Quickie Summary:
On a rainy day, Yamato is without an umbrella wanting to go home. Suzuka lends him hers, which causes Miki to ask if Suzuka likes Yamato. Suzuka denies it, so Miki lets it go. The next day, Yamato and Honoka meet up with one of Honoka’s friends, the famous Shirakawa Nana. Yamato is a bit awestruck, and the attention Nana attracts makes them decide to go to karaoke. Suzuka and Miki happen to be at the same place. Suzuka catches Nana and Yamato together, and assumes that he’s cheating on Honoka. After everything is cleared up, all five have some fun together, but Nana notices Honoka being uncomfortable with the prospect of Suzuka and Yamato singing a song together. Yamato notices too, and backs out of it. After everyone goes home, Nana asks Yamato about his relationship with Honoka, noting the incident during karaoke, and asking if he even knows her birthday. He doesn’t, and so she drills the date into his head: September 16th.

The episode didn’t look too bad from the previews and from about the first half of it, but then the quality really drops. Parts of the karaoke scene simply made me grimace. And the odd thing is, they boosted the animation again whenever they show Yamato’s face (with the shadowing) during the final scene and lowered it again elsewhere. For me, this was the big downside of today’s episode.
I’m a fan of Nana’s character, so this episode is pretty enjoyable for me. Nana is really a good friend to Honoka and knocks some sense into Yamato about their relationship. Of course, it’s Suzuka who’s the wedge in the relationship between Honoka and Yamato. She’s sending some pretty heavy signals that she has feelings for him, but he knows that Honoka is his girlfriend. The next set of episodes should be pretty good for developing the Suzuka/Yamato/Honoka triangle. As long as the animation team doesn’t completely butcher it that is…

9 Comments

  1. looks like a good episode, despite the animation quality drops throughout the episode.

    i’ve never heard of having different animation-drops throughout one episode…i’ve seen animation changes over the course of a series or something like that and then it switches back.

    RionZ
  2. If Honoka fanboys forgot, the show is titled Suzuka, the story is about her. Even when this is the so called “Honoka arc” the story is still really about Suzuka. Honoka is the homewrecker if there’s one to be called that.

    Blah
  3. let’s not argue about honoka or suzuka fan, though the title is obvious. Quoting “but then the quality really drops”, I really hope they wont be like ichigo 100% TVCM, where the quality keeps dropping till the character face’s all out of shape.

    aikming
  4. I noticed the animation quality drop during the karaoke scene as well, simply from their facial expressions.

    Also, in this situation, Suzuka would be considered the homewrecker, since Yamato and Honoka are already going out. For fans of Honoka, I guess it’s just a typical stance for any guy that’s been rejected before, gets a girlfriend later on, and THEN finally catches the attention of the original girl (without even trying to). It’s kind of mean, but it would be considered payback to reject that girl later on, if she did confess (i.e. Suzuka here).

    Anyway, as other people have already mentioned, Yamato and Suzuka will most likely end up together, so I kind of feel sorry for Honoka… and her impending emotional breakdown. :'(

    divine
  5. 17 was pretty good. i like the new character and the way she helps yamato out.

    i sympathize for both honoka and suzuka. kinda like a 60/40 split. (honoka’s 60) suzuka had her chance, and although i can’t blame her entirely for not saying “yes” she now has to face the consequences of her actions. but still, it’s sad shit. i honestly feel bad for the girl. call me a weak ass or whatever but i’m a human. if honoka can’t get yamato to open up more and be himself i honestly think yamato should follow his heart which may or may not necessarily be the right/good/politically correct, and not be limited to honokas soft lips, or the fact that she’s really nice, or even the fact that he is already going out with her.

    it comes comes down to the question, “who do you like more?”

    back to eps. 17, there were other ways yamato coulda handled the karaoke crisis. i.e. instead of not singing altogether, he coulda put his arm around honoka and sang to her. that would have not only solved the immediate problem at hand but also would have been a good way to reassure honoka that yamato is really cares for her. anyway, this is getting long. great episode, i can’t freaking wait till the next release.

    ichisan
  6. Hmm…its not like i dont like Honoka but at the beginning of this series i really hated her since she kept getting in the way of suzuka and yamato but actually never really get yamato to notice her more after she kissed him…that really bugged me….well all we have to see is what suzuka would do..but i dont think she’ll do anything stupid -.- she actually supports yamato and honoka even tho she likes yamato…i feel sorry…..!

    Arashi

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