--- Maison Ikkoku Guidebook Release 8: Part 4 of 8 Copyright 1995 by the Misery Loves Company (see the full copyright notice in part 1 of this guidebook) Complete Episode Synopses: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Format of the synopses: ---------------------- Note: The sections enclosed in () parentheses are optional. Notice the keyword that sits at the top right corner of the title border. Every synopsis in this Guidebook is marked by a keyword in this format: @ + ep + number For example: @ep0 (hypothetically) ================================================================== keyword == Episode xx: == == <> == == or == == <> == ========================================================================== [... Revision notes ...] [... ( Opening comments ) ...] Air Date - when the episode was first broadcast on television Date of Story - as accurately as I can guess Duration - calculation method: (date at end) - (date at start) +1 Therefore, if the episode starts on late evening on one day and ends at midnight, that is counted as a whole day. Ex. episode starts at 23:00 on Jan 1st, and ends at 2:00 on Jan 2nd = 2 days Cast in order of appearance - this also includes voice-only scenes - the characters appear on a new line when a new major scene is started ( Continuing theme ) - any major story theme that has been carried over into the current episode Ex. Godai is still studying for juken. Yagami is entrenching in Godai's life. ( Highlights ) Ex. A new character is introduced. A new story arc is started. References to - which episodes are referred to by this episode Is referenced by - which episodes refer to this episode ( Notes about the episode's events which seem important to note ) Synopsis: -------- [... ( any changes to the OP ) ...] FIRST HALF [... episode title appearance and what music goes with it ...] - MI is one of those shows in which the title is displayed at some opportune moment *after* the episode has been playing for a few minutes. [ commercial break ] SECOND HALF [... who narrates the preview ...] - For the first half of the series only Kyoko narrates this part, but later on, almost everybody who appears in the episode participates in this section. [... ( any changes to the ED ) ...] [... ( ending comments ) ...] Footnotes: ---------- [... ( footnotes ) ...] ------------ .5.> ==================================================================== @ep01 == Episode 1: == == Nice to meet you! == == I'm Kyoko Otonashi. == ========================================================================== Air Date: March 26, 1986 Date of Story: October 1984 Duration: 1 day (morning until morning) Cast in order of appearance: Godai, Yotsuya, Akemi, Ichinose, the UY kids, Souichiro-san, Tokeizaka merchants, Kyoko, Mr. Otonashi, Ms. Otonashi, Kentaro. Highlights: Introduction of most of the main characters. Is referenced by: #96 (the very last scene) [ OP: Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa ] Godai introduces himself as a student trying to study for an exam - only to be constantly interrupted by a group of three residents who always party in his room. [ Titles ] The camera pans over Tokeizaka in the morning, and back to Godai's room. Godai opens the window and begins yelling at the loon squad, telling them how he has to study for an exam the next day. After comments ranging from "you could have slept, we wouldn't have minded" to "there's no more beer", he finally screams at them to get out of his room, only to be hit by pots and pans from the neighbors he has woken up. Now that the party is over, they finally leave his room - leaving a confused Godai and a trashed room. Cut to some familiar looking kids running over a bridge, who then look down and notice an ugly-looking dog. Said ugly dog is riding on the top of a moving truck, driving through downtown Tokeizaka. While asking directions, the local merchants express sadness at the thought of Kyoko moving into Ikkoku-kan (which already has a reputation apparently.) [1] She finally convinces them that she does indeed want to go to Ikkoku-kan (to which they respond "how saaaad...") Back in Ikkoku-kan, Godai is trying to leave with a packed bag, only to be pulled back by Yotsuya. Ichinose notes that this is the third time this month he's threatened to leave. Godai claims the environment is disturbing his studies, but Ichinose claims it's his own intelligence. Akemi walks down the stairs in her typical lack of clothing, shocking Godai (but no one else.) He finally gets up and begins walking toward the door when... Kyoko walks in, and asks if this is Ikkoku-kan. Godai, his leg suspended in mid-air, stares at her, as do the other residents. Not getting an answer, Kyoko asks again. Godai drops his bag. They finally tell her that this is Ikkoku-kan. Kyoko then introduces herself as the new manager. The residents are surprised, and ask what happened to the old manager. We find out in flashback that he left one rainy night, because he was "tired" (probably of putting up with all the noisy residents.) Yotsuya, noticing that Godai seems somewhat enchanted with the new manager, asks him what he was going to tell the manager. Godai denies that he was going to leave at all, and tries to pass it off as a joke. Kyoko announces that she is going to move in. While the loon squad wonders if she can handle the job (and them), Godai stares at the entrance, says her name, and notes how beautiful it is... [ commercial break ] Kyoko (now wearing her Piyo-Piyo apron, the first time we've seen her with it on) is moving the last of her things in. Souichiro's dog house has already been set up. Godai is looking down from the second floor window. Kyoko notices him; Godai (somewhat embarrassed) asks if he can help. She says no thanks, that "ronin-san" should continue studying. Godai goes back to his room, somewhat hurt. (Cut to Kyoko sweeping.) Godai, back in his room, becomes determined to study - and wonders how to patch up the hole between his room and Yotsuya's. Kentaro comes running home, only to notice a new doghouse, a new dog (who promptly leaps out and begins licking him), and a new manager. Kentaro calls for his mother, asking who these people are; Kyoko introduces herself. She also introduces her dog - 'Souichiro-san.' Ichinose is surprised at the honorific, noting that this *is* a dog. Kyoko says "hai!", and Kentaro tells Souichiro-san that he has a weird name. Back in room 5, Godai is finishing patching up the hole with wood and nails, only to hear a small sound, then a loud sound, then the sound of Yotsuya using a large log to break through the hole. Godai becomes very frustrated, but Yotsuya distracts him by looking through the small peephole to Akemi's room and saying "Look! I can see everything!" Godai forgets about the hole and joins Yotsuya, only to note that this is the same thing he saw this morning. Yotsuya replies that it's more fun when they're sneaking around. Godai asks Yotsuya to leave again, but he stays to talk about Kyoko. Yotsuya is eating one of Godai's cup ramens. Godai asks Yotsuya what he does for a living (since he's home on a weekday); Yotsuya says he won't tell him. Downstairs, Akemi visits Kyoko and tells her that Godai has been peeping. They go upstairs to Godai's room, and Akemi shows Kyoko the hole (but not before Godai makes a desperate attempt to clean up his room, knocking over a stack of 'adult magazines' in the process.) Defending himself, Godai shows Kyoko the *other* hole in his room. After asking if Yotsuya lives next door, she asks if Godai likes peeping at men as well... [ The animation sequence that follows is quite bizarre... Godai 'explodes', and a small Japanese flag appears on his head. Many small chicks (as they appear on the apron) run by, and a giant chick pounds him into the ground. More chicks run by.] Later that day, Kyoko is fixing the peephole. Godai is trying to convince her that he wasn't peeping, but Kyoko justs asks for a nail and tells him to keep studying. Instead of studying, Godai stares at Kyoko's rear. When Kyoko asks if Godai has a "moshi" (mock exam) the next day, Godai (lost in 'thought') asks if there is something wrong with her "koshi" (rear.) Kyoko, now mad, repeats her question. Yotsuya interrupts, asking what Godai was thinking of while he was staring at her "koshi." Godai tries to deny it, but soon Ichinose, Akemi, and Kentaro show up with beer and begin to party in his room. He tries to stop them, saying he has an exam the next day; Kyoko also says that maybe they are imposing, but they continue to have a party. Godai tries to study at his desk (unsuccessfully, of course.) Meanwhile, in Tokeizaka, the merchants are walking home, worried about Kyoko. Back at Ikkoku-kan, the loon squad is up to their usual activities. Kyoko asks if they are imposing, but Akemi says that they are instead providing a useful service: an excuse for him to fail. Godai walks in his closet, saying that he is going to sleep. After a brief attempt to get him out, and Kyoko protesting that they have hurt his feelings (which Godai overhears), the loon squad begins acting like Kyoko is taking off her clothes. She feels uncomfortable, but soon Godai cracks open the closet door to take a peek, and Akemi and Yotsuya catch him in the act, saying "this is the kind of guy he really is." Kyoko is upset. The next morning, Kyoko is sweeping the walk. She stops and talks a bit to Souichiro-san, doubting whether she can deal with these people anymore. Upstairs, Godai is trying to jump out the window, with Yotsuya and Akemi restraining him. As he looks out, he sees Kyoko... One cold winter day, a beautiful manager came to Ikkoku-kan. Kyoko-san... I... -- Steven Miale [ Preview: Kyoko narrates. ] [ ED: Ashita Hareru Ka ] [1] Steve: I forgot who noted it first, but that does look like Jigen and Lupin... note the sideburns on the second mover. Footnotes: ---------- (x) Michael Liu: Here's a question I've been wondering about now and then: is there a term in Japanese for "buggery" that involves the use of the word "chicken"? I'm thinking of the famous "giant chicks" scene in episode one, of course. The visual joke carries more than one level in Chinese, as there is a common term in Chinese for "buggery" that uses the word "chicken". The fact it was chicks falling added a colourful (yellow, to be exact ;) third layer to the joke. If Japanese does not have these points in common, then I'd call this the biggest unintentional joke I've ever seen. ] (x) Tarigan: In this scene Akemi says, "Deta~~~!! Ama-no-iwato! Ama-no-iwato!" Mitch Hagmaier: The line, Ama no iwato, is a reference to a line in the Kojiki, Ama no iwato, which roughly means "into the heavenly cavern door". It's a reference to a bit of mythology where the Sun Goddess is offended by her brother, Susano-O, when he goes on a rampage, tearing up ricefields, defecating in the dining hall, etc; she retreats into this heavenly cavern, and is only lured out with trick involving an imaginary goddess as bright and beautiful as she. I'm sure you can see the parallel. ==================================================================== @ep02 == Episode 2: == == Love spark flying around. == == Who does Kyoko-san love? == ========================================================================= Footnotes: ---------- Title: Acts of Violence Episode - Cause and effect. 2 - On the roof, Godai squeezes Kyoko's left breast. She floors him with a slap to the left cheek. 3 - In the attic, Godai cradles Kyoko's head after she had fallen and been knocked out. She punches him several times. 7 - Watching Kyoko accept Souichiro's gratitude for breakfast, Godai asks Kyoko if she prefers dogs. She slaps him on the right cheek. 8 - Godai mis-explains his drunken act. With tears in her eyes, Kyoko slaps him on the left cheek. 14 - After their date, Godai tries to take her by surprise and kiss her. She reciprocates with a slap to the left cheek. 26 - Godai asks too much about her date with Mitaka. She throws a can that "strikes" his forehead. 47 - Godai was only carrying her home, piggy-back, but she drunkenly strangles him and then repeatedly pounds the back of his head. 69 - After Godai saves her in the swimming pool, Kyoko sees his kissmark, so she passionately bites him on the right shoulder. 70 - Due to an unfortunate act of Dog, Godai lifts Kyoko's skirt. Thunder, lightning, and a slap to the left cheek. 85 - Godai says he went out drinking. She sobers him up with a slap to the left cheek. 89 - Seems Godai proposed to Kozue. This calls for a really hard whack... to the left cheek. <.5. ==================================================================== @ep03 == Episode 3: == == Hearts beating in the darkness! == == Alone with Kyoko-san == ========================================================================== Footnotes: ---------- .6.> C.H.Yung: In room 5, just above the hole to room 4, hangs the poster of LUM of UY. Kentaro is watching TV, which show Neko and Shiro, the running gag characters in UY. <.6. Tarigan: Godai has hung a small doll from the edge of the roof just outside his window. It looks a bit like a ghost: white and has a spherical head with a curtain-like body. A thin string is used to hang it by the neck. The face that's drawn on the head looks like this: _---__ _---__ / -- / -- ( hiragana `he') -+- -+- ( hiragana `mo') \__/ _---__ / -- The name of that kind of doll is teru-teru-bozu. The purpose of it is to stop rain. teru = shine bozu = Buddhist monk who shaves off his hair --Katayama The teru-teru-bozu custom has been around at least since the tenth century, when it was mentioned in a diary. Children make the doll to pray for good weather at a picnic or any special occasion. First, paper is crumpled and rolled into a small ball. This will be the head and it's rolled up into another sheet of paper so that it will form a smooth surface for the face. One more paper made in the form of a cone is joined so as to form the body. These dolls are hung from the edges of roofs or from trees. Children sing a song asking that teru-teru-bozu bring good weather for the next day. If it does rain, the teru-teru-bozu stays in the rain or maybe is thrown into the mud in disgrace. [CELE90] .5.> This is the song that goes with the teru-teru-boozu doll: Teru-teru-boozu, teru-boozu, ashita ten'ki ni shite okure. Itsu ka no yume no sora no yoo ni, haretara gin no suzu ageyoo. (Note: yume = dream; suzu = bell) Charles McCarter: As a rough translation: Teru-teru boozu, teru-teru boozu, Decide tomorrow's weather for me. If it's clear like the sky I saw once in a dream, I'll give you a silver bell. Gordon Tam: Maybe if you would change your translation to: Teru-teru boozu, teru-teru boozu, Can you tell me the weather for tomorrow. If the weather is clear like the dream I had, I'll give you a silver bell. Thomas-san: I asked my living dictionary, Shigemi Minetaka, about this. She said they used to sing this first line while swinging their legs and then throw their slippers at the end. If the slippers landed on their soles, it would be sunny, on their side meant cloudy and upside down meant rain. `teru' comes from the verb for shine as in sunshine; ie. it has connotations of nice weather. (I've forgotten the verb, maybe `hi ga hanateru'?) `bouzu' means (Buddhist) monk. According to my living dictionary, it would be hung head up if you wanted good weather and head down if you were hoping for bad (e.g. to get something postponed due to poor weather). Shambaugh-san: Actually, "boozu" can mean "my boy" (ref: Wings of Honneamise) or just any bald person (ref: Umi-boozu in City Hunter) - Note how the Teru-boozu looks like a little bald head! They're cute. <.5. Tarigan: Actually, remember that in Japanese, the word `fall' is a synonym for fail. At the end of this episode the teru-teru-bozu doll falls from the roof. Even though it isn't raining when Godai leaves for his exam, I suppose the doll failed in a way since it's because of the previous day's rain that Godai slid all the way down the hill. ==================================================================== @ep05 == Episode 5: == == Kyoko-san worried! == == Godai-kun ran away == ========================================================================== Footnotes: ---------- (x) Jeff Williamson: The 23rd episode features another appearance of Kyoko's "letter jacket" -- in the scene where she returns home to an emptied room, and also later in the episode, she is wearing a jacket with a patch on the left breast. The design on the patch is a stylized "K.O." ("Kyoko Otonashi"). Godai has a similar jacket with a "Y.G." patch ("Yusaku Godai"), which we see more often during the series. Note: I always pictured Kyoko "graduating" to a "K.G." patch after the end of the series... :) Tarigan: In this 5th episode, Kyoko is wearing her "letter jacket" when she goes to pick up Godai's Grandma. .5.> (y) Sue Shambaugh: Did you know that the "Exam results" number that Godai is identified by (in the scene where they go to look at the posted ID numbers of those students whose test scores actually got them into a school) has a special meaning in Buddhist mythology? "4989" - It corresponds to the number of torments that one must endure in this life :-} How appropriate for Godai! <.5. .7.> Jeff Williamson: When Godai is camped out at Sakamoto's place, early in the episode, Sakamoto is reading a manga called "Meron (Melon?) Ikkoku", with a picture of Souichiro (the dog) on the cover. "Meron" is spelled in katakana. First appearance of the "OK" jacket. (I forget which episode I added this footnote for originally, but it should move here if it hasn't already.) Something I noticed before but never really congealed into coherent thought: the clock tower at Godai's university is graced by a large ------------ -------- -------------- ("san"?) However it's pronounced, it is the character which means "three". Perhaps this is a pun on Godai's *third*-rate university. Michael Liu: No, it's a direct reference. Third-Rate is the real name of the university Godai attended. :) I laughed out loud when I read the school's name plate in the anime, but the subtitlers didn't bother pointing that out. ==================================================================== @ep06 == Episode 6: == == Spring is shocking! Kyoko-san's Secret == ========================================================================== Footnotes: ---------- Jeff Williamson: Actually from episode 1. The NT-Anime liner notes at the end of Ep. 1 mention this in passing, but I provide positive visual ID here. Those three constantly-appearing scamps (school kids who are NEVER in school) are SD Urusei Yatsura characters: Ataru, Shinobu, and Megane. There's a sign in the background: "Yamaguchi Nozoe". Is this a name reference, an in-joke, or a perfectly normal sign? I ask because in episode 2 or 3, I noticed a background sign which reads: "TOMOBIKI CHO ATARU". Both signs are in Romanji. ==================================================================== @ep07 == Episode 7: == == Tormented Godai-kun! The man Kyoko loves == ========================================================================== Footnotes: ---------- Jeff Williamson: Frame-step through the phone conversation between Kyoko and her exuberant niece. When Ikuko yells "Oniichan ga iino!" (I want oniichan!) over the phone, a visual speech bubble with that very phrase blasts Kyoko-no-obasama away from the receiver. Amusing. <.7. .6.> ==================================================================== @ep08 == Episode 8: == == Godai-kun's Forbidden Yell == == When the Time Comes, You Do It! == ========================================================================== Synopsis -------- by Ben C. Cheng Based off of the episode released by NT-Anime/Blue Shield/Maison Ikkoku Project which itself was based off of the scripts by Daisuke Suzuki and AA. OP: Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa (Hello Sadness) Cast (in order of appearance): Godai, Kyoko, Sakamoto, Akemi, Ichinose, Yotsuya, Woman 1, Woman 2, Master of Cha Cha Maru. Opening on front lawn of Ikkoku-kan with 3 sparrows searching for food. Slow pan up to see kanrinin-san sweeping the pathway. Cut to Godai in his room packing books into his bag. Narration by Godai begins. Godai: Even though I now know the truth about Souichiro-san, Cut back to Kyoko-san sweeping out front. Godai: my feelings for Kyoko-san just get stronger. Godai heads downstairs. Godai: But I can't do anything about it. Cut back to the outside where Kyoko-san finishes sweeping and starts to head inside. Godai: Every day is filled with agony. Godai puts on his shoes and steps out the door right when Kyoko is coming in. They run straight on into each other and a startled Kyoko drops her broom. Souichiro-san looks up and emits a plaintive "Bouu?" Godai, still standing chest-to-chest with Kyoko looks stunned. Godai: Oh, sorry. Kyoko: No, it's my fault. They quickly jump apart and share strained laughter. Godai notices the fallen broom, picks it up and hands it with a smile to Kyoko. Godai: Here. Kyoko: Thanks. Godai starts running down the path. Kyoko: See you later! Godai hesitates for a second, turns around and answers with a smile. Godai: See you later! Kyoko smiles happily as she watches him go. [cut to title screen] Godai is walking along amongst a massive green crowd looking rather pensive. A red balloon floats into the sky and Godai stops to stare after it. (Is there some meaning to the balloon?) Cut to the Days Dream Coffee & Bar... Godai & Sakamoto are drinking beer at one of the tables on the second level. Sakamoto (shouting across the table at Godai): If you're a man, just say it. Confess! Godai (looks up with a determined look on his face): Kyoko-san!... Breaks down and smashes his forehead against the table. Godai: I can't say it! I just can't say it! Sakamoto (stands up from his seat): Godai! Starts to look pained and miserable. Sakamoto: It must be hard... and painful. Picks up his mug of beer and pours some into Godai's mug. Sakamoto: Here, drink up. Godai: Thanks. Godai drinks it all in one gulp. Sakamoto: But you can't keep on like this. Get up your courage and say it. Godai (looking miserably into his mug): But... Sakamoto (as he pours more beer for Godai): No buts. The woman is probably waiting for it. Godai drinks it all in one gulp again. Godai: But I just... Sakamoto: I know how you feel. But you have to say it here. Right, Godai? Stand up like a man! Godai once again looks up with determination on his face. Godai: Kyoko-san!... Breaks down again. Godai: It's no good. I just can't say it. Sakamoto tries to badger Godai into saying it. Sakamoto: Godai, say it! You have to! Godai: Kyoko-san!... Breaks down once again. Sakamoto lets go of Godai who drops face-first onto the floor. Sakamoto: Right! I'll say it for you! Sakamoto inhales deeply for a loud shout... Sakamoto: Kyoko-san, I lov... Godai suddenly realizes what Sakamoto is doing... Godai: STOP! Stop that! Whole scene starts to spin until the full moon comes into view. Akemi returns to Ikkoku-kan completely blasted. Tosses a box of leftovers to Souichiro-san which he promptly attacks with gusto. Akemi opens the front doors: Akemi: Hey, everyone in Ikkoku-kan! I'm back! Stumbles in, kicks off her shoes, and passes out on the mat inside the front entrance. Kyoko runs in to see what's going as does Ichinose-san who has her face plastered with beauty cream (or something). Kyoko tries to revive Akemi from her stupor. Kyoko: Akemi-san! If you sleep here, you'll catch a cold. Akemi (turning over): Leave me alone, I'm sleeping. Kyoko (still trying to get Akemi to move): Come on. Wake up! Akemi is asleep. Kyoko sighs and then tries to pick Akemi up. Failing that, she tries to situate Akemi into position for a piggyback ride. Ichinose-san who has been watching all this from the side speaks up. Ichinose: You're pretty strong, aren't you? Right when she says this, Kyoko falls over. Kyoko looks up from the floor at Ichinose and pleads: Kyoko: Ichinose-san, don't just watch! Lend me a hand. She's too heavy for me alone. Ichinose: Sorry, sorry. Ichinose-san bends down to put one of Akemi's arms around her shoulders. Ichinose: She's really smashed. Akemi (waking up suddenly): A customer was paying so I emptied a bottle. Kyoko-san grabs Akemi's other arm. Ichinose: I feel sorry for the customer... They head towards the stairs. Outside a thump is heard followed by obviously drunk voices. Sakamoto: Damn it, who put a garbage can here?! Akemi, Kyoko, and Ichinose all stop and turn to look towards the door. Kyoko: Who could that be? Ichinose: Probably a passing drunk. From outside: Godai: I'm gonna do it! Sakamoto: Are you really gonna do it? Godai: I will. I'll tell everyone. Kyoko, recognizing Godai's voice, lets go of Akemi and runs outside. Kyoko: Godai-san! Stops in amazement as she sees Godai trying to scale the outer wall and Sakamoto clinging to garbage can. Sakamoto: Alright, Godai. Go for it! Godai stands up firmly on top of the wall and proceeds to shout into the night. Godai: HEY, EVERYBODY! I, YUHSAKU GODAI, LOVE KYOKO-SAN! Sakamoto (crying): He couldn't have said it better. Kyoko (looking worried): Godai-san. Godai: KYOKO-SAN, I LOVE YOU! Loses his balance and falls backwards off the wall. Kyoko looks frightened and rushes over to Godai. Kyoko: Are you alright, Godai-san? Godai gets unsteadily to his feet and shouts again into the sky. Godai: Kyoko-san! I love you! Kyoko: Stop it. You're disturbing the neighbors. Sakamoto (still crying and holding on to the garbage can): Please don't stop him. He can't say anything without the help of alcohol. He's such a sad man. Godai: No, I'm not saying it because I'm drunk. I'll prove it. Starts to pound on his chest. Godai: I'm sober! Kyoko (getting mad at this point): Knock it off! Godai looks around confused at Kyoko. Godai: You're Kyoko-san, aren't you? Kyoko (looking peeved): That's right. Godai: So, you heard what I said just now? Kyoko (looking down at the ground): I could hear it whether I wanted to or not. Godai: I see. You heard. Sakamoto: Thank goodness. For a while I wasn't sure... Kyoko takes Godai by his hand and starts leading him inside. Kyoko: Come on. Let's go to your room. Godai (looking enthused): We're going to my room? Kyoko (cheerily): Yeah, let's go. Godai lets out a short laugh, stops, and yanks Kyoko to him so that he's now carrying her. One of Kyoko's sandals flies through the air and lands on the grass. Militant theme music starts now. Godai (looking suddenly sober and in control): I will take you there. Sakamoto gasps as he watches Godai. Souichiro-san barks at Godai as he stumbles towards the door with Kyoko in his arms. Sakamoto crawls up to Souichiro-san and hugs him. Sakamoto: Souichiro. Please let him do it, Souichiro? Souichiro-san: Bouu??? Kyoko looks like she's in shock. The sound of her other sandal falling to the ground at the threshold snaps her out of it. Kyoko: Put me down. Godai: I'm home Ichinose: What're you doing? Kyoko (pounding on Godai's head now): Ichinose-san! Help me! Godai heads towards the stairs when Sakamoto scrambles in and mistakes Ichinose-san as Kyoko's grandmother. Sakamoto: Kanrinin-san's grandmother! Please don't stop him! Ichinose: I'm a tenant. Akemi (from a sitting position on the floor): He's a brazen seducer when he drinks. Kyoko-san is still pounding away on Godai's head in the background. Kyoko: Akemi-san!! Stop him, please! Akemi (laughs and then cheers): Godai, go for it! Kyoko: Akemi-san! Godai is now stumbling his way up the stairs. Yotsuya-san is watching from the second floor between the stair railings. Yotsuya: Looks like fun. Godai: Good evening! Kyoko (clinging to Godai after he nearly falls backward): Be careful! Yotsuya: Well, well, I see. You two really got to know each other quickly. Godai is off the stairs now and heading for his room. Yotsuya stands back to let him pass. Kyoko: No, we haven't! Godai-san, please stop. Yotsuya, help me. Yotsuya? Yotsuya-san walks by and opens the door to Godai's room. Yotsuya: Enjoy yourselves. Kyoko (as Godai turns into his room): You coldhearted beast! Godai walks into his room with a dazed but happy look on his face while Kyoko looks increasingly frightened as Godai's futon gets closer and closer. Godai pitches headfirst onto his bedding and Kyoko instinctively covers her eyes with both hands, dreading what is to come. Outside, a glittering water droplet falls off a branch. Kyoko (still covering her face): Souichiro-san... After a few seconds, Kyoko realizes that all she can hear is Godai's even and steady breathing. She looks and sits up to see Godai sleeping over her legs. Kyoko pounds him over the back of his head a few times for good measure. Yotsuya (looking in from the hole in the wall): So close. Kyoko hears him, turns around with a snarl, and fires a book at him. Yotsuya quickly retreats. Outside, Souichiro-san begins to howl. [commercial break] Morning finds Godai asleep on his futon hugging Sakamoto's leg. Godai is having a dream of Kyoko-san and gets kicked by Sakamoto which wakes him up. Sakamoto eventually gets up and both look dazed and confused. Sakamoto: I feel dizzy. Godai: My head hurts. I've got a lump. How could that have happened? Sakamoto: You probably ran into a telephone pole. Godai: I must have. Godai looks out the window to see Kyoko drying her clothes. Kyoko looks up and sees him and looks a bit startled. Godai smiles happily at her. Kyoko looks away angrily and runs off around the corner leaving Godai wondering what he did this time. Yotsuya is out in the hall washing his towel when Godai and Sakamoto emerge from Godai's room. Godai: Good morning. Yotsuya: Oh, Godai-kun. Too bad about last night. Godai: Hah? Yotsuya: Godai-kun, kanrinin-san was rather mad. Godai winces. Yotsuya: But it's understandable. If you stop halfway, any woman would get mad. Godai: What are you talking about?! Did I do something? Yotsuya walks off towards his room. Godai (begging after Yotsuya): Yotsuya-san, tell me please. Yotsuya: Godai-kun, there are things you're better off not knowing. Opens his door, steps in, turns around. Yotsuya: Sin maker. Closes his door. Godai: What's better off not knowing?! Yotsuya-san!! Sakamoto: Godai. Godai (looking at his friend for an explanation): Sakamoto. Sakamoto: I was completely drunk, too. Don't remember a thing. Godai stumbles towards the window and sees Kyoko sweeping. Godai (thinking to himself): What on Earth could I have done to kanrinin-san? Outside, Kyoko is apparently troubled as well since she sweeps dust right into Souichiro's face. Meanwhile, outside of Ichinose-san's room... Ichinose: You don't remember a thing about last night?! Godai: Shh!! Speak a little softer. What did I do? Ichinose (grins slyly): So, you don't remember, huh? (beckons to Godai): Come here. (whispers to Godai): You took your pants and shirt, and... Godai (stunned and beginning to moan): A nude dance. Godai's face is turning blue while Ichinose-san is grinning happily behind him. Godai starts imagining this little comic sequence where he removes his clothes and chases Kyoko-san around yelling, "Look, look!" and Kyoko is screaming, "Ah! A man!!" Godai, still in shock, stumbles outside where Kyoko is still sweeping. Seconds go by as they stare at each other and then Kyoko looks disdainfully away and then runs back around the house. Leaving Godai behind to try to figure out what he's gonna do. The picture with a naked Godai chasing Kyoko-san around is shown again and then fragments into little pieces. Godai and Sakamoto are eating at a noodle shop with Godai still despairing as to what he thinks he did to Kyoko-san. Godai: I'm ruined. Sakamoto: It's kind of strange, though. Godai: What is? Sakamoto: It's what your neighbor, Yotsuya-san, said. When you stopped halfway she got mad. Godai: It's because I stopped halfway in the middle of the nude dance that she got ma... (suddenly realizes the discrepancy.) Cut to a scene where Kyoko is pulling on Godai's underwear telling him not to stop. Sakamoto: Doesn't it seem strange? Godai: Now that you mention it. At the next table, two women notice Godai and start whispering loudly to each other. Woman1: Say, say. Woman2: What, what? Woman1: That man. He's the one from Ikkoku-kan. Last night, in a loud voice, he... It's true. Woman2: No way. Tell me... Godai hears them and starts to freak out. Godai: Could I have said something strange? Sakamoto (whispering to Godai): The way I figure it, you showed something you shouldn't have. It's the only thing I can figure looking at the expressions on their faces. Woman2: Really? Woman1: Kids are so bold nowadays. Godai is so upset that he falls off his chair and his glass of water spills on his head. The two women burst into giggles. Godai (through clenched teeth): I'm ruined, ruined. Godai and Sakamoto are walking back to Ikkoku-kan when they run into the Master of Cha Cha Maru dumping water outside. Master: Hey, Godai-kun. I heard you were hugging a garbage can and crying. Akemi (from inside): I saw it, I saw it. Godai looks perplexed. Sakamoto: So that's why I thought my shirt smelled like garbage. It must have been your fault. Hey, yeah. Maybe Akemi-san will tell us what really happened. Akemi: What else? Well, you hugged and kissed Souichiro-san. Godai is looking more and more upset. Sakamoto: Then the dog hairs are your fault, too. Akemi: But that's just the beginning. Godai covers his ears and starts shaking his head violently. Akemi: What's really incredible was kanrinin-san... Godai runs away screaming leaving Akemi, Master, and Sakamoto staring after him. Sakamoto: Godai! We were just reaching the climax. Godai (still running): No! I don't want to hear it! Godai finds himself underneath a train track bridge where he stops to mull things over. Godai: I did a nude dance, kissed a garbage can and Souichiro-san, yelled bad words, cornered Kyoko-san, and... and... hugged her in the middle of the street. Godai slowly sinks to the ground. Cut to Kyoko-san out on a walk with Souichiro-san to the nearby park. Kyoko-san is still thinking about last nights events and looks depressed. Kyoko (speaking to and hugging Souichiro-san): I don't know. Was he serious? But if he was joking, he overdid it. I was up all last night thinking about it. If Godai-san hadn't fallen asleep then, I... (sighs) I'm a woman alright. I'm a failure. Women always fail. (1) Night falls. Godai has returned and is peering around the outer wall to see if anyone is around. Seeing no one, he dashes towards the door. Right when he gets there though, Kyoko-san walks out with Souichiro-san's dinner. They startle each other and stare for a few seconds. Kyoko then turns her face away from Godai and walks past him to give Souichiro-san his food. Godai looks around at her and decides that he should say something. Godai: Uh, about last night. Kyoko: Hah... Godai: You must hate me. Kyoko: No, but I was a bit surprised. Godai: I guess I can't pass it off as drunken misconduct. Kyoko: It would be better if you did such things seriously, when you're sober. Godai (in disbelief): How can I do that while sober?! Kyoko (getting angry): If you were drunk, how could I tell if it was serious or a joke? Godai: Do you think I'm the kind of man who would do such a thing seriously? Kyoko (turning to face Godai and getting really upset now): Then that was a joke?! Godai (recoiling): Eh? Kyoko (on the verge of tears): You said you love me as a joke?! Godai (confused, he can only blink and gape): Ah... Kyoko slaps Godai hard on the left cheek and runs inside crying. Godai is left standing outside with his hand over his cheek wondering what the hell just happened. Godai: Then... It wasn't a nude dance. Kyoko-san runs into her room calling herself stupid. She sits down crying at her table and hides her face in her arms. Kyoko: I'm an idiot. Souichiro-san, I'm sorry. I'm not going to look at any other men. Godai walks over to Souichiro-san and looks like he's about to cry himself. Godai (despairingly): Kyoko-san... Kneels down in front of Souichiro-san and begins to cry. Godai (to the sky): Kyoko-san... Souichiro (howling along with Godai): Bouuu....... Ichinose (coming back from somewhere): What? Are you drinking again? Godai continues to wail out "Kyoko-san" while Souichiro-san accompanies him with howls. The scene pans upwards into the night sky until the full moon is once again in center view. [END] ED: Ashita Hareru Ka (Will Tomorrow Be Bright) Footnotes: ---------- (1) Just a comment. These last few sentences left me sorta confused. I'm not exactly sure if they seemed in character for Kyoko-san or not. She seems to possess a pretty strong character for someone who thinks they're a failure. Opinions? <.6. Glenn Tarigan writes: MANEKI'NEKO = (often made out of porcelain) When Godai and Sakamoto are in that Chinese restaurant, discussing the previous night's events, in the background you can see a small white figurine of a cat whose left paw is upraised. Such "beckoning cats" are often used in storefront windows where they are said to attract customers. They are for bringing about money and good business as well as being ornaments for stores. [JASU73] [LOOK89] The original beckoning cat belonged to a priest in the 16th century. His temple was very poor, but one day a cat came out to sit next to the main entrance. When a rich man passed by, the cat lifted its paw and beckoned to him. He stopped, and from that day onwards he donated money to the temple. Now, many businesses display statues of cats; the underlying belief is that these manekineko statues will help the business succeed. [ENCH83] .5.> On 12 Apr 1994, Jeff Williamson posted a more detailed quote in rec.arts.anime: From the introduction to the Eclipse Comics translation of "What's Michael" Volume One, by cat yronwode: "[...] As explained by Patricia Dale-Green in _The Cult of the Cat_ (Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1963), the Beckoning Cat is associated with an ancient cat-shrine on the grounds of a temple known as Gotoku-ji. 'This temple', she writes, 'was originally a very poor one, no more than a thatched hut run by poverty-stricken and half-starved monks. The master-priest had a cat of which he was fond, and shared with it such little food as he had. One day the cat squatted by the roadside and, when half a dozen Samurai appeared on splendid horses, it looked up at them and raised one of its paws to its ear, as if it were beckoning to them. The noble cavaliers pulled up and, as the cat continued to beckon, they followed it into the temple. Torrential rain forced them to stay for a while, so the priest gave them tea and expounded Buddhist doctrine. After this one of the Samurai--Lord Li--regularly visited the old priest to receive religious instruction from him. Eventually Li endowed the temple with a large estate and it became the property of his family. Visitor's who pass under the temple's gateways, walk through its broad avenues of towering trees and enjoy the beautifully laid-out gardens, discover, near the cemetery of the Li family, the little shrine of the beckoning cat--which, it is said, still draws pilgrims from all parts of Tokyo.' Because the Beckoning Cat had lured a wealthy patron to the poor temple, images of this cat soon became talismanic emblems and were particularly favored by shopkeepers. According to Dale-Green, 'At the entrances to their shops and restaurants, the Japanese place clay, papier-mache or wooden figures of the seated cat with one paw raised to the side of its face. Such cats are believed to promote prosperity, their beckoning paws inviting passers-by to come in and do business.' [...]" A neat little legend. Hope this explains things! I have seen "Beckoning Cat" statues in American cafes in the Chicago area. Whether or not the owners of these establishments are Japanese is undetermined--perhaps the capitalist mindset is using as much superstition as it can get. ^_^ -- Jeff D. Williamson <.5. .7.> Jeff D. Williamson: o In an early crowd scene (Godai walking among a bunch of figures who are done as green outlines), Onsen-Mark from UY walks by. o First appearance of the Neighbor Ladies (tm), a pair of background characters who show up fairly often hereafter. The redhead calls the black-haired one "okusan" (wife), but no names are exchanged. <.7. .8.> Comments: --------- Smithy on Tue, 11 Apr 1995: The alcohol misunderstanding is cleared up..to a degree. I forget what episode is was in the anime, tho. Soon after Mikita shows up as Kyoko's coach, he joins everyone from the apartment for a drink at restaurant where Asumi works. As usual, Godai's neighbors start teasing him, in this case about his drunken declaration. Kyoko starts to get embarrassed, both for herself and Godai. She tells everyone to leave Godai alone, and besides it was all a joke. She turns to Godai and says "Right?". Godai pauses for a moment and says that no, it wasn't a joke, he really meant it and still loves her. Which of course stuns everyone. I guess this is when Kyoko first realizes how serious Godai is about her. D. Eckhart: Of course this is quickly followed by Mitaka accidentally grabbing Kyoko's breast, Souichirou-san howling and general panic and confusion. :-) It seems that the drama of the moment is lost in everything that happens afterward. :-( Benny : But I think the point of this episode is that Godai clearly announces his feelings for Kyoko! :) Also, his declaration shows everyone (including Mitaka-san) that he truly does love Kyoko and that his "love call" was NOT a Joke! This then starts the rivalry war between Godai and Mitaka. This is clear when Mitaka admits his interests to Kyoko on the street after Kyoko runs out of Chachamaru. Unfortunately for Godai, at the end of this episode, Kyoko now has two men who have just committed their love for her... and thus the rivalry war begins! The "moment" may be lost, but Godai did get his point across and clearly establishes his position! This is what's important! :) <.8. ==================================================================== @ep09 == Episode 9: == == NAZO no [tenisu ko--chi] wa == == KOI no [raibaru] desu! == == or == == The Mysterious Tennis Coach Is == == The Rival of Love! == ========================================================================== [ This episode is the centerpiece of a loosely-tied three-part arc. It is most notable in that it features the very first appearance of Mitaka-san, Godai's rival for Kyoko's affections, who will plague him through most of the series. ] Air Date: 1986.05.21 Date of story: 1981 May Duration: Indeterminate; several days are implied (from before one Sunday, the first tennis practice, to the day of another tennis practice) Cast in order of appearance: Kyoko, Godai, Ichinose, Souichiro (dog), Neighbor 1, Neighbor 2, Mitaka, Merchant 1, Merchant 2, Akemi, Yotsuya, Master Consequences: A major new character, Mitaka, enters the story. References to: #8 - Flashback at the start of the episode - The neighbor ladies (in the first half) and Ichinose (in the second half) all refer to the "KYOKO-SAN! I LOVE YOU!" incident. Is referenced by: #10 - Godai flashbacks to the disaster at ChaChaMaru, mentally portraying everyone except himself and Kyoko as demons Synopsis: -------- Flashback: Due to a devastating misunderstanding, Kyoko has become rather upset with Godai. Kyoko: Oh, then that was a joke? You said you loved me as a joke?! Tears in her eyes, she slaps Godai, then runs inside Ikkoku-kan. A stunned Godai tries to figure out what went wrong. Godai: Then it wasn't a nude dance? Some time later, on a very sunny day... Godai: (Since that day, Kyoko-san hasn't spoken to me at all.) Kyoko is tending the front lawn of Ikkoku-kan, trimming back the grass with a hand sickle, as Ichinose, standing on the front walk, looks on. To break the uncomfortable silence, she asks: Ichinose: Are you two fighting? Kyoko: With whom? Ichinose: You and... Godai opens the front door and walks out onto the stoop. Ichinose turns to look at him, but Kyoko continues manicuring the lawn. Godai hesitantly makes his way down the walk, offering his standard "See you later." Ichinose returns his greeting, but Kyoko still shows no signs of turning around. Godai looks to Ichinose for some support, and gets a sympathetic look and a shake of the head: Kyoko is still angry with him. A dejected Godai hangs his head and leaves, passing the two neighbor ladies, who are gossiping amongst themselves. (1) Godai: (Though the sky is sunny like this, my heart is cloudy.) [ The episode title fades in over the sunny sky. Music is standard melancholy theme. ] Back at Ikkoku-kan, Ichinose asks Kyoko why she doesn't just make up with Godai. Kyoko: What are you talking about? Ichinose: Oh, come on, normally if he passes by, you'd go, "Ah, Godai-san, going somewhere? Part-time? See you later!" But now you don't even turn around. Ichinose's mimicry obviously hits a nerve, since Kyoko seems flustered by it. Ichinose then asks if it has to do with...THAT incident. The neighbor ladies jump in: "Oh, we heard about that. The 'KYOKO-SAN! I LOVE YOU!' incident, right?" They then chide Kyoko for not appreciating Godai's affection and running to him, claiming that given such an opportunity, they would not hesitate. Kyoko tries to demur, but Ichinose interjects that Kyoko is keeping the faith of her dead husband. After an awkward pause, the neighbors try to convince Kyoko that this behavior is unhealthy, and that she's not helping herself by staying locked up inside Ikkoku-kan. They invite both Kyoko and Ichinose to join the local tennis club. Neighbor 2 nudges Ichinose as she describes the coach as a hunk. The ladies mention that the practice starts next Sunday, then leave, while Kyoko reflects that perhaps tennis is what she needs. [ The fast-paced tennis club theme starts. ] Next Sunday, at the tennis club, many local housewives and other women are warming up for the practice. In the locker room, the coach finishes dressing, and flashes his signature smile (with sparkle) at the mirror, then goes out to start the lessons. Out on the courts, the ladies seem surprised at the presence of a newcomer: the so-called "Love You" widow. One whispers how cute Kyoko looks in the tennis outfit; another rejoinders, "Come on, she's young; she'll look good in anything." Meanwhile, Godai is sent out on an ice delivery. (2) Kyoko wonders aloud if she'll be any good. Neighbor 1 comments that she does look a little clumsy. Ichinose offers Kyoko a friendly swat of camaraderie on the behind, and says, "Two of a kind, eh? Well, let's do it slowly." Mitaka-coach arrives on the court amid gasps from the ladies, greeting the new arrivals as the ladies gush over the brightness of his teeth. He explains that each of them will be given a brief receiving test to determine level of skill, as the class is divided into "A", "B", and "C" sections. (3) Ichinose is the first to take the test. Meanwhile, Godai waits at a train intersection. Mitaka serves to Ichinose as two of the local merchants watch. (4) Godai rides past the tennis club, and is flagged down by the merchants, who tell him that Kyoko is about to play. Intrigued, he dismounts his bike and joins them at the fence. Mitaka lobs a light serve to Kyoko, who startles the other ladies and Mitaka alike with a burning return of service, sending the ball straight past the stunned coach. The ladies admire Kyoko's talent, and Mitaka serves again, beginning an inspired volley between them. During a jump for a return, Kyoko's skirt lifts briefly, and the merchants ooh and aah over the sight of her lacy panties. (5) Mitaka winds down, and tells Kyoko that she'll be in the "A" class, flashing her a smile and prompting a jealous twinge from the observing Godai. Ichinose berates Kyoko for misleading her, perfectly mimicking Kyoko's earlier "I wonder if I can do good?" Kyoko's ire is raised by Ichinose's imitation, and she explains that she played some tennis in high school. Mitaka wanders over, complementing Kyoko's ability, but suggests she work on her form, offering a "hands-on" tutorial. Godai grips the chicken-wire fence tightly, seething at every touch, smile, or word exchanged between the two. He is further infuriated by the merchants' description of Mitaka as a "ladykiller". So absorbed is Godai, that one of the merchants has to drag him out of his reverie to point out that the ice Godai was to deliver has by now melted. They offer some consoling words as a soon-to-be-jobless, dejected Godai leaves to return to Ikkoku-kan. Ichinose and Kyoko arrive at Ikkoku-kan just ahead of Godai, worn out from the practice. Ichinose teases Kyoko about the handsome coach and the apparent chemistry between them. Godai, coming up behind them, coughs to announce his presence. As they explain where they have been, Godai puts on a weary, envious tone, and says that as a hard- working student, he has no time for such frivolities as tennis. Kyoko and Ichinose stare agape after him as he continues up the walk, and Godai rejoices inwardly that they believed his small lie. His face is shown, criss-crossed with the sunburned pattern of the chicken-wire fence. His scars frighten Souichiro-san, who whimpers and runs to cower behind Ichinose. Ichinose comforts the dog, and comments, "Judging from the marks on his face, that idiot must have been pressed against the fence for the entire practice." Kyoko murmurs assent, and Souichiro-san cringes down even further. [ commercial break ] On a later Sunday morning at Ikkoku-kan, Godai is brushing his teeth at the upstairs basin. Kyoko arrives with a parcel for Godai, who is stunned by her short shorts and tight summer tank top. (6) Kyoko sets the package down, and as she is leaving is stopped by Akemi, who comments that Kyoko's clothing is fairly risque, "harmful to the youth's eyes". Kyoko blushes and leaves. Yotsuya comes out of his room, and he and Akemi open Godai's package, picking over it and removing the canned goods within. They remark upon the apparent change in Kyoko's behavior. Akemi: Didn't kanrinin-san used to be more elegant? Yotsuya: It may not necessarily be just because of the summer heat. Akemi: Could it be that she's found a good man? At this last line, Godai snaps out of his stunned shock, yelling at the pair as he realizes that they've reduced his care package to an empty box. [ cue fast-paced tennis club theme ] At tennis practice, Kyoko is holding her own rather well in a match against Mitaka. At the fence, Yotsuya observes the match as Godai leans back, feigning unconcern. Yotsuya plays up Mitaka's merits as Godai makes disparaging remarks about the coach. Yotsuya: Don't you think they look well matched. Godai: I don't particularly trust a guy with shiny teeth. Yotsuya: He looks good, though. Godai: Tennis doesn't sound like a manly job. Yotsuya: I don't think so. He's earning good money. Better than some kid working part-time, anyway. Godai: And you're scavenging that kid's parcel! Yotsuya: Did you say something? Have I said something to offend? Ichinose joins the pair at the fence, chiding them for wasting time. Yotsuya comments that they came to see "kanrinin-san's man". "Oh, the coach?" Ichinose replies, prompting an angry retort from Godai. Ichinose praises Mitaka, further angering Godai. Over at the side of the court, Mitaka comments on Kyoko's liveliness. Kyoko: Oh, that's the first time somebody's said that to me. Neighbor 1: Really, you're starting to look happier than before. You used to look really absent-minded. Neighbor 2: Like you were inside some sort of shell. Mitaka smiles winningly at Kyoko, then starts another practice session with Neighbor 2. Kyoko is left to reflect to herself: ("Right, maybe I can go back to before I met Souichiro-san, once more...") At the fence, Godai looks helplessly on. In the locker room, Kyoko and the other ladies shower after the tennis practice. Kyoko is startled by Ichinose, who leans over the side of the shower stall to talk with her. Ichinose complements Kyoko's figure, then tells her to change quickly, and invite the coach to go drink tea with everyone. Out in the parking lot, Mitaka happily accepts Kyoko's invitation, mistakenly thinking that it will be just the two of them. Kyoko mentions that others will be coming along. Meanwhile, those "others" watch the proceedings.... Yotsuya: He held her hand so naturally. Ichinose: He must be used to doing it. Kyoko (back by Mitaka): Yes, we're all going together. Ichinose (walking up to them): Here we are. Godai (off-camera): No, I'm leaving! Yotsuya drags Godai forward. Kyoko: Everybody... didn't you mean the ladies? Yotsuya: No, actually this everybody. Kyoko: Er... these are tenants of the apartment where I live. Yotsuya: Godai-kun, don't be intimidated. Introductions are exchanged, and Godai attempts to out-sparkle Mitaka's smile. Mitaka drives the crew to ChaChaMaru. Yotsuya asks him if the car is used. Mitaka: No, it's new. Ichinose: Must be expensive, eh? Mitaka: No, it's domestic, so it's about 3.5 to 6 mil. (7) Ichinose and Yotsuya are impressed. Ichinose (to Godai): Why don't you buy a bicycle or something? Ichinose laughs loudly at Godai's expense. (8) Akemi and Master are sitting around at ChaChaMaru, looking bored. Master is playing solitaire on the bar. (9) The group arrives. Akemi: What brings you here? Yotsuya: Let me introduce you to the ladykiller we've been talking about. (10) Mitaka: Such a nasty way of putting it. Akemi: Wow... so kill me. Master clears the solitaire game off the bar as Akemi asks for orders. Mitaka requests a lemonade, since he is driving. Kyoko asks for the same, and Godai follows suit. Ichinose: Why? You don't even have a bicycle. Godai: I don't feel like drinking. Ichinose: Come on, have a drink and do *that* again. Godai: Do what? Ichinose: That one. Kyoko: Ichinose-san! Ichinose (mimicking): "KYOKO-SAN! I LOVE YOU!" Ichinose laughs wildly. Kyoko and Godai both look uncomfortable, and Mitaka flashes a smug smile at Godai. Kyoko tries to brush off the original incident as a joke, and looks to Godai to confirm it. Godai: No, it wasn't a joke. Kyoko: Eh? Godai: I love you. But instead of looking at Kyoko he seems to be looking directly at Mitaka as if making a challenge. Kyoko is shocked by the declaration, and the tension between Mitaka and Godai is thick. Yotsuya: He said it! Ichinose: But who was he looking at? The loon squad praise Godai's boldness, and Godai yells at them for making light of the situation. Kyoko, fuming, leaps to her feet and starts to run out, but trips over Mitaka's foot. Mitaka reaches out to catch her, and accidentally gets a firm handful of Kyoko's right breast. Everyone is shocked: Kyoko, Mitaka, Godai, Ichinose, Yotsuya and Akemi, and even back at Ikkoku-kan, Souichiro-san looks up in surprise, then howls mournfully. (11) Back at ChaChaMaru, Kyoko runs out of the door, red-faced with embarrassment. Godai and Mitaka call after her, and Mitaka runs to follow. Godai starts to rise, but is held back by Ichinose and Yotsuya. Ichinose: Come on, let's drink to celebrate your sober announcement. Godai: Don't stop me! Yotsuya: You made your move; it's the coach's turn to make a move. Godai: Which side are you on?! Yotsuya: We're on nobody's side. Ichinose: As long as it's fun! Akemi serves beer for the group, then privately lusts after Mitaka. Kyoko runs up the hill from ChaChaMaru, followed close on her heels by Mitaka. He apologizes profusely for the incident, then cracks a small joke. He then comments on the interesting nature of Ikkoku- kan's residents. Kyoko: They're not all bad, but they have a bad habit of enjoying seeing other people get upset. Mitaka: What's the trouble? Is it so upsetting to have somebody tell you he loves you? He turns back to Kyoko, and stops as he notices the sad expression on her face. Kyoko explains: Kyoko: I'm a widow. Mitaka: Then you still can't forget about your husb... Kyoko: No... it's just that... I don't want to. If I forget, Souichiro-san will truly be dead. A faraway look graces Kyoko's face. Mitaka looks on sympathetically. He smiles ruefully, then turns to go. The street light flickers on behind him as he pauses. "I guess it'll take you a real long time," he says wistfully. "Well, I'm patient." He flashes a brief smile, then departs, leaving a melancholy Kyoko atop the hill as evening falls. (12) Mitaka's car screeches away from ChaChaMaru, and in its wake, Godai finally escapes the loon squad and races up the hill. He halts as he sees Kyoko alone atop the hill, staring wistfully into the distance. Godai: (Kyoko-san....) (13) [ Kyoko narrates the preview ] [ This is one of the more dialogue-intensive episodes of Maison Ikkoku from the early ones, in that you need to read or hear the dialogue to have an understanding of the intent and nuance of the show. To try to summarize some of the exchanges would have been painful, to say the least. All the characters are bit players in this episode, as well-- no one in particular is focussed upon, and the episode is more plot- driven than character-driven. The main purpose of the episode is to introduce Mitaka, and set up the ongoing rivalry with Godai. Important in the long run, but nothing which particularly stands out. ] Footnotes: ---------- (1) [ We see these neighbors often in the early episodes, and later they show up occasionally at the tennis club as background characters, but they play their largest roles in this episode. I refer to the dark-haired one with glasses as Neighbor 1; the redhead is Neighbor 2. ] (2) [ Godai is often shown riding a bicycle to make his deliveries, but does not own one himself. Is it usual for employers to provide bicycles for their delivery staff? Ito-san: I guess yes. And the name of the store/company may be printed somewhere on the bicycle. ] (3) [ Note that Kyoko is put into the "A" group, which is appropriate, considering "A" is about as far as Mitaka gets with Kyoko during the entire series. {Internal note: I am drawing a comparison between Mitaka's tennis subdivisions and the Japanese slang for levels of intimacy. "A" = kiss/hug; "B" = heavy petting; "C" = actual sexual intercourse.} I suspect most of the other ladies at the tennis club fell into the "C" group, where they *wished* they could be with Mitaka. ] (4) [ The Tokeizaka merchants (four of them, total) first appear in episode 1, where they attempt to dissuade Kyoko from going to Ikkoku-kan. They also show up as background characters throughout the series. ] (5) [ Tarigan: As seen in the anime version, Kyoko's panties only come into view once. But in the manga version, I think Takahashi-san was a bit too gratuitous with this--there were *three* panty shots. Ito-san: Probably because manga has no motion. ] (6) [ Notes on the anime/manga correspondence: in the manga, during this scene, Godai suffers a nosebleed. {Internal note: if a young male character in anime/manga suffers a nosebleed, it means they were thinking uncouth thoughts. Godai's nosebleeds in the manga are very tame when compared to some of the spectacular KOR geysers.} This episode covers two consecutive manga chapters, not leaving room to add many scenes. There are a few relatively minor differences. For example, Godai does not escape the clutches of the loon squad at the end of the manga chapter to run up the hill after Kyoko. Tarigan: Regarding Kyoko's daring clothing: Note that after this scene Kyoko never again in the series wears this kind of eye-catching attire around the house. I guess the events that follow remove any new-found confidence... ] .6.> (7) [ Glenn says: Strangely enough, in the anime version Mitaka gave a different value from what was said in the manga: Mitaka: Ie, kokusan desu kara, sanbyaku go roku juu man te toko desu yo. Basically he says 3.5 or 3.6 million yen. In the manga, Mitaka came into the story in 1981 (story time). In the anime, Mitaka arrives in 1986. So in converting, we get: At 1986 rates: 3 500 000 yen = $20 769 US = $29 050 CAN 3 600 000 yen = $21 362 US = $29 880 CAN ] <.6. (8) [ Kyoko looks a bit uncomfortable with Ichinose's teasing of Godai, a situation which increases in frequency as the series progresses. ] (9) [ Master has showing the two, three, four and five of spades, a perfect spread to take advantage of the ace of spades which he turns up; however, a superstition of ill fortune surrounds the ace of spades, an omen which apparently overrode any satisfaction he might have derived from the game itself. ] (10) [ Note Kyoko's *extremely* frustrated reaction to Yotsuya's teasing in this scene. ] (11) [ Yet another example of how Souichiro-san (the dog) reacts to things which would provoke a reaction from Souichiro-san (the man). Funny how he didn't even need to be present at ChaChaMaru to get upset, ne? Tarigan: That Souichiro-san *wasn't* there made it so funny for me. Seems he has a telepathic link to Kyoko. ] (12) [ This scene is one of the many beautifully-executed and emotionally effective sequences scattered throughout the series. I am considering compiling a list of my favorite such scenes for the guidebook. ] (13) [ Godai thinks of her as "Kyoko-san", a rarity in these early days when he so often calls her "kanrinin-san". Of course, coming on the heels of his confession of love for her, this is not all that surprising, but it is still worth noting as an exception, not the norm. Tarigan: Actually, when Godai is *thinking* he often calls her "Kyoko-san". But when he is *speaking* to her he mostly uses "kanrinin-san". He can be as bold as he likes in his thoughts, but he has to be more reserved in public. ] - Jeff Williamson ==================================================================== @ep10 == Episode 10: == == Panic at the beach-side. == == The rival doesn't like dogs == ========================================================================== Footnotes: ---------- (x) [ Jeff Williamson: This episode features the first appearance of Nanao Kozue, who is not addressed by name. In her brief on-screen appearance, she sends Godai out for a liquor delivery--remember, in episode #12, Godai remembers her as being his co-worker from the liquor store. Also note than in this scene, Kozue-chan is wearing her thick glasses, which she abandons for contact lenses by episode #12. Tarigan: I like the way the anime version gave this visual foreshadowing. In the manga, Godai remembers her as being his co-worker, and those words are the only evidence. ] .6.> Glenn on 94.07.18: If you ever freeze-framed Mitaka's car as it drove past in the anime, you would have seen a license plate like this: ________________ | | | SHINAGAWA 46 | | a53-76 | |________________| "Shinagawa" and "a" are written in kanji and hiragana respectively. (You can get a good view of the license plate in Episode 10. To my knowledge, the manga version never clearly shows the license.) Of course, those plate numbers *have* to mean something. In this case, Episodes *53* through to *76* are the only ones to have the "Sunny Shiny Morning" opening theme and the "Sayonara no dessin" ending theme. Episode 53 was the first Yagami episode. (Before Episode 53 the OP was "Suki sa", and after Episode 76 the OP was "Hidamari".) But I still can't figure out what hidden meaning the "46" has. Does anybody have a guess? As for the non-numbers: Shinagawa is the name of a Ward in Tokyo. Shinagawa-ku's slogan is "Town of Good Living in Prosperous Greenery and Peace." "Shinagawa" (sometimes abbreviated to "SHINA") appears on many automobile license plates in Tokyo to show that they were issued at the Shinagawa Vehicle Registration Bureau, one of four in Tokyo. Two of the other three registration bureaus of Tokyo are Tamagawa and Adachi (I couldn't find the fourth one). Adachi-ku's slogan is "The Waterfront Town with Room for Enjoyment." Regarding the "a" in "a53-76" : damned if I knew... Maybe it's "a" as in "anime". References: Bob Carragher's message which quoted the Tokyo Journal, 7/92, pg. 12 (the ward slogans) and "Read Japanese Today" by Len Walsh. Copyright 1969. pp 40, 50 & 68 (the locations of the bureaus) Yutaka on 94.07.19: Glenn wrote: > "Shinagawa" (sometimes abbreviated to "SHINA") appears on > many automobile license plates in Tokyo to show that they > were issued at the Shinagawa Vehicle Registration Bureau, > one of four in Tokyo. It's also one of the most sought after license plates. In Japan, Having a license plate from Shinagawa, or Yokohama is 'cool', while one from Tochigi or Ibaragi, is not. Kinda emphasizes the Mitaka 'upperclass rich boy' image. There's even companies that'll register your car in Shinagawa or Yokohama for you, so you get one of those sought out license plates (of course, that's illegal) ^_^. I don't know if there's anything similar here in the US, I don't think I've ever heard anyone from Texas wanting a New York license plate (but that's probably a bad example ^_^). There's going to be a Shounan license plate I think either this year or next, which will probably make it the most coveted of the license plates. The Shounan area covers Southern Kanagawa, like Fujisawa and Chigasaki (that's where I'm from ^_^). Famous for its beaches and Enoshima, I guess. > Two of the other three registration bureaus of Tokyo are > Tamagawa and Adachi (I couldn't find the fourth one). The forth one I think is Nerima. There's also some from Tokyo that are not in the 23 wards, tho it's still Tokyo. > Adachi-ku's slogan is "The Waterfront Town with Room for Enjoyment." It's also considered one of the 'inferior' wards, along with Edogawa, Kita, Katsushika, to name a few off the top of my head (hope nobody around is from those places ^_^;;;) > Regarding the "a" in "a53-76" : damned if I knew... > Maybe it's "a" as in "anime". Could be, you never know. ----------- Bob on 94.07.19: Glenn sez: Bob-> If you ever freeze-framed Mitaka's car as it drove past in Bob-> the anime, you would have seen a license plate like this: Bob-> ________________ Bob-> | | Bob-> | SHINAGAWA 46 | Bob-> | a53-76 | Bob-> |________________| Bob-> [...] Bob-> But I still can't figure out what hidden meaning the "46" has. Bob-> Does anybody have a guess? My guess (and it's *really* reaching): "46" can be read as "yoroku." According to my on-line dictionary, this can mean "additional gain." The component kanji are, YO,ama(ru),ama(ri),ama(su) too much; myself; surplus; other; remainder and ROKU,toshi,yoshi fief; allowance; pension; grant; happiness I couldn't find the word in my "Sanseido Daily Concise" pocket dictionary, though, so I can't vouch for the authenticity of the word. B-) Of course, you could also read it as "yomu" (to read). And "shiro" (which I think would be the *funniest* way to read it, in a very roundabout way). B-) <.6. .5.> ==================================================================== @ep12 == Episode 12: == == ___________ == == KOI no sukuranburu! == == SUki-tte Itano ni.. == == or == == Love Scramble. == == I thought you said you love me... == ========================================================================== Background info: --------------- Written and formatted by Clifford "Tenchi-kun" Caoile. (Init: CEC) (A lot of help from Arctic Animation's Maison Ikkoku subtitled episode #12. Thanks to Daisuke Susuki and William Chow. Thanks to Cal-Animage Beta at UCSD for providing the cassette.) Revision history - "summary only / total" lines CEC-940417Sun 2000-0053 First synopsis, fill in, and corrections. 423 lines CEC-....18Mon 1014-1219 Reformatted and interleaving. Emailed. 451 lines CEC-....22Fri 1735-//// Preliminary revising from criticisms. CEC-....23Sat ////-1943 Formatting changes. 444 lines CEC-....29Fri 2110-2123 Added Consequences: field. 450 lines CEC-940509Mon 1119-1122 Some more comments. 350/452 CEC-....16Mon 2158-1001 Fixed a bit of grammar. 351/455 CEC-....19Thu 2339-0021 Final send off for MI guide 5! 351/461 (Dropped []! Added Based on: field.) Air date : 1986.06.11 Wed (according to Andy Johnson) Date of story: One summer afternoon night to past midnight. August 1985 (According to Andy Johnson's Timeline) Duration: 2 days. Cast in order of appearance: Kyoko, Souichiro (dog), Godai, Mitaka, Sakamoto (voice only), Kozue NANAO, Ichinose, Yotsuya, Akemi. Episodes, before and after: R 11: Kentaro's first love. If there's love, age difference is nothing! R / ... (present episode) R \ 13: Popular Godai-kun, watch out for pink calls. Is referenced by: #10 - Kozue (who is not introduced in #10) sends Godai off to a delivery. Based on: (Japanese/English title unavailable.) Vol. 2, part 5 - Normal; Vol. 1, part 15 - Wideban. "One Entangled Evening." Vol. 1, part 11, issue 6 - Viz Comics (English). Consequences: Kozue, Godai's minor girlfriend, is introduced. Immediately, this sets up for "Kyoko's jealousy" episodes. This also make Godai choose between Kyoko and Kozue, and his grandmother has something to say about that in episode 34. Synopsis: -------- [ Opening Theme: Kanashimi yo Konnichiwa (Hello Sadness), Saito Yuki. ] A lavender dress. The glitter of a bracelet. A purple pendant sparkling. The smell of perfume. Grabbing her yellow handbag, she walks softly towards the door. Donning on her pastel yellow high-heels, she steps outside. Souichiro turns to her and barks his approval (amazement). Kyoko simply shines with healthy radiance. She closes her eyes and brushes her hair while her fingers catch her right earring. [ The scene stops at Kyoko's neck while the title text fades in. Kyoko narrates. ] A troubled youth runs up the empty street. Godai stares hurriedly at his watch. "4:20. I've still got time." He looks up, stops suddenly and hides behind a utility pole. Right in front of the entrance of Maison Ikkoku, a red car and its owner look toward the house. Dressed in white pants, matching jacket, Mitaka holds his tie. "What's he doing in a suit?" Godai murmurs under his breath. Godai gasps as Kyoko steps into view. Both Mitaka and Kyoko smile. Mitaka helps Kyoko into the car. "Kanrinin-san and Mitaka on a date?" he groans, as the car speeds by him. Staring at the rapidly disappearing car, Godai grasps two tickets resting in his shirt pocket. "These were expensive." Angry, he starts to rip up the tickets, but stops himself. "On second thought..." (1) The scene changes to a busy street. As a girl on a "Grand Canyon" bike speeds by, Godai calls his friend, Sakamoto. "Do you want to go to a movie?" Sakamoto replies, "You're treating me?" "Fool!" yells Godai. A figure in the background stops suddenly. Godai continues. "Why should I treat you? Pay me!...What? Out of funds?" The person in a background is a woman, carrying something. Godai continues to argue over the phone. "What? Idiot! If I had a girlfriend, I wouldn't bother calling you! ... What's so funny?" She stares at him. Godai turns around. Seeing her, he yells his goodbye to Sakamoto. "Somebody wants to use this phone." She addresses him. "Godai, right?" Bells sparkle. "Don't you recognize me?" Godai stammers as he tries to think. The woman grabs a pair of glasses out of her purse and puts them on. "Now?" Godai recognizing, "You were working part time at the liquor store, right?" "Right!" "Right..." "My name's Kozue NANAO." "Right, Kozue!" (addresses her as Kozue-chan) Kozue asks, "Could it be that you don't remember?" A woman and her infant in a stroller walk in the front of Godai and Kozue. "Well, I was always out, making deliveries. I'm not very good with names, and I wasn't in the store much. Besides, you look completely different without glasses." Kozue answers. "With the money I earned from the store, I bought contacts." "Contacts?" Godai, repeating. Kozue turns around. "Actually, I was going to buy something else, but I decided to buy the contacts." "Why?" "Why?" she repeats."You really don't know, do you?" Godai laughs. To himself, he asks, "What was that all about?" A yellow van drives close behind Kozue. Kozue walks closer to Godai. Kozue stares at his shirt pocket. "What are those?" Godai replies, "Movie tickets..." "Wow, reserved seats!" She steps backward. "That's pretty popular now with girls." Godai reflects on his long gone opportunity. "Yeah, that's why I bought them." The screen shows a slightly fuzzy vision of Mitaka and Kyoko, speeding away in the car. Kozue says in a faraway voice, "You know, I wanted to go to that movie. You know..." Godai stares at the tickets. "Um...Would you like to go then?" Kozue, turns around quickly. "What? Really?" The scene changes to a less traveled side street. Godai and Kozue are walking toward the screen. Kozue says, "I feel bad. I mean, it sounds like I made you invite me." "Well, I was having trouble finding someone to go with." Godai kicks a rock. The rock flies into an empty can. "Sorry, if it'll cause trouble." Godai smiles. "Not at all!" He says to himself, "Kanrinin and Mitaka, where are you? Damn it.. Right now, they're probably...!" The two round the corner. Godai and Kozue stop. Kozue asks, "What's wrong?" A man's voice trails off from the side. "Darn it!" The scene pans slowly from Godai and Kozue to Mitaka's car. "Sorry, Kyoko." (addresses her as Kyoko-san) Kyoko replies, "It's okay..." Mitaka is hunched over the car's engine. Godai panics. Kozue asks again. "What's wrong? Let's go." Godai grabs her shoulders. "No! Let's take another route." "Why? The station's just over there." The two barely walk off the screen when Mitaka yells, "Hey, Godai!" Kyoko turns her attention toward Godai's direction. Mitaka yells again. Godai nervously backtracks and greets Mitaka and Kyoko. Smiling nervously, he says, "Oh, hi." Kyoko stares. "What a coincidence." (2) Mitaka regards them, "You going on a date, too? Pretty popular guy, aren't you? Even putting your hand on her shoulder!" Godai swipes his hand away as if grabbing hot coals. A quiet moment passes between Godai and Kyoko. Kyoko is dazed. Godai stammers an explanation. "She's .. a former coworker." Kozue, taking advantage of the situation, grabs Godai's left arm and greets everybody. "Hello!" Kyoko stares at them, unmoving. "Hello," she replies from her stupor. Godai tries to continue but Kozue cuts him off. "Come on, let's go! We'll be late for the movie." She grabs him by the arm and leads him past the car. Excited, she says, "Excuse us!" As they walk pass, Mitaka comments, "Oh, you two look well matched." Godai looks back. Kyoko still stares the other way. Kozue criticizes Godai. "Hurry!" Godai finally turns his attention to walking straight. Kyoko, suddenly coming to her senses, gasps and turns around. Kyoko thinks, "Says he loves me..." She trembles with anger. "...And now, he's got a cute young girlfriend! He's been putting me on... I can't forgive him!" Mitaka returns his attention to his car. Under the car hood, he says, "We're going to be late for the concert. I'm sorry." Kyoko clenches her fists and yells, "This is outrageous!!!" A resounding collision on the hood of Mitaka's car follows her outburst. Mitaka replies, "I'm sorry!" "Oh no, I'm sorry. I don't mean you." Mitaka's face is contorted. "That's scary," as he tries to fix his car. A woman's shrill schream echoes in an empty building. She runs, only to be greeted by a sea of hands erupting from the floor. Godai sits nervously in his seat, staring at the movie screen. "I didn't know it was this kind of movie," he says to himself. Visibly shaking, he says, "Good thing I didn't bring Kanrinin." The screen slowly pans from Godai to Kozue, seated on his left, busily munching on popcorn. She is unfazed by the horror on the screen. A right hand emerges from a sea of blood and turns its attention toward the audience. Kozue looks around, 4 couples on her left, 4 couples on her right. All of the men hold their dates. Kozue looks down, then stares at Godai. Godai is stricken with fear. He almost yelps, but calms when he recognizes Kozue hugging his arm. He closes his eyes as a bloodcurdling scream echoes. "I wish she was Kanrinin," he says to himself. The street is filled with cars. Mitaka's car comes into view. In Kyoko's lap, rests a program. "That was such a fine concert," Kyoko exclaims. "I'm glad I invited you." Without missing a beat, "I'd like to invite you again." Kyoko replies, "If it's okay with you." "Of course. I'm really happy I could be with a beautiful lady like you. And besides, tonight, you're so beautiful." "Really, only tonight? " Surprised, Mitaka answers, "No, I didn't mean... You're so vicious!" Kyoko laughs, then looks away. Looking out the window, she remarks, "I didn't know he had a cute girl friend." Overlaying the stationary pedestrians, Godai and Kozue phase into view. Mitaka addresses her. "Kyoko, may I take you to dinner?" Kyoko's eyes lower just a bit. "Trying to make excuses..., " she says to herself. "He's not acting like a man." She frowns. "We can have a little drink there." Kyoko seems unaware that he's talking. "Of course I can't drink alcohol, but ..." She yells, "You've got to be kidding!" (The speed reads 30 KPH...) Mitaka's answers her outburst by swerving the car to his right. Cars honk their horns as Mitaka cuts off a truck. Overcome with fear, Mitaka apologizes, "I understand! Forget about the drink!" Kyoko quickly replies, "No, I'm sorry!" Reflecting, she says softly, "I'm not acting like myself today." Mitaka's car comes to a stop. Kyoko glances outside. From her view, she sees people exiting en masse. Kyoko slowly loses interest and turns away, but she gasps and recognizes Godai and Kozue. Happy, Kozue exclaims, "That was scary!" She walks with his arm firmly in her embrace. Godai thinks, "That was so grotesque. I feel sick!" Kozue stares into space. "I'm hungry." Godai quickly clutches his mouth as if to stifle his nausea. Godai and Kozue walk past Mitaka's red sports car, unaware of their presence. Kyoko's eyes follows them down the sidewalk. Asking herself, "How long has he been doing this?" Once again, Mitaka addresses Kyoko. "Kyoko, there's a restaurant in Yokohama with a great view. It's a little far, but if you'd like..." Mitaka beckons her attention. As Kyoko turns her head, she stares angrily at Mitaka. Taken aback, Mitaka quickly corrects his words, "Well, Yokohama, I guess, is a bit far." (2) "No!" Kyoko yells, her voice agitated. "Yokohama, anywhere, I'll go with you." Kyoko's face is contorted. Mitaka's face brightens. "So, which is the answer?" The sound of horns blaring can be heard. Pedestrians on the sidewalk stare at Mitaka's car. Traffic in the other lane moves at a frantic pace, while, symbolically, the screen pans slowly to the green traffic light then fades. (3) [ Standard commercial break. ] Looking at the ports, the night glitters with the sparkle of electricity. A boat's horn can be heard in the distance. "May I ask you something?" says Mitaka. A couple, walking side by side, pass the piano. "Why'd you go out with me? Could it be only because I invited you to a concert, or you wanted to go?" Kyoko stares, surprised. Mitaka's gaze is meaningful, searching. Grabbing her glass of wine, she replies. "I don't think so." Mitaka prods her lightly, "So there's another reason..." "Yes. It's been real fun seeing you." She stares at her glass. Mitaka's face lights up. The piano player's hands reflect off the "Randam" gloss of the piano. Excitedly, "Kyoko, does that mean...?" "You're a friend that I can get some relief with who's outside of my job as janitor. " Kyoko continues. Mitaka squirms, beads of sweat forming on his face. Recovering, Mitaka says, "Relief ... as a man?" Kyoko regards him for an instant, then asks, "Do you have a lover, too?" He interjects. "Too? Otonashi, you have a lover?" (4) "No, not me..." Her frown is visible on the window. A fuzzy set of pictures of Godai and Kozue play in her mind. (5) The champagne resettles in its basket and brings Kyoko out of her reverie. Suddenly mad, she intones, "I don't have a lover!" She tears her steak with her utensils. Mitaka says slowly, "I see..." Two people run in front of a honking Mer"said"es-Benz. At the Bell Marie, the window frames Godai and Kozue. Behind him, a person who looks like Sakamoto sits with his date. "Can I ask you something?" Kozue rolls her pasta onto her fork. Godai snaps to attention. "Who were you originally planning to go to the movies with?" Godai answers halfheartedly, "Nobody in particular." "The lady we met on the way?" Godai chokes. "No way, right?" He swallows his pasta with a large gulp. "Right..." he murmurs. He downs his food in earnest. "Thought so. I mean, she had a real nicely matched man." Godai reaches for a glass but Kozue takes it from him. "Oh, that's mine." He sits back and reflects. She continues, "Oh well, anyway, it was a fun day." Kozue stirs her orange drink. Godai turns his attention towards the conversation. "Was it boring being with me?" she asks? "Not really. Anyway, you're pretty cute." Kozue, delighted, "Really, good! Then, it was worth buying the contact lenses!" Godai stares at her, unaware of her meaning. Crickets break the quiet of the park. "Going thought the park's a shortcut, usually I cut through the shopping area," Kozue says. Godai looks around, and is shocked when he glances couples, left and right, entangled in lip-lock. Kozue seems unaware of the others. (5 in total) "Tonight, with you, Godai, it's not as scary." Godai stops, and tries to crack a joke. "Maybe I can make it even scarier." Kozue stops walking, too, and turns to look at Godai. "What?" "It's a joke! A joke!" he says, explaining himself. "No. I mean..." Kozue intently stares at Godai. "I'm a woman." To himself, "What the hell? All of a sudden I..." "Godai, can you see me not as a coworker, but as a woman?" Godai nods his head once. "Thank god." The wind starts to blow softly as they stare into each other's eyes. The swing in the playground creaks noisily with wind. Godai clenches his fist. Closing his eyes, he says to himself, "I can't lose control to the emotions of the moment!" He leans forward. "But if it's only a kiss?" His lips meet air and he opens his eyes. He turns his head from side to side. "Tastes great!" Kozue exclaims from the side. Godai glances her way. "I was so thirsty," Kozue drinks the water from the fountain. He recovers. "Me too!" Godai walks to the fountain. As Kozue stares, Godai sprays his head with a strong stream of water. At Maison Ikkoku, all the lights are on. Godai runs home and stops on the walkway. Godai looks up. "Kozue, eh?" Kozue's face overlays the sky as she says, "Will you go out with me again?" Looking downward, he says out loud, "Could she be that interested in me?" Surprising Godai, Souichiro yelps. "Don't do that!" Souichiro stares intently. "What's with those eyes?" Godai looks at the dog. "Let me set you straight. I didn't do anything immoral." Looking away, "Well, I had a moment of temptation, but I didn't do anything." Souichiro rubs his head against Godai's shin. Godai looks down and holds Souichiro. "What's wrong? Such a sad voice." The door of Ikkoku-kan opens to reveal Ichinose. "Oh, it's not Kanrinin." "She hasn't come back yet?" "It's already 11:30," she says, as she closes the door. Godai stares out to the street. The alarm clock shows 11:50. (7) Godai is in his bed, reading a magazine. The words don't make much sense to him, as he leafs through it. Ruffling the pages, he closes the book. He stands to open his window, and sits on his windowsill. He plays with his toy (ball and stick), absentmindedly. The clock reads 12:10. In frustration, he throws the toy away, grabs the clock, and tosses it out the window. It gleams (8) in the distance. "Right!" he tells himself. He pours himself a glass of water and downs it. "To bed!" he yells, throwing the covers over his head. A familiar hand pushes Godai's alarm clock into view. (9) "Yotsuya!" "Godai! You mustn't run away from reality." "What do you want?" Putting his hand on Godai's shoulder, Yotsuya says, "You must be having a hard time." Another familiar hand pushes a glass of liquid in front of Godai. "It's best to drink in this kind of situation." Recognizing the two, Godai yells, "Will you please stop coming in without asking!" "We're trying to share your anxiety," Yotsuya says. "What anxiety? I don't have any!" Godai exclaims. "But the tennis coach is fast on the move." Akemi joins in, "Right, those eyes are dangerous." Godai disagrees, "Right, but no way Kanrinin would..." Yotsuya motions the glass in front of Godai, "But she doesn't have an immunity to those kinds of things." "She's pretty ignorant of the world," Akemi says, as she pours the drink into Yotsuya's waiting glass. "Besides he seems to be her type of man. Godai's anxiety rises as his imagination kicks in. We see a boat named Daikoku Maru pass two figures in a damp fog. "The night fog is veiling our love." Mitaka and Kyoko turn to each other as he continues, "I want to say. Thank you fog." The wind blows and takes Mitaka's hat. "Mitaka!" Kyoko leans forward to kiss. "Kyoko!" Mitaka starts to move. The camera follows the rapidly disappearing hat as the horn blows. Godai pulls the stuffing out of his pillow as Yotsuya tries to comfort him. "Come on, let's drink happily and forget everything." Yotsuya looks at the clock and yells, "Oh no! It's already late!" He nonchalantly pushes a cup in his face. "Let's drink." Akemi comments. "She's staying the night." Godai anxiously straightens up. "Well, one early morning return or two can't hurt," Yotsuya intones. "Right, they're not kids dating," Akemi continues. "Come on, drink! It's free." Lights in the distance approach Maison Ikkoku. "It's pretty late!" Mitaka says. "It's okay, its fun." Kyoko says, softly. "Then, may I take you out again?" "Yes." "Next time, not just for relief." "Eh?" Kyoko turns to Mitaka. He looks at her. Kyoko says nothing. (10) Yotsuya and Akemi stand, hand in hand on Godai's bed. Yotsuya's singing and dancing. Godai stares at the minute hand of his clock as the time reads 12:24. The squeal of tires attracts the attention of Akemi, Godai, and Yotsuya. "She's back," Godai says. Outside, Mitaka dims the lights and opens Kyoko's door. Kyoko rises out of her seat and stands halfway up, returning Mitaka's stare. The wind blows. Godai says, "I feel like drinking!" He pours himself glass and laughs. Akemi and Yotsuya stand above Godai. "So boring," Akemi says. "Sorry for intruding in your estates," Yotsuya says. "Let's go to sleep." "Don't!" Kyoko's voice can be heard outside. Akemi and Yotsuya stop. Godai drops his drink. "Don't!" Kyoko yells again. Yotsuya yells, "Wait Godai!" (The screen turns red.) "Let me go, let me go!" "Don't go!" Yotsuya has Godai in an arm pin. "Calm down, Godai!" He breaks free of Yotsuya's hold. Godai almost makes it out of his room when Yotsuya grabs his foot. Godai falls down. "Let me go! Let me go!" Godai squirms. "You shouldn't interrupt them, you know." Akemi looks on. "Kanrinin!" Godai yells as he gathers enough strength to drag Yotsuya along the floor. Kyoko's frantic voice yells, "Mitaka! Please don't! Stop it!" "Kanrinin!" Godai makes it to the edge of the stairs. Yotsuya says, "The power of love is great." He lets go of Godai's legs. "Okay, you win!" Godai immediately falls head first down the stairs. "Don't do it! Don't!" Kyoko yells again. Ichinose is standing at the entry steps, looking rather bored. "Please, stop!" Godai opens the door. "Kanrinin!" Kyoko holds her dog as she yells, "Don't Souichiro! Sorry Mitaka, he's made a mess out of your suit." Mitaka screams in agony as Souichiro licks his face. Both Mitaka and Kyoko are facing the front of the house. From left to right, Ichinose, Godai, Akemi and Yotsuya stare on. "Damn, that's it?" Akemi wonders. "I don't know if this is boring or interesting," Yotsuya mumbles. "Kanrinin, would you please stop shouting misleading things?" Akemi shouts. Yotsuya nods in agreement. "What were you two expecting?" Ichinose asks them. Godai starts to laugh. "At any rate, let's have a drink. Come on, Godai." The party posse enter the building. Godai starts to walk back inside. "Come on Souichiro, please!" Godai stops and looks back at Kyoko. Kyoko's back is turned, but feeling like someone is watching, she faces him. They stare at each other while Souichiro continues to bother Mitaka. Mitaka yells in agony. The screen zooms away and blackens. [ Kyoko narrates next episode. ] [ Ending song: Ashita hareru ka (Will it be sunny tomorrow?), Kisugi Takao. ] Footnotes: ---------- CEC's comments: Kozue is introduced as Godai's love interest. Kozue seems to want a boyfriend, any boyfriend. It is unclear why it has to be Godai. What's so good about him? (We find out a few eps later...) Other than that I find this episode to be on par with the rest... Right from the start, I fell in love with Kozue. She's mine!!!! She was looking at me the whole time! At least she's cute in this version. In the manga, she looks less attractive. Maybe it's just me... (1) I believe that Godai's indecisiveness would not be tested so much if he ripped up those tickets, though other love interests abound, ne? (Yagami...) (2) This is the first time Kyoko, Mitaka, Godai, and Kozue are seen together. Both Mitaka and Kozue (unknowingly) take advantage of the situation to "discredit" Godai in the eyes of Kyoko. (3) It seems that Mitaka has a green light... (4) Mitaka addresses Kyoko by her first name early in the eps, then switches to Otonashi-san in the restaurant. Is it because they're in public or he subliminally realizes he can't get to her? (5) In Kyoko's imagination, Godai looks more familiar with Kozue than he really is. (6) He was so eager to kiss this episode, but when Kozue actually wanted to be kissed in episode 24, he suffered through a hallucination where Kyoko married Mitaka b/c Godai kissed Kozue. (7) 33 second hand? but maybe that's the hand for the alarm time...It is! (8) A "gleaming" sound is heard as Godai tosses the clock, which is surprising. Mitaka would have turned up the charm (and the glitter), since he's trying to impress Kyoko. But never once do you see his teeth sparkle. My guess is he didn't have to use full "Mitaka-experience" strength! Or maybe it just gets too corny. (9) How did Yotsuya do that? What other powers does he have? What other devices does Takahashi use to suggest this? (10) Kyoko considers Mitaka only as a person to marry for wealth, as seen in episode 25 (...Where Kyoko sees in the sky Godai and Mitaka professing their love.) -- Clifford Caoile <.5. ==================================================================== @ep15 == Episode 15: == == abunai FUTARI no NINGYO GEKI! == == BOKU mou [dame] desu == == or == == Dangerous Two's Puppet Play! == == Can't Stand It Anymore == ========================================================================== [ This episode is the concluding half of a weakly linked two-part story. (A strongly linked story is one in which the starting episode ends in a dramatic cliff-hanger or something similar.) It's also the last time for a while that we see all four members of the puppet club, except for Kuroki. They don't show up again until episode 31 when Kyoko is searching for a missing Godai. The second half of the episode title could be taken to mean two things, one positive, one negative. One is frustration as Kyoko says in front of other people that she doesn't have any relationship going with Godai. On the other hand, in this episode he's also being driven crazy with desire, having her so physically close during the puppet show. ] Air Date: 1986.07.02 Date of story: 1981 October Duration: 2 days - from lunch on day 1 to evening on day 2 Cast in order of appearance: Godai, Kyoko, Kuroki, Saotome, Koizumi, Kamisaka, Akemi, Yotsuya, Souichiro (dog), Kentaro, Ichinose, Sakamoto. References to: #13 - The club members seem to remember prank phoning Kyoko. #14 - Flashback at the start of episode. - Yotsuya refers to the mix up between Mamezou and Ma Maison. Is referenced by: #23 - Godai remembers the good times with Kyoko. Synopsis: -------- Flashback: The two of them have come back from a rather disastrous night on the town. In the walkway to Ikkoku-kan, Kyoko comes up to Godai and tries to apologize. He surprises her with a calm face, saying that it doesn't bother him anymore. Then he tries to kiss her. Kyoko deals him a deadly slap... In a classroom, the members of the puppet club are all busy preparing for the college fest. Godai sits at a table painting the lips on a hand puppet of a princess. Remembering the previous night, he sighs. "That was such a loss..." He looks at the puppet's face and notices its similarity to Kyoko; then he starts to daydream a better outcome... It's not raining in this version, and it's a cloudless night. Kyoko apologizes about her mistake. Godai: So, did you understand? He approaches her, holding her shoulders, and then they kiss... Back in reality, he's kissing the puppet. From another table, Kuroki comments, "Ara, I didn't know that you have that kind of habit." Godai opens his eyes and stops surprised. However, the fresh red paint has left its mark on his lips. [ The episode title fades in to cover the face of a man caught in the act. The music is the theme of Ashita Hareruka. ] That night, Godai arrives home. As he sits down at the entrance to take off his shoes, Kyoko comes out from her room and sits down next to him, asking if he'll mind if she goes to the college fest tomorrow. Kyoko: I'll manage myself so that I wouldn't trouble you... Godai: Trouble? No trouble at all! He's obviously pleased, and offers to guide her through the entire fest. Kyoko: But don't you have a club to attend to? Godai: Hell with it! How can I leave you alone if you're coming?! Kyoko is continuing to fend him off when Akemi arrives, slightly drunk from her usual nightly carousing. She looks at both Kyoko and Godai and comments, "You two are getting along real well, aren't you?" and she goes upstairs. Kyoko immediately deflects the suggestion: "We're not like that!" Godai hangs his head dejectedly. Kyoko looks at the now empty staircase, fumes, then notices Godai looking at her with a forlorn expression. "Ah, ha ha ha... Goodnight!"--she sheepishly runs off to her room. Godai enters his room complaining about her: "(She doesn't have to be that downright...)" Nevertheless...he sits down on the futon and daydreams again: Kyoko and Godai are at a field at the college with autumn trees in the background. Kyoko: The college fest is just an excuse. Actually I wanted to be alone with you. Godai, nonchalantly: I've been waiting for those words. Kyoko looks at him with hope in her eyes: Godai-san... He wakes up, stands, and joyfully dances around the futon. "Kanrinin-san's going to the college fest! Yatta, yatta! She's going to the college fest! Yattaaa!" Akemi suddenly opens the door, wondering what he's so happy about, but wanting to join in the fun whatever the case. She carries in several beer cans and gives one to him. They open the cans and make a toast. "Kanpai!" Three cans clash. Yotsuya is now in the room too. They all sit on the futon drinking. The two guests have learned that Kyoko is going to the college fest, and they start to wondering why. Godai: That's for the college fest, right? Yotsuya, ignoring him: There must be a reason. With Akemi, Yotsuya comes up with some likely explanations: 1) maybe it's an apology for Mamezou and Mamezon, 2) maybe it's just a whim, or 3) possibly she isn't going alone... Akemi: It's no fun going alone. Godai: She has me! Akemi: It must be the tennis coach! Darn it!! She rips off a piece of squid with her teeth. Godai: Don't make that up! Just when I was getting into a good mood... Akemi: Godai-kun, excessive daydreaming isn't good for you. She shoves a dried squid into his mouth, and he clams up with frustration. In the morning, Godai is leaving. He sees Kyoko sweeping the entranceway, and he stops to make sure that she's going to the college fest by herself. She replies, "Yes, that's what I'm thinking of doing." And at that moment, Kentaro comes out from the doorway and says that he's going too. Soon after that interruption, the loon squad arrives. First comes Yotsuya, carrying a guidebook for the fest (1). Godai gets angry and asks why he has that book. Yotsuya: Guess. Godai: I don't want to guess! Akemi appears next to Kyoko and tells him not to get so angry. Ichinose is also there now. Kyoko: Oh, everybody too?... Godai: Goodbye... Ichinose's sudden loud laughing causes Godai to fall and crash his head against the outer wall in frustration. Later that day at the college, Kyoko, Kentaro, and the loon squad walk among the various exhibits, amazed at the sights. (2) Someone offers them flowers, and they're surprised to see that it's Yotsuya, who is wearing an apron and carrying an armful of bouquets. Yotsuya: Actually, it's me... Then let's go. He gives the flowers to a girl standing nearby. The others watch him go. In a room somewhere, Godai is getting set up for the upcoming puppet show. Wondering about where Kyoko is, he pokes his head out from behind the curtains of the miniature stage but doesn't see her. Instead, there is a crowd of little kids in the seats who laugh at him. Kuroki admonishes him, "Kora kora, stay behind the curtains!" Back out of view, Godai looks at his puppet, the prince. "She's late..." The puppet idly waves its sword arm up and down. [ commercial break ] Raucous noise emanates from a room, outside of which is a sign: "Sake Research Club." The club members are sprawled all over the lab room in tears, having failed to stop the loon squad. One researcher clutches an empty beaker and wails, "What a tragedy! That rare spirit taken away by that oban (3)! Waa!" On the floor, Akemi drinks and laughs away as Ichinose dances and Yotsuya balances empty bottles on his mouth. Kentaro is just embarrassed with his mom and is trying to stop her, but all he can do is get flailed about holding onto her skirt. Kyoko is standing nearby. She groans, "I knew they'd do this..." So, Kyoko goes about the fest on her own. She visits the exhibits, enjoying the experience (4). At an oden stall (5) is Sakamoto, who recognizes her, and they talk. He wonders why she isn't attending college. Kyoko: Oh, I'm young. But once I've married, I can't get rid of the wifeliness... Sakamoto: Not really. Kyoko: Oh? [she smiles] The puppet play (6) is now in full swing. It's in a setting from the middle ages. On stage the prince puppet is going off to battle the evil monster. Somehow, this doesn't seem to interest the juvenile audience, who seem more interested in stray dust motes. At the door at the back of the room, Kyoko stands laughing, "(Godai-san is the prince...)" Kuroki standing at the side with the audience notices Kyoko and wonders if she's seen her before (7). After the first showing of the puppet show is a short break (8). They're getting set up for the next showing. Off to the side, Kuroki is taking a close look at the princess puppet. Godai again sits behind the stage, wondering what happened to Kyoko. He opens the curtains, and there she is. He goes around the stage to the front to talk to her. Godai: ?... Are you alone? Kyoko: I'm sorry. They found an exhibit that interests them... Godai: Ah, that's okay. So you're alone? Kyoko: Ee... Now Godai is smiling uncontrollably. The other club members are surrounding them, wondering about this acquaintance of Godai's. Kuroki goes up to Kyoko and places the puppet of the princess on Kyoko's hand: "It looks like you." The other two women are surprised: "No kidding. Godai-kun, you made a puppet of your girlfriend?" Kyoko immediately denies that she's his girlfriend: "Isn't that right, Godai-san?" He has an exasperated smile on his face: "(There she goes again...)" He introduces Kyoko to the others as the manager of his apartment. They're somewhat surprised at this. One of the women of the puppet club then decides to leave early, and Kyoko is made to take part in the show. Kyoko: But I can't! Godai: Don't worry. I'll help you along the way. She looks worriedly at the puppet on her hand. Kyoko: ... But I can't! She does, anyway. During the puppet show, she surprises the others with her sudden enthusiastic overacting. Operating the mobile background painting, Saotome has a different opinion: "(She's pretty good!)". Kyoko reaches a point in the script when she has to remind Koizumi that her characters are supposed to appear on stage now. Koizumi stops gawking at Kyoko, and her two puppet villains arrive onstage to chase the princess. Everything seems to be going well so far, but that soon changes when Kyoko unknowingly edges up a bit too close to Godai. Onstage, the princess screams, calling to her prince for help. Meanwhile, the "prince" is going crazy from being so close to Kyoko at this moment: "(So warm...)" Koizumi looks at him with annoyance: "Your line!" He remembers, and the prince appears on stage. His responses to the questions of the princess don't go as planned, but the audience of kids laughs loudly at it. Godai's puppet's hand rubs his head sheepishly. The background scenery shifts to a castle interior, and a new act of the play starts: the prince is going away to fight the monster. Princess pleads with him not to go, and Godai forgetfully answers, "Sure!" Princess: You're not supposed to say that! Prince: Ah, I see. The audience laughs again. The other club members are going crazy wondering what's wrong with Godai that he's messing up so much. Now the climactic scene: the Princess says, "You're going for battle?" And, as the princess onstage is now up close to the prince, Kyoko also sits a bit too close to Godai. He notices that a part of her body happens to be touching him... "(Her bust... That's it... I can't stand it anymore!)" She reads from the script and then cries out, "Prince, I love you!!" Godai sits in shock, with the words echoing in his head: "I love you!... I love you!..." On stage, the prince puppet suddenly hugs the princess, saying, "Kanrinin-san!" Princess: Prince! I'm not a kanrinin! I'm a princess! Prince: But... The audience is laughing all the way. So, in that vein, the puppet show eventually reaches its end. Saotome is in tears of joy: "The first hit of the club since its foundation! I'm so happy!" Throughout the rest of the college, the fest draws to an end. However, in one certain room, the loon squad continues to party, while the sake club members mourn the tragedy. Kyoko and Godai are walking home along a street. He apologizes about the messed up play, but Kyoko says that she enjoyed the day nevertheless: "I always wondered what it's like at a college." Godai stops as he remembers, "(Right... under normal circumstances, she should be in college now...)" He looks at her ahead of him and digs into his bag. At the entranceway to Ikkoku-kan, he pulls out the two puppets from his bag and gives the princess puppet to Kyoko. Kyoko: Oh, you brought them with you? They talk via the puppets. Princess: Thank you very much for today. Prince: No problem. Princess: But reflect this on yourself, okay? You're the one that made the puppet show into a mess. Prince: But that was because you inched up to me so close. Godai and Kyoko look at each other, and she realizes what was going on during the puppet play. The puppet nudges up to the princess. Prince: Like this... Princess: There you go again! Her puppet slaps the prince's head (9). Kyoko smiles and goes inside, saying, "Good night!" Godai stands alone at the entrance and sighs for his poor prince. The puppet lowers its arms and hangs its head dejectedly. [ Kyoko narrates the preview ] The ending titles change from this episode onwards (until episode 34) to a song called "Cinema," sung by a male singer. Several elements in the ending animation refer to the events of episode 14, when Kyoko was running through the streets in the rain searching for Godai, while he was waiting in a restaurant. ** ** ** ** This was one of the funniest episodes of MI I've seen*. I think that this episode rivals any of the later ones after the 20s for inducing laughter. Later on, the series gets a bit too serious and loses a bit of its hilarity. It just isn't as funny when Godai loses some of his lovable stupidity and slapstick antics (actually, what also made it bad for me was that the loon squad's treatment of Godai increased to even worse acts of psychological torture). * Note: I've seen shows that are much funnier than this, but this is about as good as Maison Ikkoku gets, unfortunately. Footnotes: ---------- (1) Yotsuya recites a list of foods. What are they? .5.> (2) Here, there is a bird's eye view of the front of one of the buildings (the camera is just above the roof of another building). If you look at the various banners on the building in view, you can see a sign that reads "welcome" (in English) and below that is a large square banner that reads "61" (Showa 61). To convert from Showa to Gregorian, simply add 1925. That means that this episode took place in 1986 (61 + 25). <.5. (3) Definition: "oban" (hiragana reading) N. Bag, battle-ax, old hen, old crow. Corruption of standard word for a middle-aged woman, "obasan." By removing the "sa" from the honorific suffix "-san," disrespect is implied. "Oban no kuse shite, esute nanka ne kayou no yamenasai yo ne." Hey, you're no spring chicken, you know. Don't you think you ought to lay off the upscale beauty salons? "Wakai no ni koshi ga itai nante, anta mo mou oban da na." A backache at your age? Guy'd think you were over the hill or something. (typed in by Vickie west) [BEYO92] (4) DYN: at this point we see some still pictures. In the background when Kyoko is in a cafeteria, you can see Kei and Yuri of "The Dirty Pair". And when Kyoko is in a darkened room with the constellations in the background, the only other people visible are none other than Lum and Ran from "Urusei Yatsura". BTW, that's the Orion constellation just above Lum. Suppose there's some significance to that? (5) Oden: A mixed pot of konyaku, tofu, fishcakes, cuttlefish, octopus, and so on cooked in fish stock with soy, sugar, and other additions. Oden is often sold for easy eating with sake at portable stalls (yatai) on street corners of the city or near railroad stations. (6) Note for those who haven't seen the pictures yet: All the puppets being used are hand puppets; they fit around the hand, sort of like a glove or mitt, and the fingers manipulate the arms of the puppet, or the mouth in the case of the monster. (7) Kuroki hasn't seen Kyoko before this episode. But she has seen something that would give a suggestion of that deja vu: the princess puppet that Godai made bears an uncanny resemblance to the "real-life" princess. The similarity is confirmed for all to see when she goes up to put that puppet on Kyoko's hand. (8) DYN: those three kids running out of the room, at about this time, are a bit of a running joke throughout the series. You can see them in other episodes: #1, 2, 19, and 23. (9) As told in this synopsis, this scene seems somehow to be a repeat of what happened in that flashback that started the episode. But the actual mood is a bit different. This time Kyoko isn't really mad; she's just playing with him. That should be obvious from the fact that she smiled at him, but I want to be explicit. - Glenn Tarigan ==================================================================== @ep16 == Episode 16: == == oMIMAI panikku! == == TAOre temo SUki na HITO == == or == == Visiting panic! == == Injured but beloved. == ========================================================================== [ 93.08.02 17:50 - 18:16 started translating from Eo version ] = 54 lines ( 21 words/ minute ) [ 93.08.06 18:43 - 19:08 continued translating from Eo version ] = 111 lines [ 93.08.07 8:38 - 9:08 added to the synopsis ] = 155 lines [ 93.08.08 6:14 - 6:52 added to the synopsis ] = 212 lines [ 93.08.14 0:23 - 0:33 edited, changed paragraph format ] = 252 lines [ 93.08.20 15:08 added `references' ] = 269 lines [ 93.09.02 8:27 - 8:51 corrections by Melanson; additions ] = 300 lines [ 93.09.07 17:55 - 18:04 edited ] = 300 lines [ 93.09.29 Vickie West e-mailed me the edited synopsis ] [ 93.09.29 8:44-9:21 I checked the changes made by Vickie ] = 330 lines [ 94.02.20 12:55 reformatted to right margin of 70 (was 75) ] = 371 lines Air Date: 1986.07.09 Date of story: 1981 November Duration: 3 days - from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 3 Cast in order of appearance: Godai, Sakamoto, Kuroki, Kyoko, Mitaka, Ichinose, Kentaro, Akemi, Yotsuya. References to: -- Is referenced by: #18 - Kyoko gives presents to thank everybody for helping her while she was injured. Synopsis: -------- In the college cafeteria, Godai hungrily prepares to down his nikujaga. Sakamoto sitting next to him comments that Godai's eating habits are as unrefined as ever. `Don't bug me. Right now, I'm going to stuff myself.' Godai digs into the dish, but the chopstick gets caught on the food and snaps in two. Sakamoto is terrified at the sight: `Waa! Chopstick breaking is a sign of bad luck... My grandma always told me.' Godai doesn't believe him. Sakamoto menaces: `You'd better believe what my grandma said!' Afterwards, Godai is walking along a building complaining about `stupid Sakamoto.' Just then a wooden signboard almost falls on him. Kuroki, who was trying to hang the sign from the side of the building, apologizes laughingly. Not long after that, Godai reaches the streetside. He notices a 100 yen coin on the ground next to the road. Well, well, maybe he doesn't have totally bad luck. Nothing happens when he tries to pick up the coin--nothing save for a passing truck that drops a giant I-beam just in front of his foot. He remembers what Sakamoto said. `(Could it be? That superstition?!)' [ The episode title is displayed, and the typical fast-moving tennis club theme starts playing. ] Kyoko plays tennis with Mitaka at the club. He makes a smash, and she falls down trying to reach it. Mitaka jumps over the net and asks if she's hurt. Everybody crowds worriedly around the fallen Kyoko. She tries to stand up, but the ankle is injured. Mitaka: I'm sorry, it was my fault. Kyoko: It's okay. ...!! Mitaka has just picked her up in his arms. Nearly all the other women in the club gasp enviously. Mitaka: I have to take you to the hospital. Kyoko, blushing: Ano... could you let me down? Mitaka: That won't do. `You're pretty open holding her like that, Mitaka-coach,' Ichinose comments, as the three of them leave from a hospital and head towards Mitaka's car. Mitaka, carrying Kyoko: It's a part of my job. Ichinose: Jaa, then when I get hurt, will you carry me like that? Mitaka hesitates nervously. Ichinose: You don't have to answer that. Mitaka: Ha ha ha. [The teeth sparkle weakly.] In Kyoko's room, she's changed her clothes, and Ichinose and Kentaro are there helping set up the futon. Mitaka asks to come in and goes up to Kyoko. Mitaka: Here, let me help you. Kyoko: I- Iie, that's okay. He picks her up anyway and carries her over to the futon. Ichinose: The futon was right next to her. Mitaka: Oh yeah. How silly of me! He lowers Kyoko down on the futon, and then slips `accidentally'. They end up face to face. Ichinose and Kentaro sitting nearby sarcastically wonder if Mitaka will also accidentally fall into the futon with Kyoko. Mitaka, nervously: `Ha ha ha, what are you talking about?' Kyoko looks rather embarrassed. Yotsuya and Akemi come in concerned about Kyoko. Mitaka tries to talk to Kyoko, but Akemi pulls him away. Akemi: Why don't you stay over? Mitaka: Please, I'm trying to talk to Kyoko-san. He turns to Kyoko. Mitaka: It was my fault, so let me help you until you get better. Yotsuya turns Mitaka's head and faces him: Stay over. Akemi wrestles Mitaka down. Yotsuya hugs him, and Kentaro joins in the pile. Mitaka: I'm trying to talk to Kyoko-san! Ichinose comes up to Kyoko and tells her to try to get some sleep. Kyoko: Thank you. Ichinose turns to the others: Alright, let's drink! Godai arrives at the outer wall of Ikkoku-kan that night, and right there at the road is Mitaka's car. `(What's that bastard doing here?)' When Godai enters Kyoko's room, everybody is there. He wonders what happened to Kyoko, who's sitting in bed. Yotsuya pulls off the covers to reveal the bandaged ankle. Mitaka: `Yotsuya-san, what are you doing?!' They pull back the futon to cover up. Godai remembers what happened earlier that day and says, `Kanrinin-san, it was my fault! It's because of that broken chopstick...' She tries to take the blame upon herself, but Mitaka also joins in the contest and he and Godai argue to self-incriminate. Ichinose stops them, saying that it's about time to finish for the night and leave the room. So all the visitors leave, except for Godai: `Kanrinin-san. I...'--but Ichinose drags him out. The loon squad gathers in Godai's room to continue the party. Godai tries to explain to the others that Kyoko got hurt because he broke a chopstick--so now it's his responsibility to take care of her. But Ichinose and Akemi won't let Godai leave the room to visit Kyoko. Yotsuya is sneakily edging towards the door carrying a pillow. Ichinose: What are you doing? Yotsuya: Only going to help kanrinin-san. A beercan hits his head. Ichinose: Sa, let's drink! In the morning, Godai knocks on the door, and Kyoko invites him in. With eyes red from lack of sleep, he says that he'll help her until she recovers. Kyoko: But don't you have college to attend to? Godai: I'll skip school. Kyoko: You'd better attend classes seriously. Godai: I am serious! Ichinose arrives with breakfast for Kyoko. Godai, looking disdainfully at the foodtray: It's just leftovers. Kanrinin-san won't get well with things like that. Ichinose forces him out of the room. Ichinose: I'll look after kanrinin-san. She's not going to heal any faster just because you're around. Afterwards, Godai phones Ikkoku-kan from the college, and Yotsuya answers the phone. Godai: How is kanrinin-san? Yotsuya: She's plainly fine. Goodbye. Godai: Wait! Ate lunch yet? Yotsuya replies that lunch was six rice balls (1) and pickles. When the phone call ends, Yotsuya spits out a plum pit from the rice balls: Yotsuya had told Godai what he himself had eaten for lunch, not what Kyoko had eaten. Of course, Godai thinks that Kyoko's been eating shabbily, so he thinks of a way to help... [ commercial break ] Actually, Mitaka is helping Kyoko get a proper meal at this moment. He shows off a bit of his cooking talent for her. Sitting up in the futon, Kyoko admires the wonderful looking gourmet dish set out on her lap, and it tastes as good as it looks. Kyoko says that she feels a bit guilty having Mitaka doing all this for her. Mitaka replies, `Please don't worry. I'm just happy that I can be with you like this.' The loon squad are listening carefully at the kanrinin's door to the conversation. Ichinose: How does he come up with flashy words like that? Yotsuya: Maybe his parents are idiots. Akemi: I don't care, as long as he's good looking. Damn, I wonder if I should get injured? Ichinose, walking off: You do that, you'll get starved to death. Akemi: Bleeah! Not knowing that Mitaka's already treated Kyoko to lunch, Godai buys some food. At the checkout counter, he's a bit short on cash and has to return one item. Walking along the street, he reflects, `Damn... that's all I can buy on this budget. I wish I could buy a rose...' He imagines giving a bouquet of roses to Kyoko: she's grateful and they kiss... As usual, he collides head first into a lamp post. That night, Godai is turning his room into a disaster area, trying to cook the ramen he's bought. This guy is dangerous... to himself! Evidently, he isn't as good as Mitaka. (2) A slightly full Kyoko crawls into her futon. `Whew, ate too much.' Unfortunately, Akemi and Yotsuya ask to come in, and they each bring in some food as a gift. (3) Yotsuya with his box of takoyaki: `It may be little, but this is my sincere feeling. Please, while it's hot.' Akemi presenting a bag of taiyaki: `It's going to taste bad when it's cold.' They watch attentively while Kyoko, being the pushover that she is, slowly eats up the food. Now Kyoko is really stuffed. Then Godai asks to come in... Kyoko sees the ramen dish he's brought, but when she looks at his serious face, she can't say no. She notices a splash of color at the side of the tray: `Thank you... oh, cosmos flower.' Godai: `I picked one in the yard. It's a substitute for a rose.' Kyoko hesitates at the food. Godai: `Please, before it gets cold.' She tries a bit, then tries to hold back a shocked gasp. Nevertheless, Kyoko eats all of the offered food and doesn't even complain. Godai leaves from her room thinking, `(She ate all of it...)' He sips at the remaining soup and chokes on the terrible taste. (4) `(Even this awful food. So kind...)' He clutches the empty bowl with joy. Unable to refuse any of the food that all the well-wishers have been offering, Kyoko goes to sleep with an overfull stomach. In the morning at the washing basin, Godai discovers from the others exactly how much food Kyoko received yesterday. Akemi wonders why Kyoko can't just say no. Godai feels sorry, thinking that even after that much eating, Kyoko ate his bad ramen as well. He has an idea and rushes into his room to take out a bottle of pills. He runs downstairs to Kyoko's room and calls her. She's surprised and asks him not to open the door, but he's in so much of a rush that he opens the door right away. Kyoko, almost naked and sitting on the floor, looks at Godai in shock--she was just about to wash herself. After a brief pause, she screams, `BAKA!!' and throws a basin filled with water at him, hitting his head. The others arrive wondering about the noise and find Godai lying on the floor pressing his forehead with a hand and worriedly closing the door. Ichinose opens the door and is shocked to see Kyoko hastily trying to cover herself up with a kimono. Yotsuya tries to look, but Godai roughly covers Yotsuya's head with the basin: `Don't look!' Ichinose and Akemi immediately conclude that Godai had just tried to rape Kyoko. Ichinose throws a protesting Godai to the floor with a deft wrestling move. (5) Ichinose: `You took advantage of her in injury and... I'm disappointed in you!!' Godai: `It's not like that! It's a misunderstanding!!' Akemi indignantly asks Kyoko why she doesn't hit him. She looks down embarrassed, `No... I was just washing myself.' The other two women realize that they were wrong. Akemi: `That's all? Boring...' And they leave. Godai stays and tries to apologize. Kyoko, annoyed, says that it's okay and asks him to leave. When he's gone, she looks down and notices the bottle that Godai had dropped when he first opened the door. `Digestives? So that's what it was.' She laughs and swallows one pill. Kentaro comes back from school and notices a familiar car at the streetside. `Oh, the coach is here again?' He greets Souichiro and donates some lunch leftovers. `Wow, you sure do eat anything, don't you?' (6) Mitaka again visits Kyoko (7), wanting to cook another meal. But Kyoko says that she's still hurting from the previous day's overeating. Godai knocks on the door and comes in. He notices the bouquet of roses (8) that Mitaka has just given to Kyoko, then sits down next to her with Mitaka. He apologizes about what happened in the morning. Kyoko notices a bandage on his forehead. Kyoko: Is that where the basin hit? Sorry about that... Godai: It's okay. It's all my fault. Kyoko: But... Godai: Please don't worry about it. Kyoko: Will you be OK? Godai: I'll be fine. Not wanting to waste the food that he's brought, Mitaka starts to cook, and invites Godai to share the meal since Kyoko can't eat that much. Kyoko comments to Godai that Mitaka is a good cook. Godai: `...I see.' Godai goes to help Mitaka a bit at the cooking counter. Mitaka wonders what happened with Kyoko, but Godai uses the incident to tease him, saying that it's a secret between him and Kyoko. The meal cooked, the three of them sit at the table, and Mitaka arranges the dishes. Mitaka: `Sorry to keep you waiting. Here you go.' Godai can't believe that the food would be that good, but, carefully watched by Mitaka, he tastes his portion... Mitaka: Well, is it good? Godai, quietly: ...good. Mitaka: Eh? What did you say? I couldn't hear that. Godai, angrily: I said GOOD! Kyoko samples her dish and comments that whomever Mitaka marries is sure going to be happy. The other two stop with a gasp. Mitaka soon responds, `That's what I think too!' Kyoko realizes what an unsuitable thing she's said in this touchy situation, but it's too late. Mitaka: Godai-kun, don't you think so? Godai: I don't know!! Kyoko: Ah- I mean in general terms! General terms!! Ano... Are you two listening?... They aren't. And the two men glare at each other. She groans with exasperation. On the countertop, the flower Godai had given to Kyoko wilts next to the vase of roses. [ Kyoko narrates the preview ] Notes: ------ Actually for a while this was one of my least favorite episodes. (That is, until I reached episode 47, `Kyoko in a mess...', which was horribly abusive to Godai--I couldn't laugh at those scenes in the pub.) Compared to the previous three, this is one that I tend to stop the video tape at and rewind. Maybe it's because I don't like the scene with Godai torturing Kyoko with his food. In general, there aren't any events in this episode that really stand out, except for when Kyoko gets caught with her kimono down. :) Sylvain writes: The title is: oMIMAI panikku! TAOre temo SUki na HITO The original manga title can be read as follows: KEGA no KOUMYOU ARASOi injury great dispute (over) achievement ( In this episode, Godai and Mitaka engage in a niceties competition over Kyoko's ankle injury and try everything possible to catch her attention. ) The English title, "A fight for distinction by accident", [Daisuke's rendition of the title] is certainly based on this title, but "by accident" sounds strange to me. How about: A fight for distinction over an injury or Trying to gain ground over an injury For the animation, the title was changed to: o-MIMAI panikku! TAOrete mo SUki na HITO visit panic fall even like person a sick person Omimai: to pay a visit to a sick person, at his home or at the hospital. Not to be confused with Omiai: a meeting for an arranged marriage. Taoreru: fall down, keel over. In this case, because of an injury. lit. Visiting panic! Even incapacitated, beloved one. or Inquiry panic! Incapacitated but beloved [Kyoko]. Tarigan: This is one of the harder titles to translate. That is, it's hard to come up with an English version that doesn't sound stilted. Footnotes: ---------- (1) The Japanese word for `rice ball' is `onigiri.' See glossary. When Yotsuya finishes off the phone call, we get a brief glimpse of the box that Yotsuya ate from. On the front side it has the words: "niko niko BENTOU " niko = smile BENTOU = box-lunch There is a green plastic rectangular decoration on right side (it's supposed to be some sort of herb, but since people don't usually eat it, it doesn't matter that it's real or not). (2) Godai should stick to instant ramen. By now he ought to be an expert on that. (3) Harold Melanson: The (fast) food that Akemi and Yotsuya bring to Kyoko are tako-yaki (fried batter balls about the size of golf balls, with pieces of octopus in the batter; tako = octopus) and tai-yaki (pastry cooked in a fish-shaped mold and filled with a sweet beanpaste; tai = seabream). Both are common takeout or street vendor foods. (4) What I found really stupid about this scene is that Godai didn't even taste his food before serving it. Thankfully, in the manga version, there's nothing wrong with the food, apart from the timing (for Kyoko). Still, this incident provides contrast for Kyoko's comment later on, when she says that Mitaka is a good cook--not only is Mitaka a good cook, but Godai is a horrible one; in the manga version there wasn't as much contrast: Godai was an average cook, compared to Mitaka's gourmet chef skill. (5) DYN: At this moment Yotsuya has the basin on his head and he's posing like a monk. Usually Zen Buddhist monks wear a bowl-shaped bamboo hat whenever they leave the confines of their monastery. The hat is shaped the way it is so that it obstructs the view of the outside world and concentrates one's conscience on the spirit. (6) They say that the pet often resembles the owner... (7) Kyoko's hair is braided up into two tails. I've never noticed it made up that way in any other part of the series. Usually, it's tied or braided into one tail. I'll have to remember to look for this when I next watch the other episodes. (8) Godai sure did want to be the one to give the roses... but Mitaka is the one with the money. - Glenn Tarigan ==================================================================== @ep17 == Episode 17: == == KYOKO san no HATSUKOI MONOGATARI == == AME no HI wa itsu mo... == == or == == KYOKO-SAN'S FIRST LOVE STORY. == == THE RAINY DAY IS ALWAYS... == ========================================================================== [ 93.08.09 11:48 commented ] = 2 lines [ 93.08.13 14:20 - 14:41 translated synopsis from Eo ] = 48 lines [ 15:44 - 16:10 translated synopsis from Eo ] = 126 lines [ 18:56 - 19:38 translated synopsis from Eo ] = 223 lines [ 19:40 - 21:04 corrected rewatching video and after ] = 270 lines [ 23:30 - 00:15 edited and proofed ] = 309 lines [ 93.08.14 10:09 more editing ] = 320 lines [ 11:46 added footnotes: Godai's 1st love ] = 333 lines [ 93.08.16 5:45 footnotes: `don't die', `parallel', `reluctant' ] = 350 lines [ 93.08.20 15:11 added `references' ] = 366 lines [ 93.09.07 17:30 - 17:54 edited ] = 386 lines [ 93.09.19 9:53 edited with help from David Oakey ] = 392 lines [ 93.09.22 13:14 further additions and footnotes ] = 419 lines [ 93.09.29 10:04 further editing ] = 426 lines [ 93.11.08 Vickie West e-mailed me the edited synopsis ] [ 93.11.09 21:53-22:38 I checked the changes made by Vickie ] = 443 lines [ 94.02.20 13:04 reformatted to right margin of 70 (was 75) ] = 491 lines [ The rainy day is always... bad; at least according to Godai. However, by the end of this episode he may have a nice memory to add to his string of bad ones. In contrast, for Kyoko rainy days have usually been much kinder (with the exception of episode 14, at any rate). This is one of the quiet but good episodes (actually, I liked it so much that I included more dialogue in this synopsis than I'm likely to do for a long while; on the other hand, this was quite a dialogue-intensive episode, so maybe this couldn't have been avoided). Here, we finally get to see a bit of Kyoko's school and how she chased Otonashi-sensei. And the web of interrelationships gets a bit thicker, as two mostly-strangers get acquainted. ] Air Date: 1986.07.16 Date of story: 1981 November Duration: 2 days - from end of school to evening of the next day Cast in order of appearance: Godai, Godai's Mother, Kyoko, Sakamoto, Souichiro, Kozue, Otonashi Souichiro, Ichinose. References to: #12 - Kozue refers to the first meeting with Kyoko Is referenced by: -- Synopsis: -------- It's raining and Godai doesn't feel too cheerful. Depressed, he stares out of the usual classroom. (1) `(My memories of rainy days have always been bad...)' In his reminiscences, we see a photo of one scene. `(On the first day of school...)': As his mom accompanies him to the entrance, a passing car splashes water on him; the photo shows Godai standing in school uniform and wearing a frown as the impending wave hovers over him, and his mom jumps out of the way. `(And then on a field trip...)': It starts to rain. All the others manage to escape off the bleachers of the field, but Godai falls face first into a puddle. `(Come to think of it, even my first love...)': Godai is riding the train; it turns a corner, and the press of the crowd squashes him against a window. He looks outside, and there on the road is his girlfriend, (2) walking with another guy who's carrying an umbrella. She shyly looks at this guy and smiles, as Godai rides helplessly away on the train. At the main entranceway of the college, Godai stands looking at the continuing rain. Others are leaving together with their friends... and their lovers. Woman, passing by: `You know, I love rain.' Man, walking with her: `Hm, me too.' In frustration, Godai covers his head with a book and runs out into the rain. Then a woman's voice calls him... Kyoko, carrying an umbrella: I came to pick you up... Godai: Kyoko-san!!! He joyfully runs towards her, dropping all his books in his eagerness. Kyoko looks at him with love in her eyes: `Godai... san...' He reaches this oasis in the rain and holds her hand caressingly. `Kyoko-san...' `Oiya, Godai-kun.' It's Sakamoto. Godai is shocked to discover that this was yet another hallucination. Sakamoto asks Godai if he has the 2000 yen that is owing--`Oh, you don't? Then why don't you pay me back by answering roll call for me at the linguistics? Thanks a lot!' Sakamoto goes away, arm in arm with his girlfriend. Godai stands dumbfounded in the rain, complaining, `Rainy days are always like this...' (3) [ The title is displayed, and the theme of `Ashita Hareruka' plays. The choice of song is rather appropriate: `Ashita Hareruka' translates roughly to `Will it be sunny tomorrow?' ] Kyoko stands under an awning with Souichiro. Looking out at the rain, she regrets not having left earlier. Kozue happens to be passing nearby; she notices Kyoko and greets her, inviting her to share the umbrella. `Ah... Nanao-san?' `Hai!' While they walk, Kyoko uncomfortably tries to think of something to talk about. Kozue makes the task easy by asking, `Is Godai-san at school?' `Eh? Yes, I think he should be back by evening.' `Oh that early all the time?' Kyoko thinks for a moment and answers with a complete weekly schedule for Godai: `Let's see. Monday and Wednesday, by evening. Tuesday and Friday around 8 o'clock. Thursday is tutoring, so around 10. And Saturday varies...' Kozue is amazed and asks if she knows that much about the other tenants. `Sure,' she smiles. `(Not really)' `Wow, kanrinin-san, you're so great.' They walk along the street, and in front of them by a wall, three young students (4) leave from a school and say goodbye to their teacher. He leaves in the other direction, and the three girls run laughing past Kyoko and Kozue. Kyoko turns around to look at them and smiles, reminded of happy memories. Kozue gasps with chagrin as Souichiro messes up her skirt with mud from his face. Kyoko: Bad Souichiro! I'm sorry. Please stop by so I can clean it for you. Kozue: It's okay. Kyoko: But it will be hard to clean if it becomes a stain. They look at Souichiro, and he then decides to shake off the water from his coat, in the process splashing both Kyoko and Kozue. In Kyoko's room, while the cleaned skirt dries by a heater, Kozue puts on a skirt of Kyoko's. `(Wow, tight waist...)' Kozue sits down at the table, and Kyoko joins her with tea for both of them. Fiddling around with her teacup, again Kyoko is uncomfortably trying to think of something to talk about to break the silence. Kozue asks what Kyoko thinks about Godai. Kyoko hesitates and asks what she means. (5) Kozue: I mean, you're with him all the time, right? What kind of man is he? Kyoko: I really can't say in words... Kozue: Is he going out with any other girls? Kyoko: No, it seems that you're the only one. Kozue: Really?! Kyoko: Ee. Kozue clasps her hands with joy. Kyoko uncomfortably sips at her tea. Then Kozue starts talking about the school that she used to go to. Kyoko: `(She changes the topic so quickly...)' But Kozue soon goes back to a topic that both women seem to be comfortable with: Godai. Apparently, Kozue's first love was with a student who resembled Godai in some ways. Kozue: Though it was a one-sided love... (6) Kyoko: Oh, was he an interesting man? (7) Kozue: He was a great man. Kyoko wonders how that's supposed to resemble Godai. Kozue starts on a related topic: `You have a handsome beau.' Kyoko: Oh? Kozue: That man you were with when we met for the first time. (8) Kyoko: Oh, Mitaka-san? He's just a friend. Kozue: You're kidding! Then you really don't have a lover? Kyoko pauses over her tea, and smiling, looks out the window: `... I'm...' Souichiro in his doghouse sneezes (9) as the rain pours just in front of him. In Kyoko's room, Kozue is surprised at the news. `Widow?... I'm sorry I said something unnecessary...' `It's OK. But that reminds me... Mine was a first love too.' Kyoko tells about some things that happened when she was at school. One day when it was raining... Kyoko is in a classroom and yawns while the teacher writes at the chalkboard. A ball of paper bounces off her head, and she opens it up and reads the note: `Otonashi-sensei is there.' She notices a friend pointing out something outside. Kyoko looks down out the window and sees him standing under a small covered area. He's looking apprehensively out at the rain, contemplating how to cross the courtyard. He then has an idea and covers his head with his coat. Holding onto his papers, he makes a dash for it; unfortunately, he trips on the wet ground and falls with a splash. The sheets of paper go flying. In the classroom, the students at the window--including Kyoko--smile at this embarrassing sight. Later that day, Kyoko is leaving with two friends. She suddenly remembers that something has come up and goes off on her own, back to the school. Friend 1: She's so blind when it comes to Otonashi-sensei. Friend 2: Again? Friend 1: Yep, she said she's going to lend her umbrella to him. Friend 2: What's so good about him? Friend 1: Really. At the side of a staircase, Kyoko waits with her umbrella. Soon, Otonashi is leaving, but now is carrying his own umbrella. Kyoko sees this and stops; she then decides to hide her umbrella down the back of her jacket. She slips it in, and then runs out, calling to him. Otonashi: Oh, here, why don't you get under my umbrella? Kyoko: Hai! [She smiles at him.] Otonashi: You're from class 3 aren't you? Kyoko: Hai, I'm Chigusa Kyoko. They walk along for a short distance, then he notices something -- and reaching to her back, he pulls out the umbrella by the badly hidden handle. Kyoko: kyaa! Otonashi: Chigusa-kun, that umbrella should be soaking. You'll catch a cold. We see a scene of Kyoko looking downwards in embarrassment, standing before Otonashi Souichiro. Kozue comments, `Wow, you sure did an interesting thing.' `I thought it was a marvelous idea at the time,' Kyoko laughs. Kozue asks to see her album from those high school days. By now, Kyoko feels that this would be a fine idea. Kozue: Until Godai-san comes back. Kyoko: Right, until he's back. At a store in the city, Godai stands reading by a window and looks out at the rain. He decides to wait a bit longer until the rain gets lighter. [ commercial break ] The rain has stopped, and now Kozue is leaving. Kyoko sees her off at the entranceway. Kyoko: `I wonder what's holding him. He's usually back by now.' Kozue: Thank you for the album. Kyoko: Bye. She looks on as Kozue leaves, and sighs. This friend of Godai's has turned out to be pretty nice after all. (10) Kyoko comes back to her room and sits down with the album at the table. She goes through the pages and remembers the good times. In one picture, Kyoko is dressed up as a princess and standing next Souichiro, who has a Godzilla mask conveniently concealing his face. `(Oh, Souichiro-san...)' She remembers one occasion: Souichiro enters the class, and, in front of all the students, he drops his books in shock--for written on the chalkboard is the message, `Chigusa Kyoko + Otonashi-sensei,' along with a picture of an arrow through two hearts. His silhouette blushes... At the back of the class, two friends playfully tease Kyoko: `Alright, Mrs. Otonashi!' (11) It's late and becoming dark in the unlit room when Kyoko is still sitting at the table with the album. That night, Godai finally arrives home. Kyoko comes out to greet him, and sitting down nearby, she tells him that Kozue visited earlier in the day. He sits up, surprised: `Really?!' Kyoko replies, `Ee... You'd better phone her. She was waiting a long time.' He nervously tries to say that Kozue isn't anything... or, um, that she isn't his... `Ha ha, iyaa, so like... It's not like I have to phone her or anything like that.' He stutters his way up the staircase, leaving behind a confused Kyoko. `Godai-san! (Mo... what's he thinking?)' Ichinose appears at her door and calls to Kyoko to come in. `What is it?' Ichinose laughs: `Just come in.' Shortly afterwards, Godai peeps from the staircase. He tiptoes along the hallway and, thinking that Kyoko's gone back to her room, checks to see that her door is closed. Seeing that it's safe, he telephones and talks at a whisper to Kozue. (12) He arranges for them to meet the next day. From Ichinose's room, she and Kyoko spy on Godai from the door. (13) She whispers to Kyoko: `So says he. Jealous?' `Why should I?!' Kyoko whispers back. Godai finishes the phone call and sneaks upstairs. Kyoko watches him go: `(So stupid...)' The next day is bright and sunny. Godai, leaving, is out on the walkway when Kyoko runs out calling for him: `Godai-san!' She reaches him and presents an umbrella. Kyoko: Here. It wasn't raining when Kozue-san left, so she forgot this. Godai takes the umbrella: Eh? But... I'm going to college... Kyoko: Weren't you going to skip school and see her today? Godai: !!... H- How did you find out? Kyoko: I'm the kanrinin, so... She tells him that he'd better not be hesitant or he'll ruin Kozue's image of her first love. Godai: Eh? Kyoko: Ahem. Apparently you look like her first love. Godai looks away, disappointed: (Rats... I'm not her first love.) Kyoko: He was a really good man. So you'd better straighten up. For Kozue's sake. Godai: Ha... Godai walks along a street, thinking about Kyoko. Or more like complaining: `("Straighten up for Kozue"... Doesn't she know my feeling for her?... No, she does... What's going on? She was jealous until a while ago.)' At a cafe, Godai meets Kozue. (14) Kozue finds out that Godai has heard what she'd said about her first love. Kozue: I'm sorry. Aren't you mad? Godai: Why? Kozue: Don't you hate it when you're overlapped by an image of some other man? Godai: Ha ha ha. Not really. (15) Though it bugs me a bit... But I wish you'd see me the way I am. She tells him about her meeting with Kyoko on the other day. Godai's interest is piqued when he hears that Kyoko told her a bit about Souichiro. When the story of the hidden umbrella is told, Godai sits surprised. He retreats into his own thoughts: `(I can't believe that elegant Kyoko-san would do that sort of thing...)' Kozue: She must've loved him so much... That statement startles Godai, and he comes back to reality. Kozue: I really envy her... that she got married with somebody she loved that much. Godai looks to the side: But he died... Kozue: Yes... They become silent for a moment. Then Kozue looks at Godai. She reaches out to hold his hands and looks into his surprised eyes: `Godai-san, please don't die.' (16) `Ha ha, what are you talking about?' he laughs, nervously. Again, it's raining; Godai, walking home, continues to think about Kyoko. Now more than ever he complains about her, `(Souichiro is still around. She's a fool bound by a ghost... Why can't she look at me?)' An umbrella spins a short distance behind him (17).... Kyoko, returning home from grocery shopping, calls out his name and invites him to walk with her under the umbrella. With annoyance in his eyes, he looks at her and says he feels like walking alone. Kyoko: You can't! What if you catch a cold? She runs up to him with the umbrella, but he only runs off. Godai: Please leave me alone! Kyoko, left behind, wonders: (What's his problem?) They walk down the street, Kyoko following not far after Godai. Godai: (As if she doesn't know how I feel... She does! But someday, for sure...) He rounds a corner of a wall, and then looks up and sees a passing truck just as it splashes a pool of water onto him... Kyoko arrives at the corner and sees him totally wet and shivering. `Ara...' she smiles. He sneezes, and embarrassed, asks if he could share the umbrella with her. Kyoko offers the shade to him, and they walk together. Godai sneezes again. `See? I told you you'd catch a cold.' Kyoko starts to slowly spin the umbrella, and the scene fades away leaving the umbrella to twirl on a black screen, until it all fades out. (18) [ Kyoko narrates the preview ] Notes: ------ Kyoko looks to have been drawn a bit too thinly in this episode--her legs, especially. With the character design of episode 27 onwards, she gets a bit of a fuller body. In this episode, I'm sure Kyoko's opinion of Kozue changes a bit once she's gotten to talk to her for an extended time. It's sure a change from the flames of anger you could see in episode 13 when Kozue phones Ikkoku-kan for the first time. Footnotes: ---------- (1) He's in the same classroom with the same teacher as in episode 6 when he suddenly screamed as he woke up from a bad dream of ronin days. This is the same teacher who berates Godai when he brings Kyoko the cat to class in episode 20. BTW, If you look around the classroom here, you can only see five students in all. (2) That picture of Godai's first love looks very similar to Kozue, which coincides with the fact that Kozue's first love happened to resemble Godai. What's more is that both Godai's and Kozue's first loves were one-sided. Seems like they were destined to meet each other but nothing much would come of it. (3) Notice that all the other umbrellas are spinning. (4) Were they passing by Kyoko's former school? The uniforms those students were wearing look almost exactly like those of Kyoko's school. (5) This situation repeats itself in episode 34, but with Grandma Yukari asking the question. And as usual, Kyoko is reluctant to admit anything. (6) With Godai, it still is. (7) David Oakey: In Japanese, Kyoko asks if Kozue's boyfriend was `omoshiroi'. That word means `interesting', but can also mean `funny.' (8) This is in reference to episode 12, when Kozue (having invited herself along) was walking with Godai to a movie theatre and they coincidentally meet Kyoko and Mitaka. (9) The superstition is that if you sneeze that means that someone is talking about you. I guess in this case, the superstition applies even if someone is talking about a person who shares the same name. :) Of course, as with any superstition, one tends to ignore facts that don't conform with what one wants to believe: remember that just before the scene in which Kozue is putting on the skirt, Souichiro also sneezed--but I don't think anyone was talking about Souichiro that time... Vickie West: American equivalent is burning ears, I'm thinking. :D As for sharing the same name...isn't Souichiro-dog often used as an odd sort of spiritual substitute for Souichiro-husband in the series? S-d certainly seems to get upset at strangely appropriate times....very weird. :) (10) `Pretty nice' would be an understatement. Kozue is probably *the* most gentle and innocent character in the entire series. She's always so cheerful, and I don't think I've ever seen her get mad at anyone except for her bratty younger brother, which is understandable. Makes me feel sorry for her getting into a dead-end relationship with Godai. Vickie West: Personally, I think Kozue is an interesting case. Everything she has done up to this point could be interpreted two ways. She does have an agenda, and she's pursuing it in a very single-minded, methodical way. In this episode she reveals that she *knows* what a one-sided relationship is like ...so she could hardly miss these indications with Godai. She seems to be pointedly "not seeing" anything that might be contrary to her purposes. (11) Godai-sensei experiences much the same thing in episode 56 with Yagami (right down to the same arrow design on the chalkboard). But, not being as stoic as Souichiro, Godai handles it a bit better. High school students just seem to keep on doing the same things each generation... Vickie West: Well...unlike Godai, Souichiro may have had a bit of a guilty conscience in the matter. You know the "diary/postcard" episode? Student Kyoko sent a perfectly innocuous postcard to sensei, yet he found it deeply disturbing.... ;) (12) This time the pink phone is facing towards the shoebox. Usually it faces Kyoko's door. (13) Ichinose sure knows how to read Godai, and she pegged his actions perfectly. (14) The ending theme, `Cinema,' is softly playing in the background. This is the very first time that it's been used *inside* of an episode. (15) Coincidentally, on another front, Godai feels that he's being overlapped by Kyoko's image of Souichiro. And he's frustrated out of his mind by it. (16) Subtle hint, ne? Not surprisingly, Kyoko eventually becomes worried about this possibility, and in a scene that brought tears to this viewer's eyes, she asks Godai much the same thing in episode 94. (17) I don't know how often people spin their umbrellas in real life, but Kyoko has this habit. One instance of her doing this that sticks out in my mind is in episode 43, "Sparks of love! Hospital feud of Godai and Mitaka," when Kyoko leaves Godai and Mitaka behind at the hospital. `I think I'll go tend Souichiro's grave...', she thinks. (18) This parallels the scene, in an earlier flashback, when Kyoko tried to offer an umbrella to Souichiro. Except this time, she's the one in control. (She also mentions catching a cold--similar to what Souichiro had said to her. Now Godai is the one who's slightly embarrassed.) Note: in high school, Kyoko's umbrella was plain red. In the scene when she offers an umbrella to Godai, it's pink with a red border and flower patterns. In the manga, she used the SAME umbrella in both scenes (or if they were different umbrellas, at least the patterns were the same). - Glenn Tarigan ==================================================================== @ep18 == Episode 18: == == KYOKO-san no KURIMONO == == E? kore wo BOKU ni!? == == or == == KYOKO-SAN'S GIFT. == == OH, THIS'S FOR ME!? == ========================================================================== [ 93.11.11 19:25 - 20:00 started translating from Eo ] = 85 lines [ 21:57 - 22:38 translated halfway, then edited ] = 165 lines [ 93.11.12 21:06 - 22:00 more translating from Eo ] = 259 lines [ 93.11.15 23:51 - 00:59 finished translating from Eo; edited ] = 340 lines [ 93.11.18 21:39 - 21:58 edited ] = 347 lines [ 93.11.20 01:26 - 02:23 edited ] = 362 lines [ 93.09.24 Vickie West e-mailed me the edited synopsis ] [ 20:56-21:58 checked Vickie's changes; added more. ] = 416 lines [ 94.02.24 22:16 Reformatted to right margin of 65 (was 75) ] = 470 lines Air Date: 1986.07.23 Date of story: 1981 December ( I can't really assume that it takes place near or on Christmas Day. You can have a Christmas party anytime in December without stretching the definition too much. ) Duration: 3 days - night of first day to evening of the third day Cast in order of appearance: Godai, Kyoko, Akemi, Ichinose, Kozue, Yotsuya Mitaka, Kentaro, Master, merchants of Tokeizaka References to: #2 - Godai gives Kyoko the present that he had bought the year before. #16 - Kyoko gives presents to thank everybody for helping her while she was injured. Is referenced by: -- This is the second Christmas-related episode. They celebrate by having a party at ChaChaMaru. Synopsis: -------- Godai arrives at Ikkoku-kan at night: `I'm home!' From Kyoko's room, we hear: `Welcome back!' `(Only her voice again...)' Godai puts down his bag, feeling a little depressed--during the past few days he hasn't seen Kyoko at all. Strangely, she's been staying in her room rather than coming out to greet him like usual. (1) Godai goes upstairs and enters his room. (2) He slaps the hanging lamp and lies down on the futon. The light from the lamp swings back and forth above him as he stares up at the ceiling. He wonders, `(What happened to her?...)' [ The episode title appears along with some comical music; is there a name for this tune? ] The next day, Godai sits in his room and counts his meager resources. He lays down an array of coins and bills on the futon in front of him and tries to figure out how he'll spend it in the coming weeks. Of course, his plans exceed his ability to pay. He stands up and searches through his pockets. A tiny avalanche of coins falls out. Then he sits down and stares at the revised account. A hand enters from the left and grabs several bills. (3) Akemi: Thanks, and come again. Godai looks at her with annoyance and takes back his money: What do you want?! Akemi: You're coming to the party at ChaChaMaru, right? Godai: Why should I?! She informs him that Kyoko is going--and so is Mitaka. Godai stops at this revelation and imagines what would happen if he weren't there: Kyoko and Mitaka sit together at a table in a candle-lit room. Mitaka raises a wineglass: `Cheers. For your smile.' He smiles at her, and the teeth sparkle. `Kyoko-san...' He moves in on her and looks into her eyes. `Kyoko... san...' They embrace and then lower out of view. (4) Godai, trembling, holds his money and sweats over that thought. Akemi takes away the money: `So, you're going, right?' Godai: `Hey!' But she's already gone--with the money. Godai looks at what's left. `(Hmm, not much there. Should I skip giving a present to Kyoko...? No! Even a small present would be fine. It's the thought that's important. ...But, what happened to her anyway?)' Someone knocks on Godai's door. It's Kyoko--from the hall, she tells him that he has a phone call. Godai opens the door, hoping to see her (5), but she's already running down the staircase. He rushes out in pursuit. Down the stairs he speeds, but can't stop in time and crashes into the wall. Holding his forehead, he stumbles towards the end of the hall only to find that Kyoko's door is already closed. Ichinose opens her door and admonishes, `Be quiet!' `Ah, sorry about that,' Godai apologizes. He takes the telephone receiver: `Oh, Kozue-chan?' They arrange to meet the next day; Kozue wants to do something. Meanwhile, Ichinose is standing right behind Godai, listening. He notices and hurriedly tries to finish off his conversation. He hangs up the phone. Godai: Obasan, don't eavesdrop. Ichinose: The phone won't run away. Just because it's your girlfriend doesn't mean you have to be in such a hurry to answer the phone. Godai: Er, yeah. The phone won't run away... He looks towards Kyoko's door. Ichinose asks him why he doesn't just knock on the door if he wants to see Kyoko. He says that he doesn't have any business to knock on the door for. Ichinose: Make up something. Why don't you be as bold as Mitaka-coach? Godai starts to go upstairs: Heh, unfortunately, I'm rather naive. Ichinose: Heh, it's only that you're a wimp. Godai runs upstairs to avoid her. Ichinose: Wimp! Next day, Godai comes downstairs. He looks at Ichinose's door defiantly. `... Wimp, she says... I'll show her.' Near the telephone, in front of Kyoko's door, he stands and takes in a deep breath. Then he shouts, `Itte kimaaaaaaaasuuuuuu!!!' And from the room comes the answer, `Itte irrashaaaaaiiiiiiiii!!!' Godai hangs his head in despair: `(Haa... only her voice again...)' In the city, Godai leaves from a jewelry store, having bought a present for Kyoko. He looks sadly at the box: `Exactly 2000 yen... Gonna be a survival game from tomorrow...' However, now he has comfort in knowing that he has a reason to knock on Kyoko's door. He imagines how Kyoko will react when he gives the present to her: At Kyoko's door, Godai stands with her. Kyoko, holding a daintily wrapped box: Is this for me? May I open it? Godai: Hai, please do. Kyoko holds the earring: Waa, an earring! Thank you. It's beautiful. The earring sparkles as she wears it. Godai: Kyoko-san... They come together to kiss... (6) Unfortunately, the daydream was too interesting, and he forgets that he's still walking on the street. A lamppost reminds him of reality by hitting him in the forehead. A number of bystanders look at this sight, which seems to be becoming quite famous. Godai arrives at the cafe. Pressing his forehead, he thinks, `(I'd better do something about this daydreaming habit...)' From a second-floor table, Kozue calls him up. As he sits down at the table Kozue notices something: `What happened?! There's blood on your forehead!' Godai: Oh! Kozue starts to take out a handkerchief. Godai: Don't worry. I'll use my own. He reaches into his jacket and takes out a handkerchief, the gift box falling out in the process. Kozue eyes the gift as Godai hastily hides it back in his pocket. Having wiped off his forehead, Godai asks Kozue what she wanted to meet for. She takes out a paper bag and presents it to him: `Here, Merry Christmas!' Godai is taken aback. He takes the present, and inside he finds a knitted cap. Godai: Huh? Kozue: I made it myself. It's not very well done, but please try it. Godai puts it on his head. Kozue: Waa! Kawaii! Looks good! Looks good! Godai looks away with a wild expression of panic. `(Oh no! I forgot about a present for Kozue! But... she gave one to me... What do I do?)' He looks at her smiling face, then slowly, agonizingly, takes the present from his pocket and tremblingly lifts it across the table. Kozue, smiling ecstatically with her eyes closed, doesn't seem to notice Godai's hesitation. He places the box in Kozue's hands. Godai: M- Merii Kurisumasu! Kozue: Waa, is this for me? May I open it? Godai, with a strained smile: Please do. Kozue takes out the contents of the box: Hwaa! An earring! She puts it on her ear: It looks kind of mature, doesn't it? Godai: I think it looks great on you. Kozue: Really?! She takes his hands: Arigatou! I'm so happy! Godai: Me too. Ha ha. Ha ha. His smile looks painful. [ commercial break ] Walking home, Godai feels bad. `(Damn. I guess that this indecisiveness won't stop until I die once...)' Nevertheless, thinking about how happy Kozue was, he can count one blessing. Arriving home, Godai shouts, `I'm home!' And, as had happened on the previous days, Kyoko doesn't come out to greet him and only shouts from her room, `Welcome back!' Godai sighs and starts to go upstairs. Then we see Kyoko's door opening. He hears that unexpected sound and turns around. Kyoko: Long time, no see, ne? Godai, excitedly: Eh- So what happened? Kyoko shows him a muffler and puts it around his neck: Here, a present. Godai notices that her eyes are red. Kyoko: Then... I'll take a nap. I've been knitting and doing all-nighters. Kyoko excuses herself and goes back to her room. Godai joyfully thanks her. In his room, Godai fawns all over Kyoko's present, pressing the muffler into his face with joy: `Kanrinin-san!... I'm so happy... kanrinin-san!...' Soon, however, he realizes that he still hasn't got a present to give to Kyoko. He goes to the table and opens a book where his money is stashed. On one page is his rent money: `Should I use it to buy a present...? No! That'll cause more problems for kanrinin-san...' He grabs a handful of money from the other page. `Well, I won't die if I don't eat for a few days.' He stands up and approaches the door, but a growl comes from his belly. He sits, having lost his will. `What will I do...?' That night, while Godai searches for something in his desk, Yotsuya and Akemi lie by the wall. They admire Godai's muffler, all the while examining it. Yotsuya: Not bad, Godai-kun. She spent three days knitting this for you. You'll be very warm with this. Akemi: Let me see. Godai turns around and sees that they're wrapping the muffler around themselves. `D- Don't pull on it!!' Godai screams, and roughly snatches it away from them. They watch him as he puts on the muffler and continues to search. He gasps. Yotsuya: Ho, what happened, Godai-kun? Godai, holding up a card: Ha ha, I found my old exam ID. Akemi: Let me see! [She grabs it away.] Hoo, what a photo. Yotsuya: It shows the face of a man in agony. Godai: That's because I was tormented by you. Yotsuya: But your position didn't change. We still torment you. Akemi: Ikkoku-kan's toy! Godai: You people! Akemi: Anyway, congratulations for finding what you wanted. Now, let's drink. Godai: No! I wasn't looking for that! He goes back to the table. Later on, Yotsuya says goodnight and retreats back to his own room. Akemi stays in the futon. Godai, now searching through his shelf, turns around to glare and asks her why she isn't getting up. Akemi: Too much trouble. Godai: ... I'll rape you while you're asleep! Akemi: Go for it. She starts to sleep. Godai looks at her, and decides that it would be the better part of prudence to leave her alone. (7) At the shelf, he finds a coin: `One hundred yen! ... Idiot, what can you do with 100 yen?!' He starts searching the floor. Akemi moves in her sleep and shoves away the futon. A naked leg crosses Godai's path. Godai: `Gyaa...!' He looks at her and feels temptation. `...... No!' He wisely hesitates, and covers her up with the blanket. `What kind of sleeping position is that?!' he scolds Akemi. In the morning Godai slumps to the floor. `Ahhh, didn't find it...' He turns his head to the side, and, amazingly, a battered giftbox greets his red eyes. A hand lifts a broach (8) up to the light of the sunrise. `Attaaaaa!' Kyoko holds the broach in her hand: Is this for me? Godai: Hai, I'm sorry it isn't wrapped... Kyoko: Iie, it's pretty. Thank you. [She looks at him.] Your eyes are red... Godai: Ha ha, I did a bit of an all-nighter myself... In the afternoon Godai leaves, wearing the muffler from Kyoko as well as the cap from Kozue. At the entranceway Kyoko comes out and says that she'll walk with him to the party at ChaChaMaru. On her sweater she wears the broach from Godai. They smile at each other. (9) As they walk on the street, Kyoko comments to Godai that his cap matches the muffler. Godai laughs ironically and comments that the broach looks good on her as well. She touches the broach and looks at it: `But I wonder if a cute thing like this still looks good on me?' Godai: Why not? You're still young. Kyoko laughs: That's true. I'm still twenty-two. (10) They look ahead and continue to walk. Godai thinks about this fortuitous discovery (11): (Twenty-two years old... Only two years older than me... Then, there shouldn't be any problem for marrying...) When they reach the corner, Mitaka happens to cross their path. He's also going to ChaChaMaru, so he joins them. Kyoko walks ahead of them while the two men talk competitively as usual. Godai shows Mitaka the muffler that he got from Kyoko. Mitaka: Hoo... from Otonashi-san, eh? Godai: (Heh, try to fire back at that!) Mitaka: Hmm, it's cold isn't it?... [ He stops and reaches into his bag. ] Godai: Eh? A muffler swings into view and around Mitaka's neck. Mitaka, turning to Kyoko: Waa, your hand-knit muffler is so warm! Kyoko turns around, blushing, and apologizes that she wasn't good enough at knitting to make a different pattern for the mufflers. Godai: Not at all. Mitaka: It's great they're in different colors. Mitaka and Godai glare at each other and think: (Don't think that you're the favored one!) Kyoko starts walking and looks skyward with a groan--she can imagine what they're thinking. Godai looks at her: `But then, the same muffler... She must be putting us on a balance...' Mitaka has similar thoughts: `I'm probably on the same level as Godai-kun... What's wrong with me?' As they near ChaChaMaru, Kentaro says hello to Kyoko and thanks her for the muffler that she gave him. Behind them, Godai and Mitaka look on with askance. They enter through the door and the loon squad are there to greet them... bedecked in Kyoko's gifts. Yotsuya and Akemi each wear a muffler, and Ichinose has a large shawl. Kyoko: I wanted to thank everybody for helping me when I hurt my ankle. So, this is my Christmas present to you all. Mitaka and Godai: Haa... Later, the party gets along. Ichinose dances with her foldout fans. The others sit at the table laughing. Godai nurses a glass: `Well, this wasn't so bad after all.' Up goes the glass, and the ice cubes tinkle. Notes: ------ Wow, this episode was even funnier than the other episodes so far. I loved it. Comment: Christmas in Japan has even less of a religious overtone than here in North America--it's treated as the commercial affair that it really is, like Valentine's Day. Footnotes: ---------- (1) Man, you're spoiled rotten by kanrinin-san! (2) Notice that the number on the inside of Godai's door when he enters looks like this: ______ |____ | ____| | | ____| | |____ |______| If you pay attention, you'll notice that they change the number's design from time to time when they're not careful (see footnote 5). (3) Vickie West: Takashi Oshiguchi says this in an article: "It's said that Takahashi performs meticulous research when creating a new series. For example, she came up with a budget representing the monthly living expenses of an average college student and even ran simulations in considering how Godai, the main character of _Maison Ikkoku_, could survive on that amount." ("From the Forest: Rumiko Takahashi," _Animerica_ 1/9 [November 1993], p. 13). (4) This scene certainly doesn't take place at ChaChaMaru. For one thing, they don't have tables like that. (5) Now the number on the door is: ______ ______ |____ | | ____| from ____| | from | |____ inside: | ____| outside: |____ | | |__.-. .-.__| | |______| |______| The difference here is that the number now has a serif (previously it was sans-serif). Even in the same episode, they're not consistent. In this scene, they showed both sides of the door. I can remember one episode when the number has a serif when you look at it from the outside, but on the inside it doesn't have a serif! Actually, these kinds of mistakes also happened quite often in the manga. It's an easy mistake to make, but maybe the animators were making fun of Takahashi-sensei (smile). (6) Vickie West: Fashion accessory discussion time: why only one earring? Earrings are usually sold as pairs, and you'll notice that Kyoko wears two when she dresses up. Thus, not only is one earring cheaper than two, but only wearing one seems sort of "advanced." Also, earrings are intimate, as jewelry goes (contact jewelry, as opposed to that worn over clothing). A broach, on the other hand, seems a more "formal" type of present, something you'd give to an older person or to an acquaintance. So Kozue gets the very personal present (meant for Kyoko), and Kyoko gets the "distant" present (which would have been appropriate for that first Christmas (6a) ). The comments of the two women struck me as a nifty irony as well: Kozue gets the "youthful and stylish" present and marvels at the "mature" look; Kyoko gets the "older and formal" present, and wonders about being too old for the "cute thing." (Then again, I don't usually wear earrings or broaches myself, so this may be just my deplorable lack of fashion sense kicking in. :) (6a) That episode Vickie is refering to is episode 2; see footnote 8. I would say that a broach for Kyoko is still appropriate in this second Christmas--Godai is closer to Kozue than Kyoko, whether he likes it or not. (7) Interestingly, in episode 21, Akemi fakes an attempted rape. Akemi is too much for Godai to handle, but with Kyoko, things are a bit different. Because in the next episode, Godai is going to try to do to Kyoko what he couldn't do to Akemi... (8) That broach is the one that he had intended to give to Kyoko in episode 2. (9) At about this time I noticed that all the characters are more cross-eyed than usual. It does look kind of cute, though. (10) This seems to make a vague reference to the Christmas cake age limit (this is a well-known term in Japan). At least, the timing is good, looking at the date of the story. Yes, Kyoko is still young, but she's approaching the Christmas cake age, which would make her old by societal standards, I suppose--too old for marrying. The reference to Christmas cake is that after the 25th of December, a Christmas cake becomes worthless. In Japan, a woman is expected to be married by the age of 25. Kyoko beat that limit easily, but being a widow so young, she'll get a lot of pressure from her mother to get re-married. (11) Vickie West: Godai has tried to find out her age before, in episode 6, when he unsuccessfully tries to get it from Ikuko by being subtle. Finally, he's succeeded--and he wasn't even trying this time. :) (11a) (11a) It helps that he was talking to the one who should know. - Glenn Tarigan ==================================================================== @ep19 == Episode 19: == == GODAI to KYOKO! == == FUTARI no YORU wa KIKEN ga ippai == == or == == GODAI AND KYOKO! == == TWO'S NIGHT IS FULL OF DANGER == ========================================================================== [ 93.11.27 0:23-1:05 start:made comments,translated capstats&footnote, then copied in the manga synopsis and started augmenting it ] = 76 lines [ This is going to be a somewhat shorter synopsis. It's a nice episode but I've exhausted myself with it, having worked on a translation of the corresponding manga chapter (refer to a separate file). As a result of the copious annotations in the manga translation, there is little need for any footnotes in this anime synopsis, except for the few things that are anime-specific (unless someone else can come up with more ideas?). So please refer to that translation for further information (look up the file-list in the "Central Bulletin", which can be located by referring to the Table of Contents). In fact, except for the extra things that were added, this episode almost duplicates the manga chapter, as far as dialogue is concerned. Any changes in the actions are mostly minor. ] Air Date: 1986.07.30 Date of story: 1981.12.30 Duration: 2 days - afternoon of 30th to almost midnight of the Eve Cast in order of appearance: Godai, Ichinose, Kentaro, Kyoko, Souichiro, Akemi, Yotsuya. References to: #18 - Godai says that he used up his money (for X-mas presents). Is referenced by: #20 - Ichinose and Akemi ask Kyoko if anything happened between her and Godai on New Year's Eve. This is the second New Year's Eve at Ikkoku-kan. The first New Year's Eve had no story centered on it. Synopsis: -------- It's night-time in Tokyo. Akemi and Yotsuya are with Godai in his room as usual. Akemi invites Godai to join her and Kyoko to watch tv on New Year's Eve. Next day, Godai goes out for part time. Yotsuya also leaves to go somewhere. Later, Ichinose and her family go home. The phone rings for Akemi and she's invited to go skiing. Kyoko tells her that it's okay for her to leave, even though that means she'll be alone with Godai that night. When she's alone, she shows her true fear... Kyoko leaves from the public bath and worries about what to do tonight. Godai happens to see meet her on the street, but she doesn't tell him why Akemi didn't go to the bath with her. Later, Godai arrives at Kyoko's room. He wonders where Akemi is. Kyoko avoids answering by asking him if he wants tea. The phone rings and Akemi asks Kyoko if she'll be okay. Finishing the phone call, Kyoko finally tells Godai that Akemi won't be with them. Godai tries to hold her hand, but grabs a mandarin instead. Then he reaches under the table, only to grab a bag of rice crackers. Kyoko goes to turn up the volume on the tv, and Godai charges in, and misses. Kyoko starts to cook the soba. Later the phone rings and she goes out to check on Ichinose's room. When she comes back, she happens to hear Godai screaming, `I want to do it!!' He turns around startled that she heard him, but manages to give a reasonable excuse. The tv show ends while they finish off their soba. Godai excuses himself and leaves. Kyoko feels relieved that nothing apparently happened. She decides to invite him for something and starts taking off her clothes. Lying in bed, Godai hears Kyoko knocking on the door. He opens the door and Kyoko is standing there wearing a colorful kimono. She invites him to visit the shrine with her. And they go walking down the street. - Glenn Tarigan Footnotes: ---------- (x) Glenn: On the table are a few TOKKURI--these are sake containers often made out of porcelain. Tokkuri filled with sake (about 0.18 liter's worth) are usually placed in water heated to 40 to 50 degrees. This heated sake is then poured into small drinking cups called CHOKKO (this is the cup that Akemi is drinking from). Also, the proper etiquette is that you don't pour into your own cup; just wait for someone else to pour for you, and then you can reciprocate. .6.> Jon Kay on 94.07.26 posted this in the MI ML: Carragher-san, a couple of Bob-sans, and I watched episode 19 last weekend, the one in which Godai-kun tries to fiercely attack Kyoko-san but in the end wimps out (corresponding to v3c1 in the manga). At the end, a bell sounded repeatedly; supposedly, each toll of the bell represented removal of a sin or deception. Carragher-san was annoyed that the 'bong's of the of the bell at midnight didn't correspond to events the way they did in the manga. I thought that in fact the bongs WERE synchronized to events - it's just that there are more of them than in the manga, they are synchronized to subtly different events, and rather than symbolizing the dispelling of sins or deceptions, they only symbolize the presence of such (no wonder there are so many more!). So I went back and took note of each one, and analyzed it to death. So, in keeping with the short but strong MI ML tradition of over-the-top analysis of utter trivia, I present MI BONG ANALYSIS: Along with the sequential number of each 'gong,' I include what I believe to be the most likely corresponding sin or deception, and how many seconds the sound was offset from the event (sort of a plausibility check). The gongs are sounded at a consistent interval: something like 16 seconds (my watch battery is dead, though, so I'm not 100% sure about the interval). Gong #1 2 sec after Although it's clearly offset greatly in Maison Ikkoku time, in viewer-time it's only two seconds after kanrinin-san seems to believe Godai-kun explanation that he wanted to SUKI, not SUKI, (sorry, couldn't resist: this 20-year-old male asserted that he wanted to SKI, not to "do it.") when he yelled out. A deception takes place here, though I wouldn't want to place money on which party is deceived. Gong #2 Coincident Godai-kun decides to go upstairs. Here a deception is dispelled: Godai-kun figures out that he's not going to "get anywhere" with Kyoko-san this evening. Gong #3 Coincident Kyoko-san breathes a DEEP sigh of relief at having survived the evening unmolested. Probably a new deception is present, at least in the context of this episode, as Kyoko-san thinks, "Nothing happened. Godai-san is a gentleman." Unless, of course, one reason Godai-kun had so much difficulty was moral turmoil, in which case this is a deception dispelled (I think Godai-kun gets a bum rap in this episode. Although he is as lecherous as any other male college student, he is normally not ACTIVELY unscrupulous - he takes advantage of situations that happen to him with a vengeance throughout the series, but what is this "nobody can hear her scream or shout" business?). Gong #4 Coincident Removal of deception. Godai-kun is shown standing outside Kyoko-san's door, and it is crystal clear that he lacked the necessary guts to do what he wanted to do. He curses himself for being a wimp. Though that can't exactly be news even to Godai-kun. Gong #5 I think this gong is just here for scenery. Those who believe that everything can be analyzed may wish to believe that gong #4 was for Godai-kun's lust and gong #5 is for the revelation of Godai-kun's wimpiness, but #7 comes about fifteen seconds after Godai-kun's thought on the subject - the scene is of Tokyo skyline. Gong #6 Coincident A deception is dispelled. Kyoko-san remembers that she forgot to feed Soichiro (she forgot because she was so terrified of Godai-kun). Gong #7 Coincident A deception is present. The word "SOICHIRO" is shown center screen on Soichiro's food bowl, highlighting whatever self-deception caused Kyoko-san to (re?)name her dog "Soichiro." Gong #8 Coincident Kyoko-san comments, as Soichiro laps up the soba in his bowl, "I shouldn't have doubted him. No, Godai-san isn't that kind of man." Again, either deception or dispelling of deception depending upon your opinion back in gong #3. Gong #9 Coincident Cut to shot of Godai-kun lying in bed. Only the blankets are visible when the gong happens, but they are enough to convey despair. Enough lust is here to keep the damn thing ringing for the rest of the year. Gong #10 Coincident Godai-kun thinks, "this might have been my only chance. And I bowed to the pressure." Deception, I think. Gong #11 Coincident Godai-kun thinks, "I should've pushed her down." Poignantly self-deceptive, since Kyoko-san has only a few seconds ago decided to ask Godai-kun to come along on her Two Year Visit because of his gentlemanly behavior. Gong #12 Coincident Godai-kun hears Kyoko-san knocking and calling out and comes to conclusions. Self-deception'R'us! Gong #13 Godai-kun sees Kyoko-san in her kimono. Damn. No nightclothes. Part of the self-deception from #9 is dispelled. Godai-kun's hopes may still be up, though, until... Gong #14 Coincident Kyoko-san explains that she wants company for the Two Year Visit. The rest of the Godai-kun's self-deception from #9 pops like a bubble. Although...the bell tolls while Kyoko-san is talking. One wonders if this isn't more self-deception with regard to Soichiro-san on Kyoko-san's part, somehow. It's not atall obvious, though, and the only reason I wonder is because the gongs largely come pretty damn close to coinciding with the sin/deception in question. Gong #15 2 seconds after More removal of deception. Godai-kun realizes that Kyoko-san isn't "that kind of woman." Good goin', Godai-kun! Now if you could only *keep* that in mind ... Although...if so, this gong is the farthest out of sync. The gong actually comes as Godai opens the door for Kyoko. If MI were made in the US, I might believe it was an indictment of sexism, but as it is that hardly seems likely.... What makes up my mind is that otherwise there would be no gong to cover Godai's realization, which seems pretty key and very much worthy of a bong. Gong #16 Coincident Kyoko-san verbally agrees with Godai-kun that she wishes that the new year will be a good one (not clear - the subbing is even more atrocious than usual here). Kyoko-san is probably busy wishing Soichiro-san were still alive, and is thus lying to Godai-kun. An alternate explanation is that Godai-kun is lying - after all, we're about to find out what he's really wishing, but the bell comes during Kyoko-san's speech, and anyway, why the rigmarole with Soichiro the dog earlier, otherwise? Gong #17 Coincident Godai-kun thinks, "I'll push her down this year!" Yheesh, no shortage of sin or deception here! Additional discussion: Jon Kay wrote: > Kyoko-san breathes a DEEP sigh of relief at having survived > the evening unmolested. [...] > (I think Godai-kun gets a bum rap in > this episode. Although he is as lecherous as any other male > college student, he is normally not ACTIVELY unscrupulous - > he takes advantage of situations that happen to him with a > vengeance throughout the series, but what is this "nobody > can hear her scream or shout" business?). Glenn: Is that a question you want answered? Jon on 94.07.29: Yeah, actually, I'd be interested to hear some opinions here. I mean, OK, there's an obvious implication (especially with Godai wearing Takahashi-sensei's trademark Ataru lustful face). But do people think this really fits Godai's character (I'll quote Carragher-san as having said he thought that this is perfectly in line with the *manga* Godai, just to force him to enter the discussion to defend himself...), and if it does, how? Or is there something more subtle going on? Or am I reading too much into this (even if I am, it seems like it could be fun to argue about :-))? Christopher Noe on 94.07.29: I'm not sure that this is an either or type of situation. Godai is certainly capable of doing the right thing for the wrong reason, but in this case, I think he is partly motivated by his conscience to behave himself. After all, everyone fantasizes about things that they would never do, even if they had the opportunity. Certainly one of the things I really appreciate in MI is Takahashi's uncanny ability to show us the thoughts and emotions of the main characters in a very realistic and believable way, and it might be an oversimplification to attribute his behavior solely to wimpiness. Final thought - It is easy to do the right thing when you're not being tempted, but the real test comes when you're really tempted, especially if no one would know...(Godai being alone with Kyoko would certainly qualify, I think ^_^) Bob Carragher on 94.07.29: Well, Godai does try to take advantage of certain situations as they arise. For example, there were a number of times in the early chapters/episodes in which he tries to steal a kiss from Kyouko while she's asleep, unconscious, or whatever. He's usually busted, though, for comedic effect. Now, what if he weren't busted? Would he have actually gone through with it? By v8c1, we know that he won't. During the onsen chapter, Kyouko's out like a light from drinking and partying and Godai almost kisses her, but stops himself. But this is after knowing her a couple of years, and having his feelings for her go from just plain lust to love. (He did save her life, after all, and break his leg over her not the previous month.) I think at the time of v3c1, though, he's still enough of a lecher to have really screwed up his friendship with her for a long time, if not forever, if he had succeeded a couple of times. (e.g. Jumping on her when she changed the TV volume, and comically missing.) As for the difference between manga and anime, I've always maintained that the emotions tend to be stronger, perhaps to a distorted extent, in the manga than in the anime. Yes, there are a few really poignant moments in the anime that weren't present in the manga, but overall I'd give the manga characters more depth. And yes, I firmly believe the manga Godai is much more lecherous than the anime Godai. But he's Godai anyway, so what does it matter? B-) That's my Y2==$.03. B-) Christopher J. Noe on 94.07.29: I think Bob makes a pretty good argument for the lecherous Godai theory. It fits the manga version of this story quite well, particularly since Godai's transition from lust to love takes quite a while, and he does a lot of 'two steps forward, one step back' stuff. Of course that isn't entirely his fault, given Kyoko's obtuse behavior, and jealousy 'before the fact', not to mention the splendid efforts of the party posse to keep things interesting. I still think that a little bit of conscience may have been affecting his timing, though... <.6. .5.> ==================================================================== @ep20 == Episode 20: == == KYOUKO-san ira ira!? == == KAEra nai GODAI KUN no NAZO == == or == == Frustrated Kyoko-san!? == == Mystery of the Unreturning Godai-kun == ========================================================================== [ 94.02.27 2211 Inserted note I had posted to RAA in 93.07.17 ] = 22 lines [ 94.03.03 0655 - 0737 Begin translating from Esperanto version] = 87 lines [ 94.03.15 1845 - 1917 More translating from Esperanto version ] = 214 lines [ 94.03.17 1655 - 1721 More translating from Esperanto version ] = 266 lines [ 94.03.20 1349 - 1411 It was a long Esperanto version... ] = 343 lines [ 94.03.21 0305 - 0338 I must finish this translating sooner! ] = 445 lines [ 94.03.24 0745-0759 A translating I go, a translating I go...] = 492 lines [ 94.03.25 0118-0240 Burning the noktomezan oleon tradukante...] = 664 lines [ The translation rough draft is done. Now it's refining time. ] [ 94.03.27 2300 - 0015 Editing, added footnotes and details. ] = 825 lines [ 94.04.21 1100 - 1340 Lots of rechecking and editing. ] = 955 lines I may not be able to compete with the others when it comes to quality, but if you can't make it good, make it big. :) Air Date: 1986.08.06 Date of story: January 5th, 1986 Duration: 10 days - from January 5th to 14th Cast in order of appearance: Kentaro, Souichiro (dog), Ichinose, Akemi, Yotsuya, Godai, Rugby team members, Kyoko, Baachan, Mitaka (in Godai's dream), Godai's Mother, Mitaka, Godai's Father References to: #19 - Ichinose and Akemi ask Kyoko if anything happened between her and Godai on New Year's Eve. Is referenced by: #21 - Godai tells Sakamoto that he doesn't want to talk about his visit to his parent's place. After earning his pay from working on New Year's Eve, Godai is able to afford the train ticket home. As this episode starts, Godai is back in his hometown of Yunomachi (1) in Niigata Prefecture, far north of Tokyo. Ichinose's family and Yotsuya had also gone away to their respective destinations. On the 4th of January, the Ichinose family has come back to Ikkoku-kan, and this is how it is when the episode starts out. Notes: Along the left edge are numbers indicating the date. E.g., the 5th of January. Along the far right, the line formed by the "|" character will serve as a rough indicator of each scene of the story that appeared in the anime but not at all in the manga. This is to point out how the story was expanded from what was originally a single manga chapter. It looks like at least a third of the anime's scenes were new from the manga. Synopsis: -------- 5 Over the walkway to Ikkoku-kan, a kite floats. It tugs lightly | th against the string attached to Kentaro. Souichiro grabs the boy by | the pants and yanks hungrily. `Stop it! Let go!' Kentaro yells. | Ichinose arrives, carrying Souichiro's dish. The dog happily lets | go of Kentaro and attacks his breakfast. | | Akemi, standing at the entrance with Ichinose, asks, "Nee, when's | Godai coming back?" Before Ichinose can say she doesn't know, | Kentaro answers that Godai'll be back tomorrow. | | Akemi: Tomorrow? Boring... | Ichinose: Why? | Akemi: It's too quiet around here... | [ She leans against the post and sighs; | then she notices somebody coming. ] | | Yotsuya arrives at the corner of the outside wall. Akemi cheers | up all of a sudden and welcomes him back, grabbing his arm. | | Akemi: Come on! Let's drink! | Yotsuya: I didn't bring back any gifts! (2) | Akemi: Doesn't matter, let's drink! | | While the two go in, Ichinose wonders aloud, "Where'd he go?" | Souichiro briefly stops eating and looks up at Ichinose: "Bau." | Presumably, Ichinose doesn't understand. | | At a highschool field, Godai plays rugby. As he runs, he imagines that someone special is watching him... "Kyoko-san, look at me! Did you know I played rugby when I was in highschool?" At the side of the field, one girl cheers on: "Ganbatte, Godai-kun!" Godai catches the ball and runs out in front of the others. He laughs, "It's going to be a try! Kyoko-san, watch me!" He rips away from a tackle and he's home free. He looks behind him with pride. Then he runs into the goalpost. The ball falls onto the snow covered ground. [ The title appears with the ball in the middle of the screen, as the melody from Ashita Hareruka plays in the background. The opening song itself lasted for 1 minute and 28 seconds. From the moment when we first see Kentaro flying his kite, 112 seconds have now elapsed and finally, too many details have been described. :) ] 6 The phone in Kyoko's room rings. On one side, Kyoko answers; on th the other side Godai brings the news that he'll return to Ikkoku-kan after a couple of days. Kyoko looks disappointed. Kyoko: Why? Godai: My parents don't want me to go. Ha ha ha. Baachan, sitting at the kotatsu behind Godai, falls to the table in a slapstick way upon hearing Godai's excuse. Back on the phone, Kyoko answers, "I understand. Then, be good to your parents." Godai puts down the phone. Baachan comments: "What was that about parents?" Godai: What's the point of telling the truth? Baachan: Hmf. What a show-off. Godai sits down at the kotatsu: [ Looks at himself in the mirror. ] No way I can show this to kanrinin-san. On his face is a red bruise ringing the left eye. (3) At the wall-calendar, Kyoko crosses out the sixth day, under which is written a reminder that Godai will return. (4) She then circles the eighth of January-- a Friday. (5) Akemi and Ichinose knock on the door and ask if they can come in. (6) With tea set out, the three women sit at the kotatsu. Akemi wonders when Godai will come back to Ikkoku-kan; he was supposed to come back today. Kyoko tells them about the phone call she got from Godai. Ichinose: Sure is quiet... [ Lights up a cigarette. ] I heard you two were alone together on New Year's Eve. Kyoko reddens: ... Nothing happened. Ichinose: How can I continue the conversation if you give an answer like that? Kyoko: But... Akemi: Not even holding hands? Kyoko: It was surprisingly quiet. [ Takes a sip of tea. ] Akemi: Thank goodness! I'm relieved. If something happened it would have been partly my fault. Ichinose: There's nothing to worry about. If anything happened, it would be good news. Kyoko puts down her cup: What was that supposed to mean? Ichinose relents, for now. (7) Akemi wonders why Godai decided to stay home longer. (8) Ichinose suggests that he felt homesick. They both turn to look at Kyoko, with blame in their eyes. Ichinose: A better mom than the women he fell for, I suppose. Kyoko: Stop kidding. Akemi: He is only a boy after all. Kyoko suggests that Godai is being faithful to his parents; he didn't visit them in the summer so he's making up for it now. Ichinose: Well, he did grow a bit in the past year. Akemi: Especially physically! Ichinose: Yeah, he's twenty years old! Akemi: He's a grown man now. (9) The two of them each take a sip of tea, and sigh... Akemi and Ichinose blurt out in unison: Really, nothing happened with Godai that night?! Kyoko: Do I have to repeat myself? Akemi and Ichinose: Not even a kiss? Kyoko slams down her cup: Nothing! At the family restaurant, Godai sleeps on a few cushions | partly under the kotatsu. A bag of ice rests on top of his | injured left eye. We zoom in and enter his thoughts, whether we | want to or not... | | At a tennis court, Kyoko holds a tennis ball and looks | sadly at Mitaka. | | Kyoko: Actually, I love Godai-san... | [ She serves the ball. ] | Mitaka: That's horrible! | [ He returns the serve. ] | Kyoko: But being apart, I might give in to the loneliness. | [ Hits the ball back. ] | Mitaka: Then give in to it. | [ He hits the ball fast. ] | Kyoko: Eh? | [ The ball flies past her... ] | Kyoko: Yes, I will. | [ She drops her racquet. ] | | Mitaka and Kyoko run to each other and meet in the middle. | where they hug each other across the net. As we zoom out, | the tormented voice of Godai becomes heard all around them: | "Ka- ka- ka- Kanrinin-saaaaan!!!" | | "Heeeeeh!", someone cries mockingly. | Godai opens his eyes, and there, right above his face, is Baachan | staring back and grinning. | | Godai stops screaming in vain: Huh?... Oh, it's you. | Baachan: Heh heh... | | She goes to sit at one side of the table. Godai sits up to hang | over the table, still suffering the effects of that dream gone | awry. | | Baachan: You were dreaming about kanrinin-san, weren't you? | Godai: No way. | Baachan: Oh? | She sits silent for a few seconds... | Then she suddenly stands and cries out, flapping her arms: | Ka- ka- ka- Kanrinin-saaan!! | In a panic, Godai lunges over and plugs up her mouth: | S- S- Stop that! | | Godai's mother walks into the room, carrying some laundry. Godai quickly lets go of Baachan, and they both pretend that nothing happened. Mother sits down at the kotatsu and starts folding the clothes. Mother: Yuhsaku, when are you going back to Tokyo? Godai: Eh? I don't know. Maybe after a few more days. Mother: Say, why don't you stay until the 15th? Godai: Why? Mother: Well, then you can attend the Seijin ceremony here. (10) Godai: How can I? If I stay, then that dream will come true... Baachan screams: Kanrinin-saaan!!! Godai: Stop that! Baachan! She looks at him and grins: He he hehh... (11) 9 At the women's tennis club some of the members walk past. Behind th them, Kyoko walks alone. But not for long-- Mitaka arrives from behind. He asks if Kyoko would like to have tea with him. She hesitates, thinking: "(Today's the ninth... Godai-san might be back...)" Unfortunately Ichinose arrives... "Why don't you go? Maybe the coach can comfort you." Kyoko: What's that supposed to mean? Mitaka: Oh? Ichinose looks skyward innocently: Well, Godai-kun hasn't come back, so she's been feeling lonely. Mitaka: My my. Kyoko: Ichinose-san! The secret's out. Kyoko seems to have changed her mind anyway; she turns to Mitaka saying that she would like to have tea after all. He looks at her and winks: "You're not using me as a substitute for Godai-kun are you?" She looks back with consternation: "Not you too?!" (12) In a cafe, Mitaka and Kyoko sit at a table. Mitaka: Hometown, I see... I envy people who have a hometown. Kyoko: Oh, you're from Tokyo? Mitaka: Yes. And you? Kyoko: We moved around a lot because of my father's work. So I didn't get any feeling for a hometown. Kyoko sips her tea, as Mitaka watches her attentively. Mitaka gets to the point: Is it true you're lonely? Because Godai-kun hasn't come back? Kyoko pauses, then starts pensively twisting a strand of hair as she looks to the side: Don't take Ichinose-san seriously, she's only joking. Mitaka: I see. That's great! He smiles at her and the teeth sparkle. Kyoko smiles nervously, and a groan leaks out. Mitaka drives Kyoko back to Ikkoku-kan. When she comes in at the entrance she looks down. Pair of geta roams into view. Then red high-heels, and small sneakers. (13) Kyoko: (He's still not back yet...) Kyoko puts down her bag and starts to take off her boots. Ichinose comes out of her room to greet Kyoko. Ichinose: Welcome back. You're early aren't ya? Kyoko: Well, I have to be here when Godai-san comes back, right? Ichinose: Oh, so you took Godai-kun over the coach. Kyoko, with annoyance: It's the duty as the manager. (14) [ She gets up and starts walking to her room. ] Ichinose: Duty? But when he comes back, he'll phone beforehand. Kyoko, stops: Oh, yes... Ichinose: Worried? | Kyoko, angrily: As a manager! | | She goes off to her room in a huff. Ichinose looks on with | curiosity, then breaks into a raucous laugh. | | Back at Niigata, it's now night. A customer is seen leaving from the front entrance of Godai's Restaurant. Inside, in the living room, Godai looks at his hand mirror. He moves his face, watching the play of what used to be a rather obvious red mark. Then he smiles: "(Yes, it's gone! With this, I can go home. I'll phone Kyoko-san right now.)" From the kotatsu he crawls over to the telephone. Unfortunately, the line is cut off before he can start-- his father pokes his head into the room. Father is dressed in his chef's outfit and wielding a pan. Obviously the restaurant isn't closed yet: Yuhsaku! Everyday you do nothing! Stop hanging around, and help out in the restaurant! Godai: But, I'm going to use the phone... Father: Shuddup! Go out and do deliveries! The phone will have to wait. Soon, Godai is outside bicycling through the snow covered streets. A box of food deliveries sits on the back of the bicycle. He grumbles, "Damned slave-driver. Of all the timing... just when I was going to phone her." Nevertheless, he can still phone later. Godai plays over those delicious words: "Hehehe, kanrinin-saaan, tomorrow I'll see youuu." The daydream begins... There, standing in an open space, is Kyoko. Stylized snowflakes decorate the background as it snows all around them. Godai: I'm back, Kyoko-san. I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long. Kyoko, looking downwards: Godai-san... I was so lonely without you... [ She raises her head to look at Godai, and smiles. ] But I didn't give in to it! Godai: Kyoko-san... [ Grins wildly. ] Kyoko-saaaaan! Kyoko runs towards him with open arms: Godai-saaan!! And across from her, Godai, carrying the food he's supposed to deliver, runs deliriously, pushing through the deep snow. He opens his eyes in reality, and suddenly there is a telephone pole. Godai yelps, "Guargg-!" *CRAASH* The bicycle lies on a mound of snow. Godai's face is planted against the pole, and the food that was to be delivered lies all over the ground behind him. A dog walks in to enjoy a free meal as a tragic song (15) wails in the background. (16) -------- [ Commercial break: It is now 11 minutes and 2 seconds since the OP ended. ] Back at the restaurant... Godai's Father puts on a muffler and says goodbye to Mother as he | leaves for a meeting. | Mother: Don't drink too much. | Father: Hai. | [ He leaves. ] | | Godai is sitting at the kotatsu with Mother and Baachan. For some reason, his head hangs gloomily... Mother pours tea into a cup and passes it to Baachan. After pouring a cupful for herself, Mother asks Godai: "Well, are you going back tomorrow?" Behind them, the clock rings... eight times. Godai is still silent. Mother and Baachan look at him closely... and suddenly break out into guffaws. Godai lifts his head to glare at them: "Don't laugh!" Mother: But, your face...! There, on Godai's face, are red bruises around BOTH eyes. The two women calm down momentarily, but start laughing again anyway. Godai fumes. Mother wipes away her tears of laughter and collects herself sufficiently for another few words. Mother: Anyway, will you be going back tomorrow? Godai: I don't know. How can I? With this... Baachan screams: Ka- ka- ka- kanrinin-saaaan!! Godai hangs his head in despair. Souichiro howls at the full moon... In Kyoko's room, the loon | squad and Kyoko sit around the kotatsu. Kyoko notices the others' | untypical mood. She stops her knitting and asks, "Why aren't you | partying like usual?" Yotsuya wearily explains that they're | missing the key ingredient: Godai-kun. Kyoko looks at them, and | smiles understandingly. | | The telephone rings and everybody follows Kyoko as she goes to answer. She picks up the phone. It's Godai! Unfortunately, he has more bad news: he says that he won't be returning for three, maybe four days. As the loon squad listens from just behind, Kyoko, with concern, asks Godai why. [ The view switches over to Godai's side. ] Godai hastily concocts the same lie: Er, my parents want me to stay longer! Baachan appears right behind his shoulder and retorts: Not really. Godai shushes her quiet, as the phone call comes to an end. Kyoko puts down the receiver sadly, as the loon squad look over her shoulders with curiosity. 11 In the shopping district, Kyoko is walking back from grocery th shopping. Kozue happens to see her and calls out a greeting. Kyoko turns around to say hello. (17) After walking a short while in silence, Kozue wonders what happened to Godai. Kozue: I was going to see a movie with Godai-san (18) on the 10th, but he phoned and said he couldn't go. (19) He said something, but it wasn't clear. Kyoko: Haa... They continue walking. Kyoko soon notices that behind her Kozue has stopped still. Kozue: I feel lonely... The sudden noise of a flock of birds taking flight surprises | Kyoko. She looks up, unable to say a word. | | Back at Ikkoku-kan, Kyoko sweeps the walkway. From the doghouse Souichiro looks at Kyoko and barks sadly, sensing that something is amiss with her. Kentaro, just coming back from school, asks | when Godai will come back. | | Kyoko: I don't know. | Kentaro: Oh... | He walks in disappointed. Kyoko doesn't look much different. | (20) | | A strong wind blows through and forces Kyoko to pull in her coat. Kyoko: "So cold..." Kyoko sits at her kotatsu and knits. The view shifts to the calendar. The eighth of January has been crossed out. Now it's the eleventh. Kyoko thinks about Godai and wonders when he'll be back. She looks towards the balcony window. A ball of wool, accidentally | knocked off the table, rolls off towards the electric heater by | the window. When the view switches back to Kyoko, she is resting | her head on her arms on the kotatsu and sighs. | | A noise from the entranceway comes to Kyoko's attention. She immediately stands up and goes to check, but is disappointed to find that it was only the wind pushing against the door. Outside, Souichiro looks up and sees the entrance light turn on as Kyoko closes the door shut. 13 Another day passes. The camera focuses on a particular number on | th Kyoko's calendar and we see that it's now the 13th. The absence | of Godai seems to have adversely affected the mood of Ikkoku-kan. | Akemi lies in bed and looks bored. She looks unattentively at a | magazine and then lies back and yawns. At the hole in Godai's | room, Yotsuya blows bubbles through a straw into a glass of water. | | Out in the hallway, Kyoko sweeps. At Godai's door she pauses and looks at it. She almost knocks on the door, but stops, realizing that it would be useless. (21) Kyoko goes back to sweeping. From behind, Ichinose has seen this; she goes down the stairs and | stops at the bottom, thinking about what she saw. | | That night, at the other home, some people aren't exactly bored. | Godai falls to the floor as he tries to escape from a | vacuum-wielding mother. | | Mother: You do nothing here but look in that mirror of yours! | Why don't you go back to Tokyo!? | Godai: But, didn't you say I should stay 'til the 15th? | Mother: I was hoping you'd help out around the restaurant! | | She advances with the weapon and Godai falls off the edge of the | floor into the kitchen. His father, sitting at the table and | reading the newspaper, joins the conversation: | | Father: Yuhsaku, looks like you aren't studying that hard. | Why don't you get a wife and succeed this place? | Godai: Are you joking?! No! | Father loses his calm demeanor: Then go back to Tokyo! | | Godai looks in his hand mirror, and mumbles to himself. | | 14 The next day... | th | Souichiro looks in a puddle and leaps at the image of a | competitor; he ends up smashing his face into the ground. No | worse for wear, he shakes the water out. | | Inside, the loon squad and Kyoko sit around the kotatsu in Kyoko's room. As before, Kyoko knits, while the others look bored. Akemi: Godai-kun is so late. Yotsuya: College must have started already. (22) Ichi: It's already the 14th. Kyoko: He probably still wants to stay home. After all, he's still a kid. Ichinose recites: Godai-kun didn't go home in summer holiday. Akemi: So he's being dutiful to his parents, isn't it? Kyoko: Oh did I say that kind of thing? Akemi and Ichinose look at each other. This time, Kyoko is frustrated, but not at the loons: What a troublemaker! He hasn't paid his rent. The others can't ignore this! They huddle around Ichinose's side of the kotatsu for a talk. Akemi: Did you hear that?! Ichinose: The rent isn't due for another ten days or so. Akemi: She must be really frustrated. Yotsuya: It would be a good idea not to bother her in this situation! Kyoko puts down her knitting and angrily protests, "Don't have a confidential talk right in front of me!" She backs off when Yotsuya advances on her. He tells her, "Kanrinin-san, smile. Life must be happy." Then he gets to the point: "Godai-kun isn't the only man." Kyoko protests, "Wh- what are you talking about?! The way you say it... it sounds as if I- I'm..." Yotsuya nods in answer. Ichinose: But you've been looking so depressed lately. Kyoko, nervously: No I'm not! It's the responsibility as a manager... At that moment, they hear Souichiro's bark. Akemi wonders if that could be because Godai has arrived. She and the other loons perk up and rush out to check. But Kyoko stays put. Ichinose hangs back and asks Kyoko why she isn't going. Kyoko: It's only the wind. Ichinose: So stubborn aren't ya? Ichinose leaves, and now Kyoko's all alone. Soon, Kyoko hears the voices from outside. They're greeting someone. Then Godai's voice becomes audible. Kyoko: Godai-san... She stands up and approaches the door. But something happens, that halts her... Voice of Ichinose: Why don't you greet Kyoko? Voice of Godai: It's okay! I don't have to see her! Kyoko steams, "(What did he say?!)" Ichinose arrives at Kyoko's door and excitedly calls Kyoko, who is now washing rice at the sink. (23) Ichinose: You should see this! It's interesting. She drags out an unwilling Kyoko. Kyoko: Why should I?! Mo... Yotsuya and Akemi drag in an equally unwilling Godai past the corner of the hallway to the front of Kyoko's room. With his eyes concealed, Godai looks at Kyoko and smiles nervously: "He- hello." Kyoko thinks angrily: (What's with the sunglasses?!) Akemi: And now for the presentation! Akemi and Yotsuya battle with Godai, who suddenly doesn't want them to get near him. The loons stop discouraged. Yotsuya: Oh, what's that?! [ He points to the horizon. ] A dodo bird's singing! Godai: Eh? (24) Akemi quickly snatches the sunglasses. Yotsuya grabs Godai's head in a vice grip and twists the resisting head until it shows in the light, in clear view of Kyoko. There for all to see is Godai, with his bruised eyes. Kyoko looks at him with shock, then holds a hand up to her face to keep from laughing. She doesn't seem to succeed. The loon squad happily walk upstairs to celebrate Godai's return. No need to use kanrinin-san's room anymore. Ichinose: Yaaa, it's sure been a long time since we've seen kanrinin-san smile. Akemi: Is that what you call smiling? Yotsuya laughs: It's great to be drinking together again! | | Behind them, Godai follows slowly with a hang-dog look, and Kyoko | walks at the very back. She still has her hand at her mouth, | trying to stop the laughing that's trying to get out. Godai steps | onto the bottom step of the staircase, and then looks back | forlornly at Kyoko. She stops and looks at him. | | Kyoko swallows her laughing: .... Welcome back. | Godai smiles with this encouraging look from Kyoko: | Thanks. I'm back. | | The giggles come back to Kyoko. Slowly, until she can't hold it | back any more. This time she breaks out in laughter. Godai laughs too. The camera cuts to Godai's UCLA bag, which he has forgotten to bring up with him, and the scene fades out. (25) [ At 22 minutes and 19 seconds (not including the opening song), the story ends... ] Kyoko narrates the preview. Coming up: Kyoko II ! ** ** ** ** Some comments: Somehow, I really liked this episode. It's probably my favorite episode until we reach Episode43. Maybe I liked it so much because Kyoko looks so cute in this episode. ^_^ This episode takes place over several days and it is sometimes hard to tell which day each scene takes place in. To make things explicit, along the left margin I entered in the date. The first date took me a while to figure out, so I'll explaining my reasoning: Kentaro says Godai will come back "tomorrow" and according to Kyoko's calendar Godai was to return on the 6th-- therefore this episode starts on the 5th. Note that this episode's scenes take place on the 5th, 6th, 9th, 11th, 13th and 14th of January. They didn't show any scenes from the 7th, 8th, 10th or 12th of January. Differences between the anime and the manga versions: ----------- At this stage of the series I like the character designs for the anime more than the manga. Yotsuya wasn't in the manga chapter at all-- he didn't return until two chapters later. The opening scenes were rearranged: the manga starts out with Kyoko on the phone with Godai. Next comes the talk with Akemi and Ichinose, and then we flashback to when Godai got his black eye. When Godai phoned Kyoko for the second time, she was alone in her room. Akemi managed to remove Godai's sunglasses on the first try. And Godai's two new "black eyes" weren't shown to the manga reader until Kyoko herself sees it after his arrival home. ** ** ** ** Footnotes: ---------- (1) I think the name "Yunomachi" was made up for the anime version. I haven't seen that name appear anywhere in the manga, so Godai's hometown was probably left unnamed there. Indeed, the only time the anime version mentions the name Yunomachi is in episode 95. For those interested in geography... Niigata Prefecture is centered at 37.08'N and 138.30'E. In comparison, Tokyo City is at 35.45'N 139.30'E. (2) Yotsuya doesn't make a lot of sense here. Is he just trying to be weird? (3) Usually this would be a "black eye", but I can't bring myself to call it that, as it's always shown as being a red bruise in this episode. Making it red does reduce its unpleasant look, though. As for how he got this "black eye", how likely is it that you can get that sort of injury by running into a post? Come to think of it, it's also pushing the limits of believability for Godai to get two black eyes by crashing into a telephone pole (later on in the episode). Well, maybe I shouldn't be complaining; Maison Ikkoku doesn't aspire to total realism. Note that in the manga Godai got his black eye during the rugby game when he was tackled-- his face collided with someone's knee. (4) Looks kind of suspicious that Godai is the only name written on the calendar. She didn't have any note on the calendar for Ichinose. Guess this would be another clue that Kyoko is interested in him. Note: On Kyoko's red marker is written the katakana, `ma--ki--'. (5) Even though the year isn't shown, by analyzing the calendar we can figure out that this episode takes place in 1986. The first day in January is a Wednesday, and that's all we need to figure out the year: in the years 1980 to 1990, the only year whose first day is a Wednesday is 1986. (please refer to the anime timeline section for more data). (6) Carragher-san: In some of the earlier MI episodes, especially around the 20s, every once in awhile they play this piece of BGM that sounds like it's going to be a train, but isn't. Then it sounds like it'll cut into some sort of temple/shrine music, but stops. It usually occurs during an outdoor scene, as filler from one "main" scene to another. Tarigan: The melody is often a simple three-noter; but other times, it's fairly complex, as Carragher-san notes. In all those cases, we are hearing (and sometimes seeing) a tofu-seller. Usually, they go around to the old or residential sections of the city. It reminds me of some ice-cream sellers in my neighborhood. (They don't ever show anyone buying anything from a tofu-seller during the series.) Tofu is delivered to many homes, somewhat like milk is sometimes delivered in North America; in the case of tofu, just before the hour of every mealtime (i.e., three times a day). Such a seller, announces his presence by playing a metal pipe, and in the cart-bicycle he would carry various forms of tofu (and maybe some other items): roasted tofu, fried tofu, konyaku, age, sushiage, atsuage, okara, yuba (no, I don't know what most of these things are like). Because tofu is so easily damaged and goes rotten quickly, I imagine that's why you'd want to buy it as fresh as possible, and one way is to get it from a traveling tofu-seller just before meal-time. In this scene which I am footnoting, you can actually see a man on a bicycle (with a box at the back) pedaling past Ikkoku-kan. But maybe he wasn't the one making the noise. (Does anybody know exactly what a tofu-seller's cart-bicycle would look like?) Carragher-san: [re: the necessity of buying tofu in fresh condition] Well, certainly in the days before refrigerators were common. Even today, I'd imagine you'd still want to buy it as soon as possible before eating/using it, as space in Japanese fridges is still small, especially compared to Western ones. Unfortunately, I don't have exact dimensional comparisons. But, in fact you can keep tofu pretty much fresh virtually forever by following a simple ritual: when you buy it, place it in water (tap water should be fine) and leave it in a refrigerator; each day, change the water. (Well, I'm no connoisseur of tofu, so I can't vouch for it's virtual freshness. But I suffered no ill effects after eating 3-week-old tofu kept in this way. B-) Tarigan: Does anybody know if this type of tofu-seller is still common in Japan? I got the impression that this is one of those things that are fading away, just like the public bath that you see so often in Maison Ikkoku. I guess MI has the image of a traditional Japan that you don't see as much of any more. Carragher-san: Pin-pon! B-) I certainly never heard this noise, though I tended to live or stay with people who were within walking distance of a supermarket, so I guess they don't count for evidence. B-) On the other hand, I did stay for awhile with one cousin who lived *far* from even a convenience store, and I *never* heard the sound.... Takahashi-san loves to contrast traditional with "modern" themes all throughout MI. I'll have to go back and look at exactly what's happening during those scenes, but I'd guess the tofu-seller BGM was specifically chosen, and not only to mark time. Shambaugh-san: Yes, there are still tofu-sellers in Japan :-) Our friend Makoto told us about those guys a few years ago. Don't know how prevalent they still are, though. Carragher-san: Okay, here are "exact" time references in four other episodes (regarding the sound of a tofu-seller's pipe). MI #21: After Yotsuya asks Kyoko-the-cat if she's single, before Godai goes to bed. (The scenes are mostly outdoor filler.) MI #22: After Godai asks Kozue about a father not liking a daughter's boyfriend; before Kyoko dials home. MI #23: After Kyoko gives Yotsuya the takoyaki box, while he's walking to Chachamaru. MI #24: After Kozue looks out the bedroom window (Godai: "Someone's looking thru the window!") and before the insert song, "Yume no Iriguchi he." (Kozue and Godai are playing Othello in the Nanao family room during this insert song.) Tarigan: One more: Episode #51 has the most blatant example: Godai is waiting outside for Mitsukoshi, but Yotsuya arrives. Godai goes inside as Yotsuya says: "What were you waiting for? A tofu seller?" Seconds later, someone passes by in the background while playing a pipe. From memory, it seems that the sound of a tofu-seller's pipe disappears in episodes of the latter half of the series. Can anyone name any episode after #51 in which you can hear a tofu-seller? (7) Is this an example of Ichinose being on Godai's side? Is she rooting for him after all? Naah. Like the other loons, she's on nobody's side, as long it's fun! (8) Kyoko is to blame for Godai not coming back. If she weren't around, he wouldn't have to avoid Ikkoku-kan. But she is around, so he has to maintain his good image (what little there is, anyway). (9) Note how Akemi and Ichinose go from calling Godai a mom's boy to calling him a grown man. There's probably more worth saying about this, but I can't think of anything else to write... (10) As Ichinose said earlier, Godai is now twenty years old and this means... it's time for a long footnote! Seijin-no-hi <"Adult's Day", or "Coming-of-Age Day">: This is the day honoring everyone who has turned twenty within the past year. Adult's Day takes place on the 15th of January and it is the second out of the 12 national holidays in Japan. It was on the January 15th of 1949 that the first Seijin ceremony was performed. The Japanese academic calendar starts on April 1st and finishes on the 31st of March in the following year. Students belonging to the same class year have birthdates between April 2nd and April 1st of the next year. That means, for example, that students who enter college (besides ronin) are all 18 years old, and they *all* have turned 19 by the time the school year ends on March 31st at the end of their freshman year. (One other exception, perhaps, is with students who skipped a grade. But does that happen at all in Japan?) Seijin-no-hi follows this system, and everyone in the same school year celebrates it on January 15th. In other words, the majority of the class are 20 years old by that date, but those whose birthday comes AFTER January 15th (their birthdays are between January 15th and April 1st) also celebrate their coming of age. Actually, those who are born after January 15th aren't supposed to drink alcohol or smoke, legally speaking. Nevertheless, they're allowed to get away with it. Not surprisingly, some people think entering college is a sufficient excuse for drinking and smoking. On Seijin-no-hi, one goes to the shrine to give offerings. The men would wear their best clothes, and the women wear kimonos. There is also some sort of ceremony (at the city hall, for instance). As an official adult you can get married without requiring your parents' permission, drink alcohol, smoke, and vote, among other things. [ thanks to Tetsuya Nishimura for some of the information ] (11) I wonder when in the series does Baachan realize Godai is in love with kanrinin-san? Might this be the scene when Baachan first figures out Godai's attraction for her? Certainly she's supportive of the idea, as evidenced in episodes 34 and 35 when she actually plays cupid and arranges a date for Godai with Kyoko. (12) What Kyoko originally said was, "Mou, Mitaka-san ma de?!" Can someone come up with a better translation for it? (13) Yotsuya can be seen as the traditional type; he often wears a Japanese-type robe, plays the shakuhachi and deals in Japanese trinkets and charms. The geta belong to him. In episode 33, you can see straw boots in the shoe box. Those shoes probably also belong to Yotsuya. The other shoes are easy to match: the high-heels belong to Akemi, and the small sneakers would only fit Kentaro. (14) In Manga Volume 7, Part 7, Kyoko was lavishing a lot of attention on Godai while he was in the hospital. And in that chapter she still used the excuse that it's part of her duty. (15) Anyone want to translate this song? You can hear Godai's name mentioned in the song, so it's a sure bet that it has some message for us. (16) The moment when Godai crashes into the pole is, IMHO, the funniest wake-up call in the series. I just love his startled, pre-crash scream. Of course, this isn't the best daydream; just the funniest way he ends a daydream. (17) How often does Kozue happen to meet Kyoko outside of Ikkoku-kan? In a not-too-big town like Tokeizaka, I suppose it wouldn't too unusual to run into Kozue. Unlike the meeting in Episode 92 (when Kozue happens to run into Kyoko at a very critical moment), this one isn't so implausible. (18) Hey, how come Godai had promised to go out with Kozue, but didn't arrange anything with Kyoko? Odds are, Kozue arranged the date with Godai. ^_^ (19) Is it usual for a Japanese speaker to refer to the number of a day when you could just as easily say "yesterday"? I mean, if yesterday was the tenth of January, is it common to refer to it by the number as Kozue did? (I'm sure I heard her say "touka".) (20) The theme of this episode, with Godai being missed by the residents, repeats itself in episode 31. And, as demonstrated here, Kyoko and Kentaro show up as the ones who miss Godai the most. (21) Yeah, all she'd get is Yotsuya answering the door (like in episode 33, "Shock in diary! Souichiro had a lover?!"). (22) Question: When does college start and finish in the New Years holiday? Is it the same for all colleges in Japan? (23) For those of you who don't usually prepare rice... The simple procedure for cooking rice is to first stir it in water to rinse out the particles (I suppose the "dust" is formed when the rice grains rub against each other in the packaging). Then you pour out the water and put in fresh water up to a centimeter higher than the leveled-out rice. Rice cookers depend on a mechanism that detects when the water in the pot has been completely steamed away-- at that moment, it shuts off the heating element. I can't remember how it can tell how much water is left in the pot, but I think it has something to do with magnets. Question: Anybody know more about how rice cookers know when to turn off? (24) Not too surprising that Godai would get fooled by something stupid like that. (25) In contrast to the way that the corresponding manga chapter ended, this episode ended on a more heart-warming note (they extended the ending). Recap of the questions: Is it usual for a Japanese speaker to refer to the number of a day when you could just as easily say "yesterday"? I mean, if yesterday was the tenth of January, is it common to refer to it by the number as Kozue did? (I'm sure I heard her say "touka".) When does college start and finish in the New Years holiday? Is it the same for all colleges in Japan? Anybody know more about how rice cookers know when to turn off? -- Glenn Tarigan <.5. --- End of part 4 of 8 Maison Ikkoku Guidebook Release 8 Copyright 1995 by the Misery Loves Company