| Title: | Video Girl Ai |
| Episode: | 5: Vanishing Ai? |
| Synopsis | |
| This is a complete narration of the episode and contains SPOILERS! So be sure you really want to read this... Two days later, Takashi and Moemi have their first date together. But Takashi doesn't wear the scarf she gave him, and Moemi is very silent. But then she sees Youta from afar, and suddenly gets excited ... Takashi eyes her curiously. Walking the streets, Youta happens to watch a commercial spot about a competition to write a comic book, offering one million yen for the winner. While he is wondering about it, a strange man with a long overcoat passes him by ... at home, Ai is watching the VCR's display anxiously, counting the days remaining for her. Things don't go well during this date: Takashi doesn't really try, and Moemi is helpless. And meeting Youta on the way (who just bought a lot of painting utensils) doesn't help either - even more when Moemi asks Youta to stay with them so she can be less nervous ... before he can say a word, Takashi drags Moemi along to the cinema. But then, he encourages Youta to win Moemi's heart and take her away from him ... Ai is wondering about how to cheer up Youta who sealed himself up in his study. But when she believes him to just go crazy, a good punch of her is applied to make him pull himself together. But Youta wasn't depressed at all, and Ai is surprised how his comic book progresses. Youta is on his road to fulfill his new dream: Healing the children's world with his drawings ... at first, Ai believes he went nuts - but then she encourages him, spotting another one of his good points: Turning his disappointment into creativity. Outside the room, Ai wonders how cute Youta has become - he noticed and praised her dress ... suddenly, electricity flows over her body, and her hand becomes transparent! Is she already being recalled? Ai recovers soon, but she is really scared now ... Takashi and Moemi stroll along the Christmas fair. But when Moemi wants to talk about Youta's recent behaviour, Takashi gets angry and just walks on when she stopped to watch at a florist's window ... With five days playing time left, Ai finds the floor of Youta's study covered with drawings, and offers to help him. Youta asks her to go and buy a new drawing pad for him - thankful, he jokingly tells her "I love you", but Ai is just more depressed about that. Moemi and Takashi arrive at the place where she confessed his love for the first time and was rejected by him. She asks him whether he loves her now, but he responds asking why she always talks about Youta when she is with him! And he tells her to go and find out about her feelings for Youta first. Later, Takashi wonders what he can do ... Ai has just bought the drawing pad, but now the VCR severely malfunctions, and currents run through her body. Can she still manage to reach Youta's house? Later, Youta get anxious where Ai might be, and starts looking for her. At the drawing shop he is told they remember a girl who bought a pad ... did they just miss each other? In some dark side street, Ai struggles helplessly to get back on her feet and bring the pad to Youta ... but when he is passing by only a couple of yards away, suddenly Moemi calls his name and begs him to talk! Just instants later, Ai's clothes catch fire, the drawing pad starts to melt ... and then, the man with the long overcoat looks down at her. Moemi tells Youta about her date with Takashi, and that he sent her to find out about her feelings for Youta. But before he can recover from this shock, Moemi confesses that she is sure about loving this man who doesn't love her back ... once again, Youta encourages her to do her best. Youta walks home through the dark streets, finally giving up about Moemi. But at least he has Ai ... he starts to run, longing to see her happy face. But the windows of his house don't show any light, the rooms are empty ... then he sees lightnings flash out of his VCR! At the Gokuraku shop, the old shopkeeper asks the man with the overcoat why he wants to return Ai before her time is up. "Because she is flawed - she can't help Youta anyway", the man responds. The shopkeeper suggests to ask Ai what she wants ... "The decision is mine, as I am her maker", the man insists. Youta is running through the streets, desperately in search of Ai ... | |
| Comments | |
| Devil Doll (2003-07-28): Having handled the "Moemi issue" for now, we are returning to the video girl storyline we left after Ai's "special day". And even more than in the previous episode, the drama evolves - one must have watched the 'parallel' movement of Youta and Ai in the streets to understand how tough the story gets! And what a cliffhanger, leading into the final episode ... The background story about Youta (being the son of an artist, and thus living alone, and having attended drawing courses for years) is covered in much more detail in the mangas, and will lead to many important developments there. And the comic book he is about to make even becomes a central issue of the whole manga series ... | |
