Honey and Clover II – 08

Summary:
When she was young, Hagu saw God only once. From it, she understood for the first time the reason for her to draw, but she also thought of the time when she couldn’t draw anymore. Addressing God, Hagu says that if the day comes when she has to give up her art, she would give her life back. On this windy day, Takemoto retrospectively thinks about how he didn’t know anything. He didn’t notice even the things that were going to happen because she was right there, because she hadn’t changed and had stayed by his side. Takemoto actually found Hagu staring at his tower, which he had completed only a little while ago. Hagu calls it amazing because of how simple it seems from a distance and how elaborate the structure is up close. Hearing Hagu talk about how pretty it is, Takemoto can’t help but be both embarrassed and happy. Turning serious, he tells Hagu that he is thinking of becoming a person who does repairs on temples and shrines, which would allow him to move from place to place around the country. He explains that most of the old architecture doesn’t have blueprints, but when you dismantle them you can see all the original parts, which you can then use to decipher how it was built.
Hagu says that when this festival is over, graduation will be here in the blink of an eye. Takemoto will be somewhere in Japan, Yamada will be in Tokyo, and Hagu will be in Nagano, meaning that it would be possible to meet so easily anymore. They won’t be able to ask each other about lunch or go to the bakery together to get a snack; their ordinary days of being together will soon be over. Takemoto asks Hagu if she’s really going back to Nagano and if that’s really ok. She doesn’t answer, so he then asks her why she’s not telling Shuuji her real feelings. Hagu admits that she’s afraid and wonders about choosing the path that changes the important life of the person you love. In exchange, what can she give to Shuuji? She is afraid because he would definitely give her everything. At that time, Shuuji is staring out the window when Yamada comes in. She wonders if he stayed up all night because of festival preparations, but actually he just woke up early. When Yamada wonders if Shuuji’s not feeling so well, he says that he’s just thinking about what happens after the festival. Meanwhile, Hagu has parted ways with Takemoto, but she’s his words – about if it’s really ok for her to go back to Nagano – are still on her mind. Although Hagu is standing still, there is a fierce wind blowing leaves everywhere. In fact, this wind has Yamada commenting to Shuuji that it looks like a storm is coming. Hagu is unaware that above her, a guy is pushing a cart with a sheet of glass sitting on its side. And so she doesn’t notice until it’s too late that the cart tipped over, smashing the glass and raining the deadly shards down on her.
Over in Spain, Mac Carlos is calling Mayama a useless watchdog in Spanish while Mayama is calling Mac Carlos a nice guy with unnatural hair in Japanese. While those two are arguing, Rika and a woman named Emma greet each other. Emma comments on how Rika’s expression looks good and attributes it to Mayama coming here from Japan. Rika agrees, saying that after Mayama came, things got easier for her because he became friendly with the hard-to-please Carlos. They go out to drink every night, allowing Rika to sleep soundly. It’s the first time she’s gotten sleep like this since she came to Spain. Coming home from drinking one night though, Mayama finds that he’s been locked out again. He feels swindled because he had thought that two bedroom meant one room with two beds, not what they actually got, which was just two rooms. What’s more, the rooms require keys. In his drunken state, Mayama starts thinking about how a key is there to open things. But if he were to forcefully open it, the door to her heart would close up. As Mayama sits outside plotting to be careful, Rika is inside the room getting bad feelings in her sleep because of Mayama’s crazy laugh.
Back in Japan, Mayama’s cactus falls over, causing Yamada to wonder if something happened with him. Shuuji instead thinks that the cactus is receiving radio waves from its owner and wonders if Rika is ok. Yamada notices that people are running around frantically outside and realizes that something is happening. Shuuji then gets a phone call that shocks him. At that time, Takemoto is also hearing the rumors spread about a girl getting crushed under a glass panel, a short girl with long hair. There is apparently a lot of blood and the female that Takemoto is listening in on reveals that the girl is a fourth-year oil painter. Takemoto realizes who they’re talking about, but stays in denial until he arrives at the scene of the accident. There, he finds the ground covered with glass and blood, and the crowd talking about Hagu. Still in disbelief, he kneels down beside the shards, touches the blood, and remembers how Hagu had been with him just a little while ago. Yamada comes running to tell him that Shuuji is with Hagu aboard an ambulance and that something happened to Hagu’s hand. Seeing Yamada’s own bloody hands and her panicked manner, Takemoto realizes that this is reality. He recalls that after that, he and Yamada helped the staff pick up the glass and wash off the blood with water – the blood of the girl that he likes.
Over at Floyd Electric, the president of the company is getting a report about how sales grew by 12 to 15% everywhere except for one North American factory. The president suggests that 120 people aren’t needed there, so they should decrease the number of people and increase the hours worked by the remaining employees. When he asks his assistant if his opinion is wrong, Kaoru answers him by saying that it’s a big mistake because it’s stupid for him to get rid of experienced people. Kaoru then excuses himself for interrupting the meeting and announces that he’s brought a birthday present. It’s not the president’s birthday, but he opens the package anyway and finds a work uniform inside, just like the one that used to be worn at Morita Technical Research Institute. Kaoru tells the president that this present is to commemorate today, which is the day the president gets to start his life from scratch. Kaoru has actually done some research and knows that the president’s father was a splendid engineer. The president entered the same technological field as his father, but forgot the pleasure of making things. For the sake of profit, he manipulated people through money.
Kaoru wants to get back all of the things his father left at the company, including the company itself. He announces that from today on, he and his brother are the directors. The president can’t believe that they could have taken over all the company’s stocks and declares that he still has 35% of Lucas Digital Arts. It’s at this point that Shinobu pulls out a t-shirt from Peter Lucas and passes on a message about how there was only an XL, but if the president could wear it if he wants. The president then gets angry and asks them to think about his position and his family. His assistant says that they also had a family and pulls out an old picture from the Morita Technical Research Institute days. Everyone had a family: himself, Tatsuo, Tsukasa, and these kids (referring to the Morita brothers). Getting desperate, the president asks them what grudge they have against him. Kaoru remembers how his father claimed all the cursing and grudges as his own duty and told them to move forward. The president says that all this happened so many tens of years ago, and for them to bring it up again after all this time… Kaoru wonders if the president expected them not to remember, but he had figured that the president would think this way. To Kaoru, it’s rather trivial.
He then remembers to tell the president to find a new house by the end of today since his current mansion is under the company name. Kaoru also tells him to prepare a lot of money because afterwards there will be various compensation lawsuits. Then there’s the matter of the president’s sons and grandchildren, which Kaoru asks the president to entrust to him, saying that they’ll keep company with them until the end. He’s ok with the president wanting revenge because after all, that’s how he got here. Losing his cool, Kaoru says that no matter how many times, they’d accept the challenge. While this is happening, Shinobu remembers their father introducing Kabu-tan to them, a name made up of the Ka from Kaoru and the Bu from Shinobu. Afterwards, Kaoru is laughing triumphantly as he and his brother walk through a park. Kaoru feels like things are just getting started because no matter where the president goes, they’ll make sure his life won’t be restful. There’s still plenty of time – they’ll make the president feel like dying would be easier. Kaoru yells out zamamiro (You’ll get what you deserve), but then falls to his knees with tears in his eyes. In his head, he apologizes to his father for not keeping their promise and for not protecting the important thing.
On the first day of the festival, a strong wind blows even in the afternoon and a light rain falls – a gloomy day. Hagu’s exhibit attracted a continuous line of people, and by the time Shuuji called Takemoto, it was night. Hagu’s injuries resulted in 10 stitches to the head and 13 to her right hand; that right hand was also where the injury was most severe. The surgery took over six hours. It is on this day that Takemoto and Yamada visit Hagu in her hospital room, and Yamada presents Hagu with a bag of things that she might need to use. Hagu says that it’s becoming gradually more painful because the anesthetics had been cut. As for her right hand, she admits that it doesn’t hurt and the bone didn’t break either. Shuuji then comes in and sees the two visitors. Yamada gives Shuuji the bag which she says includes a change of clothes and a towel. Shuuji explains that Hagu just took some medicine, so she’ll be sleeping for a little while. He suggests that Takemoto and Yamada go home for now, especially since there’s still the two more days of the festival. Takemoto starts to protest, but Yamada tells him that they should leave things to Shuuji and go home.
After those two leave, Hagu asks Shuuji to tell her everything that the doctor said. Shuuji takes her outstretched hand and explains to her that the injury goes from the base of her fingers to her palm; the tendon got cut. Today’s operation sutured the blood vessels, the tendon, and the nerves. The stitches can be removed in ten days, but the problem is that the nerves are concentrated at the base of the fingers. In order to prevent more damage, she needs two months worth of hospitalization and rehabilitation. Hagu admits that she thought it was strange that her right hand didn’t hurt, which she now knows is because of her nerves getting cut. She’s also realized that it’s a good thing if her hand hurts now. Unbeknownst to them, Takemoto and Yamada had overheard the entire conversation, and Yamada is in tears. Takemoto thinks that Hagu wanted to ask if her hand could be healed, but her voice was crushed and interrupted.

Preview:

So Hagu loses use of her right hand in the accident, with the implication that she may never be able to draw again. I can’t help but be reminded by what she said at the beginning of the episode about giving her life back if she had to give up her art. It all paints a very bleak picture (no pun intended), and it makes me wonder if Hagu’s hand will indeed heal and if she’ll have a happy ending. There are still a decent number of episodes left thought, so it’s probably too early to be thinking about it. Plus, Shinobu hasn’t learned yet what happened to her, so we still have to see how he reacts. Takemoto really couldn’t do anything for her, at least in this episode, and I think who Hagu ends up with (if anyone) will be determined in these next couple of episodes as both guys’ focuses will be on her.
Speaking of Shinobu, the other big thing that happened this episode was that the Morita brothers succeeded in taking over Floyd Electric. I guess this is why Shinobu had that stint in America with Peter Lucas, just for this moment. But this really felt more like Kaoru’s revenge than anything else. Shinobu was an accomplice, but he had a sad look on his face like he knew their father wouldn’t want them to be doing this. Kaoru realized that too at the end, but it was too late (or he just ignored it all along and that were guilty feelings).
Production-wise, I really liked the accident scene. There were the leaves were blowing everywhere, the fast-paced insert song, and the way that shard of glass broke on the ground right as the insert song ended. The song this week was Suga Shikao’s 「リンゴジュース」 (Ringo Juice – Apple Juice) from his 1998 album FAMILY.
As for next week, if I didn’t know better, I’d say the preview was a bit misleading. The first thought that came to mind was why Yamada was smiling at Takemoto like that, but I soon dismissed that notion. And with the way Shuuji looks kind of shocked talking with the nurse, I’m guessing that the news isn’t good.