hontou ni sou omou?

The episode starts with, what appears to be, a rather creepy Sachiko stalker, Mifuyu, thinking that is Yumi is Not Worthy and most of the episode is told from her point of view. In many ways, she is quite similar to Yumi - being an unremarkable girl of no special qualities who is a Sachiko fan. Only that she has had the akogare for Sachiko for yonks.

By chance, she had seen Sachiko hide her red card on the morning of the treasure hunt and nicked it. Overwhelmed with remorse later and realizing how her dishonesty would have poisoned the prize date, she tries to rebury the card but is interrupted by Yumi. Thus the mystery of the disappearing/reappearing card is solved. However, in the course of her interaction with Yumi, she realizes that Yumi is indeed special and right for Sachiko.

It must have been painful for Mifuyu to learn that Sachiko didn’t remember her especially since the former had been so happy to be reunited with her idol - not just back in Lilian but in the same class. Actually I found it quite funny since I couldn’t help but remember Kaorin’s annual desperate check of the class lists to see if she was still in the same class as Sakaki-san. Though I don’t particular like Sachiko as a character (even though she is wonderfully voiced by Miki Itou), I suppose her aloofness is a reasonable defence against the burden of all those admiring eyes and the sense of alienation it produces - aptly illustrated by this really poignant Megatokyo comic.

So we’re back at the start of the episode and it’s rather less sinister now that it’s been set into its proper context. Mifuyu’s untying of tiny ponytails marked her acceptance of Yumi which is followed up by a haircut. A definite symbolic marker since sudden changes in personal appearance often heralds rearrangement of the mental furniture as well. Again, I was reminded of Azumanga when Tomo arrives on the first day of the final high school year with her locks shorn and Chiyo checked with Yumi if Tomo had just had some change to her BGR status.

A nice moment between Rosa Gigantea and her bouton. Sei was sooo smooth in the way she took Shimako’s hand into her own and then into her pocket followed by telling her that her chocolate marble cake was delicious. I sometimes wonder if Konno Oyuki wrote Sei to be an Archtype i.e. the Perfect Alpha Lesbian. It also foreshadows the usually unflappable Shimako’s distress when Sei graduates.

Reminded of that marvellous wallpaper on Erica’s laptop during her presentation at the Yuri Revolution (Tokyo) 2005, featuring Sei’s thumb-up from Haru Ep 4 with the caption "Lesbian Approved". LOL [Edit: You can see a photo of said wallpaper here.]

I really liked this episode because (1) it was told from the point of view of a seemingly throwaway character from the previous episode; (2) it explained the mystery of the card which is a great contrast to all the plot holes that plague many other animes *coughGSDcough*; (3) Mifuyu gets resolution by realizing why Sachiko chose Yumi (though I’m tempted to add, in that CLAMP way - not just Yuuko but Kaho Mizuki in Ep 45 and 46 of Cardcaptor Sakura, that it’s hitsuzen), learning to let go of Sachiko, to sincerely give her blessing to Yumi and thus feel something change, for the better, in her own heart as well. It can be plenty hard to love wholeheartedly but it’s often harder to let go.