ef - a tale of memories. / First Impressions

Summary:

Lying in bed with Hiro, Miyako comments on how he cherishes her and how she only wants to be involved with people who do so. She feels that it’d be better for her just to be alone and to have never met someone if she’s going to disappear from their hearts. Miyako also wants Hiro to look at only her and doesn’t want to let go of someone precious to her. When Kei shows up, sees Miyako naked in bed, throws her crutch across the room, and runs out, Miyako begs Hiro not to go after Kei. However, despite her pleas, Hiro promises he’ll be back soon and leaves. Kei meanwhile trips, and is sitting crying on the ground when Kyousuke tries to comfort her, but she slaps his hand away because she thinks that he just wants to film her. This leads to Kyousuke calling Hiro up and meeting with him so that he can punch him. After questioning if Hiro is going out with Miyako and about Hiro’s relationship with Kei, he punches Hiro again for always being half-assed about everything, whether it is studying or his job. Kyousuke then accuses Hiro of always running away, and he asks if Hiro sees Kei as family or as a woman. Hiro’s answer that Kei is Kei only angers Kyousuke further, and he blames Hiro’s vagueness for Kei’s tears. Calming back down, Kyousuke feels that only Hiro can save Kei’s feelings.

Hiro returns home to find his apartment completely cleaned up and Miyako gone. She calls him right as he’s thinking about her, but to his dismay, it’s to break up with him. She feels that Hiro’s heart won’t ever belong to just her, and she wants to break up before she disappears from his heart due to it being filled with other stuff. Miyako hangs up before Hiro gets a chance to protest, and he can’t call her back because she had been using a pay phone. He instead walks around town looking for her, and he happens to run into Mizuki who asks him how Kei’s sandwiches were. She reveals that Kei had asked her how to make them because Kei had wanted to for Hiro, though Mizuki did get compensated for it in the form of a subscription card for a monthly manga magazine. It is because of this that Hiro learns that Mizuki is a fan of Shindou Nagi – his pen name – but he also finds out that she hasn’t found Shindou Nagi’s work to be interesting recently. This reminds Hiro of what Kyousuke had said about him being half-assed with everything, and Hiro feels that he already knows about this. He then decides to go to school, but to his surprise, the door to the rooftop is already open, and Yuuko is on the other side.

Yuuko tells Hiro that there’s a difference between knowing and understanding, but she also recognizes that everything is precious to Hiro. Nevertheless, she feels that he’ll eventually have to give up on something for the sake of not giving up what’s most important to him. Indecision will cause him to lose everything, and though she knows that throwing something away is painful, she feels that you can’t run away from the pain as long as you live. Yuuko then wonders if they can endure it, and Hiro feels that even if they can’t endure it, they can’t run away. When Yuuko comments on how Hiro had decided on an answer from the very beginning, he replies that even if he knew the answer, he didn’t have the courage to understand its meaning. He now feels that he can see the color that he’s been searching for. As a result, he goes to Kei’s house under the pretense of bringing her back her crutch. She doesn’t want to see him, but he stays outside her door anyway and thanks her for the sandwiches. After telling her about what Mizuki had said, he reveals that he’s decided to quit school and focus on being a mangaka.

Hiro admits that this has to do with Miyako, but he stresses that it’s something he thought about on his own. Hearing that he’s made up his mind about his, Kei comments on how Hiro always decides to go ahead by himself. Hiro then recalls how he started drawing manga for Kei and Chihiro and how the three of them had argued about a manga ending. This leads to Kei noting how a sudden ending is more real, and she reflects on how she dreamt like an idiot until everything suddenly fell apart. She had thought that she could be his sister and then his lover, and when Hiro confesses that he had felt similarly, Kei realizes that she noticed too late. She still decides to tell Hiro that she loves him, but she then reveals that she wants to go back to being together with him as her brother. Hiro feels that they can do this and he goes as far as to call Kei his sister – someone precious to him. Kei eventually opens the door between them and, seeing Hiro’s tears, she tells him that she’ll be definitely okay with some time. Meanwhile, Yuuko finds Miyako ready to run away again and tells her that she won’t get anything from doing it. Yuuko finds this all regrettable because she had wanted to see the dream of someone like her becoming happy.

With the remaining minutes on her phone card, Miyako decides to make one last call to Hiro. Hiro first wants to know where she is, but she refuses to tell him and instead explains that she’s leaving. Miyako admits that she had been testing him to see if he’d be someone who cherished her, and in the end she found him to be more than she deserved. She doesn’t want to disappear from his heart though, and she tells him about her parents and how she hoped to find where she belonged. However, there wasn’t anywhere she wanted to go and nowhere she could return to, so she felt alone in the world. This gets Hiro angry because he doesn’t want to hear her talk like that, and he feels that she should have told him sooner. He vows to become that place for her, denies that he’d ever hate her, and proceeds to answer every single one of her worries. Hiro is just about to confess that he loves her, but it is that exact moment that Miyako’s phone card runs out. This leaves Miyako feeling that she’s sunk back into a colorless world, but to her surprise, Hiro finds her and finishes in person what he started to say on the phone. After the two embrace and kiss, Miyako asks him never to let go of her again now that he’s caught her. When Hiro points out that she hadn’t wanted to be bound to anyone, Miyako explains that a person’s feelings can change.

 
 
 

Well I’m impressed. Not only did the episode concentrate entirely on Hiro/Miyako/Kei/Kyousuke, there was an incredible amount of emotion, especially in the Hiro and Kei scene. The countdown from 100 to 0 to indicate phone card time was also an interesting way of doing things (a good way to save money on animation too since it took up a good quarter of the episode), though it was pretty obvious that it’d run out right at something important. The episode also shined in its use of background music during both of the critical scenes – I thought it was absolutely wonderful for both moods.

I assume the story is now more or less completely done with HiroXMiyako. Kei and Kyousuke still might get another episode or half episode worth of time, but I would guess that the rest of the series gets devoted to Chihiro and Renji. I’m not incredibly excited about that, but maybe it’ll turn out better than expected.

82 Comments

  13. This is all for hiro x miyako. Last 2 episodes will be only consentrated to kei x Kyosuke and Renji x Chihiro. One of them if not both of them will end up in Fail. Thats what i think :P.

    dfsdg
    Reply

  16. I honestly am just waiting to see this episode since the last episode. While i like chihiroxrenji it just doesn’t hold a candle to the miyakoxhirono stuff thats been happening so far. can’t wait

    VIceral
    Reply

  17. This episode would be a good way to end the Hiro X Miyako story if it really dose end with this episode, my guess that now is time to finish the Kyosuke X Kei and Renji X Chihiro stories within the last few episodes.

    AL
    Reply

  19. I think this series in general proved to me that you don’t need fancy animation if you have good voice actors. Between Miyako’s freak out in episode 7 and the phone call in this episode, I must say I am very impressed with the way this series can deliver so well with almost no animation.

    So on to Chihiro and Renji next week. And the episode after that will probably finish up Kyousuke and Kei, though I still have no idea exactly where either one of those two relationships is going to go.

    Lana
    Reply

  20. *yawn*

    This show seems to have lost it’s effect on me. Maybe it’s because I marathoned KGNE lastnight. Now that’s a great 14ep show. It’s just not fun when you know how it’s going to end from episode 5 or so. It was clear that they where going for a Hiro x Miyako pair from early on. But sorry to say, I can’t feel sad/happy or anything for Miyako. She’s not a bad character, but she just doesn’t have that little something that I like.

    Oh well, I guess that’s all she wrote. Time to fallow something else. I really don’t care about Renji x Chihiro, and Kyouske x Kei will probably never happen either.

    GP
    Reply

  21. That was one of the best anime episodes I’ve seen. Brilliant melodrama. Great music, great pacing, great characters, and a well-turned story. As far as I’m concerned, Miyako has more than a little something, she has a combination of joy and despair that I can’t remember in another anime character. There is something unique in her soul, conveyed to us by character design, voice-acting, and script. And Chihiro is equally unique and wonderful, in a totally different way.

    hashihime
    Reply

  22. The phone card count-down thing was very well done, especially the camera angle and the coloring up until Hirono appeared.

    @ GP

    Erm…I don’t think anyone cares about your opinions enough for it to be necessary for you to announce to everyone that you’re going to watch something else

    dmo
    Reply

  26. Wow, just wow. This is definitely one of my top shows of the season so far and I’m watching/following 30 (yes thirty) of them, so I’d like to believe my opinion has some weight behind it. ^_^

    Also, I think ef (and in particular, this episode) has much more of an impact if you understand Japanese. Their emotions come across a lot clearer/purer IMHO.

    divine
    Reply

  27. Note to everyone, just because I said it’s time to follow something else, doesn’t mean i’m knocking this show. It’s a good show, but when I already knew it was going to be Miyako from back in episode 5, the show losses a bit of it’s quality in my eyes. Since I don’t much care for Renji and Chihiro, I don’t mind if they endup together or not at this point.

    Right now i’m more interested in something like M;Y which is also close to it’s end like EF, but the difference is that M;Y (for me anyways) has unanswered questions which keep me watching, and not the whole idea of who ends with who (which isn’t what M;Y was about anyways).

    Right now, we know what’s going on with everyone in EF, the Hiro story is over, the only thing is how the Renji and Chihiro part will end. But if you don’t really care about that part or how it ends, the show has lost it’s draw on you.

    GP
    Reply

  29. @Ale

    Yeah, it was pretty clear even from then, but w/e. While EF wasn’t “only” about who pairs with who, that’s what everyone was watching it for. To see how they’d come together etc. Not everyone picks up on all the hints/clues/signs early on.

    And while the show is more about each individule character and their past problems and moving on with life etc, you can’t say that it doesn’t have that whole “which girl will the guy pick?!?!” vibe going from it. Since it’s based off of a game that can end either way from what i’ve heard,

    With knowing why each girl is how they are, all that’s left was the pairing to finally happen. Now that it’s done, as I’ve said, it’s lost it’s draw on me. Because I don’t care for the story as many who watched also didn’t. That’s not to say the whole Chihiro x Renji story is bad or anything. But I think the whole “memory problem” angle has been done before a few times.

    GP
    Reply

  31. “Since it’s based off of a game that can end either way from what i’ve heard,”
    Show Spoiler ▼

    “you can’t say that it doesn’t have that whole “which girl will the guy pick?!?!” vibe going from it”
    Well, Hiro’s decision was a major theme, but it was more about how he came to make that decision rather than how it would end up. So, I think you “read the vibe” wrong, but that’s just my opinion of course. I’m sure it does rely partly on “hints/clues/signs [that] not everyone picks up on”.

    relentlessflame
    Reply

  32. This show is close to a masterpiece, for me. I almost dropped Myself;Yourself after a few episodes because I felt it was so clunky and stupid. But the last couple of episodes have brought the show up to about half as good as ef, and therefore watchable. By the way, although I disagreed with GP’s initial opinion, I was interested to read it.

    hashihime
    Reply

  33. @relentless

    Well, I don’t know about the novel so w/e.

    I didn’t read it wrong, I knew it was going to go the Miyako way as I’ve said.

    But like you said, Hiro’s decision was a major theme, and that’s what I meant by the “which girl will he pick” vibe that the show has. At the end of the day it’s the same, like other shows with a love triangle, it’s about what the guy will do and how he comes to that decision isn’t it?

    I don’t see it as being different from that respect. Where it does differe is that unlike other “harem” shows, it’s all about Miyako from the start. Not that it’s a bad thing really. I don’t mind, I expected this. But as i’ve said a few times already, it’s wrapped up now. The other parts are of little consiquence to me personally. So i’ll be looking forward to other shows than the next EF episode from now on.

    GP
    Reply

  34. @hashihime

    I won’t try and compare EF and M;Y, I just used it as an example of a show that’s keeping me watching till the end and why (the unanswered questions still left). While EF has wrapped up the story that I cared about with this episode. Since (and this has to be the 10th time i’ve said it) the Hiro x Miyako story is now over, and I don’t care about the other stories as much I’m just not drawn to the last 2 eps of eF like I was for the rest.

    Yes it’s a good show, I like it, but people seem to have gotten my comments mixed up as me saying I hate the show or something. And that’s not the case, but since the part I liked was the HIro/Miyako/Kei story and now that’s done, it’s like the show is done for me also.

    GP
    Reply

  35. Just a general comment about people and their predictions about “who’s going to end up with who”:

    Seems like a lot of people just want to be able to say, “I knew it all along” or “it was so obvious from the beginning” in an attempt to prove to themselves how well they can foresee what’s going to happen. (Maybe it makes them feel better about themselves, I don’t know.) Even if that’s the case, whether or not a show is predictable or not doesn’t necessarily dictate whether or not the show is any good or interesting. I’m sure there are some people who absolutely need twists or quickly get bored (mild case of ADD anyone?), but personally, I think you have to change your mindset and lose the expectation or general assumption that every show needs a twist in order to be captivating. A lot of times, it’s not about where things ended up, but how things ended up there that makes a show interesting.

    With that said, from experience, I wouldn’t be so quick to draw conclusions about who ends up with who all the time though. If anyone has watched Canvas 2, you would know not to “jump the gun” and lose interest until you’ve seen the whole thing through. For those who haven’t seen the show, Canvas 2 turned 180° in terms of relationships in the VERY last episode, which was pretty unexpected for a 24 episode series. After seeing that ending, I’ve been a lot more reserved about drawing quick conclusions and use a more speculatively tone instead.

    This comes to a more general word of advice:
    Modality is key people! It prevents you from looking like a know-it-all.

    divine
    Reply

  36. I just wanted to add:

    If anyone is following “Kimikiss pure rouge” and periodically read up on Jaalin’s comments about that show, you would see how he quickly jumped to relationship conclusions early on about Kouichi and Mao, but episodes 9, 10, and the 11 preview have already proven that those conclusions were too premature.

    This is just a recent example of what I said in my previous comment.

    divine
    Reply

  37. And here I thought they would take a different route from the game.
    I still stand by my opinion of disliking characters like Miyako.

    Now looking back, how important was “Hiro” really? I feel like there wasn’t much development on his part. Sure he is one of the few male characters that could finally make a clear decision and they did explained most of what made him who he is and his interests, but that’s it. For being one of the main characters it seems like he was more of a support *Stand there listen to their stories and let everything else pass by kind of guy* to those around him. Can we at least get a fetish out of him??? Don’t mind my rant.

    On another note. KGNE is getting and OVA.
    Can’t wait.

    Marilori
    Reply

  38. well, now that it is over I hope that Kei doesn’t end with Kyosuke by default. If they just end friends by the end i’ll be happy because two episodes is not enough for her to forget hiro and fall in love with kyousuke. Of course the chances of them doing that are very likely.

    golthin
    Reply

  39. @divine
    I agree with you, the difference between cancas2 and this show and many other show is that canvas2 had a lot small hints all over the show. I missed those hints or discarded them as the majority of people did. Only once the show was over with its 180 degree turn around and some people mentioned all the signs that we were giving during the 24 episodes, then you realize that it was not really a sudden change of heart. Another show that is doing that is Kimikiss.

    golthin
    Reply

  40. @divine

    I’m not trying to sound like a “know it all” or w/e you’re going on about. The thing is that even though I knew how it was going to end I still watch up to the end of it. And the end of it is with the end of the hiro/miyako/kei story. Since I don’t really care how Chihiro goes i’m not eagerlly waiting for the last 2 eps like I did for the first 10.

    And everyone jumps to the relationship conclusions or predictions in shows. Even if it’s not relationships just general plot predictions, everyone does it. What’s wrong with them saying they got it right or saw it coming from the start/whatever ep? I don’t think they’re trying to sound smart or anything. If you say you saw it coming and point out the clues/hints (which many, if not all, shows have) then it’s not a problem with me.

    GP
    Reply

  42. @golthin:

    Yeah, I agree. In Canvas2, I always thought the possibility was still there, but it seemed like they were working away from such an ending. Then ep24 comes along and BAM, everyone has their “WTF” face on.

    As for Kimikiss, I never discounted the possibility of a Kouichi x Mao thing happening, even though it’s still highly unlikely they’ll end up together. It’s just the tension/drama from that match up that’s needed to stir things up in the show. Also, Kai’s probably too calm and composed to lose his cool over this whole Kouichi thing, but it should still be an interesting roller coaster ride of emotions!

    Finally, we have to never discount the impact of an osananajimi (幼なじみ), i.e. childhood friend, in romance-comedy anime shows! Sometimes they catch you off-guard when you least expect it! ^_^

    divine
    Reply

  43. jaalin is missing in action and has not been able to review kimisskiss. Onmi doesn’t have time to pick his show. It is a pitty because we can’t discuss the show here, but in the last two episode two big events have happened. I think yuumi is going to be taken out of the picture by she having to move, it is not confirmed but there was a small scene that gave me that impression.

    golthin
    Reply

  45. @golthin

    In episode 10? Wasn’t the preview for that ep with Yuumi kissing Kouichi also?

    @divine

    I haven’t discounted a Kouichi x Mao ending anything, and it seems like the hints are there. But we’ll have to wait and see if they do it. I’d like to see it, though I never count out the childhood friend pair, I do rout for it because it’s the underdog pairing most of the time.

    As for kimikiss 11 I have no idea what the preview for it shows. I haven’t seen 10 yet etc.

    GP
    Reply

  46. @golthin:

    Yeah, I read about Jaalin being missing, but given his comments on anime, it doesn’t seem like he’s very fluent in Japanese. I could be wrong though, but it’s just the impression I get.

    I watch most of my shows unsubbed as well and don’t have too much difficulty understanding shows like ef or Kimikiss, given their basic, everyday Japanese dialogue; therefore, I don’t think I’m missing out *too much* on Jaalin’s impressions of each episode. (The same goes for Kodomo no Jikan.)

    I guess if we wanted to discuss further, there’s always IRC. 🙂

    As for Yuumi moving away, I didn’t see any indication of that in episode 10 or any episode prior to that. Out of curiosity, which scene gave you that impression? o_O

    divine
    Reply

  47. @hashihime:

    I bet you’re watching Dragonaut -The Resonance- (ドラゴノーツ -ザ・レゾナンす-) though, since you’re a huge Hirano Aya (平野 綾)fan! 😛

    P.S. Seems like youtube.com is down right now, but check out my youtube channel (name is a link) if you want to see some “Animelo Summer Live 2007 Generation A” performances, in addition to other anime-related videos. お楽しみに～

    divine
    Reply

  48. @Divine
    Yuumi was shown sad and looking at her cell phone at Mitsuki Shijou’s message, then her mother told her that it is something that was already decided. It could be many things like a trip overseas, but the only thing that comes to mind is when families have to move and she might have to transfer schools. Like I said, this is a very used plot device in anime and Manga. Another possibility is that their parents are forcing her into an arranged marriaged. If there is going to be a chance for Maixkouichi, they will have to get rid of Yuumi somehow.

    Next episode MaoxKouichi go out and Kouichi starts paying attention to mao’s lip after the cliffhanger from episode 10. IT is very similar to what we see in the first volume of the manga.

    golthin
    Reply

  49. @golthin:

    Oh right, that part. It totally slipped my mind for some reason. :X

    Yuumi recalls hearing her mom telling her to stop moping over “it” since “it” has already been decided on.

    divine
    Reply

  50. did they actually bone?! cuz i stopped watching after the preview ep….PLEASE!! TELL ME IF THEY BONE, STROKE, BANG, FU@k, BOOMALOOM!!!! CUZ THEN I’ll BE BACK ON THE “SHOW WATCH BANDWAGON” a.s.a.p. …and i’ll stop obsessing bout that girls MOIST EYEHOLE

    BROOKLYN otaku
    Reply

  51. @divine — I started watching Dragonaut, but neither the plot nor the characters hooked me. Maybe I just didn’t get it because it’s not my favorite genre. I liked Aya the first couple of times I heard her as Garnet, but I just dropped in again for ep10 and wasn’t convinced by her take on the character there. But you’re right, in general I’m a big fan. I thought Konata was pure genius.

    @GP — The mystery of who ends up with whom is a lot less interesting to me than how it happens. With this show, in any case, I basically find all the characters interesting and sympathetic. With M;Y, I think they may have gotten rid of all the filler episodes early, because from the time Sana learned about Nanaka, lots more of interest has been happening. But it’s still nowhere near this show, for me.

    @divine — I was one of the people totally disgusted with the ending of Canvas2. You can go back and find “hints,” but the whole movement of the story was in one direction from about halfway through, so the ending seemed to me like a cheap trick. That’s an example of how making who ends up with whom a mystery can ruin a show, in my opinion. But I liked Kiri, so perhaps I was biased, lol.

    @GP — re KgNE: Takayama Katsuhiko, the main writer of this anime (adapting it from the game) was one of the two main writers on KgNE. I loved KgNE when I saw it. I’ll have to go back and take another look sometime. I’ll certainly watch the OVA, which will be broadcast on 21 December.

    hashihime
    Reply

  52. @hashihime:

    Ah, so you’re not watching Dragonaut. The only thing I don’t like about that show right now are all the overbusted girls in it, but other than that, I still find it enjoyable. Personally, I like sci-fi (エスエフ) shows, so it’s still interesting to me. Having the entire Suzumiya Haruhi cast is a plus, since aside from Hirano Aya, Chihara Minori (nice to see she won your poll too!), Ono Daisuke, Sugita Tomokazu, and Gotou Yuuko are always enjoyable to listen to. Mizuki Nana, Chiba Saeko, Suwabe Junichi, and Sawashiro Miyuki are other pluses. Sawashiro Miyuki, a seiyuu I’ve only recently taken notice to, is particularly amazing given the number of distinguishable voices she can do. (I think you should write a news post about her sometime. 🙂 )

    So I guess in short, the fact that the animation is nice, it’s aired in 720p, the characters are somewhat interesting, the plot is starting to stir up, and the cast is simply littered with a lot of my favorite seiyuus are the reasons I’m watching Dragonaut. v(^_^)

    As for Canvas2, I TOTALLY agree. To me, the ending was pretty unsettling if not disturbing as you put it. This is partly because it was borderline incest and pedophilia, but also because the change came very abruptly at the end of the series. It WAS a cheap tactic to throw in a major twist that late in the show, which to me, wasn’t particularly effective unless they were going for the “WTF!? HOW!? WHY!?” reaction. I also liked Kiri a lot! I’m somewhat seiyuu-biased, so Nabatame Hitomi ftw! 🙂

    As for Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, I also thoroughly enjoyed the almost “soap opera” type drama in it. Great series. I watched it after it had already finished airing, so I finished all 14 eps in one sitting. It’s nice to hear that they’re making an OVA for it. Should be interesting. I’ll be sure to watch the raws as soon as they’re available. 🙂

    Finally, kudos to the site you have hashihime. I actually stumbled upon it before in my never-ending research on seiyuus. It’s nice to talk to other people who appreciate seiyuus like I do!

    divine
    Reply

  53. OK it seems it did not get any good…boring and frustrating episode…

    this lost the dynamic it had. and connecting it with the hatred I feel for HiroXMiyako…

    I might not even bother to download 11 when it comes out…

    Unknown Voice
    Reply

  54. you know, I thought I was going to feel more sad for Kai loosing, but after last episode, her “LATE” confession didn’t move me at all. The hiroxMiyakoxkai thing had been pure win till episode 9 but this is the first show of this type that fails to evoke any feelings on me after a winner is declared. I think kei’s confession was late to come and had not that much impact. I’ve seen it did for some people but I was not one of those.

    I really wish they would stop using the cliche boyxGirlxchildhoodfriend format so much because it gets tiring. I think that is one the things I like about the love triangle in Shana, there is not childhoodfriend there, even though most people know who will be the victor there too, the other girl has a chance.

    golthin
    Reply

  56. @golthin

    I agree, it does get tiring. But Kei’s confession didn’t have any impact because it was late imo. By now we all know it wouldn’t matter. Add to the fact that Hiro was gong to be with Miyako anyways (as is the case in the novel) it lost it’s effect.

    If they had done it early though, like after the game, then it would’ve changed things around. But with all the mistakes she makes and how long it takes for her to confess, you get the feeling that a Hiro x Kei pair is just not going to happen.

    As for the ending to Canvas 2, I suppose because they did it in the last ep it made lots of people go “wtf!” But like you’ve said, if the hints are there, then the possibility is also there until the show ends.

    About kimikiss, I always thought of the Mao x Kouichi pairing as happening, the Kai and Yuumi characters don’t seem deep enough. They’re like, “there” just to fill in the cast and give everyone doubt. I haven’t read the manga, but if they’re starting to show parts from it right now, then maybe they’re going to kill of the kouichi x mao parts now.

    I’ve heard the first volume with Mao is way more liked than the rest with other girls. If popularity has anything to do with it, and it often does (why else do they do fan polls?), then if the majority of viewers like that pair, they could go with it.

    GP
    Reply

  59. I’ve heard the first volume with Mao is way more liked than the rest with other girls. If popularity has anything to do with it, and it often does (why else do they do fan polls?), then if the majority of viewers like that pair, they could go with it.

    Hmm…I’d like to think the story is already written, but who knows, maybe you’re right. 😛

    Ale
    Reply

  61. this episode was indeed one of the best eps, it got me all teary, i’m happy that hiroxMiyako got their happy fairy-tale ending hehehe…..but i wished that they would’ve shown a confrontation between Miyako and Kei since Kei and Hiro are still good friends, they’ll obviously gonna still talk to eachother (tho probably not as much as before, but still)Since HiroxMiyako is offically a couple and Kei still needs some time to get over what happened. I just wanted to see how kei and Miyako would get along or interact for that matter.

    sushi
    Reply

  62. It’s a good episode, but imo, it just shows how unstable Miyako still is. Hell, one wrong move from Hiro and she’ll run off again like she did or something. While everyone else seems to have come to terms with their past and found their way forward, Miyako is still more or less the same. Yes she found someone that she needs, but that was always the case wasn’t it? I mean, she was alone and needed that someone in her life. Now she has it, but it doesn’t seem to me that she’s gotten over her problem. Depending on and relying on Hiro to always be there for her is, I dunno, wishful I suppose.

    Not that Hiro isn’t good for her, but we’ve seen that he can get sidetracked and forget things often. What happens when he forgets something next time? Or has to run off for work and leaves her again?

    *shrug* To me the Hiro x Kei pair would work out best had Kei been honest from the start. But when it comes to Miyako, like I said, she still seems unstable. And quick to call it quits and run away again.

    But hell, it’s a anime show, so any guessing as to if it lasts in the future or so on is pretty pointless.

    GP
    Reply

  63. @Ale

    It probably already is writen etc, but I mean, how often in a show does it start out going in one direction only to shift and go off in another in the final few eps? Or hell, even in the final episode.

    It’s like, ok, 23eps of this pair looking like it’s final, then comes the final episode or 2 and BAM it’s the other girl.

    The thing with popularity polls, as i’ve seen in other types of shows, they can really effect the outcome of things. GSD anyone? The show was looking like it’d have the new cast going strong, but the new main character Shinn never got liked by the fans. He’d always be pretty low (not even top 10) in the polls. So BAM, come episode 20-23, they have to bring back Kira in the main role again. And I think even still to this day Kira is up high in male anime character polls.

    Now was it writen like that from the start? Or did the polls effect things? I really don’t know for sure, but imo it does seem like they do play a part in things. At the end of the day, you want to keep the fans happy so they buy your toys/models/DVDs.

    GP
    Reply

  66. Meh, I guess they’re following ef-A Faire tale for two cannon. With that in mind, the only way I see it progress is by ending it with a chance of possible relations and a second season to show further development before they become couples. 2 epsiodes will not fit KeixKyousuke and Renji x Chihiro ending. It’s pretty realistic though, that Childhood friends won’t always get together, because we realize our feelings too late. However, there a sense of hope that there’ll love right around the corner when you. Hence KeixKyousuke pairing, which was actually suppose to happen some time after the HiroxMiyakoxKei incident.

    Sora no Kaze
    Reply

  67. You’re right that it doesn’t often happen, but that’s not to say it never happens. I knew of many who’ve been with childhood friends and been happy and so on. I mean, who else do you know better besides your brother/sister?

    Growing up together means you know pretty much everything about each other at the time when you’re looking for love/relationships. So if it happens it has a good chance of lasting.

    Either way, in anime, they’re the underdog, and I always find myself supporting the underdog. Unless ofcourse we’re talking something like Shuffle and you have an Asa-sempai character, then sorry, but Kaede being the childhood friend alone couldn’t pass Asa in my eyes.

    Anther problem with most childhood friend pairs is that in the real world, after HS most go their own ways and split up.

    GP
    Reply

  68. Hence I said that they won’t always get together, I’ve never once said that it was impossibile to happen. I know of many as well. However, I find that knowing everything about each other may lead away from a love relationship since you know too much, and may not realize any feelings you had. Oh well, it sucks taht childhood friends in anime don’t come up often.

    Sora no Kaze
    Reply

  70. I hate to admit it since I was going for a KeixHirono pairing, but cycling though all the phone booths in town just to find her was just so romantic that I just had the sniffles.

    Fucking awesome ep!

    Gravmech
    Reply

  72. superb ep with a 10/10. it was intense when the sudden music change on the last 42 second count down.. the dialogue between the two was amazingly touching! it left us hanging with the unfinished words from Hirono as the timer expires.. and ofcourse those words need to be said in person along with the beautiful ending scene~

    vip2cool
    Reply

  73. wow… it just boosted my overall opinion of the show so much higher, good thing there were two emotional parts, since in the middle of the first one i was interupted by an AIM jingle… =(

    leefan
    Reply

  74. How would you know Miyako + Hiro were going to end up together if they didn’t have hints in the intro, book, or game? And for Kei – there’s alot of anime heroines who mess up their confessions several times, but win in the end. And there’s alot of girls that lose the guy right after sleeping with them.

    Myschief
    Reply

  75. Well, for Hiro’s case it’s the opposite, he lost the girl right after sleeping with her. He got her back in the end so good for him. Hiro did a good job remebering that you can move while talking on the cell phone though. Dango cards are nice but they don’t compare to cell phones.

    FlameStrike
    Reply

  76. I’ll be honest: that initial scene between Kei and Hiro had me confused. I thought that Hiro had come to confess to Kei and that Kei was, in return, confessing to Hiro. So the scene afterwards between Hiro and Miyako made me think Hiro was two-timing. Man, that really took away from the power of the scene for me. :/

    yesmilord
    Reply

  77. Are we assuming he chose Miyako from the start (when he met with Yuuko)? Because it seemed like Yuuko was strongly suggesting for him to give up (Miyako) for something precious to him (sister) because she (Miyako) is “begging” him to abandon her. Of course, you could say Kei was begging him to abandon her in subtle ways…but it’s more obvious in Miyako’s case.

    Myschief
    Reply

  78. I absolutely swear! I have never seen two more selfish, needy, maladapted, obsessive, sickening, unbalanced, immature, psychologically sick dog chicks in my ENTIRE LIFE!!
    Throughout the ENTIRE episode I kept yelling at the screen; “Run HIRONO, run!” “Run and don’t look back!” I keep wondering when that cold chill will run up and down Hiro’s spine!
    Maybe upon hearing “I love you”(I want you, f*** me)and “Oni Chan” in the same sentence for the 10,000_th FREAKIN TIME!!
    GOD, THEY MAKE ME SICK! AND IF I HAVE TO SIT THOUGH ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE 60 SECOND, SICK B***H WINE FESTS THAT CLICK OFF ONE ABSOLUTELY GUT WRENCHING, ME ME ME, LOOK AT HOW SICK I AM IN DETAIL, WHY AREN’T YOU RUNNING/I THINK I’LL HURT YOU MORE NOW, SECONDS AT A TIME….I KNOW I’LL ABSOLUTELY STOP WATCHING and FOREVER MALIGN,….what I thought was becoming a rather well done, very interesting (Chihiro/Reji)original story with (most of the time)very neat-o/orig visual imagery.

    ..just a thought. 🙂

    Mr. Wasabihead
    Reply

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