Wakana officially joins the Choir & Badminton Club, which begins brainstorming for the upcoming White Festival. Meanwhile, tensions intensify between Sawa and her father over her intention to pursue a career as a jockey. She isn’t eating and is out of sorts. Konatsu learns that the Vice Principal will have control of who is on the main gym stage for the festival. While auditioning for mounted archery, a fatigued Sawa falls from her horse.
This week was about everyone juggling their participation in the club with all the necessary requisites towards building a future for themselves, or not. Wien and Wakana (and probably Konatsu too) have no idea what they want to do yet, and while Sawa and Taichi walk confidently on specific paths, that they’ll lead to success is no sure thing. We also liked the stark contrast between Wakana’s relationship to her father and Sawa’s toward hers – which brings us to this week’s focus: after significant Wakana development, the series shifts to Okita Sawa, the least fleshed-out of the three female characters.
For someone raised on temple grounds, she’s a pretty normal modern teenage daughter. Her heart is set on something, her father disapproves, and she hates him for it. Opening her mail doesn’t help matters for Pops, while Mom tries to stay above the fray. To his credit, Dad tries to be fair and offers numerous practical alternatives, but the one thing neither will negotiate on is her making a living on horseback. And then there’s Chekhov’s Horse: we’ve waiting for her to fall off that damn thing for seven episodes now, and it finally happens. What. A Surprise.
Rating: 7 (Very Good)
Car Cameos: The Mazda MPV (we think) and the previously-seen first-gen Honda Stepwgn and Nissan March are among the vehicles that occupy the background.
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