Masamune-kun’s Revenge R – 09 – Déjeuner de mensonges

Even though she’s unaware Masamune just had a dream about Yoshino being his girlfriend, Neko can tell something’s still off about him, but everyone else gets caught up in a Valentine’s Day chocolate-making frenzy. Even Aki isn’t immune to this, as Yoshino convinces her to make homemade sweets for her boyfriend, and when that fails, she makes cookies. When Masamune declines to taste one of his sister’s chocolates, she warns him that won’t fly if a girlfriend puts her heart and soul into them, which Aki most certainly does.

Kojuurou keeps stepping up to the plate and striking out, disinterested as Neko is in him as a romantic partner. Masamune gets a motherlode of chocolates from various pretty admirers, including the obsessive one who still has his water bottle. But the one he wants chocolates from most is Aki, and she doesn’t disappoint. He accepts her cookies, tastes one, declares it delicious, then has another. It lifts Aki onto cloud nine, and for that alone, I’m grateful, even if he’s forcing himself to eat for her sake.

On their first date in a while, the pattern continues: Aki takes Masamune somewhere and they stuff their faces. The problem is, he can only eat so much before he’s sick, especially after eating more despite her warnings. That being said, it’s not like Masamune isn’t enjoying spending time with Aki, or even that he resents the threat to his chiseled physique. In fact, before they part ways he says he wants to go on more dates and eat more things with her. Of course Aki can’t turn that down!

Neko, desperate to know what’s going on, has lunch with Yoshino, whom she assumes is feeling lonely what with her Aki-sama being with Masamune all the time. And indeed the two are together, in the gym storage room, chowing down as usual. Masamune makes a comment about still exercising because he “doesn’t want to look like he used to” way back when. Aki’s sad smile broke my heart…moreso once Neko confronts her after school.

Neko solemnly insists that Aki break up with Masamune, because he doesn’t really love her. Aki suprises her with her response, which is that she already knows that, thanks to the revenge journal she found. There’s still that key misunderstanding keeping them from being together: she believes he’s still on his revenge scheme, when the truth is he’s put that behind him and actually does love her.

But for now, as far as Aki knows, Masamune is just doing this so that he can one day dump her. And despite knowing this, Aki loves him too damn much to let him go of her own accord. She’s noticed him not touching her and acting distant at times during their dates, which she chalks up to the fact he hates the “past and present her.”

So she believes her love for Masamune to be just as unrequited as Neko’s…the only difference is, she’s Masamune’s girlfriend, and she’s going to remain so as long as she can. Kojuurou ends up overhearing all of this when he’s out in the hall, but honestly I care a lot more about this getting straightened out!

Yes, Masamune’s hives are an issue, but they’re not a surefire sign he shouldn’t be with Aki. And yes, Aki believes Masamune hates him because of that notebook, but it wouldn’t take long to explain that the notebook was only for when he thought she turned him away. Frankly Masamune and Aki need to talk a lot more about the things they’re carrying…as does Yoshino. Until then, the beautiful mess continues.

Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead – 06 – Equipment Check

Their rooftop haven is out of water, and Tokyo is out of power, so after visiting the Ginza to try on some watches and suits they’d never get to afford in their past lives, Akira and Kencho pack up and prepare to leave for Gunma, in hopes Akira’s parents are still alive.

Rather than take the motorcycle for the 4-plus-hour ride, Akira decides they need to have a kitted-out RV instead, and head to an RV show at a convention center. They have the same idea as Shizuka, and use her own risk analysis to get her to grudingly join them, since she doesn’t have a driver’s license.

As you’d expect, Akira and Kencho turn into excited little boys at the sight of all the cool RVs on display, one of which costs 23 million yen (or $150K US). But even Shizuka can’t hide how much she loves a sumptuous VW bus conversion, even though a lifted Tacoma conversion meets their needs.

Ultimately the choice of what RV to take is governed by the fact the boys were so loud they attracted a horde of zombies. They pile into a decently-sized Hino Cab-over RV and skedaddle; Kencho retrieves their bike and they head out in a two-vehicle convoy. The highways are mercifully empty.

I was ready to sit back and enjoy a fun road trip, but disaster strikes when both Akira and Kencho hit spike strips that ruin their tires. Kencho is thrown from his bike and injured. Three coach buses quickly arrive and block the way, manned by surly baseball players.

Their leader says “Tendou”, and Akira realizes that it’s his old boss, Chief Kosugi. Kosugi is all smiles in offering medical supplies, fresh tires, and the like. But of course, there’s a catch: Akira has to work for him for two days. And considering how often Kosugi lied to Akira at the office, two days might as well be translated as forever.

Akira, Kencho, and Shizuka have no choice but to accept Kosugi’s “kind” offer, and the latter two notice an instant change in Akira. Even he freezes up and can’t breathe or think when Kosugi is in his face, so traumatized he is by the past abuse.

When Akira tries to pull a fun-loving “new Akira” and chill some beers for everyone, but he’s reamed out for wasting electricity, and placed in the doghouse when the baseball guys think the cold beer is for them. Kosugi also shows Akira his ideal workforce: zombies that are tied up to pull cargo: No will of their own, no need to pay them, and no backtalk. Simply equipment. Chilling.

At no point does absolute contempt and menace drip from Kosugi’s features, nor does he ever miss a single chance to run Akira down, saying he can only hope to be as useful as the zombies. Suffice it to say this is a bad, bad place, and our peeps need to get out of here pronto. With Akira totally under Kosugi’s heel like the bad old days, organizing an escape likely falls to Shizuka, and a Kencho who hopefully heals up fast.

My Happy Marriage – 03 – Diamond in the Rough

While dining together, Kiyoka engages in small talk with Miyo, asking about her days. When done with household chores, she sews a bit and reads magazines Yurie lends her. Sensing she might be feeling a little penned in, Kiyoka announces he’ll be going into town…and she’ll be accompanying him.

When she says she has no reason to go and would only be a nuisance, Kiyoka tells her she doesn’t need a reason, and won’t be a nuisance. The next morning, dressed in her only good kimono and wearing makeup applied with care by Yurie, Kiyoka can’t help but silently admire his most comely fiancée.

After Kiyoka parks his car at work (and his aide briefly meets Miyo), Kiyoka an Miyo walk into town together, and he asks her if there’s anything she needs or wants. Miyo has trouble thinking of something, and goes to her standby of apologizing.

Kiyoka assures her all she needs to do is enjoy herself; she won’t be scolded by him or anyone, and she doesn’t need to think she’s a nuisance. It’s the direct, positive affirmation Miyo dearly needs to hear, because she never heard in her loveless home.

Speaking of home, Kouji’s father is furious that Miyo’s father arranged for her to marry a Sudou instead of his own eldest son, Kouji’s brother. Even if Miyo isn’t gifted, she carries the blood of the Usuba family, and her offspring may be incredibly gifted.

In a scene that made my stomach turn, Miyo’s father shows he is no real father at all, but rather a creature of greed and low morals, no better than the demons Kiyoka slays. He confirms that he has abandoned Miyo and doesn’t care if she lives or dies.

He expects the Sudou kid will grow disinterested in his ungifted fiancee, giving Kouji’s father free reign to snatch her up and marry her to his son. Kaya is out in the hall and can’t hear them, but is enraged when a servant says her father is talking about Miyo. She can also tell Kouji’s smiles are fake…but what does she expect?

Miyo and Kiyoka’s first date continues at the kimono store, a very fancy one where the emperor sometimes orders clothes. Having learned from Yurie that Miyo has been sewing her old tattered kimonos in secret, he orders some fine new ones, including one in a glorious sakura pink.

Little does he know that such a color and design reminds Miyo of her dearly departed mother, but when the store attendant gets a good look at Miyo, she impresses upon Kiyoka the importance of holding onto Miyo with everything he has, for she is a diamond in the rough, to be polished with his love and wealth.

He takes her out for sweets, the first time she’s had anything sweet since Kouji brought her some. He admits he’d like to see what she’d be like if she were truly smiling, rather than cowering and apologizing all the time. He mentions the fact that they’ll soon be married, so she should be able to say what’s on her mind.

This frightens Miyo, who believes Kiyoka doesn’t know she’s ungifted. If he learned the truth, not only would he not be this kind to her, but he’d likely throw her out. So she decides to keep it a secret, and will face whatever punishment comes from that, because it means in the meantime she can stay by his side.

Little does she know that not only is Kiyoka is pretty much aware Miyo is not Gifted, but has no intention of letting her go. Both seem strangely drawn together in a way neither of them can explain, but recognize the importance. To that end, Kiyoka gives Miyo the gift of a splendid new wooden comb, replacing the one her stepmother broke.

When a man gives a woman such a comb, it typically symbolizes a proposal. Kiyoka insists “it’s not like that”, but that could be his tsundere side talking. When Miyo opens the gift, she runs to him and says she can’t accept it. When he insists that it’s his gift to her to use however she likes, he looks up and sees her naturally smiling for the first time.

Back at HQ, Kiyoka has secured the services of an investigator to look into Miyo’s family, suspicious as he was of how badly Miyo has clearly been treated. He is disgusted to find that abuse was the product of resentment and vindictiveness on the part of Miyo’s father’s second wife. He quite rightly believes that prodigious families shouldn’t act in such a manner.

The investigator also confirms that Miyo is ungifted, but that Miyo’s father’s first wife, her mother, was a member of the Usuba family, who have the ability to “convene with the minds of others” (like telepathy, I presume). Now knowing exactly what Miyo had to endure from a loveless father and an evil stepmother, he knows some kimonos and a comb won’t be nearly enough to heal those wounds.

Not that he’s not willing to give it his all. But when he suddenly senses shikigami spying on him, he quickly burns them, and is left wondering who would do something so foolish. My money is on Kouji’s dad. If Kiyoka wants Miyo to remain with him, he may have to fight to protect her. But he seems to be supremely capable when it comes to fighting, so I’m not too worried.