EPISODE 9 THOUGHTS [WITH MAJOR SPOILERS]

This episode felt so warm to me. 

If I could go back a bit to EP 5 and 6, they've showed how Manami and Taiga are often separated by barriers; both literally and figuratively. Both times, they've tried their hardest to reach the other, but they always pulled back at the critical moments. When they were separated by the school gate on EP 5, Taiga attempted to climb it to join Manami on the other side. And yet, he didn't push through with it. When he held Manami's hand, Manami was reeled in and didn't let go immediately. And yet, she eventually did. On EP 6, when they were separated by the train gate, Taiga imagined jumping over it to reach Manami. And yet, he turned away. On the other hand, Manami looked back at him despite promising not to, hoping he was still there. And yet, she never tried to call out to him. 

So why are they acting like this? 

Well... maybe because of the biggest barrier of all. 

As said on the show's title, no one would bless their love. 

That's the reason why they always retreated. For Taiga, he believes that he couldn't reach Manami. He always viewed Manami on top of a pedestal that he could only ever look up to. She always stuck to her principles, belonged in a good family, and had a respectable job. For him, reaching out to Manami would mean that he'd pull her down. Reaching her would mean to isolate her from the community that she belonged in. That is why all he ever did was imagine a time where he could reach her. And yet, he couldn't find the courage to try. He couldn't learn how to. 

Meanwhile, Manami had always thought that she couldn't break free from her father's expectations. She couldn't escape. Despite wanting the freedom to choose and to speak for herself, her head is always bowed down in the presence of her father. Even with other people, she is also like this. In her school, when they demand for her to not meet with Taiga again, all she did was say yes. Because that is what is expected of her: propriety. And so, despite yearning for him, she never tried to run. She couldn't learn how to. 

Well... that is until EP 9. 

Finally, as Manami's mother charged in with her steel ladle, Manami FINALLY managed to run away. She finally learned how to escape. With her bag and sneakers, Manami ran as fast as she could. For the first time in her life, she had managed to break free, and to not care for doing so. She finally learned how to take charge of her own life. However, despite of her newfound courage, her feelings for Taiga remained locked somewhere inside of her. Even when she heard about Taiga being interrogated by the police, she tried to show that she wouldn't run to him. 

That is, until Sakura-sensei said the words that she has never heard from anyone before. 

"I want to support both of you." 

Because Sakura-sensei knew how it feels to have no one support his love, too. With this, he wanted to stand beside Manami and Taiga in the way he knows how. With his words, Manami broke free from her own restrictions and hailed a cab to the police station to help Taiga. She even tried to visit Taiga in his dorm, and yet their paths never crossed. Instead, she decided to write a message in the rooftop's air conditioning unit, which has been a witness to their story from the very start. 

"Fight!" She wrote. And with that, she decided to leave and start her new life. She finally got the keys to her new apartment. She even began doubting her ability to live alone. 

Until she received a visitor. 

Kawahara. 

For a moment, she thought she was pulled in back to her former life. Kawahara reminded her of the times that she was still under the mercy of her father. Kawahara was the symbol of her being nothing but compliant. And so, she met Kawahara with the same reservation that she's always had. 

Until Kawahara freed her from the remaining chains that were in her life. 

"I think its best to cancel our wedding." 

When she asked, Kawahara gave her an honest answer. That he attacked Taiga back in Miura beach. That Taiga didn't report him to the police. That when he asked Taiga why he did that, his answer has made it very clear.  

"That guy is thinking of you." Kawahara said to Manami. 

And so, with Taiga's love being clearly conveyed that even Kawahara saw right through it, the couple gained another ally. 

For a woman like Manami, who has always lived abiding by the standards set upon her, it seemed unusual that her love is being supported by two unlikely figures. 

A man from the same institution that condemned a man like Taiga, and a man that she almost married.  

Taiga, on the other hand, has always been stronger in his resolve to no longer meet with Manami. Of course, it was still out of love. He always felt that she was better off without him. He always felt that she deserved a better life. And so, despite doing his best to forget about her, his mom's words lingered in his mind. That Manami talked to the police officer about his condition. That she begged the police officer to be patient with him as he reads the police's documents. His mom berated her, thinking that Manami simply pitied him. However, it never looked like an act of pity in Taiga's eyes. 

Manami didn't pity him. 

That was simply Manami's kindness. 

However, despite all of it, he still aimed to move forward with his life. Even with Takechiyo saying "I want you and Chihuahua-sensei to date," as a parting message, he tried his best to ignore it. That is, until he was greeted by a surprise visitor. 

Our banker-turned-stalker, Kawahara. 

Honestly, their interaction in this scene was so funny. Kawahara was ready to enter his dorm as his "dachi (friend)", bringing food as an omiyage. Taiga thought that Kawahara was going to burn his dorm down. And yet, before it all escalated, Kawahara pulled out a note. 

"Here," Kawahara said. "is Manami's new address." 

Kawahara told him that they were no longer engaged. Kawahara encouraged him to go after her. And yet, despite receiving the note with a special hand-drawn map courtesy of Kawahara, Taiga still feels like him and Manami are living in two very different worlds. He still doesn't want to go after Manami. He had so many reasons that Kawahara lost his patience. "You're still going on and on about that?" Kawahara said. Had they not been interrupted by a Thai woman, they would've been involved in another brawl. 

And so, with Kawahara being serious about showing his support, he encouraged him again. Go after her. 

But all of it was simply not enough. I guess between the two of them, Taiga was more afraid. Why wouldn't he? Manami was the first one to show him genuine love. Manami was the first person he wanted to show real love to; a love that is not influenced by money. But how could he do it? He's never lived a life where love was free of charge. His mother only showed him affection when he's able to give her money. He only showed affection to clients who had enough money to pay him. And so, he can be swayed by the support he has received, but never enough to be fully driven. No one could ever convince him to move. 

That is, except for Manami herself. 

As he caught a glimpse of the writing in the air conditioning unit, he saw the word "fight!"

A word that he is able to read because he was patiently taught by the person that wrote it. 

And from that moment on, he knew. 

He pulled out Kawahara's map, even getting lost along the way. He rang the doorbell to Manami's apartment, exactly at the time when she went out. He eventually decided to rest at the park, trying to come to terms over his failed romantic gesture. However, upon hearing a voice, he saw Manami. 

On a side opposite to him. 

Once again, they were separated from each other. This time, by a river. IF Taiga was still the old him, they would have remained settled on their own sides. He would've never crossed the gap. He would have accepted the barrier for what it is. 

But times are different now. 

Their love is no longer condemned by everyone. Now, there are people that are ready to stand behind them.

Takechiyo. Sakura-sensei. Momoko. Kawahara. 

And so, Taiga took a step forward. 

Taiga stepped on each stepping stone, almost stumbling along the way. He manages to find his balance despite almost falling in the water. Manami, on the other hand, was shouting words of encouragement. Which, if you'd listen carefully, is almost the same encouragements that she tells him as she teaches him to write. 

"Do it slowly, slowly." 

"You can do it!"

"You're doing so well!"

As I watched the scene, I couldn't help but remember how Manami was always the first one to reach out to him. He was always the first one to build walls the moment he feels that his feelings are growing. And yet, now, Taiga finally learned to do one thing on his own. 

He finally learned how to reach out to her. 

 As they are finally on the same side, they greeted each other with the warmest smiles and the loudest laugh. Now freely sitting closely beside each other, they teased one another using the iced treat that Manami bought. For the first time, Manami was no longer hiding under a stern facade. She happily eats the iced treat, and gives Taiga a huge smile as she managed to prank him. Taiga, on the other hand, was now able to show affection that came right out of his own heart and not his survival instincts. 

After such a long time,

they finally learned how to love. 

Thank you, you brought up new ideas I had missed!  Some sound track info: when Taiga is finally going to Minami's apt to find her, Dvorak's "Going Home" from Sypmphony #9 is playing.  Tiaga is finally "going home."  

In an earlier episode, right after she has broken up w Tiaga, French composer Erik Satie's melancholic "Gymnopédie #1: lent & doloureux" is playing in the background when Minami is w Takagawa in the restaurant. Translated, it means "slow and painful."  Could that be signaling that the break up w Takagawa is going to be slow and painful?

Trains play a big role from the beginning.  In an earlier episode, Minami was at a crossing when she called Taiga.  The gate was down and red lights flashed:  it was going to take a while for the train to be with her.  Taiga ended the convo abruptly: "Thanks." 

But when Minami escapes her father, a train suddenly flashes by in the same direction just as Minami approaches the tracks. This time, she and the train (Taiga?) are going in the same direction.  

And Taiga finds the red toy train and is playing with it just as he hears Minami's voice, and finally connects with her.    (I believe the train first came into sight in one of the first episodes when he is fixing a red train toy for his half sibling? Or maybe when I is looking at the trains through the fence, I will rewatch soon to see.)

Re: Sakura-sensei: I was surprised earlier when he seemed to parrot the official school stance on her relationship w Tiaga, and said something like "I'm glad you ended it. A relationship between a teacher and a host is not appropriate." I had actually thought maybe he and Taiga's sidekick had gotten it on, so I was startled that he would say that.  But perhaps he was fighting w the same feelings of being w a host, layered w his own struggles at self acceptance?  But then he came around, another example of the writers "fooling" us, perhaps....

I gotta say, I love the actor who is playing the father.  He's doing an amazing job seeming complelety unhinged.  And I want to see more w Takagawa actor, he's also hitting it out of the park and the Tik Tok that Mamacat shared of him w Raul was precious.  And I love Raul's sidekick.  He brought such energy to the drama. Whoever cast LTL deserves an Oscar.

I also LOVE the club president, so abrupt, so handsome, I LOVE his smile as he's pouring the champs in Ep 8. And such an interesting back story.  Not for him long analytic convos!  Get to the point, pat on the shoulder (or head) and "Bye."

I am not understanding what Minami means by "fight" (which she wrote on the bench).  "Fight for our love?  Fight to learn to read?  Fight for a better life?"  Does anyone have any ideas? 

I watched ep 9 again and in the scene w his mother in the cafe, Ave Maria was playing....brilliant!!