Episode 4: Girl Triangle

GIRL TRIANGLE

EPISODE 4 OF THE ANIME

( Manga Cross-reference---Loosely follows Manga Chapter 6, " What's Reflected in Yasuna's Eyes ", however the shopping trip with Hazumu and Yasuna is not shown in the manga. )

Previously
Hazumu comes under the scrutiny of the Alien Being, who wants to know all about her, especially the human traits found in one's personality as it relates to emotions and love. Hazumu is not entirely in favor of playing the guinea pig, but there is little she can do about it. Yasuna is also an interesting guinea pig to study. She seemingly has every advantage in life due to her wealthy family, but she is actually very much alone, lonely, and friendless. Yasuna is a very complex and many-layered individual, who can be hard to understand, let alone love. But Hazumu seems to be willing to try, whereas Tomari is willing to scoff at her. An interesting love triangle is beginning to form !

Episode Overview
More and more Tomari finds herself in situations wherein she gets to observe Hazumu and Yasuna together. This does not sit well with her, but what can she do ?

The Space Alien decides to begin spending time at school observing humans, so he obtains a teaching assignment as the new assistant teacher for biology, Mr. Sora Hitomi. Mz. Namiko is absolutely infatuated with him, but he is only too eager and ready to ignore her. Sora quickly takes note that Yasuna can not see males clearly, as well as taking an interest in Hazumu's supposed love life. Jan Puu makes an appearance at school, too, but nobody, except Hazumu and Sora, can see her !

After school, Hazumu and Yasuna spend some quality time together, going shopping and having fun together. They end up buying dresses at a specialty shop, and spending time at a karaoke parlor. There, Hazumu accidentally falls on Yasuna, with both of them lying together on a couch, much to the delight of Yasuna !

That evening, both Hazumu and Yasuna replay in their minds what happened in the karaoke booth. Next day at school, it is raining again, but Hazumu and Yasuna are out in the garden tending to the plants. Tomari sees them from an open window. Tomari goes bonkers when she sees Yasuna go in for a kiss, after telling Hazumu that she loves her. Soon, both girls, Yasuna and Tomari are out in the pouring rain, baring their respective souls to one another. This turns into a cat fight, with Hazumu watching from a distance, her heart heavy with sorrow knowing she can right now do nothing.

This Episode's Story
It's raining this afternoon at school, so Tomari can't do her outdoor track and field practice. She looks outside from sitting at a desk in an empty classroom. However, she sees two individuals who don't mind being out in the rain---Hazumu and Yasuna holding umbrellas and checking on the butterbur plants. Yasuna sees a strawberry plant with a single strawberry on it. She tastes it, it's sour, and then offers a taste to Hazumu (an indirect kiss !). Hazumu does indeed taste it, as Tomari continues to look on. So romantic !

Next morning, Tomari is sitting at her desk waiting for school to start, and she can't get over what she had seen yesterday. Down the hallway walks the homeroom teacher, Mz. Namiko, in a fog and daze. Walking next to her is a new male teacher, as she stays glued to his side and is steeped in thoughts of hearts and flowers. She takes a misstep, and bounces down the staircase. In a while, like nothing has happened, she is before her class, introducing the new assistant teacher. His name is Sora Hitomi, although he writes his name on the blackboard in kanji that can be alternately read as 'Space Alien' ! Sora is dressed very business-like and professional, wearing a dress shirt and tie, dress pants, and a white lab coat. Sora states that he is the new assistant teacher, and will be teaching biology. Hazumu is drowning in confusion, as she is the only one to recognize that the new teacher is the Space Alien that resurrected her as a girl !

Later, out in an empty hallway, Hazumu confronts Sora, and warns him 'that this is bad'. He states that he will be fine, and that the only way to study humans in school was to actually be in school. Jan Puu is with him, but he tells Hazumu that no one else can see her. A ways away, Yasuna is being asked to audition with two other music students, a male and a female. She declines. But then Yasuna sees Hazumu, and asks her to accompany herself to the library. The two music students are aghast at Yasuna's lack of social etiquette, dumping them so she could be with Hazumu. Sora and Jan Puu take note, too.

During after school activities, Tomari and Yasuna cross paths. Tomari, dressed in her athletic outfit of a polo shirt and baruma (bloomers), is directing her track team to go inside, with Yasuna waiting on Hazumu by the entrance door. The two girls attempt to exchange small talk, but when the conversation drifts to that of Hazumu, things get real awkward, real fast ! Hazumu opens the door going outside, with Tomari going inside. Once inside, Tomari looks back with remorse. Ayuki overhears what just went on, all with a neutral stance.

On the way home, Yasuna takes Hazumu shopping with her; they both find themselves in a dress shop. Yasuna shows Hazumu a pretty summer dress, light green in color, and with appliques of plants and flowers on it. In fact, Yasuna buys the dress for her, as well as buying a similar dress for herself. Hazumu's dress is styled like a party dress, whereas Yasuna's dress style is similar to a maternity dress ! Changing out of their school uniforms into the new dresses, now the two girlfriends out on the street, both walking together and wearing the same style of dress. When a boy/girl couple wearing the same style sweatshirts walks by, Yasuna offhandedly remarks that the two obviously look like intimate lovers. She then suggests that maybe the both of them, wearing similar dresses, may look like lovers, too ! Realizing what she just said, or implied, causes Yasuna to blush deeply. Suddenly, a female schoolmate and her girlfriend step out onto the sidewalk from a karaoke parlor. Hazumu invites Yasuna to sing karaoke with her, and the two step inside to rent a booth. Meanwhile, inside the school in the hallway, Tomari's body is doing situps, but her mind is definitely not on her practice.

Inside their own private booth, Yasuna remarks how small and intimate the room is. Hazumu has been here one time before, with Tomari, Ayuki, and Asuta. However, Hazumu is having difficulty remembering how to work the remote control. Yasuna moves in to help, and suddenly the two girls are aware of how intimately close they are to one another. Hazumu apologizes, backs away, and becoming unsteady, trips on a power cord. She is startled, falls forward toward the couch and lands, once again, on top of Yasuna. Both girls are now on the couch, with Yasuna prone in the Neko Position (*), and looking up at Hazumu, and Hazumu in the Tachi Position (*), looking down on Yasuna and, propping herself up by her hands, arms, and knees. Yasuna, instantly recognizing the erotic situation that chance circumstances have placed before her, and with a lovely, divine, passionate look on her face, softly tells Hazumu that this is the second time that she has been unexpectedly encircled ! Yasuna slowly and gently raises her hand to touch Hazumu's cheek, to see if all of this is real. . . . . . . The two are locked in this embrace, until Hazumu notices that the song on the monitor is ready to begin.

It's raining when Tomari steps outside to walk home. . . . . . " I hate the rain ", is her only comment.

That evening in her own bedroom, Yasuna lies on her luxurious, spacious bed and recounts over and over in her mind the events that happened in the karaoke booth, especially on the couch. Hazumu is at home, too, sitting on the sofa. Dad is trying to take pictures of her, but Hazumu's mind is elsewhere. She soon goes to her bedroom, and standing at the window, also recalls Yasuna on the couch reaching up to touch her cheek, and feeling the incredible softness of her hand. Eventually, Hazumu is joined in her bedroom by Jan Puu and the Alien Being. He wants to know if Hazumu is in love with Yasuna ? However, the questioning is interrupted by an unannounced visit from Tomari. For some odd reason, she is returning a music CD that she borrowed, who knows how long ago ? Hazumu thanks her, then suggests that the two of them go shopping for new clothes at the same store that Yasuna and herself was at earlier today. Unknown to Hazumu, is that this bit of information hits Tomari emotionally like putting a knife in her back. Tomari, hurt by this offhanded comment, nevertheless remains congenial.

The evening is cool and clear after the rain. As such, Ayuki is out for a walk, then standing on a bridge and looking away. Soon, she is walking by a bookstore, and sees Tomari inside. Tomari, so unlike her tomboy self, is reading a shoujo romance manga about two teenage girls who fall in love with one another. Ayuki surprises Tomari. Why are you out so late, both ask each other ? Ayuki is trying to clear her mind about something; Tomari merely states that she is going home. As she leaves, Ayuki gives Tomari a bit of cryptic advice---

" You either get on the stage and stay there, or get off the stage and leave. "

Next day after school, it is raining again. Inside, Tomari is trying to fix a partially broken umbrella. Hazumu and Yasuna wander into the classroom. Yasuna gives Tomari a look of mild annoyance, then the two girls immediately leave. Ayuki's symbolic remark now plays over and over in Tomari's mind. Soon, she further breaks the umbrella so that it is now useless. Hazumu and Yasuna are out in the rain again, both with umbrellas, and tending to the rooftop garden. Yasuna recounts how male Hazumu took such good care of the plants and flowers, that the rooftop garden bloomed anew. With both girls standing up and under their umbrellas, Yasuna suddenly turns very serious. At that very moment, Tomari catches sight of the two girls from a nearby building's open window. Seizing the intimate opportunity, Yasuna passionately tells Hazumu that she loves her, thereby doing a formal Love Confession. Just then, the wind catches Yasuna's umbrella and blows it out of her hand, taking it some distance away. So as not to get wet in the downpour, Yasuna cuddles under Hazumu's umbrella. Yasuna then nuzzles her face into Hazumu's shoulder. Then ever so slowly, ever so erotic, Yasuna goes in for the kiss that will seal and authenticate her Love Confession.

As their lips barely touch, Tomari screams Hazumu's name out of the open window. Yasuna is startled, and runs out into the rain. Hazumu turns toward Tomari and in return, screams Tomari's name. Tomari, suddenly understanding the grave consequences of what she has just done, runs out of the classroom, down the stairs, through the hallway, and out the school's front door ! She comes upon a large tree, and pounds her fists into the trunk of the tree. Soon, her tears are falling just as hard as the rain. Eventually, Tomari walks away from the tree, now getting a real soaking in the rain. But who is just around the corner, also getting soaked in the rain ? Yasuna ! She apologizes to Tomari, then boldly tells her that she is, indeed, in love with Hazumu. Tomari at first says nothing, then turns her back to Yasuna. Now firing off words that pierce Yasuna's heart and soul like arrows drawing blood, Tomari starkly reminds her that she deeply hurt Hazumu one time before. That was when she turned down male Hazumu's Love Confession. Standing apart and back to back with one another, both girls are now thoroughly soaked, but neither moves an inch. Hazumu is off in the distance, under her umbrella and trying to recover Yasuna's umbrella. With pain engulfing her heart, Hazumu quietly watches the conflict and personal tragedy between Yasuna and Tomari play out in the downpour of rain.

Episode Lookback and Commentary
(*) Neko Position (*) Tachi Position---

[In Japanese modern culture,] the two participants in an [intimate] relationship are often referred to as seme (攻め, "top") and uke (受け, "bottom"). These terms originated in martial arts; seme derives from the ichidan verb "to attack", while uke is taken from the verb "to receive". undefinedAlthough not the same, a [romantic] construct similar to "seme and uke" is the concept of "tachi and neko". This archetypal pairing is referenced more often in older [manga] volumes; in modern [manga], this pairing is often seen as already encompassed by seme and uke or simply unnecessary to address. The tachi (タチ) partner is conceptualized as the member of the relationship who pursues the more passive partner, the latter of whom is referred to as the neko (ネコ). Seme and uke are similar but not identical to tachi and neko because the former refers primarily to sexual roles, whereas the latter describes personality. Although seme and uke roles are already used in some manga to describe which member of the relationship is more dominant and which member is more passive, there are just as many manga novels which subtly or overtly differentiate between the two [sets of terms].

---Taken from Wikipedia (edited for brevity, words in brackets [...] are added for clarity, some italics added )

Manga Fan's Commentary

Mouse No. 4 / 3 years ago / 3 likes

As dated and immature as this show starts... its [actually] incredibly deep and emotional, which is not what I expected. I thought this would be nothing more than a comedy, but shockingly... it isn't. Actually [it's] quite surprising.

ben margolis / 3 years ago / 2 likes

Ayuki seems to pop up at the most random times and yet she has perfect timing and good advice.

FairyTailRules!57 / 3 years ago

Fingers crossed, please be subbed.

ben margolis / 3 years ago

Poor Tomari !