Orange – 02

Little bunny Kakeru, hoppin’ through the forest. Walkin’ up to Naho, and boppin’er on the head.

Orange keeps it going, and drops some news that manga readers all knew, but us non-readers didn’t.

Soccer, Lunch, and Story

Overcome by self-consciousness

This week’s episode of “angsty teen gets a letter” focuses on three main plot points, all somewhat related. First off, Kakeru joins in on soccer practice for some fun, and is recognized as good enough to be invited to join the team. But he’s very hesitant to do so, and only agrees to be a provisional member after quite a long time. The show manages to play the cast together through discussions and horseplay and joking very well in group scenes, and things like Naho fixing Suwa’s buttons while the rest of them discuss soccer teams, and get her described as ‘like a mom” work very well Which leads to the main issue of the episode: Naho making a bento for Kakeru.

Comparing the two. It wasn’t subtle, but it was nice.

They really layer in the ‘like a mother’ style with Naho considering making lunch for Kakeru at the same time as her mom is self-debating passing on the neighborhood notice board. And even though she’s embarrassed about it, the letter gives her the last push over the hump to actually make it for Kakeru. Actually giving it to him, that’s a different story, and her embarrassment causes her to delay at lunchtime until after he’s already left, and at the end of the day she’s even more embarrassed, to the point where she pulls away from Kakeru when he tries to help her carry the bag. One can become so conscious of things like that that they dominate every thought in the moment, and after Naho gets some distance from Kakeru, she realizes that she shouldn’t leave it like that.

A look of shock and surprise

Maybe You Can Just Change Your Personality?

Suwa takes “third wheel” to new heights

Naho’s apology to Kakeru comes after she’s chastised her future self for expecting her to do things that are so difficult. But that’s exactly what the point of the letters: Future Naho doesn’t like the way Now Naho does things, after consideration, so she wants her to chage. I think this will be a major theme throughout the series, and I think it works well, because it’s something that we all go through to some extent. “I shouldn’t eat this donut because I’ll get pudgy later. But I want to eat this donut now.” “I should go see my friend because I like to hang out with them, but I don’t because it’s too much trouble.” The show has taken this internal debate and made it an external one, with the voice of “current pain, long term gain” amplified by the narrative device.

Finally some alone time with the person you like

And in the last bit of the episode, we see that Naho’s not regretting her decision to go back to apologize to Kakeru, finally spending more time talking to him, learning more about each other. What they do at home, what their interests are, and then finally why Kakeru won’t join the soccer club. That’s the big bombshell: his mother commited suicide on the first day of school. And he just drops it out there, not making a big deal out of it, but not downplaying it. Naho apologizes for asking, but I think this is one of those textbook examples of “He wouldn’t have said it if he didn’t want to.” Kakeru wanted Naho to know. Yes, it breeds an awkward silence, but it’s also on Kakeru’s terms, and he’s willing to live with it until Naho breaks it by finally offering the bento she made to him.

Yatta! 

Well, my speculation about what the reasoning for Kakeru’s demise was a bit wrong, and does cast a bit of a cloud over the rest of the show. Instead of a disease, we learn that he is killed in an accident, and what’s more is that it’s one that everyone deems to be avoidable. Or at least that’s what the letter says. Will it really turn out that way? Or will it be something that even though Naho vows to save him, she really can’t. I suppose that’s something we will find out.