| Title: | Love Hina - Motoko's Choice |
| Episode: | 25: Motoko's Choice, Love or the Sword (Don't Cry) |
| Synopsis | |
| Naru's family is visiting the cemetery of Kyoto; Keitarou is left behind, feeling lonely, and Sakata Kentarou making fun of him doesn't improve his mood. When Tama-chan, the turtle, attacks Kentarou and makes his car head straight towards Keitarou, only a miracle can save the boy. And this miracle happens to be a woman looking very much like Motoko, stopping the car with a single sword strike.
When Motoko returns home to Hinata-sou, a surprise guest welcomes her: It's her older sister who came to take her home and make her the leader of the family's sword fighting school. But this comes too early for Motoko who doesn't feel skilled enough yet, and in her panic she pretends to be marrying Keitarou! She secretly explains her situation, and Keitarou accepts to play along. But Big Sister soon sees through the charade and decides to punish Motoko, showing superior fighting skills. In the end she breaks Motoko's sword and denies her the option of returning to the family's dojo. Now all that's left for Motoko is starting to live like a normal girl. And she gives it an honest try, cleaning the floor and cooking breakfast. But being the dedicated fighter she has always been she can't easily adapt to the life style of her fellow inhabitants. And when she learns how she made everyone angry she runs away, and even Keitarou doesn't manage to stop her. Alone and sad, Motoko wanders through the rain of the night, and even a stray dog she happens to meet is biting at her hand. But then an umbrella is held over her head: Keitarou has found her and takes her back home. Motoko is still desperate, crying in Keitarou's arms - but the boy manages to calm her down and encourage her to choose her own future. He even has a replacement for Motoko's broken sword - but this one seems to be a very special item. In Kyoto Big Sister accepts the challenge: If Motoko and Keitarou manage to beat her my any means during the next three days she will be forgiven and allowed to take over the shinmeiryuu, but if they fail they have to be married immediately afterwards! Quite an interesting moment for Narusegawa to reappear on the scene, and she isn't too happy about this course of events. Naru soon becomes friends with Big Sister who tells her she is testing Motoko - but a promise is a promise nonetheless, so if they lose... and Naru wonders how close Keitarou and Motoko have become while she's been away. The day for the final match has come, and the wedding ceremony is prepared as well. Motoko starts to battle, and Keitarou supports her with Kaolla's explosives, but nothing seems to impress that powerful woman. But from the moment Naru happens to draw Keitarou's cursed sword the fight turns out to be interesting - and sometimes a kiss at the right moment can be very important... | |
| Comments | |
| (2004-04-12, Devil Doll:)
This story is taken from manga volume 9, chapters 72-74, and the events in the anime are quite close to those in the manga version. But the timeline contains some important differences: In the manga these events take place after the Spring Special stuff (anime episode 27, so Keitarou and Naru are already really close), shortly after Keitarou broke his leg (which happens in anime episode 28), shortly after Keitarou confessed to Narusegawa (anime episode 26) which is linked to breaking his leg in the manga, and after Motoko told Keitarou she wants him to tutor her for her Toudai application. So Keitarou's situation is different in the manga: Naru hasn't talked to him for quite some while, and although he is a Toudai student now he is still in doubt whether he can keep his promise of attending Toudai together with Naru (because his broken leg has to heal first). And he is afraid Naru is going to dump him (Kitsune told him that Naru did that with many other boys). So this intermezzo between Motoko and Keitarou is more serious (and interesting) in the manga while in the anime it is clear to everyone that Keitarou is only helping Motoko finding her true self (in the manga it is even Big Sister who asks Keitarou to make Motoko challenge her). Some great scenes stand out in this episode: Watching Haruka's motionless face when Motoko claims to marry Keitarou, or watching Kaolla supporting Motoko attempting seppuku, or Shinobu being part of her own laundry... yes, this was fun for me, although the fan-service was definitely overdone. While this episode is featuring Motoko, it is Keitarou who drives the story forward. Note how Keitarou brings back Motoko with his umbrella, just like Narusegawa brought back Keitarou in episode 4. Note how quick-wittedly he manages to escape the ecchi scene with Motoko in his room. And note how he encourages the desperate girl, doing the right thing in an important situation once again. This boy isn't the helpless fool any more whom we used to know during the whole series - and he will have to show similar talents in the final episode of this series. And by the way he told Narusegawa he'd rather marry her than Motoko! So even though this episode is ending with another Naru punch, Keitarou did show signs of further improvement. In the anime we are done with Motoko's development after episode 25 - in the manga we are not. Directly after the events of Love Hina Again, manga volume 13 chapters 106-108 cover the story of Motoko applying for Toudai and finally coming at ease with her life - and another confrontation between this girl and her older sister. | |
