First Impressions / Kanon

Summary:
The morning after the dance festival, Nayuki asks Yuuichi if something happened because he’s been acting strange ever since he got back, but he tells her that it’s just her imagination. The two happen to see Kitagawa rushing to school after being called to the student council room because he was on the dance festival committee. Upon learning that the president wants to get Mai expelled from school, Yuuichi rushes ahead, but finds Sayuri already in the meeting defending Mai. Sayuri thinks that there was a reason for Mai wielding her sword, but when Kuze wants to know what the reason was, she doesn’t have an answer. This is when Yuuichi comes in and says that it was an attraction – a piece of entertainment. Kuze challenges this claim and asks the other officers, none of whom had heard about it. Fortunately, Kitagawa shows up and declares that he asked Mai to do it. Afterwards, Yuuichi finds out the Kitagawa helped because Yuuichi was in trouble and because Kitagawa didn’t want to see Sayuri sad. Yuuichi also sees that Sayuri has a bandaged up hand, though she claims she’s fine and thinks that last night’s happenings were caused by someone’s prank.
During his meeting that day with Shiori, Yuuichi remembers how the girl from her class had told him that Shiori isn’t sick from a cold and has been absent since the first semester. He starts to ask her about it, but then changes his mind and instead mentions that there’s a girl in his class with the same Misaka name as her. Shiori confirms that Kaori is her sister, but when Yuuichi reveals that Kaori claimed to be an only child, Shiori thinks that this Kaori must be someone who simply shares the same name. She then declares that she loves her sister and wants to attend school together with her once she gets better. As Shiori goes to leave after the school bell rings, Yuuichi stops her and suggests that they go play together sometime once things have calmed down a bit for him. As the two are making this promise, Kaori is watching them together from the third story window of the school. During lunch, Yuuichi notes that one mistake and this would be the last lunch they have together. Laughing, Sayuri feels that even if Mai had to stop coming to school, she would still be Mai’s friend. After eating, the three are confronted in the hallway by Kuze, who questions why someone like Sayuri would stick up for Mai. After Sayuri answers that Mai is her best friend, Kuze warns her that the next time something happens, she’ll get in trouble too. Mai, however, cuts him off and tells him to remember that she won’t forgive him if he hurts Sayuri.
Later that afternoon, Yuuichi goes outside to do some suburi when Mai sneaks up on him and throws a bucket at his face. Yuuichi claims that he’s going to fight together with her next time, but while he’s talking, Mai throws a fire extinguisher at him. He is barely able to react in time and hit it, though doing so makes the extinguisher explode. Yuuichi’s not at all happy that Mai thinks he’d be no good, but his encounter with Ayu in town later that afternoon interrupts these thoughts. When Yuuichi again asks Ayu about her school, she tells him that it’s in the direction of the forest. As for what she’s looking for, Ayu is now feeling that perhaps it’s not in this area. Yuuichi gets the idea to bring Ayu to school that night because he remembers how Mai knew about Makoto’s whereabouts and hopes that she can help Ayu too. Mai, however, claims that she can’t say anything and that even if she found it, it would be meaningless. Yuuichi ends up making Ayu go home by herself since he’s staying at school with Mai, but Ayu is at first too afraid to do so. Mai gives her a senbei cookie and then reaches out to touch Ayu’s face. When Yuuichi asks Mai about it afterwards, Mai says that it was meant to tell her to do her best. Mai feels that Ayu is a strong girl and that although Mai herself was not able to wait, Ayu is still waiting.
Yuuichi is confused about this statement, but Mai soon senses something coming and rushes off to fight it, telling Yuuichi not to move. Yuuichi sees her get knocked back after her first attack, so he charges forward despite Mai telling him not to come. However, all Yuuichi manages to do is get himself knocked around until Mai comes and slashes through the demon, reducing it to sparkles. She reminds him afterwards that she told him not to move and says that she doesn’t want him to do anything unnecessary. Yuuichi protests that she was saved thanks to him, but Mai continues to feel that it was unnecessary. As Mai walks off, a pissed off Yuuichi claims that she doesn’t know how concerned he and Sayuri are for her. He angrily calls her the kind of person who ruined the dance festival and Sayuri’s dress and won’t even change her expression now. Yuuichi feels that he’s an idiot for protecting her, yet he also says that he’ll come back here tomorrow anyway because that’s the idiot that he is. He knows that she’s a good person and says that he loves being with her, but Mai doesn’t responds to him at all. As she rounds the corner and disappears from his view, he exclaims that he and Sayuri love her.
The next day, Yuuichi has to take care of Nayuki as she goes through her morning sleepy routine and finally fully wakes up on the way to school. At lunch, Sayuri comments on how Yuuichi is being rather quiet today, so he informs her that he and Mai are having a fight. Sayuri feels that a fight is a sign that Yuuichi and Mai are close friends, but she wonders when he and Mai started fighting. Yuuichi claims that they met by coincidence last night and then changes the subject to how long ago Sayuri and Mai have been close friends and what started it. Sayuri recalls that when she and Mai were first years, Mai had scared off a stray dog on the school grounds with a shovel. Everyone became scared of her, but Sayuri found Mai later that day feeding the same dog with her own bento. Sayuri proceeded to offer her bento and the two became friends. Having finished telling the story, Sayuri then asks Yuuichi if he’ll have time after school because she has something important to tell him about Mai. As it turns out, she wants to go find a present because Mai’s birthday is tomorrow. And even though Mai never forgets Sayuri’s birthday, Sayuri thinks that Mai’s forgotten her own this time.
Yuuichi suggests that they get Mai the biggest stuffed toy they can find, but that turns out to be a 1/1 scale giant anteater. The store owner tells them he’s had it around for three years, which piques Sayuri’s interest because that’s the same time that she and Mai met. They end up buying it, but Yuuichi doesn’t think that they can bring it to school, so Sayuri suggest they take it after school tomorrow to Mai’s home, where Mai lives with her mother. That night, Yuuichi asks Mai if she has any other close friends aside from himself and Sayuri, and she admits that there was someone a long time ago. However, this person is gone, just like all the other people. Mai then senses that the demons have arrived, but this time there are two of them. When Yuuichi decides to buy Mai some time by taking on one of them for her, she tells him not to do anything unreasonable. This battle begins with Mai attacking one of the demons and Yuuichi getting smacked around. Mai gets her opponent to run away, so she then goes after the demon that’s got Yuuichi pinned down. She destroys that one, and fortunately Yuuichi is ok. He’s happy that he could be useful, but Mai had noticed that the demons were not after her – instead they were after Yuuichi. Because of this, Mai questions who Yuuichi really is.

Preview:

As usual, this episode raises more questions than it answers. We find out that the demons are after Yuuichi, but it’s still not clear why or even what the demons are in the first place. Mai mentions that there was someone she was close to a long time ago, yet she doesn’t say who. I get the feeling that Mai might be older than she looks, especially given the fact that she’s fighting demons with a sword and because she told Yuuichi that she was not able to wait. Mai also claimed that Ayu had continued waiting a long time, which would point to a connection with what happened seven years ago. It feels like more mystery has gone into this arc than was present in Makoto’s arc, though maybe that’s just me. And that’s not a bad thing because it could potentially set up for some very Eureka moments later.
Next week, it looks like Sayuri will be coming to school at night with the giant anteater. Why do I get the feeling that she’s either going to get hurt or find out that Mai and Yuuichi are fighting demons at school…

42 Comments

  4. Looks like Mai gets to continue wreaking havoc after all, this includes randomly picking up fire extinguishers in the corridor and tossing them around, lol. Glad they kept that part in.

    Kinny Riddle
    Reply

  7. Are you guys sure it’s a sloth, looks like a anteater to me. It’s been so long since I’ve watched the older version that I forgot what that stuff animal is suppose to be. I thought that Mai’s arc would have ended by this ep, guesss not.

    Darkdam
    Reply

  17. Yah the demon was after Yuichi. The reason is hum I forgot…its been a long time. I think its because Mai was waiting him for so long with anger so the demons appear. Its something because of Mai, if I remember correctly.But im not sure.

    AznSoulBoy
    Reply

  20. Well I know the reason from the game but I don’t know if it’s different from teh anime or not.

    Mega Mai Spoilers:
    Show Spoiler ▼

    I don’t know how that compares with the original anime though and how they’ll be doing it in this if so.

    Likkun
    Reply

  22. Is only me or more someone noticed how Mai/Yuuichi combo coud be more deeep than the others? I didn’t see the original version, but the two make a good combination. Well, since Makoto don’t back…

    dukemon
    Reply

  26. Ok, here are two big spoilers!
    Show Spoiler ▼

    And as for the second
    Show Spoiler ▼

    I can’t remember the scenes with the dolls in the first anime. Could be a hint for Sayuri’s arc. @dukemon: Yay!^^ Mai was also always my fav, but as for the ending I still think it’ll be an Ayu Show Spoiler ▼

    Just check the cover of the prelude DVD: http://www.visual-novels.net/vn/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=56&Itemid=29
    Who is in front and who is also in running in the ending?^^
    There were dozens of discussions on various forums about that, but when I look at the hints I don’t think the end will change.
    I don’t care though, have the game here and can end up with the girl I like^-^

    mutio
    Reply

  33. May i suggest a New Year`s promise for everyone to make:Let`s all buy more licensed anime on DVD`s.I know the production cost is covered mostly in Japanese market,but it helps to keep the good thing going:Anime production in Japan!When one watches delightful things like Kanon,it raises respect for those making it.Myself i have bought 750+ anime-VHS,later on 600+ anime DVD`s since 1994.Last couple of years i have bought less than earlier,but now i feel responsibility to buy at least 5 titles every month,despite high prices here in Sweden.I have commented this ep. of Kanon in several blogs already,so be it.

    Kari Manninen
    Reply

  34. Too damn good to be real…
    Kyoto Animation… definitely in another level off this planet

    So, lets see, Mai resembles Arbalest or Venon, witch one is it? She has her own Lamba Driver System incorporated. I don’t care what other people would say about KyoAni using this tactic again and again, if they done it right, damn everyone else.

    Yuuichi is expressing more and more his feelings about the girls around him, especially with Mai (and if the preview doesn’t lie, maybe… never mind, no yet). I’m glad he’s more open. I enjoyed of how Jun, Yuuichi and Sayuri save Mai with that jerk of Kuze. Damn you SCP for being an idiot.

    As the masterminds they’re, KyoAni use every single bit of the game into the series. Now we have the chance to see that scene when Mai scares the dog and then feed him. I don’t know the game, but I remember very clearly on how Toei did it 4 years ago.

    Finally, Nayuki and Sayuri steeled this episode with their screen time; sleepy Nayuki, Sayuri with the big anteater in her back. Wow! An episode full of good memories

    Yuuichi, you bastard! You left another girl behind thanks to… well, everybody here knows exactly what am I talking about. My heart is beginning to change towards the “dark side” of Mai and left behind the ~UGUU POWER~ that Yuuichi mentioned

    And thanks for not giving Kanon a week off.

    And Karin, you’re right with that, but… say something else about teh series, or someone here maybe will think something else about what you said. KyoAni FTW!!

    Syaoran Li
    Reply

  36. Not as “action-packed” as I thought it will be last week…. I mean the blue fore- and background has caused heavy glare…
    Anyway…
    Do you guys know where to get cgs of kanon?

    Moondoggiebuiscuit
    Reply

  40. Yay! caught the sloth reference from AIR. (at the elbow of the guy.)

    [URL=”https://randomc.net/image/Kanon/Kanon%20-%2013%20-%20Large%2028.jpg”]https://randomc.net/image/Kanon/Kanon%20-%2013%20-%20Large%2028.jpg[/URL]

    At the feet of the sloth, the dog looks like poteto from AIR except with a darker coat. (the 27th screenshot shows him) Also it looks like squrtle from pokemon is in the background.

    Do the two penguins on the right look familiar to anyone else?

    steelbound
    Reply

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