forward. I love how mature yukiatsu has been throughout the series even when his cross-dressing was discovered he handled it really well. As oppose to what people think I’m happy to see he notices anjou pain over her one-sided love and in many ways they are both similar. If there is anyone who can help them move forward it is these two. Will they survive as a couple? who knows..the future is so uncertain. I’m actually really worried about jin-tan because unlike the other two whom heads are firmly with the living, Jin-tan head is in the clouds so it makes me wonder how will he cope with menma really disappearing forever.
ah poor Anaru…really can’t catch a break
Yes, I thought Tsuruko’s pus squeezing plan had really worked. Except he’s still insanely jealous of Jin-tan to the point that he can quickly fly into a rage (physical violence against Jin-tan last time, or the fencepost this time) or become depressed and wild (crying and pleading with Jin-tan last time, and Menma’s dad his time).
The guy’s still seriously unbalanced, as is Jin-tan, who walked towards reality/society, just to walk away again. I really do wonder if these two, who were hurt the most by Menma’s death can be saved.
After this episode I’m getting a strong sense that the feel-good / life-affirming vibe in the earlier episodes is a big fake-out, and the end is going to go for something more “shocking” than mere “bittersweet”.
Part of it’s just some clues it seems to be putting out there, and part of it seems to be that there don’t seem to be that many routes available to shoot for a “normal” bittersweet ending. But what do I know really? I made some embarrassing predictions about this show on one of your earlier posts. Should learn my lesson, but never do.
But yeah, the big thing with this episode is that for such a “calm before the storm” it really made any kind of happy-ish ending seem very far away.
The close-ups on Anjous face have been awesome.