Sakamichi no Apollon – 05

Watching someone with a broken heart… isn’t the most interesting thing out there. That’s what most of this episode was though: Kaoru formally got rejected, and recovers at the end of the episode. Because of that I wouldn’t really say that this episode was among the highlights of this series. But the creators tried to make up for it in quite an interesting way.

This definitely was an interesting place to put Kaoru’s parents. First of all his father came back (something he longed for for quite a while now), and he also ended up meeting his mother for the first time since he was a little kid. This episode was necessary for Kaoru’s development so that he can finally move on as a character, and because of that mother the creators definitely didn’t waste a moment to do some quality character-building.

This episode also added to the rest of the cast. Ritsuko recovered visibly from the shock of last episode (she was particularly good at the point where she rejected Kaoru). It’s revealed that Jun has some serious issues and Mariko also visibly changed now that she’s in love with him. I do wonder where the creators plan to take things from now though: like I said before: Kaoru’s confession to Ritsuko happened bafflingly early. Did he really get over his crush in this episode and will the real meat of this series be something completely different, or will this show turn into some “will they won’t they” soap-opera?
Rating: *+ (Great)

16 thoughts on “Sakamichi no Apollon – 05

  1. The pace of the manga seems to be a little too fast for the anime. Even so, the direction in the climax scenes is as good as ever.

  2. Finally an anime where people take their glasses off before face planting on something! I’m glad Kaoru understands how uncomfortable sleeping in glasses is and how annoying it is that you have to clean them every time after attempting to.

    1. Kaoru takes his glasses very often after Ritsuko told him he has a handsome face without glasses. That’s mainly the reason why he removed them in the kissing scene and many times before.

  3. I thought it was a fantastic episode myself

    Also, I aways forget to take my glasses off before I faceplant. I often forget I have them at all (I’ve had them for quite a long tmie…)

    1. Ahh I’ve had them for 11 years and I always know in the back of my mind that I have them on so I just can’t imagine people lying face down on pillows and such with glasses on…

      Though he was thinking about Ritsuko at the time (^re:therra) now that I think about it so taking off his glasses does have a meaning there.

  4. Did he really get over his crush in this episode and will the real meat of this series be something completely different, or will this show turn into some “will they won’t they” soap-opera?

    I think no matter what happens, it’ll still be a great story. I think Kaoru’s mom summed it up perfectly when she said getting heartbroken is proof that Kaoru is in the middle of his youth. Romance and hormones is an important part of that stage of their lives but there’s so much more to it. It’s great that Kaoru managed to reconnect with his estranged mom as well as salvage his friendship with Ritsuko. Ordinarily, it’s hard to stay friends after that kind of heartbreak. Things might rekindle or she might wind up with Sentaro. Or somebody new may enter the picture. I think the main story might be about Kaoru and Sentaro’s friendship. I loved the part when Sentaro jumped into Kaoru’s room. Yes, this is how people used to get in touch back in the day before people had handphones and e-mail.

    I think right now, I’m mostly curious about how they’ll develop Jun and Mariko. It looks like he might not be the perfect stand-up guy the kids in Kyushu think he is and he might wind up acting like the old cliche of the city boy taking advantage of the naive rural girl. Or it could be some kind of misunderstanding. Jun does play in bars so he might have gotten mixed up with some seedier elements. He did try to warn Mariko off when he ran into her outside of the bar. It also seems possible that Jun might already have someone in Tokyo and so far doesn’t seem to be aware of or responding to Mariko. He looks like supporting cast so I’m not sure if he’ll stay in the main picture for long.

  5. I recall Sentaro calling Kaoru by his actual name instead of Bon/Richie last episode, but it’s back this week. Shame 🙁

  6. I thought the other girl’s name is Yuriko Fukahori. Why do people keep on calling her Mariko?

  7. That seen when kaoru is saying goodbye to his mother, played out by beautiful music was such a great scene.

    Oh Jun Nii Chan. <3

  8. Hm, there was a scene with an old lady giving a frozen tangerine to Sentaro in the train.
    Does anyone know the recipe?
    Also, I found ONE blog where someone says that frozen mandarins are popular in japan. “(which would usually be either at school as part of school lunch, or on the train for a long-distance travel; these are the two occasions we’d associate frozen mandarins with… that’s the way it is, don’t ask me why)”

    Hm, anyone?

  9. I really enjoyed this episode; sure, it was primarily about Kaoru’s broken heart, but after four episodes, we’re invested enough in his character to allow him at least part of the fifth to mope. As long as it doesn’t happen every week.

    I for one am glad he (A) confessed early, (B) she answered quickly, and (C) they both got over that awkwardness so they could continue their friendship, which neither believed was worth throwing out. Kaoru’s mom echoed our voice saying “it’s not the end of the world, get over it and move on,” and that’s indeed what he’s trying to do.

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