In case there was any doubt, this show is just as compelling when the ghost leaves the spotlight for a while.
To avoid going in circles and repeating what I've said over the last two weeks, I'll just confine it to this: Hazuki has a lot to learn. He's young and he's making a lot of mistakes. I'm still questioning if he means it when he says he doesn't care as long as Rokka's happy, since this episode made it clear that he wants her to be happy with him. Like Rokka said in this episode, he's chosen her. Whether he fully realizes it or not, I think Hazuki has an all or nothing mentality and Shimao's presence brings that part of his personality to the forefront.
Anyway, this was a pretty good episode for putting some markers around where Hazuki and Rokka's relationship is at this point. But to be honest, I'm surprised that she even agreed to go with him at all. Last week we ended with her crying at just the sight of the tickets, and this week we open with them deciding what time to meet at the station. What the heck happened in-between? Clearly the place holds a lot of meaning for Rokka; it seemed like everywhere she went in the park in this episode, she could only see Shimao. Rokka's wise enough to know that you can't, in her words, "scribble over memories," but Hazuki is still confident enough to try. In a way, even more than the ghost, it's the difference in their ages that stands between them.
By age, I really mean experience, since Rokka has gone through some things most people her age haven't. It's shown in her character throughout the show so far. Hazuki, on the other hand, is really showing his inexperience and naiveté about the relationship he's trying to start. There is a genuine connection between the two; they like each other, since Hazuki confessed and Rokka has admitted as much in her inner monolgue, but where they clash is the difference in their experience. In one particularly telling scene, Hazuki insists that he'll outlive Rokka, so there's nothing for her to worry about. She responds by saying that nothing is for sure. Hazuki still has the feeling of invincibility that comes with being young. Rokka knows that can all change in a second.
From the beginning, this show hasn't been the standard anime romance and the meanings behind actions get deeper when the two contrast. Usually the first date is presented as the victory lap, the happy moment before the dramatic finale, the rewarding extra episode. Here, it feels more like two steps forward, three steps back. It's going to take more than an attempt to rewrite memories to get Rokka to like Hazuki the way he wants her to.
Surprisingly, here's where the wild card of Shimao comes in; while I'm sure it would be nice if all he wanted to do with Hazuki's body was touch Rokka, but I get the feeling that something more is going to happen. Not to mention the strange moment when he appeared as the Rokka in the past when he possessed Hazuki... There could be more to Shimao's existence than even he himself knows. Anyway, I get the feeling that the moment where things get shifted out of their current cycle will happen in the next episode, for better or worse on Hazuki's end.
Images from Crunchyroll.com.
I so agree with your assessment of these three people & their positions. As for why Rokka agreed to go, I think she both really likes Hazuki and genuinely wants to move on with her life. This is good writing, too, because she's not just the Maison Ikkoku-type 'sad widow who's a prisoner of her past'. Hazuki's interest in her excites her a little, despite his blundering. She's complex, and conflicted, and we don't see enough of this stuff in 2D world.
ReplyDeleteWhat I want to know is...where does Hazuki go while Shimao runs his body? Maybe he'll wake up with a hangover and find himself in the passenger seat of his own body, with someone else at the wheel? It would give him some interesting insights, I'll bet, if he didn't totally melt down with competitiveness & frustration.