Honey and Clover ep.05

July 24, 2005 | 3 Comments

This is another solid episode for the series. One of the main highlight of the episode is the hazy water-painting scenes of Takemoto's childhood. The simplicity of the tree in the drawings reminded me of children's storybook that I used to read as a little kid. It also makes me wish that I can draw something like that. Having said that, no amount of stylish animation can save a badly written episode and thankfully, Hachikuro rarely suffers from this problem. Just like the previous episodes, this episode manages to convey the complexity of the characters' life while ensuring that there are enough comic relief scattered within it. This is probably one of the few series that manages to make me wish that the episode will not end in half an hour.

Anyway, the episode begins with a shot of Takemoto awaken inside a train that is taking him back to the hometown where his mother lives. Takemoto, however, is not happy about this because visiting his mother means meeting his mother's new significant other, Aida Kazuo. Takemoto feels that Kazuo is a complete opposite of his dead father, whom Takemoto clearly respects and looks up to. Before his father passed away, he also asked Takemoto to take care of his mother and Takemoto turned this promise into his main aim in life. However, the arrival of Kazuo in his mother's life means that he's suddenly free to do what he wants to do. This put Takemoto in the inenviable position where he had to rethink his aims in life. Back to the present, Takemoto ends up meeting with Kazuo on his way to his mother's house.

Kazuo decides to take Takemoto to a local baseball arena first so he can have the chance to talk to Takemoto. Takemoto once again realises that he's uncomfortable with Kazuo. However, during the conversation, Takemoto realises that while Kazuo's personality is the reverse of his own's personality, Kazuo really cares about his mother and simply wants the best for her. Takemoto then visits his sick mother and spend some time just holding her hand, regretting the fact that he can't stay behind to take care of her. Takemoto eventually returns to Tokyo after promising himself to accept Kazuo's presence in his life a bit more, and to return home more often. Despite this promise, Takemoto can't help but feeling happier and more at home when he arrives back in Tokyo and celebrates new year with his friends.

In the second half of the episode, Shuuji finds out that he's won 300,000 Yen thanks to the Christmas lottery ticket that Morita bought for him. However, when Morita finds out about this, he demands his portion of the money so Shuuji has no choice but to take everyone to the Onsen. While on their way to the Onsen, Ayumi remembers the first time she found out about Mayama's interest in Rika. This makes her wonder if her feelings for Mayama will ever be reciprocated. The group eventually arrives at the Onsen and it doesn't take long before they create all sorts of mischief. On a more serious note, everyone wonders why Mayama applies for jobs that are difficult to get instead of the ones that are easy to get. Nevertheless, Shuuji encourages Mayama to pursue the job that he really wants to get.

Impression:

Umino Chika has done a good job in providing background story and characterisation for Takemoto here. He may not have Morita's antics or Mayama's complicated love-life but on a closer look, he has an intriguing personality. Even when Takemoto dislikes other people or their behaviour, he can keep this to himself and manages to be polite to that person somehow. This is interesting because on the one hand some people perceive this as a good character trait. It's certainly useful in a professional life, where you have to get along with other people even if you don't like them. On the other hand, this also means that Takemoto has the tendency to be dishonest to other people and to himself. He even grudgingly admit that unlike him, Kazuo is a more honest person who can openly say what he feels in his mind.

At the same time, a lot of Takemoto's unspoken words and reflections are what makes this series special. I can identify a lot with his conflicting problems about wanting to stay to take care of his mother, as well as wanting to find a place where he feels he can truly belong. This is why when Takemoto said "I'm home" to his friends, his words sound more than just mere pleasantries. He really feels that he's more at home with them. Anyway, come to think of it, the majority of the dialogues in this series are really well-written and put Hachikuro a stand above the rest. I especially like the discussion that Kazuo has with Takemoto about how no one can replace anyone, especially family members. This is why everyone has to find their own role in a person's life if they want to become a part of it.

© memento 2003