True Love!

That’s the kind of love that our girl Kairi is after and it was kind of touched upon during the last episode, but I did not mention it I believe. Though to be fair I did not expect it to play into the story but now that I think it will, I might as well start touching upon it. In the last episode it was mentioned in passing when Kairi called the love the Teacher has for his wife True Love and the kind that Yuri respects.

But so far it doesn’t seem like Yuri understands what that is and I believe this series is about her learning what that it. Meanwhile Kairi knows what it is but she has yet to attain it and if this series is to deliver, then she will, on her part, finally get to have it in parallel to Yuri both understanding it and attaining it.

That is, if everything goes according to plan.

And now that we are on the third episode, I think we can surmise what the structure is going to be like going forward. Now sure the overall story will pick up steam as time goes by like usual but as per episode, I think we are going to have both light and heavy moments within each episode. Like this one, started out silly like usual but then it took a sudden turn for the serious, which I admit had me worried there for a second, but then ended on another light note, just in time to start off the next episode light.

And did I mention I loved Kairi last episode? I am out right smote by her after this episode! If you don’t want her Yuri, don’t worry, there is a line for her, and I am at the front. Shiho is behind me, interestingly, and so is Reader piilottaa!

But before we begin, I want to say THANK YOU all who have stayed with me for ten years and those who came after and kept coming back thus keeping me going. Yes, it’s been ten years as of this weekend, surprisingly, turns out I joined twitter at the same time. So, I am celebrating two decades on social media. Thank you!

 

Now then, let’s move on…

 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 

We pick up this episode right from where the last left off – with Yuri receiving a package in the mail that made her scream her lungs out. That scream sends Kairi flying over to her apartment and right there I had to hit the pause button to ask some questions.

How exactly does this work? I don’t think Kairi was in the apartment at that time, so she had to have come from outside! She did not knock either to be let in, so she let herself in. The lack of reaction from Yuri is also disturbing, though I guess she had a shock to the system to deal with at the time but still.

This is explained later in the episode but when you first see it your mind goes wandering. Did Yuri give Kairi an extra key? I don’t think she needs it as she let herself in already before. So then does that mean that Yuri said it was okay for her to just come in when she pleases as if Yuri’s home is also hers? Have they already gotten there?

But like I said, this is explained later on, well, not explained but Yuri lets lose in a tantrum that Kairi let herself in, without permission, and so like I figured, Yuri is just nice, but she is not dumb. Far from it. She remembered that night she got sick and Kairi came into her apartment, so she knows Kairi has access to it. But why? Was Kairi lying when she said the landlord was someone else?

Anyway, back on track, Yuri is flipping out meanwhile Kairi is not disturbed in the least and seems to actually be having fun with the moment. She tries to come Yuri down and stops her from going to the police as she believes that the package – of sex toys – is from her stalker and now he knows where she lives!

Kairi talks her out of it by giving her an example of what she would have to go through at the at the station with all the questioning. Kairi can’t help herself from teasing Yuri too and seeing how so taken with the toys Kairi is, Yuri tells her that she can have them if she wants. Yuri seems so off put with the toys that she is either a sweet innocent virgin or SSS class straight! In that she has only known the real deal and the prospect of anything else makes her uncomfortable.

I am not sure how this will play into things down the road. No toys then? How about lips, tongue and fingers? Hey, I can say this because the show is going there! They have already mentioned butts, pubic hair and never to let us down, nipples were mentioned this episode. Anyway, I have a feeling those toys will ne put to good use down the road so I am sure Kairi will take great care of them!

Interestingly Kairi, the one who is on ‘outside’, given that she joined the working class earlier than most, knows more about what young people are into more than Yuri herself who is living that said life! How is she so out of touch when she is in the thick of things whereas Kairi, who is supposed to be out of touch is the one who is more…informed, so to speak!

I guess it does come down to Kairi having been dealing with adults since she was young and thus being exposed to the world earlier on than Yuri. And it is with that maturity that she manages to get Yuri to calm down and gets rid of a potential health and psychological hazard to Yuri before the opening credits even hit! The lesson of the day being that if she shows her stalker that she is afraid, she would be giving them more power and off they go, waving to their stalker like they were celebrities and they were not afraid!

 
 

Next, enter College break! Sure, it wasn’t the situation I expected to see Yuri and her friends in after the way things ended between them last episode. And for some reason when I was going through caps before I watched the episode I thought Kairi was there too and thought she was apologising and that we would put this whole debacle behind us because I just knew Kairi would not get away damage-free from all this.

But it turns out that Kairi part was just a flashback on Yuri’s part when she was trying to put the concept of Kairi being the stalker in her brain, which she of course did not swallow, as Tomomi and Shiho were trying to do. But I don’t hate them for it. I expected it to happen sooner or later – that either someone would accuse of Kairi being the stalker or even some viewers would think that too. I must confess, sometimes I got that itch as well but with each passing moment I just did not see it.

Anyway, Yuri tells them about the toys and just like Kairi said, it is not out of the ordinally for girls to own them. In fact, it is even a thing, where even couples go out publicly to buy sex toys. Yuri asks them if they have their “My …” but they deny it calling themselves soshoku-joshi, which is meant to be the opposite of soshoku-danshi, which are people who are not interested in romance (why you lying girls?!), but I thought the female version was himono-onna?

Anyway, when Yuri tries to clarify that this is not about that, the two wonder if she is still suspecting them! She says no and still thinks of them as her best friends, but she does notice that they are still not wearing their friendship rings, even though the two don’t comment on it. I guess we missed the part where Yuri returned the rings to them after they had left them on the table last time!

Oh well, I am all for it. Now it means that the rings are more than friendship rings! If only two people have them they can turn into something else, something more. I just hope we don’t get a scene where Yuri forces Kairi to take hers off because she really seems taken with hers and to her it is much more than just a friendship ring. Or maybe the friendship part means that much more to her, again no thanks to her being forced to grow up so fast.

Speaking of un-expected circumstances, we also must touch upon the KISS! While it will be mentioned a bit later, where Yuri and Kairi are concerned, it might as well not happen! Kairi did not leave with a heavy heart and Yuri was not crying after the fact! And yet it’s like, they are ignoring it. I mean, they are not ignoring it story wise but rather the characters are ignoring it and thus it is not a negative and I love change. Obviously being brought up later shows us that Yuri hasn’t forgotten about it and there is no way that Kairi has either!

Meaning I can’t wait for that conversation! And this show doesn’t pussy-foot serious conversations, so you just know it is going to be scorching!

 
 

Anyway, as if to play with out emotions, right after the two plants seeds of doubt into Yuri about Kaori, we move right to her, accompanied with villainous music to boot and she is all but stalking Dick! I hit the pause button and hang my head and I was like…

Please God No! Please don’t do this to us! Please just…don’t go there! I literally started having visions of where things are about to go very wrong from this point onwards! Visions of Kairi fake-dating Dick only to eventually fall for him. Visions of going behind Yuri’s back only for her to find out later and starting a shitstorm.

But then I remembered who Kairi is and I calmed down because in no way would my girl be like that! But even then I continued to watch the episode with trepidation! In fact, I was that close to not even finishing it because things almost went the bad route but, in the end, Kairi won and my heart to go along with that victory!

So, Kairi is out stalking Dick and she confronts him even going so far as to ask for his LINE address! Yeah, I know what you are thinking but hold your horses! When you watch the episode, you will see the look that Kairi gives once Dick agrees to exchanging addresses and also the reactions she gave to his compliments of her. Thankfully this did not last but it is not the last time we will be seeing these two together.

 
 

 
 
 

 

Back to our girls and them stopping at their usual late night shop to pick up some beer on their way home, Yuri does let Kairi know of what Tomomi and Shiho said of her, of how they suspected her of being the stalker and that she got in the way of their friendship because she wanted to have Yuri to herself.

Funnily, this is so common in stories it is even a trope at this point. But Kairi being the awesome girl that she is, just goes along with it and in fact tries to prove their views logical and interestingly it is Yuri who is adamant about the whole thing. If only she kept this levelness about her the whole episode.

But I am getting ahead of myself. I should just be enjoying Master Kairi still playing her cards right and conditioning the unsuspecting Yuri by teaching her small affectionate gestures that while they might not be such a big deal at the moment to her, they will come in handy later on, heck, even as soon as next episode, judging from the previews.

And there I go again! Anyway, while they are debating on whether Kairi is the stalker or not, Kairi is doing these little things like sensually rubbing on Yuri’s shoulder, holding her hand again while she rests her head on her shoulder as they walk home. Asking Yuri to play with her (with the toys) when Yuri realises that they must have been presents after all. Which by the way was alluded to by Kairi in the beginning where she said that maybe they were presents for Yuri because the stalker knew she was using them. That is where Yuri said she didn’t, hence the other a virgin or 200% straight.

Like, this girl Kairi, I am not sure if she is a pure genius or what!

 
 

 
 

 

Back at college class, Yuri is back to her spreading every bit of information like the girls has no concept of privacy, when she mentions the KISS to Tomomi and Shiho. Speaking of whom, I also noticed that they do not have their rings on once again. Like, this is a different day, right? I have a feeling…

Anyway, the conversation here gives some good insight into things. Most important of which being that Yuri doesn’t hate the advances from Kairi, or I should say, gayness and while she is not a touchy person herself, we have already seen her not coming off as that appalled by Kairi’s antics. And she does admit to finding Kairi attractive…sometimes. To which Shiho says that it means that Yuri too has it in her…the power!

Yuri of course denied it even bringing up the boyfriend card. But when given an option between an ugly guy and a cute girl, they all chose the cute girl and Shiho does even say that if that girl is as good looking as Kairi, she too would go for her!

And it was right at that moment that I forgave these two…for now!

Also the fact that Yuri’s name is ‘Yuri’, so much so that it is written exactly like the Lily, is brought up. They took their time (I have been here mentioning it since the news post) but I guess this was the right moment to bring it up now that they are talking lesbians!

Which by the way reminds me…If anyone needed confirmation here it is in this episode!

YURI = LESBIAN!

I remember getting into a heated debate way back when someone was telling me to stop using the word yuri when talking about anything live action and that it was only reserved for anime/manga etc! I made my point then but here is Japan itself telling you that Yuri is what they call L (as in lesbian).

Of course, I know that you can’t call a person ‘yuri’ like you can lesbian as it is more of a word for something than someone. I guess I will learn from Yuri here and say they call them L? No, not Death Note’s L!

Oops, another spoiler!

As the girls leave to go for lunch, Sensei (calling him that now, the Teacher I mean) stops Yuri and tells her that his wife has woken up in the hospital!

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Next we enter the section that we would usually hate were this any other type of show! On the one hand we have Yuri going off with Sensei to have a moment. On the other than we have Kairi having a date, a DATE of all thing, with Dick! I sure hope he did not post that on LINE! And as if that was not enough, we also have Kairi at the company later talking of all things romance with her boss!

Yeah, either you could have looked at it, things didn’t look good! Like, there are countless stories about teacher/student relationships and really, though I hate to admit it, Yuri and Sensei can easily be a ship! So can Kairi and Dick as well as with her Boss!

But this is not that type of show, thank the Lord!

Taking Kairi’s date with Dick first, she is all but a villain! She is there on a mission! She lets him compliment her, buy her dinner but while she is there on a mission, she isn’t afraid to bite back in defence of Yuri when Dick starts to bad-mouth her.

Dick excusing himself to the bathroom, probably Kairi’s doing (God, she’s like a Bond villain), she gets to work in hacking into his phone. All this was to see if her hypothesis was true about Tomomi and Shiho. Her earlier meeting with Dick was also not just to get a date with him but rather, get the password to his phone first for this moment. She uses it and gets into his phone.

Mission accomplished!

Meanwhile on Yuri’s side of things, they are at the hospital, in Sensei’s wife’s room. She is of course still comatose, but he is adamant that she had woken up. He starts to shake her awake as he loses his grip due to stress but at a distraught Yuri’s cry, he stops.

He tells her that he wanted her to know because she was the only one who showed compassion and understanding of his suffering and he wanted to share with her that joy. Sadly, it was just an automatic reaction which is not out of the norm, according to the nurses.

He gives her a flower from the vase thanking her for caring and were this any other series, heads would have rolled! Having seen caps again and the way Yuri stared at that flower later on at home on her bed, there was affection there in her eyes and I thought that it was Kairi who had given that flower to her, even if that logic didn’t land as Kairi only dealt in Lilies, at least I think she does.

But again, this is not that type of show and in fact going to that said scene in bed where Yuri fondly stares at the single red flower, we jump into the climax of the episode…

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

Prepare thy selves! For, this is the part where I almost stopped without finishing the episode because things just got too intense! But just like usual, we start slow! In fact, we start with a moment! Transitioning right before this scene was Kairi telling her boss that she believes in true love and punctuating it with her showing the F-ring. That’s what I am calling it from now on!

After that we are dumped right at this scene with Yuri in bed as she admires the flower Sensei gave to her but while this scene would mean something completely different in any other setting, here it is not what you think! Well, unless you added two and wo together and realised that transitioning from Kairi talking about true love to Yuri thinking that Sensei’s love for his wife is what true love might be, then you must have come to the conclusion that she was actually thinking of Kairi in that moment because Kairi is the person from whom she heard the term from and she is actually wondering if Sensei’s love is the true love that Kairi was talking about.

Speaking of Sensei, I better mention it here that I think his relationship with is wife will play into where Yuri’s relationship with Kairi ends up. I have a feeling that it is serving as a template and sure, while Kairi is doing a damn fine job winning Yuri over, it is going to take much more than that. In other words, I am keeping an eye on Sensei’s story because I am sure it will impact Yuri’s decisions later.

But back to topic, while Yuri is thinking of that, she hears Kairi coming back and as if she was waiting for her, she gets up and all but runs to the door as it she was some guy with a crush on the girl next door! I guess they did not walk home together this time. And from Yuri’s state I am thinking she missed their strolls already, even if she doesn’t know it!

Catching Yuri because she enters her apartment, Yuri says that she needs to talk to her and coincidentally, Kairi too has something important to talk to Yuri about. Kairi asks hers or Yuri’s (Where should they talk)? To which Yuri answers that she doesn’t mind where!

And right there, I don’t know what it is about it but I was giddy at that scene! All the way from Yuri running to the door to catch Kairi to her saying she doesn’t mind! Like, just live together already you two! You are friends, Kairi barely has anything and you will be saving money!

Anyway, they decide to go to Yuri’s after they have both had a shower.

Enter the most uncomfortable scene of the series so far…

Beers? Check! Refreshed? Check! Alright then, off we go! Yuri says Kairi should go first since her subject is kind of heavy. But Kairi says hers is too but she goes first anyway! And so it begins…Kairi whips out her phone and shows Yuri her findings!

I have watched this episode 4 times already and unfortunately, I still can’t find a way to successfully deliver the impact that this scene has! I will just tell you that despite that, despite missing some links, all 4 times I chocked up! I promise you this, once you get what the scene is you will love Kairi, no matter how you have been feeling about her this long!

To give context, basically Kairi spills the beans! She shows Yuri evidence of what she said that previous created the rift between Yuri and Tomomi and Shiho. Turns out they were indeed exchanging texts with Dick and not only that, but they went on dates too!!! Leaving nothing in the dark, Kairi also whips out some audio evidence on Dick! Turns out that she was recording their date!!

Yeah, no matter who you are you must know this was not going to end well! Yuri being bombarded with so much information was all but expected to have an allergic reaction! Yeah, she is a Saint but even they have their limits! Let’s just say that Kairi had a ‘moment of silence’! That is not something that one associated with her character so you can imagine how hurt she was by Yuri’s reaction; which we can guess she was not expecting! I mean, even I despite knowing it was too much even for Yuri, I did not expect that!

But this is not just another drama! This is no trope! Kairi is not like most other characters! Really, my love for her should have proved this! I rarely like normal characters!

Anyway, Kairi takes it like a Champ, making me second guess myself in thinking that she wasn’t expecting that reaction from Yuri but now I believe that she did! It’s just that she wasn’t prepared for how hurtful it would be! This fact makes me love her a billion times more! And she sis not just take it and go, like she did the rejection at the kiss!

No, this time she faced the music head and but did not react back, instead she went on to teach us and Yuri about life! I can’t truthfully translate what she said and I can’t wait for subtitles to fully grasp what is being said but the gist of it is that she was saying the world might be hard and most might go on living by turning a blind eye to the darker side of life but that, that is not truly living! Living a life of lies is not full life!

She all but encourages Yuri to be true to herself. She encourages her to shout at Kairi if she wants to. She says that it might be hurtful but at least it is truth coming from the heart! Then they can apologise and forgive each other! That, that is what true friendship ship! What is the point of living a lie? Who would ever know your true self? Your boyfriend? Husband? How, if you hide and keep secrets from one another?

True love is not something that everyone can attain, she says. In other words, meaning that there will be an exchange for true love and she asks Yuri if she wants it! Kairi has of course already made it clear, three times now, that she wants true love!

Yuri, now back to her senses, thanks to Master Kairi’s education, thinks back to Sensei and his dedication to his sick wife! She not only says that she wants it, that she wants true love, but she also says that she believes in it!!

See, this is why I said to keep an eye on Sensei’s life because I have a feeling whatever happens to him, or really, his wife, will affect Yuri!

Now though, here things get complicated! Yuri did show her determination to drop Dick and her friendship with Tomomi and Shiho, well, she only agreed that those were fake relationships, we shall see about her ending them but I have a feeling they will apologize and make up, I mean, forgiveness was also a part of Master Kairi’s lessons so…

One thing is for sure though – Kairi just won like >9000 points in her favour! Not from us but rather from Yuri! Yes, I love her more now after this episode and I am pretty sure that other will too but damn, she could get a date from Yuri if she asked for it this instance!

Which again reminds me, Kairi is no Beast! She is no crazy lesbian! I am still having these conceptions about her and when she doesn’t do anything, I find myself surprised by her restraint, but I have come to rethink that it is not restraint! That is just small playfulness on her part. She is quite a serious person. She might as well be a psychology major or something!

There is much more in this scene during the serious conversation and you all must see it yourselves to fully grasp how so excellent it is and Kairi by extension! I can assure you I did not do it justice!

God I am welling up just thinking about it!

And since things did not end up nuclear between the two, we end the episode on a lighter note!

Yuri finally asks the question. Well, after a lot of multiple tries! The question being is Kairi an L…Bian! Interestingly, we never get an answer! In fact, Kairi quite obviously avoids answering it! She begins by insinuating that Yuri was asking her about her size, which she says, almost offended, that she is an S, as in small, not L as in large. When Yuri says that is not what she meant, she then goes into L mode. L, as in the character from the series Death Note! Shit was funny! I guess though it doesn’t help the way Yuri asked the question, exactly like it was delivered in the anime: Anata wa L desu ka? As in Are you L?

When Yuri still tried, Kairi then turned the tables on her telling her to answer her first. Now, forgive my limited Japanese but she either asked Yuri the colour of her nipples or areola! But really, whichever it is, it is equally hentai and the good girl that she is Yuri looks down her own chest almost ready to answer!

And the episode ends on that funny note!

Yeah, there was no kissing or anything of the kind but it might be just me but I believe we actually got more progress from this episode that any other! My fears about Kairi’s character have now been curbed for good! If things go sideways from now on, it won’t be on her! She is a solid A!

What is interesting, like I said, is what is going to happen from now on, especially on Yuri’s side of things! Will she make up with her friends or break it off? I doubt she is going to be seeing Dick again and if she does, there will be a good reason I am sure.

But in this episode, I believe the tables have turned, in regards to Kairi and Yuri I mean. In fact, if you look at the previews for the next episode, there is already two major points in our favour, or should I say, Kairi’s favour? One, even though I just said Yuri wouldn’t get back to Dick, apparently, she doesn’t feel anything anymore when he kissed her.

A win obviously!

Then there seems to be something I am sure to hate, with Kairi having her arms around her Boss, and Yuri feeling jealous! I am sure there is a reason there but then again, Kairi did take a ride in his car already before. Where were they going?

Nah, I believe in Kairi!