Isshuukan Friends episode 2

Week two....Yuuki isn't giving up and Kaori is thinking about running. Weeee!

Me and the space bar are still not friends. Whoa is me since I have watched 2 more episodes of Isshuukan Friends. I mean I guess I could try a new format. Would it be fun to read an entire post in one sentence?! Yeah that would be awesome fun. Le sigh. At least Isshuukan Friends episode 2 is here. And with good news! Spoilers for this series not being the doom and gloom anime I thought it was going to be!

How do you know that?!

Episode Summary: Yuuki bows to Kaori, asking to be friends. Suddenly the alone feeling that was going on goes back to real life and everyone sees what is going on. People ask what Yuuki is doing and Kaori runs out of the room upset. Yuuki flops on his desk very dramatic like. He thinks Kaori hates him now. Shougo agrees, adding that you just don't ask someone to be their friend, especially in front of others like that. Yuuki thought he had made progress last week and Shougo suggests trying harder. Yuuki is filled with hope but lunch break ends before he can make it to the roof with Kaori. That night Kaori returns home and talks to her mom, asking her (mom) if anything happened at school last week. Kaori can't remember anything that happened during lunch so......On Tuesday Kaori is eating on the roof when Yuuki appears and asks to join her. She moves over quite a bit but doesn't say no. Yuuki apologizes for talking to her during class as that was a rule made last week. Kaori is like last week and Yuuki nods, saying that Kaori doesn't remember as her memories reset. Kaori seems surprised she told Yuuki that much but believes what he is saying as she can't remember what she did last week during lunch. Kaori thinks about this...and declares that Yuuki must have been her friend last week. Feeling hopeful Yuuki asks to eat lunch with Kaori this week and she says yes. Yay for friendship and introductions that are probably not necessary. During gym class Yuuki keeps watching Kaori and getting distracted from his duties on the volleyball court. He ends up getting clocked in the face and while everyone else worries over him Shougo says something sarcastic that makes him (Yuuki) think. On Wednesday Yuuki suggests to Kaori that she keep a diary. That way they won't have to start over each week on being friends. Kaori can just read about the previous week and know Yuuki. That she could have her memories in some form. At first Kaori doesn't seem really keen on the idea but then starts taking a lot of notes, including Yuuki's sammich of choice and how he sucks at math.

The last episode is going to have Kaori cured and getting crepes with all her new friends right?

Kaori has sad moments when she sees other girls having after school fun times with friends. When she leaves the station one day a very perky worker hands Kaori a flyer for a new crepe shop. Kaori happily shows it to Yuuki on Friday. Yuuki at first acts surprised but lets on she told him about this place last week. Kaori seems slightly let down but Yuuki is like lets go after school. Kaori thinks that will be too embarrassing but agrees to Sunday. A date it is. It takes until Sunday for Yuuki to realize it is a little date like. He arrives super early (well for me anyway) to make sure Kaori will be okay as she is not used to these things. Kaori arrives early as well since she is not used to these things and doesn't want to keep him waiting. They are a bit awkward and nervous but excited for crepes. They roll up to the place and TADA it is closed on Sundays. Since there are no other crepe stores in Japan clearly there is nothing else they can do. Nothing. They take turns apologizing but Yuuki decides they could do something else....like do karaoke. Off they march. Kaori is very impressed with the entire process and things are still a little awkward but they have a nice time singing and eating food. As they travel home Kaori tells Yuuki she had a great time but tomorrow she will have forgotten it. She promises to read the diary when she wakes up Monday morning and they will be friends before she gets to school. She asks him to meet her on the roof and not to talk to her in the classroom. Yuuki seems to relived that things will go smoothly this time as he was so nervous last time. She asks him to remind her about their fun day and leaves. She sets her diary up and leaves a huge note for herself but she gets nervous and leaves another note in said diary. When she wakes up in the morning she sees the note and goes to read the diary. Yuuki arrives at the school super nervous but is beyond happy to see Kaori on the roof with the notebook. He asks how her memory is and she is like err fine. Yuuki is so relieved as he doesn't know what he would have done if this hadn't worked. Kaori reports remembering feelings and what not, opening the book and pointing out details. Like the egg sammich. Kaori starts to cry, thanking Yuuki for being her friend and all these times. Yuuki realizes that Kaori doesn't remember anything and starts apologizing to the girl. That he did this diary to make things easier for him to befriend her without thinking of her feelings. Kaori tries to tell him he did this to help but Yuuki has a dramatic moment. So Kaori writes down all that Yuuki says....then ends it with that Yuuki is a nice person. Yuuki asks if they can be friends again and after teasing Yuuki she says yes. Yay week three! THE END!

Just 5 more minutes mom......

That went....a lot differently than I thought it was going to go. A lot. X___X More tears and sadness. Have I mentioned I really get sad over some things? I guess they are normal things though. Like 50 First Dates, the first 10 minutes of Up, those animal abuse commercials. Just some things folks. Like aliens busting out of people's chests and ripping off their own arms is okay. No....no the arm thing still isn't okay but still.

Yuuki not only broke Kaori's rules but some part of unspoken Japanese code of conduct. Bad Yuuki!

So Yuuki was devastated for the first part of the episode. Okay maybe the first 3 minutes. But that could have been 5 hours. Really an entire day since he didn't know what was going on. He just knew that Kaori meant what she said and had forgotten him. That he caused a scene in the classroom. And that all is fail. Shougo...man he really is a truth teller. No sugar coating it at all. Eat those cornflakes without 5 spoonfuls of sugar in it! Why yes that is how I used to eat my cornflakes. I have a feeling that this show is really, REALLY for Japanese people. Obviously all anime shows are probably like that, having to be part of the culture to really understand everything. This show is big on FEELINGS. Obviously given the nature of the show but a LOT of feelings. Like apologizing for everything and tiny issues are big deals and think of the other person. Here in the United States it might not be a big deal to ask someone to be friends out of the blue in front of others. It would just depend on the situation and if you look like a creepy man. XD But in Japan apparently Yuuki was just too forward and this result would have happened if Kaori didn't have a problem. Is this making sense? Issues that seem small to me might be a big deal over in Japan thus people might understand the situation more. Overreacting or natural feeling in this situation?

Nope because that would make sense. Good thing Kaori has fuzzy vision now thanks to Yuuki.

So the reason why this episode isn't as sad and awful as I thought it was going to be is that Kaori remembers not remembering things. Clearly my posts make sense in my post-job brain. Kaori asked her mother if anything happened to her at school last week. I guess Kaori didn't tell her mom? Probably because she didn't want to give her mom hope and it was going to end in tears. I am sure this makes her parents sad too you know? So why get people's hopes up? This entire conversation probably didn't have to happen but Kaori needed to talk to someone to tell the audience....hey why can't I remember what happened during lunch last week? Since Kaori has been friendless for a while she probably has a set schedule and not remembering something is bothersome now. Like HMMMM this should have happened and then this...yet it is a blank.

OH so Yuuki worried for nothing. Fun times!

Thus when Yuuki approached her on the roof on Tuesday she was willing to listen to him this time. At first I thought it was out of character and she should have walked away thus Yuuki losing a day on this week's friendship. But the seeds of curiosity were already planted. Maybe this show won't be as sad as I thought. Maybe there will be a glimmer of hope. IT WILL BE OKAY! Okay maybe not that far. But yes the gaps in her memory makes her open to suggestion. Yuuki opened up with an apology...which I think he will be making a lot this series, saying that he broke a rule last week talking to her in class and he won't make the same one this week. Now I guess Yuuki wasn't quite listening to Shougo as that seemed a little forward too but since Kaori is starved for friends she jumped on this fact and decided yes you were my friend last week. You know of my condition and still choose to talk to me? This is the real deal, my life will get better.

The diary in action. Surely this shall work and be useful.

Poor Yuuki has to wait until lunch times to tell Kaori about any ideas he might have. But since on Tuesday she was up for friendship after some explanation I am sure he can deal with it. Because during gym time on Tuesday Shougo accidentally gave Yuuki an idea on how to help Kaori. Well a volleyball to head might have helped but Shougo's wording made a light bulb go off in Yuuki's head. Up to the roof Yuuki goes to tell Kaori about making a notebook. Because you know she has NEVER thought of that before. Like oh thanks Yuuki, I would have NEVER thought of writing down my experiences with my much needed friends so it can jog my memory. I have been going through this for so long and it upsets my parents so much that they took me to a doctor and between the 4 of us NONE OF US ever thought of me writing things now. Yuuki is a genius thank you so much! See all of that was supposed to be sarcastic because hello I love writing things down and that is what I would have though of first. But in reality land (in this show) Kaori has NEVER thought of that before. She is a bit skeptical that it will work because she has never tried it before. Or she has and forgotten. But she was acting like it never occurred to her and this idea was awesome. X___X I was like for real? That seems so obvious! Okay okay...the most obvious answer is the hardest one to see sometimes. Especially when things are so sad. Kaori might have taken this notebook thing a little too serious given what she chooses to write down. Math problems and egg sammiches oh my!

Even being with Yuuki has some sad moments. :( Forgetting one friend is hard enough but multiple people?

Despite allowing Yuuki into her life easily this time and having hope in this new notebook Kaori still has some sad moments. Obviously. This is week 2 in this new friendship and who knows if anything will come from this. She doesn't want to get her hopes up. And it doesn't change the fact that Yuuki is the exception, that no one else has ever gone this far before for her and who knows if anyone will ever do this again. And while Yuuki is quite nice he is a romantic interest. Even if Kaori and Yuuki don't acknowledge it yet. Kaori still wants some girlfriends, to be like everyone else. Woe is Kaori who is still being portrayed as an ice queen in the classroom. :( I am sure she just wants to build a snowman.

Will the crepes ever come?!

Or or....go eat some crepes! Still hungry there folks. I think when Friday rolled around and Kaori suggested this to Yuuki it was both sad and happy for him. Happy because that means on some level Kaori might be remembering things. Or she really is who she is. She might forgot their conversations and experiences but she is still the girl who wants to have crepes with a friend. That could be comforting to Yuuki and provide him with a jumping off point each new week. But it could also be viewed as sad as Yuuki will remember this all. Each week Kaori could potentially request to do this activity and while Kaori won't remember it Yuuki will. Sad bitter sweet smile. But Yuuki told her the truth, that she suggested it last week. I didn't think he was going to tell her the truth this week about it but I guess it is better to be honest. It doesn't change the fact she doesn't want people to see them together though. Like um no we will not be going after school. But on Sunday...okay. We can take that baby step. Yay for plans!

Everyone say AWWWW!

I love how awkward Kaori and Yuuki are. Both get to the spot early to not inconvenience the other. Yuuki realizing this is a date....but not really. He can think it is a date but Kaori needs baby steps. She barely wants a friend let alone a boyfriend. Take it slow. Really slow since the crepe shop is closed on Sunday. You know a day most people have off. Like the bank. :( I love how silly these two are, ready to call it quits. There is not another crepe store around for minutes what can they do?! Oh karaoke? The day is saved. I actually thought that was quite brave of Kaori. That might be my American self talking though as I would not sing in front of anyone let alone a new friend. But this is something that people do in Japan and Kaori saw others talking about it earlier so I am sure that helped her make her decision. A happy one. Seeing Yuuki and Kaori have fun was nice.

Big step into the friendship zone.

But it's Sunday ya'll. You know what that means. The second karaoke is over it is time for the sad train ride home. Monday is going to roll around and Kaori will forget this happy day. Even though she and Yuuki have faith in this diary it is still sad. You can only write memories, not feelings. Kaori still wants Yuuki to try and be her friend though. I mean I know part of her knows that is selfish of her to ask Yuuki to put himself through this week after week. But since he is going to do it anyway.....I guess it doesn't hurt to ask him to remind her of this fun time. If Yuuki wants to do this might as well make it easier for him too. Pleasant in an unpleasant situation. Deep breath and worried smiles as they part ways. I think Kaori went over the top reminding herself about the diary. She is super serious and it is cute if not sad.

You are here so the diary worked AND was useful. XD Yay for week 3 starting off great.

So did it work? Kaori told Yuuki to go to the roof to meet with her because talking in class will still be a no no. Up the stairs Yuuki went and there was Kaori. Big sigh of relief I am sure. His little heart was overjoyed that she read the notebook and could sorta kinda remember a bit of last week. That reading things might have jogged her memory. So the diary worked AND it helped her in feeling those memories. Life is good. Of course Kaori is crying. Girls cry when they are happy. There is nothing to worry about Yuuki.

Err.......this could be going better.

Or this show really is about feelings. Kaori was lying about remembering anything/feeling anything because she didn't want to hurt Yuuki. Her eyes still work and she can see how much he needing this. She read all the fun she had last week as well as egg sammiches. She was just trying to protect the feelings of someone who apparently cares about enough to try. Which means she has to lie. Which means that Yuuki has to blame himself for her trying to hard for him. SO MANY APOLOGIZES! But this was a big step. Kaori made a silly joke at Yuuki expense...something a friend would do. And this is only Monday! They are off to a great start. Yuuki and Kaori have hope now. Especially since gaps in her memories mean something and she wants to picture what they did together. So...is it still bittersweet? Yeah...but maybe it will get better. Maybe.....so many feelings! So many sorries. And so many blushes!

Making fun of Yuuki? Now they really are friends.