Kanon (2006) - 11: Intermezzo of Light and Shadow

Yuuichi, Nayuki, and Akiko-san look into Makoto's old room, which has been cleaned up; her old bedding is neatly folded into a corner and her manga collection neatly stacked in another corner. Yuuichi asks that the room be left as is. Nayuki agrees, saying Makoto can return anytime she wants and Akiko-san states this was her intent.

Nayuki and Yuuichi walk to school. Nayuki wants to know if Yuuichi remembers anything else about the past since he remembered Makoto. He does not. At the school entrance, Yuuichi asks Nayuki if she wants to walk home with him after school, and she says it is a promise. In the classroom, Kitagawa and Yuuichi engage in a mindless comedy moment while Nayuki and Kaori observe.

Later in the day, Yuuichi meets with Shiori to resume their normal walk on the school grounds. Again he thinks she should be home getting rest from her illness but of course, she was bored and wanted to see him again. Her stomach growls, so Yuuichi ends up treating her to a small container of ice cream. She eats outside and starts to tell him something, but stops herself.

At lunch break, Nayuki, Kitagawa, and Kaori stop by Yuuichi's desk to see if he wants to go to lunch, but he has other plans. He goes to the place where he, Mai, and Sayuri always eat, but they aren't there. He overhears a couple of girls talking at a damaged window and knows it is Mai they are talking about. He rushes to the principle's office where Sayuri is waiting outside. She explains Mai's history of breaking windows in the school, but Mai won't tell her anything.

Mai emerges from the office to say she'd been yelled at. She's hungry, so Sayuri rushes off to get the bentos while Yuuichi and Mai head for their normal eating spot. A couple of guys in the hall make a remark about her as they pass, leading Yuuichi to remark on her fame. When the three sit down for lunch, they engage in a mindless comedy routine where they keep switching bento containers.

At the end of the school day, Nayuki is there and the two engage in a mindless routine about the two of them walking home together. When they do start walking through the halls to leave together, Yuuichi wonders about how one becomes popular. He's observed the underclassmen refer to Nayuki as "senpai" because they look up to her. Then the conversation turns into another mindless comedy bit. Fortunately, it is stopped when Nayuki notices a posting on the bulletin board about the School Dance Festival. Before that conversation can proceed any further, she remembers she's forgotten a notebook and returns to class to retrieve it. Yuuichi promises to meet her.

Yuuichi takes the notice about the dance and locates Mai and Sayuri, where he pushes it in her face. She tells him she can't see it because it is to close to her face. Sayuri makes a remark about the dance leading Mai to tell Yuuichi she can't see the notice because it is to close to her face. Yuuichi states they are going to get Mai to go to this dance. Mai repeats her previous statement.

Yuuichi has a plan to improve Mai's image and it involves her going to the dance. He feels if their school mates see her there, her popularity will soar. Sayuri is game for it, but Mai states she doesn't have a dress. Yuuichi suggests she borrow one. Sayuri doesn't have a spare dress, but says she'll ask around and suggests Yuuichi do the same. It is then that he remembers he's supposed to meet Nayuki and he rushes to find her waiting at the shoe lockers, where she calls him a liar.

To make up for it, Yuuichi treats Nayuki to sundaes, and she eats a lot. Leaving the establishment, he asks Nayuki if she has a dress, which she doesn't, nor does her mother. Ayu appears on the scene and he asks her if she has one. This leads to Ayu and Nayuki chastising him for being rude before they realize they don't know each other. Even though Ayu had been by the house, she and Ayu never actually ever met. Nayuki asks if she can call Ayu "Ayu-chan," and tells Ayu to call her "Nayu-chan." Yuuichi can't believe what he's hearing.

Arriving home with Ayu, Akiko-san has Makoto's cat Piro, who's returned to the house. Ayu recognizes the cat as the one who took the taiyaki from a much earlier episode, leading to an "oniichan" moment from Yuuichi. Sitting in the living room, Yuuichi inquires and learns that Ayu still can't find her missing item. He invites her for dinner, which Akiko-san approves. However, she asks Ayu to call her parents. She does but gets no answer, then out of the blue remembers they are out of town. Yuuichi questions how she could forget, and Ayu wonders how she could have forgotten something so important. Nayuki decides to invite Ayu into their home to stay until her parents return home. Ayu isn't sure at first, but eventually agrees.

They have dinner where Ayu and Yuuichi end up doing another mindless comedy routine (visual only). Ayu inquires about Makoto, and Yuuichi simply tells her Makoto has returned home. Ayu is disappointed because she wanted to talk to Makoto some more.

That night, Yuuichi notes that Nayuki seems happy to have Ayu living in the house. Nayuki acknowledges this, saying that after Makoto left, it was lonelier around the house. She feels she and Ayu will become good friends. With that, she goes to take a bath with Ayu.

Yuuichi returns to the school that night to find Mai there again, despite the broken window incident. He remarks that it has been a while since he last visited Mai at night because of Makoto. Mai asks about Makoto and over convienence store sushi, they talk. Yuuichi wants to know why these demons are after her. She feels no one would believe her if she did tell. Yuuichi disagrees saying that at least Sayuri would. Mai doesn't want to worry Sayuri. She doesn't know why the demons are after her or if she'll find her answers once she's slain them. Again, she inquires after Makoto, so Yuuichi tells the story (off camera).

Returning home, Yuuichi finds everyone has gone to bed and Ayu and Nayuki are sharing a bed.

The next morning, Ayu tries to fix breakfast with disasterous results. Nayuki and Yuuichi race to school where Nayuki wonders if it is OK to leave Ayu at home. She also worries about whether Ayu will make it to her school in time, but that's when Yuuichi realizes he doesn't know what school she attends. The two make it to school with 10-minutes to spare, which they declare to be a miracle. It is at the gate that Kaori comes and out of the blue states that miracles aren't supposed to happen easily.

In Japanese literature class, Nayuki sleeps while Yuuichi spots Shiori outside. He'd asked her about a dress for Mai, but she couldn't help. Kaori notices him looking out the window and seems to disapprove. At lunch, Sayuri comes by their class. She's a senpai, so her asking for Yuuichi causes a stir. Sayuri has located a couple of dresses she can borrow and Yuuichi is very happy about this. Sayuri even managed to get a tuxedo for Yuuichi.

That night at the school, Yuuichi brings a couple of beef bowls over for himself and Mai. She accepts the beef bowl, but then remarks that she can't eat it, leading Yuuichi to tell her to put her sword down. The two eat, and Yuuichi wonders if Sayuri really doesn't know about what Mai is doing. As she eats, Yuuichi tries to make her smile with comedic remarks. However, she has noticed something and begins to eat in a hurry. She hands him the empty bowl, grabs her sword, and races down the hall. For a moment, the audience sees something coming up the hall, but then from Yuuichi's point of view, she's just swinging a sword at thin air. Whatever "it" was, got away.

AstroNerdBoy: 19 December 2006

I grabbed to many screen captures, I think. ^_^;;;

As to the story, I was happy to see that Makoto wasn't forgotten. That was an element I'd not liked in the original series -- girls getting forgotten as soon as their story was resolved. The only thing missing was Amano. I felt she should have at least popped in to say "hi."

The odd Japanese comedy stuff kept popping into the show. The only moment that made me smile was Mai's deadpan "its too close" remarks. Otherwise, I wasn't laughing but I can't say I was annoyed either.

Because it has been so long since I saw K2, I haven't been troubled by the issues DD has been. I understand the issues DD has, but they just haven't smacked me is all. Ayu's call home and forgetting her parents were out of town is bizarre, but the writers acknowledge this first with Yuuichi asking the question and Ayu wondering how she could have forgotten. It is bizarre, but no more so than Ayu's quest for the missing "whatever." Also, I have no problem with Ayu and Nayuki becoming friends so quickly. Actually, that was easier to believe than the other issues with Ayu.

I did have an issue with Mai at the end of the episode. It may have been done for comedy effect, but when Mai notices the presence coming down the hall, she starts gulping down food fast before grabbing her sword and racing down the hall. That was a moment that bothered me because I don't think Mai would think the Beef Bowl was more important than the possible incoming attack. On the plus side, we do get to see something coming down the hall for Mai to attack, but that is seen but for a moment and we are left with Ayu swinging her sword at nothing.

Overall, I enjoyed the episode though. Clearly more groundwork is being laid for the other girls with Mai the next girl to get a resolution (so it would appear).