Amaama to Inazuma

[Kraco]

She currently is in the friend zone. Their only meetings, aside from the occasional classes at school, are those where she's teaching him. It's kind of hard to fall into a clearly lower zone under such circumstances. Not to mention for Kouhei a daughter is a little kid like Tsumugi, not an almost adult like Kotori, I imagine. Besides, she's not an orphan, so it would be weird for someone else to start to think of her as a daughter.

She does have quite a tough road ahead of her, though, because he's obviously a good teacher, and thus he would need to beat teachers' ethics, general public opinion, and his own morals to view Kotori as a love interest.

All in all, however, I'm not sure the series will head down that road. Although for the sake of the wholesomeness and believability of the characters' personalities, Kotori in this particular case, there are those clear signs of romantic interest, this is still a cooking show. It could very well continue to be about nothing but cooking with a suggested tension of other kind in the background, but always only staying there in the background. I wouldn't particularly mind, to be honest. The Usagi Drop manga's ending clearly demonstrated what kind of a disaster can happen when a story doesn't stay the way that made people fall for it.

[MFauli]

Oh god, I really don´t know if I´m ready for another Usagi Drop ;>

[shinta|hikari]

I'm so ready for another Usagi Drop.

[Kraco]

Episode 6 - HS



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Kotori has such a good friend. Outspoken by the Japanese standards, no doubt, but it's okay since she isn't malicious. Kouhei has a fine friend as well. Every series is made better by a capable delinquent.

[Buffalobiian]

Kotori has such a good friend. Outspoken by the Japanese standards, no doubt, but it's okay since she isn't malicious. Kouhei has a fine friend as well. Every series is made better by a capable delinquent.

His "!@#$, third wheel again?" comment was pretty good.

Chicken wing Gyoza look damn amazing.

[Ryllharu]

If anything, this episode made it clear that Kotori is fully aware of what their get togethers look like to outsiders, while Kouhei is focused on Tsumugi and doesn't realize it.

[MFauli]

I don´t know.

What I found a bit frustrating was how Kotori´s friend didn´t directly mention it. She just brought her outside, but didnt say anything, even though she appeared to have "gotten it", gotten what´s going on. Which ... sorry ... makes it once again weird
I had hoped that her close friend would be able to say "You like him Kotori?", which would give us some closure about her intentions.

[Kraco]

Nah, in my opinion it'd be hard to ask your high schooler friend if she's in love with a teacher not academically but in practice, when you know they are already cooking together more or less frequently. There's the stigma around, so it would be easy to make the friend get exceedingly defensive immediately. We actually saw the effect in Kotori's reaction when the friend first marched in. Under similar circumstances I probably wouldn't have asked any more directedly.

[shinta|hikari]

This show is intentionally baiting the readers into interpreting Kotori's reactions as love while never confirming it, just like how the friend asked a different question than what everyone here was expecting. Troll author!

[Ryllharu]

@Mfauli

I think Shinobu didn't know which question to actually ask.

The first time she catches Kotori dropping off the lotus roots, Kotori's embarrassed face and stammering says it all. Shinobu has caught Kotori with a man in her own house, and they're washing up dishes (she sees Tsumugi later, because her line of sight is blocked by Kouhei). Kotori must be after the father. Tsumugi's line about a "customer" makes it only look worse. Shinobu's reaction after the explanation right after the OP pretty much tells the rest.

Kotori is perfectly aware what these rendezvous look like.

The second time (when Shinobu takes her outside), Shinobu isn't sure how this arrangement is meant to be taken. She sees a happy, smiling Kotori interacting with a little girl. Is it Kotori's playing family? Is it Kotori is in love with the pair in a stepmom way? Is it just that Kotori misses making food with her own mother? Is it that Kotori misses a lively restaurant?

Kotori freaks the hell out anticipating the question, and starts stammering another explanation.

But what Shinobu ultimately asks her is if she and Yagi are in the way because the trio is slowly learning how to cook themselves, and that Kotori must like the gentle pace, that Kotori doesn't cherish their friendship the same way she clearly loves learning with Tsumugi and Kouhei.

What Shinobu is really asking is, "Are those two more important to you than our friendship?" There's a ton of subtext that goes with that kind of question. It's the reason Shinobu phrases it the way she does. She doesn't ask outright if Kotori loves them because she's somewhat afraid of the answer (hence her blush and hesitancy asking it when outside).

Shinobu reads Kotori's answer that way, and is surprised/relieved when Kotori says she likes hanging out with her still as well.

They close it out with Shinobu pushing Yagi away from doing all the work, supporting the more innocent side to it, but the real answer is that Shinobu refuses to intrude on their regular thing by claiming she's busy. Shinobu is convinced that Kotori is falling for Kuohei/Tsumugi and doesn't want to interfere with the budding romance. That's also her bizarrely translated line to Yagi about, "preserving natural monuments."

[MFauli]

Okay, Ryll makes this anime sound deeper than Evangelion. I don´t know what to believe anymore!

[shinta|hikari]

Everything Ryll watches is deeper than Evangelion.

[MFauli]

OMG I just noticed your new sig shinta! That´s triggering me so much!!11 >____________<

[shinta|hikari]

I was waiting ages for that reaction. Didn't disappoint.

[MFauli]

new ep is out
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For a few seconds I was scared he´d shout at Kotori, too, like "why didn´t you instantly call me?!" or "This is all because we´ve been doing this stupid cooking!". But it was nice to see him act like a real dad. If this was a different show, a plot where Tsumugi dies would be interesting. He has the necessary eyes for a tragic hero.

Kotori in shirt was super hot.

Tsumugi singing was super cute. "Same, same, same, same, same!"

[shinta|hikari]

These 3 need to become a family asap. Their age gap isn't even that big. Not even 10 years, IIRC.

[Buffalobiian]

For a few seconds I was scared he´d shout at Kotori, too, like "why didn´t you instantly call me?!

In this day an age, Tsumugi should have really called Kotori. But then we'd have missed out on The Adventures of Tsumugi, so whatever.

Cute voices and pony tail aside, the most interesting aspect was hearing Kotori mention her father again. Specifically, that they cooked together. How much of a fatherly figure is Sensei to her as opposed to a real lover? Only time will tell.

Or, as Usagi Drop would have it: why not both?

[Kraco]

In this day an age, Tsumugi should have really called Kotori. But then we'd have missed out on The Adventures of Tsumugi, so whatever.

Cute voices and pony tail aside, the most interesting aspect was hearing Kotori mention her father again. Specifically, that they cooked together. How much of a fatherly figure is Sensei to her as opposed to a real lover? Only time will tell.

Or, as Usagi Drop would have it: why not both?

In that respect this shares nothing with Usagi Drop. Kotori is already a high school student. She's not looking for a father figure for herself. On the other hand she's no doubt happy watching Tsumugi have the father figure she herself lost. But that's already a romantic interest in her case.

Watching this episode, I felt like Tsumugi's VA succeeded really well.

[MasterOfMoogles]

I can totally see Tsumugi as a pokemon trainer with her adventuring outfit.

[MFauli]

episode 8 is out
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nice episode. Poor Mikio, Tsumugi leaves no openng

We´ve been talking a lot about Kotori and sensei becoming a couple. However, this episode showcased the biggest hurdle: The teacher shows no interest in here AT ALL. I definitely think she likes him, but if he stays oblivious, then what can she do?

That bag ... waiting for drama to happen, when eventually it´s broken beyond repair.