Kanon (2006) - 08: Fantasia of Recollection

As Nayuki runs off for morning practice, Makoto gets permission from Akiko-san to keep the cat, whom she names Piro after Yuuichi suggests it. Makoto carries Piro with her to her job while Yuuichi heads to school. There, he meets Mai and attempts to learn why Mai knew that Makoto would be on Monomi Hill. She offers no answers, but steers Yuuichi to Amano-san for more help.

Yuuichi meets with Amano-san and as she talks with him, suddenly Yuuichi remembers the name Sawatari Makoto from his past. However, he refuses to believe his memory and meets with Makoto after school. He buys her a Pork Bun as she relates how she got in trouble for bringing Piro to her job. Yuuichi begins treating Makoto better and she begins to want to spend much more time with him at home that evening.

The following day, Yuuichi attempts to get Amano to befriend Makoto, but is puzzled not only by Amano's apparent understanding of Makoto's amnisia, but her absolute refusal to do as Yuuichi requests. Her insistance that Yuuichi has met her before again triggers memories that Yuuichi doesn't want to deal with.

After school, Makoto meets him again at school and remembers something of her past. She leads Yuuichi to Monomi Hill, where for reasons she doesn't understand, she feels angry and depressed. Yuuichi remembers the spot from his childhood and becomes nicer to Makoto, who has greater difficulty in keeping her balance. They return to town for another pork bun and to spend time together.

Back home, Nayuki tells Yuuichi that Akiko-san has had no luck attempting to find Makoto's parents and no one has reported her missing. Makoto wants to play with Yuuichi, but finds that she cannot make paper airplanes as she once did. Further, she is now unable to read a simple shoujo manga, but convinces Yuuichi to read it to her. Then later when Piro is sleeping in Yuuichi's room, she decides to sleep there as well, and talks in her sleep, saying things that add to the proof Yuuichi has not wanted to face.

The next day, after walking Makoto to her job, he meets with Amano and accepts the truth about Makoto. Amano understands the situation because she went through it herself at some point. However, the news she has concerning Makoto is not good as it deals with Makoto's worsening condition.

AstroNerdBoy (25 Nov 2006):

As I thought after episode 7, the writers were really attempting to set up the notion that even if we didn't see certain characters, they'd still be doing whatever it is they were doing. So when Ayu and Shiori don't show up in this episode, in the back of my mind, I already know where they are. So this time, the writers didn't waste time just having them say, "Hi" when it was not required, thus giving them full time to explore Makoto.

I now wonder if the writers went out of their way to make Makoto more annoying so that this episode could show her (and Yuuichi's) growth in character. Also, it should make the resolution of the Makoto story more impactful.

This episode was very enjoyable to me and I hope the series continues to improve.

My favorite line: "It's really rare to have time when you can actively be stupid nowadays" --Yuuichi