「ビョーキなふたり」 (Byōki na Futari)
“Two Sick Ones”

Is the sickness truly in loving someone for five years, or is it in vowing not to change to keep that intact?

The universal fear of change, of that which is different, is something we all feel at some point in our lives. It’s an inherently human emotion, the dreading of anything changing, especially when that which you treasure in the moment is something you hope never to part with. No matter how happy or unhappy you consider your life, chances are you, as a human being, have thought at some point that you did not want things to change, whether it is who you are, the way things stand between you and another person, the status of someone ill, or even where you live or how you do so. But if there’s something we can never avoid, it’s time, and change. Especially not when you’re growing up.

The thing about growing up is that it is not solely a physical process. You may grow in size, your body may change, you may develop Ena, you may look taller or more developed as Sayu and Miuna do, but the important part is what’s on the inside. It is a mental process too, an emotional one; you begin to develop who you are, your personality, your unique thoughts and feelings, and the various choices that define the place you take up in the world. This is not something mere willpower can stop; as you live, you experience things and you are shaped by them. You think based on what you have seen and felt, you learn based on your mistakes, and choose based on the options available to you. That too is true for Miuna and Sayu, just as it is true for Hikari, Kaname, Chisaki, and Tsumugu. No matter how much you wish to cling to something, things will always move on with or without you. That is the cruel lesson the sea kiddos have had to learn, and it would seem that now it is time for the new generation to understand it as well.

This, of course, changes nothing about the importance of belief, or about the strength of emotions. The sickness is not in loving someone, no matter how long the period; the sickness is in doing nothing about those feelings and forcing them to remain undeveloped or unchanged. Love deepens, love wanes, love changes in form; it all depends on the experience of the one loving in relation to the one being loved. As romantic as it may seem, it is never healthy to force oneself to stagnate in any way. In, fact, Sayu was quite wise in recognizing that despite her love for Kaname, a day may have arrived when she would have loved someone else or dealt with his loss differently (unhealthily or otherwise); it is the child in us, the romantic and the nostalgic, that tries to hold on tightly to the present, never to a full degree of success.

Kaname and Hikari are in a similar situation despite now understanding better. They do not want to let go of the past or their present selves. Who, after all, would want to lose the bonds and emotions that they’ve held so dear for so long, especially when they’ve suddenly found themselves in this nightmarish situation? But if Hikari has proven anything over the last seventeen episodes, it’s that change is his modus operandi, and that he, better than the other sea kiddos, has reached a point where he can acknowledge the futility and harm in avoiding it for too long. It’s important to follow how one feels, and to deal with one’s feelings and choices properly and see them through in healthy ways, but it’s another entirely to never develop and mature those feelings. That is how Hikari has grown from bratty and possessive to the poignant individual he is now, and this is no doubt something that will eventually come back to haunt the young and their stalwart decisions to stay who they are now.

 

Preview

55 Comments

  1. Chisaki and Tsumugu’s scene in the kitchen… they’re acting to natural around each other, like they’re a married couple. I really hope they will end up together (actually, I’m just waiting for it to happen at this point). Sorry, Kaname. Sayu is not a bad choice either.

    Cerulean
  2. Sayu is so cute, Kaname totally being the cool gentleman here by actually returning to the spot just to say hello to her, even if he doesn’t (yet) feel anything for her.

    In time, Kaname might just find Sayu to be more appealing, the look on his face while seeing Tsumugu and Chisaki totally in “married couple mode” in the kitchen says it all. You can’t just beat a 5-year headstart overnight.

    echykr
  3. At first Manaka was the only cute one, and then along come Miuna and Sayu as cute brats. Now they’ve grown up…..to be ten times cuter!..I don’t know who to root for anymore.

    The Shizard
  4. Moral of the story, everything changes. Not a single person will end up with who they started liking, and that’s perfect. Hikari-Miuna, Kaname-Sayu, Chisaki-Tsumugu, Manaka-dead. Perfection.

    AniC
  5. The NTR side of me says that Chisaki will end up with Tsumugu, Kaname already had to feel the NTR vibes before the timeskip with Chisaki’s one sided love for Hikari, but now he’s got to feel them again 5 years later.

    The realist side of me says that Everyone except Akari and her husbando will be forever alone, relationship wise. Everybody gets friendzoned. I don’t see anything wrong with that to be honest.

    Magoiichi
      1. They were together… as friends. Also Kaname was bidding his time to confess to Chisaki. Hikari isn’t a problem for him since he knows Hikari likes Manaka. So you can just guess how he felt when all of a sudden, a rival appears. And the rival got a four year start.

        NTR isn’t just about being cheated on. It’s about someone being stolen/taken from you.

        TheMoondoggie
      2. It seemed to me like Kaname was already looking at Tsumugu as a “threat” romantic wise even before the time skip. It was so subtle that I thought I was just overthinking things back then but now I’m certain it was true.

        MgMaster
  6. first link (“anything changing”) is broken, though rest are working well (:

    you nailed the thing here of changing. and it’s something that the series is always touching and reflecting upon us.
    life is so dynamic and change all time. we are changing each and everyday as we learn more, gain knowledge &experience, changing both physically and mentally. but in the end of the day..we are who we are. maybe slightly different, but it’s the same us.
    Hikari has changed a lot during the 1st half of the season. Chisaki, Tsumugu, Miuna and Sayo also changed in those 5 years, whether they want or not. even upon clinging to something, healthy or not, noticeable or not. but in fact, they are all still themselves.

    it was Manaka who feared the most of it. of changing. I think the sea-kids didn’t fully understand that back there. even now they are struggling, because reality around them keeps being dynamic, keeps changing. even if it seems those 5 years were static, it isn’t. it’s just taking a stronger effect. it was like that in the 1st half of the season, but the effect was smaller and it was in small doses (though I like it, and I think they could keep with it without major event plus timeskip…but let it aside).
    now it’s true for sea-kids those 5 years were like one night of sleeping. but they aren’t alone in this. it’s reality around them. confusing, shocking. while even for the Landies it may seem static and they kept everything in the stomach..but that is what teenagers are experiencing. whether it’s 5 years or one day..being adolescence is a vortex of changes.

    even if Miuna and Sayo are as they call themselves “sick” situation, unhealthy one. I gotta cheer Miuna. she is handling the situation so well. sure, it’s tough when Hikari is looking at you as still a mere kid and he has Manaka in his head all the time, and everything around her is just keep popping out of nowhere (boy in the class, now Shioshishio and all) but she does everything she can. I think she is experiencing the growth process which Hikari passed through 1st half of the season. of course, slightly different, but she is experiencing it.

    looking ahead…we are getting close (and not only to Shioshishio).
    I don’t know what Hikari gonna find (or not find?) in the village. maybe he’ll catch some big fish, but for sure we are stepping forward each and every time. it’s still early, but it’s like a calm for now. calm before the storm/climax. because things are gathering before they’ll reach the surface. I don’t know if NnA gonna bring us a full romance resolution. even in Hanasaku we didn’t get that. but for sure it’ll pull out some emotional stuff. I hope it won’t be too…forced.

    thedarktower
    1. actually, i think it was manaka who was most willing to change among the sea kids. she started out as a clumsy and bashful kid to someone who was willing to fight for whatever she believed in, even if it means going against what it established. remember that she was one of the most ardent supporters of akari’s relationship with itaru (to the point that she is willing to sacrifice herself just for akari’s happiness). uroko-sama put it spot on, when he said that manaka would have been better staying behind the other kids all the time. it could even be said that hikari started to change in season 1 partly because manaka has also begun to change.

      flamerounin
      1. Manaka wanted to change herself. but she still wanted that everything will remain the same. she was really afraid of the hibernation and falling sleep (“what if I wake up and no one else will” and stuff like that).
        she did passed through a process of some real change. like the case with Chisaki. but we didn’t see nothing significant, she still kinda remained the same Manaka, until the hibernation was really close and a lot of stuff started to happen and confuse her mind. first with the pseudo “rejection” toward Hikari, then what happened when Kaname pulled some serious unwanted discussion, and the upcoming hibernation. it was all attacking our heroes’ mind, especially Manaka. but in the end she did change. she was resolved to help Akari and even wanted to say something to Hikari (not so sure she wanted to say him “let’s be together”, I think it was more like understand that..”you are precious friend for me, let’s not push it”) whatever it was (or was not), I really get the feeling she grow up in a sudden ahead of the others.

        thedarktower
      2. yeah you;’re right about her being afraid of how the hibernation will change everything she knows.

        about her last words being equivalent to friendzoning hikari at that moment, that’s definitely one thing i also want to find out. there were hints before that she might have already begun developing feelings for him back then. and hikari thinking in this episode that she still have a crush on tsumugu is probably going to be an important point later on.

        flamerounin
    1. I actually don’t think that Hikari or Miuna will end up with anyone at all. The other two pairings , I can see how they are possible. I think Manaka is dead , so there’s no point pairing her with anyone at all…

      Aki-Chan
      1. If they killed Manaka it’s like they killed the whole story and plus there should be a clear evidence that she is dead we really don’t know at this point since they don’t focus on that yet. Manaka is the reason why this story took place she started to change the lives of many when she started to love Tsumugu and she is the reason why Miuna still has her mother i hope she gets to be happy at least.

        Mina
  7. I really hope to see HikariXManaka and ChisakiXKaname, I honestly can’t see it other way and that’s how I ship it all the way, I will only pray that my heart doesn’t break in the process.

    I don’t think Sayu and Miuna will get anything of this love dilemma, I actually don’t want them to either. I don’t know, but I think they are being really selfish, particularly when it comes to Manaka.

    I am really dying to see Manaka’s return. I think it may have been subtle, but when Kaname said “I like older women” and Chisaki blushed I liked it. I really want her to return his feelings, I mean he confessed to her, and all she said is ‘I’m thinking’, she has not given a real answer. The scene in the kitchen seems to be the normal interaction between a brother and a sister, it is not at all a relationship that I see as a couple. Even if they do feel like to an outsider. Don’t forget, they are like family to her. Then when Shishio is back, there’s no doubt that Chisaki will go back to her home in the water. The only fruit of that relationship is that they were forced to stay together.

    I don’t know, I really like the main four. I think when Kaname came back he brought some of the nostalgic memories I have of the old group and it made me happy. Nothing has changed. Nothing except Hikari and in the best way possible.

    I would like this show to give a clear confession from all the charecters in the story. They can’t all carry their feelings for each other deep within themselves, they need to assert it. I doubt this would happen, but I really would like to see everyone get a chance.

    I have feared that Kaname might have died in that episode with the pillar falling atop, so I was glad. Now I can relax a bit. For few weeks I have been nervous.

    Now if only Manaka could come back.. I am sorry, the scene with Sayu and Miuna at the harbour crying didn’t really mean anything to me, I thought it was a drag. Don’t get me wrong, I like both chareceters, but nothing beats the top four in my opinion. I mean in the start I was also skeptical about Tsumugu’s entrance into the group.

    I love this show and I think it is in my top ‘2’ of this season. Wonderful, dramatic, beautiful and heart-warming. Change cannot be avoided, but it is how you drive your life that defines your change.

    Cheers, M.

    Mi-Chan
    1. The scene in the kitchen seems to be the normal interaction between a brother and a sister, it is not at all a relationship that I see as a couple.

      Lol,really? I felt exactly the opposite to me. It’s no doubt Tsumugu’s interested in Chisaki and she’s most likely developed some feelings for him as well throughout these 5 years. Besides that,before the time-skip,Chisaki had more thoughtful interactions with Tsumugu rather than Kaname. I even felt a small spark there.

      Nothing against Kaname as a character as he’s a cool guy & all but I never saw him ever enter Chisaki’s field of vision as a romantic interest. I mean,his confession to her only served to strengthen her resolve in pursuing Hikari. That’s some pretty big friendzoning there. It was like saying: “Thanks Kaname! You’ve helped me strengthen my resolve,you’re a great friend!”

      MgMaster
      1. perceptions and opinions vary with people, even when she asked Tsumugu how does she look now and he said she’s prettier, all she thought about was Hikari at that moment, even when arranging his things, it was very much the way you look after someone than be actually in love with them, you don’t just touch a guy’s underwear without being embaressed a little if you do love them :p neither Tsumugu and Kaname seem to be in luck though, Hikari gets all the girls! Either way, I decided I won’t make any assumptions anymore because I am usually wrong and I end up losing my heart in the process T^T and I cannot handle any heart breaks anymore from this series!

        Mi-Chan
  8. Hmmm… I wonder what that sound Miuna can hear is? It sounds like some crackling noise to me, I dunno if a current could sound like that.

    Also, Sayu’s interactions with the seagull on the street were adorable. Her personality seemed to be a lot more gentle and kind, and I loved that.

    New ship guys!

    Sayu x Seagull HOP ABOARD

    Moss
  9. That scene with Sayu and the seagull…so adorable. But the best part of the episode has to be seeing how well Chisaki and Tsumugu interacted in the kitchen. That scene was just quietly heartwarming.
    On the topic of the three entering the sea village again , I am afraid that they will end up finding Manaka dead…

    Aki-Chan
  10. Anyone notice the change in animation quality when Sayu turned around and Kaname walked up to her? Good use of budget, lol; it’s the little things like that can really make a scene stand out in the right way.

    Tripwire
  11. I’m a bit irritated that they’re making Miuna our protagonist, while we had Manaka in this role for the half of season. Miuna was awesome, but in supporting role. Now they’re showing us her POV too often, while we don’t see other characters, including even Hikari. I hope they won’t drag this until the end. Sayu x Kaname is kinda cute pairing, but if he was to end with her, it would only show that his feelings toward Chisaki wasn’t so strong as he said.
    It’s one of the first show, where I’m changing my fa pairings through episodes, generally I stay with my ‘chosen’ until the end….

    Shirocat
  12. Chisaki and Tsumugu really looked like a married couple i don’t think they even notice that they match so well >//< I love how Kaname waited for Sayu to say hi to her i thought that was really cute esp when he patted her :] Miuna seem to be clingy but i guess that's normal for her age but i'm not saying i acted that way when i was 14 i love how Hikari let Miuna to come with them he's such an awesome brother he wants to show her the place he calls home.

    Mina
  13. Tsumugu and Chisaki looks liked a couple
    But Chisaki is still has an eye for Hikari

    Hang on there Kaname… XD

    But Kaname is lucky to have Hikari(as a friend) and Sayu
    and it seems that he still has a chance for Chisaki(considering she didn’t reject him…at least for now)

    Damn Hikari acting so cool… Now let’s see how you’re gonna act nxt episode lol >.<

    Chisaki doesn't want to check her hometown?parents?(screw the school lol) :C

    ricz
  14. Hikari X Manaka
    Chisaki X Tsugumu
    Kaname X Sayu
    Minua X that one guy (tht confessed to her, can’t remember his name)

    I don’t think Chisaki will ever look at Kaname ‘that’ way, especially since she’s been leaning on Tsugumu since before the skip not him and her reaction when he feel off the boat. (Plus I’ve always liked him with Sayu.(≧∇≦))
    As for Hikari and Miuna, that’ll never happen, he’s too in love with Manaka to see anyone else, and it feels so forced watching Miuna trying to get closer to him, especially when she knows how he feels. She’s not a bad heroine but I miss other characters POV, especially Hikari’s. She’s better off with someone who doesn’t think of her as a little sis.
    As for Manaka and Tsugumu, it seemed like the last convo the had together, him being the Sun, was her trying to tell him he was too far away for her to reach, especially since it was right after her she started noticing Hikari, him becoming a guy and what not.
    Just my opinion, feel free to disagree.

  15. Titanic scale ship vs ship warfare aside, I think Kaname provided a fine point of observation of how Tsumugu and Chisaki have become perfectly functioning old marriage, sans the romance part… or maybe with one but so well hidden the pair doesnt notice it themselves?
    Girls in the class commenting on how cool Kaname is even before meeting him (and Hikari overreacting) was LOL moment!
    Poor Sayu did not have the courage to face Kaname, and one precious moment was lost.
    Miuna has now been medically certified to become merfolk. Yay! Also, if Akira is that way too, this would mean massive change in the situation of Shioshishio should everyone wake up. Mixed marriages would produce more merfolk to make the population replenished…
    But all is not lost for Sayu as there was next encounter and Kaname did wrap her around his finger without even trying. So much for not being attached to childhood crush…
    No, Miuna! Stop waving that death flag. Seriously, sending freshly-born mermaid into treacherous currents surrounding Shioshishio – WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG?

    ewok40k
  16. Kaname watching Chisaki and Tsumugu in the kitchen was tearing me apart. Seeing it from Kaname’s point of view, it was watching someone you love having built a relationship you knew nothing about with someone. Kaname…!

    Kaname going up to Sayu was ridiculously cute to me. I loved how he pat her on the head and how completely head over heels Sayu still is over him.

    I hope we hear more about Manaka soon. I can’t see this story ending happy if Hikari and Manaka don’t get together, let alone if she even comes back. Every episode since the timeskip it’s all I can think about.

    Jel

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