Golden Time – 18
Banri two-times Kouko!
Well, my week of vacation is almost over, but at least I’ve had the time off, unlike Sumairii who is buried under school. So it’s me flying solo for Golden Time again this week.
EXORCIST!
Caught by Nana-sempai
Kouko unveils her new move, trying to get the thought of Banri out of her head since he’s out of town. I mean, she only dropped by to get his mail. And while she was there, she thought she’d drop it off inside his place. And sniff his pillow. But that does get Nana-sempai interested in Kouko doing the move for their concert. I don’t know how many people would see that on the stage, but in the right makeup and outfit that would be pretty creepy. Nana also tests out her ‘yakuza attack’ plan on Kouko, freaking her out, but getting good feedback. But that’s all we get out of Kouko for the week, as the rest of the episode heads to Shizuoka and Banri’s reunion.
The Banri They All Expect
He almost doesn’t make it to the door
Even though Banri’s had the resolve to reclaim his past, he’s still fighting the fears he has about his past self. So when it’s time for the reunion of his high school class, he lets the fear take over a bit, and the insecurities rise to the top. Will anyone want to see him? He’s got quite the Imposter Syndrome, because he figures noone actually wants to see him, they want to see the Banri they knew, the guy whose memories he doesn’t have.
The pathetic stories begin
But it turns out better than he feared, because while everyone would like to see the Banri that remembered them, they still enjoy seeing that he’s generally in good health, and sharing stories about how he used to be. And boy, all the stories make Old Banri really sound like a pill. Lovelorn, pathetic, coming up with lame schemes to try to approach girls. Oh, and crying all the time. That’s everyone’s number one memory of Banri: crying. Old Banri truly is a person that Now Banri can’t get his head around, and that’s for the best. Nobody wants to be like that guy, and I don’t think that anyone at the reunion was really all that sad to see that Banri is now a bit different. And they do realize that he doesn’t remember them (despite continuously asking if he remembers various things), so everyone wears a PE bib with their name on it, in a nice gesture for him so he won’t be left trying to remember a whole bunch of strangers’ names.
Embracing Yourself
Linda is happy about the new resolve Banri shows
But the most significant thing that happens is that Banri lets Linda know that he finally is embracing all of himself, something she’s glad to hear. What was she supposed to think before, when he said they should not acknowledge the past? How could she cut all those memories off? So she’d been somewhat angry at him, not knowing how to act, feeling like a nuisance. So when he finally decides he’s going to be all of himself, she’s relieved. Who knows what she was going to say when she sums up how things are going, that Banri has a girlfriend named Kouko and Linda is… what? What I imagine her saying is that she likes Now Banri a lot more than she did before. Whether that means that she’d be interested in a romance with him now, I don’t know. But this isn’t high school and Linda’s not going to try to take Banri away from Kouko, especially with Banri happy with Kouko and with the relationship being good for both of them.
Nobody minds seeing Ghost Banri get knocked off a bridge some more times
And have we now seen the last of Ghost Banri? It’s quite the change, seeing him tell Now Banri to “Leave me” and prying his hand off. Maybe he’s finally realized he can’t win, and been scared away by the accident as well. The best thing for the show is for Ghost Banri to just disappear from now on.
Nice personal growth from Banri, with help from his past classmates. The whole reunion was handled well, and the acceptance of Now Banri from Linda is important. Hopefully they can be true friends and even if there is some ‘might have been’ from Linda, I think without something major happening, there’s not going to be any rekindling of old flames. Even if Banri gets some of his memories back, if he stays the way he is, he’ll think his old self was probably pretty terrible, the same way the stories of his crying and pathetic behavior horrified him at his reunion. So next week, will we get more of the Exorcist? Or is Kouko going to make more of a move on Banri since she wants him to kiss her so much?
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
That moment at the start was so damn funny to me and I don’t know why but damn it had me laughing oh and Linda getting smacked in the face with the dodge ball LOL
Speaking of the dodge ball scene I was wondering why they had their names on their shirts and then I realized OHHHH right that is probably to help Banri remember who they were! That was a nice idea by Linda and the other students.
Did anyone else scream at their monitors when Banri ran over to the old bridge? I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOO!! DUDE WHAT ARE YOU DOING!
Anyway this was a great episode but lately I feel that things have been dragging on for a looongg time I mean yeah we have a few more episodes to go but I guess we are waiting for the giant WTF drama moment to come out of nowhere to surprise us.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I don’t know if there will really be a surprise. I think we’ve already had those drama moments: The car accident cliffhanger, Kouko chasing down Banri and confessing, the arguments between Kouko and Banri. I don’t see there being anything else super big to rock the foundation of Kouko and Banri’s relationship.
Personally, I’m just enjoying the normal ‘figuring things out’ aspect of the show. Not having big drama will definitely knock it down in some people’s opinions, but I just don’t think it’s going to be that kind of show.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
I gotcha sorta like Engaged to the unidentified just Banari and Koko figuring things out as they go works fine I guess for the remaining episodes and true it doesn’t really feel like a series that will have a big dramatic end.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I keep thinking that “remember” is not being used right. I mean, I think the same thing, but isn’t “identify” the proper thing to say? Or maybe they want to help bring his memories back?
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
As much as they kept asking “Do you remember this / that / this other thing?” they certainly would like him to remember. But I think the purpose was more immediate identification. Fosh’s statement could also be correct in that they want him to be able to remember them after a first re-introduction. 🙂
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yeah, keeping track of all the names would challenge anyone. And remember has much deeper meaning in mind than identify.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Now look at what being nosy has rewarded Kouko: Being treated like a side show attraction. That what happens when one lets their emotions get the better of them. Worse, there’s no telling who’s watching.
At least Banri can finally bury his insecurities about his classmates wanting to see the old him. Not matter what, it couldn’t be helped and if it were the case, they’d have no choice but to settle with the current him. In my opinion, he’s pushing way too hard trying to please other people. What makes him comfortable should come first because he’s the only Banri he’s got.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
That depends on if he lets go of Ghost Banri. That guy turns up when you least expect him, or even want him.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Noone ever wants Ghost Banri to show up. But I have to defend Now Banri. He never wanted Ghost Banri to show up either, and disliked his influence just as much as the rest of us. I’m sure that after hearing how pathetic Old Banri is, he just wants to loot Ghost Banri’s memories without getting anything else out of him.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I think that might be the thing about Tada Banri’s progress. Does he really need his old memories? In the light of this episode, his old friends may joke about his past, but really they care about how he is in present. His parents care, Linda and her brother care. And his college mates are happy with him.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Need? Nope. It’s said that memories of the past inform who we are in the present. And it’s obvious that Now Banri is a different person than continuation of Old Banri would have been. But if he desires to remember those things, then I don’t think we can begrudge him the effort, or the happening, if they return. We just hope that those memories don’t change who he is.
Which, incidentally, is exactly what Kouko, and even Banri himself, fears. But especially Kouko, because she’s still very afraid of him leaving her. Note the whole second OP (which I love more every time I hear it).
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Our memories of the past? That has some great credence to it. But with Banri, he has a block the rest of us don’t. And man, that is a hard thing for him to accept. I almost pity him for having to put up with a Ghost. But I’ve always been a Lemon’s Make Lemonade kinda person. So with that in mind, I would move to the side of him starting over, yet having the emotional relevance intact on the home . Given his condition, it’s almost a win win situation.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I think Banri’s navigating a good path. I think his major worry was that people would see him as a fraud, hence my reference to Imposter Syndrome. It’s a bit glib, since the accomplishment is ‘being Banri’, but I think it still fits. Seeing that his classmates seem to accept him the way he is now, the only way he can be, is something that is very good for him.