Sora no Method – 05
…and all it took was the right person saying they were sorry….
Welcome back to Saucer Town everyone! Well at long last we have the break in the character narrative we’ve been anticipating. Did you think the drama was over done, unnecessary, or anything of that nature? Or did you feel it followed a natural progression and played out as it had to?
Flower of Light
Where the blame starts…
We’ve been needing to unwind at least two characters for the past three episodes. I’ve often said that this show plays it’s cards close to the vest in emotional narrative, and I was getting concerned they were pressing in to tight, or might have forgotten the hand they held. So they had to play the hand sooner than later, or else the game would have soured. Both Yuzuki and Shione were both placed firmly in the suspicious end of the character spectrum, but Yuzuki was the most approachable of the two. Shione remains out there, but how long and for what reasons, we will begin to see in hopefully a full manner.
The reason for the hospital visit is explained
Yuzuki’s story was a bit complex, but easy to break down once you got more of the story behind it. I said in the caption for the lead in pic, that all it really took was the right person apologizing, and I hold to that. In this case it was apologizing for the wrong reason, and the wrong person was doing it. Souta had assumed, wrongly, that his sister’s enmity towards her was in his refusal to support her “Saucer Leave” campaign. Now this isn’t entirely untrue, and that facet may still yet be explored. But for now, the name of the game is blame.
She was out trying desperately to set of some fireworks to replace the festival that had been lost, and her brother was trying to prevent her from hurting herself. In the process he had the bike accident that laid him up in hospital. That would have been one part, but when questioned by his parents, he leaves the why, and any blame and trouble she might have had over it, out of the story. He took the fall, literally and metaphorically. That rather backed up Yuzuki’s emotions quite a bit. This is compounded by the Saucer, and her blame of it causing everything wrong, with her assumption that Nonoka forgot to meet her for the final fireworks they could have watched as young friends.
Nothing like creating a literal path back to them
You have to give Koharu credit, she is an incredibly patient friend. And one that can forgive someone their faults. If anything kept Yuzuki on course, it was Koharu’s very pointed questioning. What is really bothering you? Why can’t you come out of this shell? What is holding you in? It could be fear of her own guilt, or a fear that she had been wrong in some of her base assumptions all along. I loved the moment with Noel, just as Yuzuki was ready to embark on yet one more picketing crusade, the strength to go on was leaving her, draining away with all the false reasons she kept up to keep going in the first place. Lovely chance meeting that, she learned she had to be happy or else, and learned that Nonoka did remember the exact date from seven years ago.
One more hold out…
Is Noel the source of her problems or the solution?
Shione is going to be a tougher nut to crack. And I think Noel may be the one to do it. In the briefest of scenes a few episodes back it was revealed that she gave Nonoka a “Saucer Book” and that lead to the group wish, and whatever came afterwords. This isn’t so much the close to the vest they’ve had with Yuzuki. At it’s face, Shione’s mistrust may be warranted, and she honestly does see Nonoka as a liar. In that regard she looks for evidence of it where none may exist. Or maybe for the most tenuous of reasons.
So no, the much worked on and talked about fireworks that Nonoka was trying to set up didn’t come to fruition. She did the next best thing she could by recreating the Fall Festival that everyone missed, but I don’t think Shione is going to give that a no harm no foul pass. She didn’t hold up to her word. It was flat out impossible to do in the first place, so that makes me wonder if that sort of thing, a promise Nonoka couldn’t begin to keep was the cause of her enmity to begin with.
I don’t know why I laughed my face off during this scene, but I did….
But fireworks did happen…wonder how Shione is going to process this?
A few more bursts of light
There was an awful lot that happened in the rain this episode. When Koharu confronted Yuzuki about what was really bugging her, and Shione’s chance meeting with Noel, we get a sense of settling in until the rain stops. An occurrence that has been explored in several SoL shows, with Tamayura and it’s lantern festival coming quickly to my mind. So for event’s like fireworks or outdoor festivals, the rain asks us to slow down, and take stock. Koharu really comes out this time as a break out character. Her patience helped pay off much of the story. Whether it be the time and resources to help Nonoka, or the time to let Yuzuki unwind, she was there. Why, when, outwardly, not liking this person at all, is Shione still gravitating toward her? And will Noel be a part of that more so than the other characters? Let me know what you think…
Preview
Going by dress style, we’ve got an onsen episode upcoming
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Because this post is so barren so far…
This show is so cute that it can turn people into LOLilovers.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Thank you Di Gi. This show needs more love.
I somehow doubt that it will turn folk into LOLilovers.
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
well..um..it..it..could! *runs off to watch it again*
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
You are already in that camp..but I salute the re-watch.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
It’s about time Yuzuki stopped being such a bitch. Okay, they explained why she had it in for the saucer so bad–she felt guilty for Souta’s injury, but like many adults as well as children shifted the blame onto someone else. Still, her bitchiness and anti-saucer campaign was wearing thin and was trying my patience. Now she can develop into a likeable character.
I agree Shione will be a tougher nut to crack. And there has to be more explanation as to why she has such strong feelings against Nonoka. There has got to be more to it than just “she’s a liar” because she missed meeting her friends at the fireworks festival when they were young. She still has the picture of the two of them together, so they must have been close at one time. Perhaps what really hurts her is that Nonoka left without telling them or saying why she was leaving. I think even kids can understand a friend leaving because her mother needs medical care that can’t be gotten locally.
On another note, now that Noel knows what fireworks are and presumably likes them, will the saucer be putting on a show every fall? I bet the town could really promote that as a tourist draw! Of course, that all depends upon if the saucer stays or does it leave at the end of the show?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I prefer to think of Yuzuki as cranky.
Yeah, there has to be more to it than the liar angle. This show revels in only giving us snapshots of the characters, and we make our judgments on them for that. Kinda like how we unpack memories?
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
She was past cranky to full-blown bitch. Endangering her friendship with Koharu, her terrible treatment of Nonoka when she drops out of the anti-saucer campaign and her even worse treatment of her brother, all go past mere crankiness.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
She is not being a nice person at all, I agree. But I personally do not like labeling any young woman, real or fictional, as a bitch.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I don’t like to do it, either, and rarely use the word. But sometimes it’s the only word that will fit and the same goes for derogatory names for a male who deserves it.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
BTW. I hope you don’t take away from this exchange that I’ve been offended. I have a rather thick skin. I still feel that names like “bitch” are offensive, but I can contextualize…to a small degree.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
No, I didn’t think you were offended. And I understand where you’re coming from. That word is used far too much to put down women and girls. But there are rare occasions where it fits.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
This show highlights one thing: Kids are idiots, they do and say idiotic things, and holding them to what they did and said makes you an idiot too. Unfortunately, I was tired of Yuzuki two episodes ago, and was pretty much completely unsatisfied with this ‘resolution’ (aka “Yuzuki winds down her idiot level by about 20%”).
Honestly, I haven’t really bought into most of this show. I don’t buy Nonoka not remembering any of what happened 7 years ago: none of the people, none of the events, nothing. I don’t buy the doofiness of the other kids: “I hate you because you left. You don’t know what happened after you left! But I’m not going to TELL you what that was! I’ll just vehemently hate you!” I talk about authenticity a lot, this show just doesn’t feel like it has any. Just manufactured melodrama from kids being idiots.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I still feel at this point, that they can pull something larger from it. A bit more than the winding down of the idiot dial.
But, I think you underscore the things I’ve kept between the lines…
POWUH: 900-999 with 915 comments
I just keep thinking the same about Shione. She just complains that Nonoka left without saying anything, thinking that she made them create the saucer out of spite. Pretty sure she’s going to hang herself from guilt when she finds out that Nonoka’s mom was sick and actually died (just kidding about the hanging part).
But just like skylion above, I’m hoping that they will pull something bigger from the box. That saucer isn’t there for no reason. I hope.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
It’s like I was saying to HWY. I’ve taken this show down in some of my coverage. I’ve repeated “cards close to the vest” for a reason. They are overselling some points. They keep trying to win on aces when a deuce will do. Heck, perceived aces.
But it does rather feel that Shione’s fascination with Noel is going to pay off somehow. She might be getting more than she bargained for. Oh the price of a dish of Omurice…..
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
An enjoyable episode at the end for me, I didn’t like Yuzuki attitude the last few episodes though, It seem kinda petty to me, but they are kids and kids do some petty things. I’m still a little confused why the saucer is at fault? kids… lol
Other then that, I liked the last bit, Starting with Noel with Yuzuki and the picture book, I nearly died when Yuzuki asked if she was smiling.. aww, Then when Yuzuki walked to the lake with the lanterns.. feel good heat-warming moment hehe.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I’ve wached Yuzuki-like growing pains IRL. I’d rather watch it in anime, viewers got off light…
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 261 comments
Seriously…Who the heck is Noel Anyway!?
I Don’t Think that She is an Alien! but she is kinda Weird!
OK, Let’s Had a Little Joke Stuff Here! I was Imagining of something Like This…What if The Diamond Man or The Star Shown up and Anger yell to Noel “Who Are YOU!”
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Noel has said she’s the saucer. And she hasn’t aged in seven years. So I figure she’s a humanoid AI created by the saucer as a mobile unit linked to whatever brain is running the saucer–a computer perhaps?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Hey, Welcome to Metanorn, Namaewoinai. Good to see you.
Back in the FI, I kidded around with the idea of Noel being a Koro-puk-guru. Or that the very least a nature spirit. Something like that. She has that leaf umbrella thing.
So, Noel is a Stand. Or maybe she’s a Stand user and the Saucer is her Stand?