Summary:

It’s almost Valentine’s Day, so Kobato decides that the nursery should have a party. Kiyokazu points out that they don’t have the money to do so, but Kobato volunteers to go work at the bakery, so he tells her to do her best. Some night soon after, while outside the bakery, Kobato hears a noise from the nearby alleyway, and upon investigating, she discovers three guys and a weird creature, with one of the guys having the same voice as Ioryogi. These three are none other than Syaoran, Kurogane, Fai, and Mokona, and once he figures out what Kobato is, Fai makes no move to hide who they are. They reveal that they’re on a journey, and since they have nowhere to stay for the night, Kobato offers her apartment. In return, Fai decides that they should help her with making money for the Valentine’s Day party, so Syaoran accompanies Kobato to the bakery while Fai and Kurogane go find other work.

While at the bakery, Kobato gets Syaoran to talk about how he’s traveling, and he reveals that there’s someone waiting for him. In response, Kobato explains how there is a place she wants to go, so Syaoran suggests that there might be someone there that she wants to see. This triggers a memory inside of Kobato of someone in front of a piano. Afterward, the two return to Kobato’s apartment, and Fai gives her the money he and Kurogane made today. It’s now time for them to go however, so the group departs via Mokona, and Kobato hopes that they can make it to the people waiting for them. Thanks to the money and to Kobato’s own hard work, the Valentine’s Day party at the nursery is able to go off without a hitch. When presented by the children with the problem of who she’s going to give her chocolate to, Kobato thinks of Kiyokazu. Meanwhile, Ioryogi gets another message from the bunny and realizes that Kobato is out of time.

ED Sequence and Preview

ED: 「わたしにできること (Watashi ni Dekiru Koto) by 中島愛 (Nakajima Megumi)
Watch the ED!: Mirror 1, Mirror 2, Streaming ▼

So not only was this episode the Tsubasa Chronicle cross-over episode, it also featured the debut of a new ED. At least I assume it’s a new ED and not just a special one for this episode. Regardless, it’s a nice song and I like the artwork that went with it – it’s a nice change of pace from the konpeitou bouncing inside the bottle.

As for the episode itself, it was great to hear Fai and company again, and it was amusing to see them address the fact that Kurogane and Ioryogi are voiced by the same person. Mokona was of course very cute, but in general I think the character designs looked a little off. That may be because I’m used to seeing Production I.G‘s versions of their characters. Anyway, it’s a shame they weren’t able to stay around longer and do more, but their brief appearance wasn’t for naught since it actually had some effect on Kobato. Based on what appeared to be her memories, she seems to want to go to the place where there’s some reincarnation or alternate form of Kiyokazu. I guess it’s all the more reason for them to work up KiyokazuXKobato aspect in the current world because it might create a dilemma for her in terms of what she ultimately will do. It was also interesting to see that Fai realized pretty quickly what Kobato is, something which we probably won’t find out for another few episodes. The series is nearing its end though, and the preview suggests that they might finally get around to concluding the Okiura stuff next week.

35 Comments

  1. I thought it was a great episode. I have no problem with other CLAMP crossovers as long as it makes sense to the story as this one was.

    I still think maybe Kobato was a paraket in a cage or a cat (there gotta be a reason she keeps the hat on hiding cat ears)and the dude playing the piano might be Kiyozaku’s father or possibly some other relative (or Kiyozaku himself playing the piano) and she was his pet and her wish is to be reunited with her master?

    Splash
  2. Anyone else notice the hints that Ioroyogi’s human form may have looked like Kuroganes? It is plausible since there really isn’t a good illustration of his human form, so maybe…

    And I didn’t think that Tsubasa was that bad. Went on a tad too long, but it wasn’t horrible.
    Besides, CLAMP was doing cameos with their other series long before Tsubasa and xxxHOLIC came along, seeing as half of them take place in the same world (future or another version of it, a la Chobits/Angelic Layer and others). Sayoran and the group are just funny to be around, and when you read the ending, it does end up making sense.

    Anyway, I wonder what Kobato actually is, since Fai picked up on it really quickly (as he always does), maybe proving that she’s from the other worlds (I think in the manga its fact that she’s from the other worlds since others seem to know her and I think she remembers some elements of her life (that and the condition for her konpeto collecting being left out of the anime)). Or that she was once a magical being but was reborn somehow.

    queenie
  3. I felt that way, too. The faces seemed to be longer. Also the voices were just o.O after being used to TRC.
    This ep made me miss TRC. At least xxxHOLIC is still ongoing~

    koager
  4. sorry for double post
    but I just realized why Fai sounded weird to me
    it’s the same va but he’s using the silly fuwafuwa voice that he uses as Itay in Hetalia Axis Powers o.o

    koager
  5. TSUBASA CROSSOVER!!

    *swoons over*

    i miss Tsubasa RC.

    and now, after this episode, i hope there’s going to be a 2nd season for Kobato. because we all know if they are going to end this here, it will be an anime original ending, seeing that the manga is still on-going.

  6. Kobato with Tsubasa crossover was inevitable ever since due to Watanuki’s cameo. Atleast they progressed the story to Kobato’s past. Can’t wait for the ending of this anime, CLAMP said that it moved them.

    underMebius
  7. It’s explained in the TRC manga why Sakura isn’t there. I liked this episode, but Fai sounded a little off at first. Kinda got back into the Fai voice after a bit. I wish they had done a ‘Ginsei sounds like evil Fai’ gag, but that would having been drawing one too many random characters just to make a gag.

    Satoida
  8. I loved the TRC crossover, and Fai DID sound more like Italy than the original Fai. Kurogane, Syaoran, and Mokona sounded the same so they were okay. Poking fun at Kurogane/Ioryogi’s seiyu was funny. Also, I guess Namikawa Daisuke’s just used to using that voice after voicing Italy in Hetalia for two seasons and a movie and a third season to come.

    I wonder why Fai didn’t go to the bakery instead of Syaoran since he’s very good at cooking (as seen in that one world where they opened up a cafe). And why was Mokona’s earring glowing a sign that they had to switch worlds? As far as I can tell, Show Spoiler ▼

    , so I don’t know what Mokona’s earring glowing signifies…

    akani
  9. akani: Not really. Show Spoiler ▼

    viral
  10. ah CLAMP they just love to make things depressing…
    Based on what was going on I’m guessing Kobato is some kind of an angel or something which brings me to question; why does she need to keep her hat on all the time? does she have some sort of inhuman features atop her head? Like bunny ears or cat ears or even horns of some sort?

    gawrshness
  11. LOL at the blatant seiyuu joke on Inada Tetsu’s characters (Ioryogi and Kurogane).

    Another seiyuu trivia would be between Irino Jiyuu (Syaoran) and Hanazawa Kana (Kobato), who will both co-star in the upcoming movie adaptation of the Light Novel series Bungaku Shoujo.

    God, I really need to go back and finish off the Tsubasa manga, I’ve been seriously behind due to all the plot twists I no longer know what’s happening anymore. Last I read, I remembered True Syaoran replacing Clone Syaoran, who ripped off Fye’s magical eye and weakening him significantly. I also learned somewhere else that Kurogane sliced off his own arm to save Fye. Here I see Fye has his eyes and Kurogane his arms intact. (And don’t get me started with how I never managed to read up to how xxxHolic’s Watanuki fits into all this)

    Kinny Riddle
  12. Oh my gosh, I’ve just read everything you guys are thinking about TRC and I’m so happy that I’m not the only one being confused… xD’ I’m really trying to read into it for the fanfiction at the moment, but I hated that manga the first time round because I was so *damn* confused by all the shitty excuses thrown at me just to make another character suffer from some twisted guilt trip… and the story-telling was so messed up…! -__-‘ I still love Kurogane, Fai and Syaoran to death, but I’m not happy with the manga (or the anime) at all. Does anyone know if they appear in the mangaverse of Kobato, as well?

    Konni

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *