Moé Moé Rabu

• Lying on the ground, Yuuichi is covered in a light, but it turns out that it was a car. A woman approaches him and Yuuichi identifies her as Makoto with his blurry vision before passing out. He wakes up later to find himself lying in bed in an unfamiliar room. There is a woman warming up milk for him and calls Yuuichi by his name, which he finds surprising, but he doesn’t recognise her at first. She explains that she brought him to her apartment and seems to know that he is staying with his cousin. She mentions that they used to be neighbours and that is when Yuuichi remembers that she’s the real Sawatari Makoto.

• Kitagawa has called over Kaori in hopes for her to persuade Nayuki to come out of her room. However Nayuki doesn’t want to see her, Kaori explains that she understands what she is feeling because of Shiori. She doesn’t want Nayuki to make the same mistake she did of closing off her heart and hurt others by isolating herself. She also notes that Yuuichi worried over Shiori’s situation a lot and that Nayuki shouldn’t make him worry about her. Heading back downstairs, Kaori says that it’ll take time, but she’ll stay here. When Kitagawa wonders if it’s ok for Kaori not to be with Shiori, Kaori reveals that Shiori is the one who said to come here. As she answers a telephone call from Yuuichi, informing of his whereabouts, Nayuki is remembering her mother’s words about being a family and supporting each other.
• Makoto asks Yuuichi what’s wrong; Yuuichi tells her that he hasn’t changed a bit since he was little. He feels that he can’t do anything when someone is in pain and that he forgot everything even though everyone was waiting for him. In tears, Yuuichi continues how he couldn’t do anything for Ayu, even forgetting the promise that they made, and he feels he’s doing the same thing over and over again. Makoto tells him about the trees in the northern area grow stronger as they sit through winter and articulate their growth rings. She explains the same applies to humans. As they endure more trouble and pain, they get stronger and kinder. She also tells him that if he made a promise, he has to make sure he keeps it.
• The next morning, Yuuichi wakes up to find that Makoto has gone out and left him some food in the fridge. After eating the nikuman, Yuuichi heads out back to the forest with Ayu’s backpack and angel doll. On the way there, he remembers all the time he spent with Ayu. Arriving at the tree stump, Yuuichi sits down but then falls asleep. He wakes up to find himself at home and sees that Ayu is around. She is planning on making cookies with Akiko today. Everything appears to be normal but he wakes up to find it was all a dream. Covered in snow, he remembers going through the same thing when he moved here, but he was at the bench at the time.
• Remember what Ayu said about she’ll love him if he loves her; Yuuichi says to himself that he still loves her. To his surprise, he hears Ayu’s voice saying she does too, and he questions her why they can’t meet again. Ayu explains that she doesn’t have much time and came to say goodbye. Seeing he found the angel doll, and along with her backpack, hands it over to Ayu. Confirming that this is really goodbye, Yuuichi asks her at least tell him her third wish since he promised to grant her wish. Ayu’s final wish is for Yuuichi to forget about her and think as if she never existed. Seeing Ayu cry, Yuuichi asks it that’s ok with her. Ayu explains that she doesn’t have anymore wishes and that she ate enough taiyaki, so she just wants him to forget her. Unable to take anymore, Yuuichi goes out and holds Ayu in his arms, whilst stroking her hair. Saying that she isn’t a child anymore, Yuuichi says that she is and that she isn’t alone. Yuuichi refuses to forget about her, so Ayu decides on a different wish and tells Yuuichi when the wind blows. Yuuichi simply hugs her tighter and she wonders if her body is still warm. Yuuichi assures her before she disappears.
• Ayu begins to tell that she feels that she is seeing a dream, the same day repeating itself. Waiting for the same morning, but returning to the same dream. She noticed many years ago, while floating through the endless dream, she’s been waiting at the same place. There are noiseless crowds with emotionless faces passing by; no one notices her sitting on the bench alone. She is waiting for a person she knows won’t come, someone she knows who won’t show up for many years. She had waited for years for a dawn that wouldn’t come inside her dream, but…
• Yuuichi is now sitting on the bench covered in snow when he is approached by Nayuki. Seeing her, he gets on his knees and apologises for depending on her and being spoiled. Nayuki apologises for the terrible things she said to him, and she calls it even. She vows to be stronger and hugs him in encouragement. She makes him promise to be strong and says that she won’t forgive him even for a strawberry sundae if he breaks the promise. With the both saying “fight”, Ayu says the day the dream ends is like the snow melting under the spring sun. It’s like how people’s facade fades away with age and like how memories fade over the course of eternal time. With the long dream reaching it’s end, Ayu gets her third wish granted, that wish is…

Preview:

Impressions

Seeing Makoto was a rather awesome surprise, and this is what I love about KyoAni. Although I haven’t played Makoto’s route in the game, I’m not sure if the real Makoto actually shows up, but it was nice to know that makes an appearance at least, and this also answers my question to Yuuichi’s comment on his first love. What I liked most about it was how Makoto is playing the support role to Yuuichi, regardless of it being the real one or fox one. Her words were enough to straighten out Yuuichi and to move onwards and to ensure he kept his promise with Ayu. Also of note, anyone else think that the real Makoto looks like Mikuru?

The Ayu scenes were really touching. Her reunion and her wish for Yuuichi to forget her I felt were done well, but her disappearance in front of Yuuichi was lacking. The Toei version has Ayu sprout wings and disappear with Yuuichi crying out. Here we don’t, although we can see this in another light. The fact that Yuuichi didn’t cry out is showing his acceptance that Ayu is now gone, and probably content in being able to see her again to give her back her belongings. With many things resolved and answer, we now have the last part, and that is Ayu’s alternate third wish.

For such a long time, I was yearning for the Nayuki scenes. Although we don’t see her kissing Yuuichi, at least she got to hug him to make up for her being shafted. I can see that Nayuki has matured a bit especially with her resolve to become stronger, but I am disappointed in that her resolve didn’t come from Yuuichi, but from Kaori instead. Although it may be Kaori who gave her the push in the back, but Nayuki remembering her mother’s words shows that she matured herself.

So next week is the final episode were we’ll see everything resolved, and hopefully to see all the characters once again. However after the end of next week’s episode there is a 2 week gap till the Spring Season. So I wonder if there’s anything to fill the gap, though I doubt that very much.

Kanon Merchandise of the Week

Although I like the saying “saving the best till last” I felt this was a more appropriate time to show you this, especially with the final goodbye of Ayu. The ultimate Kanon merchandise item that any otaku would want, an Ayu backpack!

This is a very rare item from WAY back during the Kanon 2002 DVD release. I bought this from good friends at Tamarket and what they told me is that you could only get this from a special mail order when you have collected all the DVDs. They knew how much of a Kanon fan I was and had this in their warehouse just for me. With news of the upcoming Kanon 2006, I had to buy this before someone else would. To show that this is an official item, inside the main compartment is a label.

Though lucky for those who want one, COSPA are in fact making some Ayu backpacks. However they are limiting it to only 200. So you must be damn lucky to be able to get one shipped to you as I’m sure many Japanese otaku would want one.

EDIT: I had a quick look on YJA and there is one Ayu backpack available for auction and starting at 3000 yen, which is damn cheap.

http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e64703990