Little Busters Refrain episode 9

Post number 2 for the night. Today has been a busy day. I mean the entire week has been X___X but today I had a day off of work. Men tend to use their days off by blowing things up in video games and sleeping. Women tend to spend the entire day doing chores. You know, by 6 loads of laundry, vacuuming, wrapping every single Christmas present, writing every single Christmas card, hand washing the delicate clothes, doing the dishes, and organizing all the stuff we bought from Disney. I still need to make the grocery list for my husband to do tomorrow on his day off. XD Oh silliness is my life.

.....Riki...let's open your eyes to the real issues please. The real insanity.

Now that the day is almost over I can get to posting all the stuff I had been working on in between all that jazz up there and rewatching the Hobbit. Up now is Little Busters Refrain episode 9. Spoilers for Kengo taking a turn on the crazy train.

Um have you seen how things have gone? Not so good Kengo.

Episode Summary: Masato has rejoined the Little Busters and is apparently not suspended for punching people in the face and destroying school property. He is now playing catch outside with Rin and Riki. Riki asks how Kengo joined the group. Masato explains Kengo was a hot shot kendo kid and won some championship thing. His family ran a dojo so Kyousuke went and challenged Kengo's dad. After he won (through tricks no doubt) Kyousuke asked to join the Little Busters. Thinking that he needs to be just like Kyousuke Riki is slightly worried. Also Riki wonders why Kyousuke didn't challenge Kengo directly. Riki goes up to Kengo and asks some super obvious questions that lets Kengo know his plan. Under no circumstances will he rejoin the Little Busters and that Riki should stop trying. Riki doesn't want to stop so he visits Gave Up on Life Kyousuke. Riki delivers some food but fails to tell Kyousuke his plan as he wants Kengo back to prove he is a good leader. Kyousuke randomly tells Riki that Kengo is lying about something. Masato and Rin guess stupid things while Riki thinks it has something to do with the secret of the world. After observing Kengo Riki realizes the lie is Kengo's broken arm that is not so broken. Kengo refuses to explain his lie an says that if Riki learns the secret of this world it will only bring him darkness. Riki is like I will remake the Little Busters no matter what.

And when did we learn this? Yeah definitely not enough backstory on Kengo.

Kengo goes and visits Depressed Kyousuke since he obviously spilled the beans. Kengo almost chastises Kyousuke for being in this state. Since Kyousuke drove Riki and Rin into darkness with the last timeline Kengo thinks Kyousuke deserves this. Kengo explains that he is protecting Riki and only wants him to be happy. Well Riki wants the Little Busters back together so he challenges Kengo. The competition...baseball. Whoever hits a homerun first (or more after in case of tie) wins. Riki bats first and he sucks. Almost strikes out until he gets about 400 million foul balls. Kengo then starts throwing them AT Riki, probably in hopes to stop him or give him a coma or something. Riki eventually hits a homerun. Kengo is shocked but is like my turn. Riki is way too exhausted to throw a ball so Rin is like I will take the ring...err I mean ball. At first she sucks too, majorly. She slowly starts to get her act together and Riki encourages her. Rin starts hearing all her friends cheer her on and poof she can pitch. Kengo thinks he is about to win and thinks about how he will protect Riki after this. Rin throws her super special curve ball and strikes Kengo out. He sits there on the ground as the other three congratulate themselves. Kengo starts crying. All his life he was told to win, win, win. Now he realizes he can just have fun and has been missing out on that for a long time. He thanks Riki and promises to have lots of fun for as long as possible. Riki is so happy. Kyousuke is then seen sitting in the school field trip bus that has crashed, looking out of it. THE END!

At least no one is punching Riki in the face yet...

Well that episode was slightly less...insane than the last. Still in a confusing format but the only one who got hurt this episode was Riki so....yay for no one getting their face punched in? Also did you know this season is only 13 episodes long? Apparently I didn't. Or if I did I forgot. I guess that will help move things along since there are only a few episodes left. A few episodes left of insanity.

Okay maybe not all better....

Masato is all better now folks. All better. And so is everyone he punched in the face. It is happy music time. Lalala everyone is so happy happy. No consequences at all. Riki isn't in the hospital from his injuries. None of the other students are scared of Masato. So clearly most of these kids are NPC and magic is afoot. Craziness. Masato could have looked a little guilty....

Why not ask Rin since she was there too....

Rin seems a bit better too. A lot actually. Which makes me wonder what was wrong with her to begin with. She should have been okay with Masato and Kengo to begin with. I mean after seeing Masato and his crazy eyes I would be more scared. Like um no let's not start the Little Busters again If people are going to be like this. Bur Rin seems to be doing better despite her brother being a jerk.

Answer me or we won't be friends anymore. Oh wait....

Now that Rin is semi functional and Masato isn't a vampire Riki has set his eyes on Kengo. Because he is trying to be Kyousuke and show him he (Riki) is the new leader of the Little Busters. I would be offended by Kyousuke (and his odor) that he left the Little Busters and his sister. But this is what Riki wants, to bring these people back together despite....growing apart and turning mean and crazy since he doesn't know what is going on and he has NO sense to ask what is going on.

Um....who are you?

Since Riki wants to be Kyousuke (since that is going so well) he asks how Kengo joined the group. Apparently Kengo's family was well to do and owned a dojo. Kengo was a child prodigy. Even more amazing than the average Asian kid. A lot of pressure was put on Kengo to be the best. So...Kyousuke saw Kengo on TV and decided he needed saving. He looked lonely. So Kyousuke did the logical thing: beat up the strongest person in Kengo's life so Kengo would follow him. Obviously Kyousuke did some sort of trick otherwise he still be in a coma. Oh that Kyousuke, rescuing everyone from harm.

So you better bounce before I protect you more.

Riki needs to work on being sneaky. He straight up told Kengo his plan and was like curses how did he figure it out?! Um because you told him? Poor Riki. All of these timelines have broken your brain too. Kengo wasn't as violent as Masato with his refusal to join the Little Busters again but I think he was meanier. Boys can punch each other in the face and be okay. But he was...just harsh with Riki and I think it hurt his heart. No one is telling Riki what is going on so it just seems like they are being dicks for no reason. Riki also keeps bring up these things in front of other people. I guess if people are avoiding him this is the only time he can ask them but still. Poor NPCs are suffering too.

Because Riki is all in the light right now.

Kyousuke made two driveby appearances in this episode. First Riki fed the man since Kyousuke doesn't leave his room despite having no bathroom. Oh and he lives on campus. What teachers? Kyousuke is in his self induced.....pity party I guess and Riki wants to be stronger before he asks Kyousuke to rejoin the Little Busters. I am sure it all makes sense in his head. Despite not wanting to help anymore Kyousuke tells Riki that Kengo is lying about something. Riki quickly figures out it is the broken arm and...it leads no where. Like it seriously didn't matter what the lie was, it led nowhere. Completely unnecessary from my point of view. Like Kengo faked his broken arm so he couldn't do his sport anymore because....why? Originally he broke it later on and then he was free to play baseball. But now he doesn't want to play basketball? What was the point then?

Can dead people have morals?

Well whatever it was Riki vowed not to give up on Kengo and Kengo went to Kyousuke since he knows all. It was....an odd conversation to say the least. Kyousuke is apparently in his isolation because his meddling lead to a failed timeline. Now since things keep repeating themselves I would assume this is either an endless loop to make Riki and Rin happy or Kyousuke doesn't like how things are and keeps resetting things. So....I am going to assume things have not gone well before yes? Why is this time any different? Why has Kyousuke lost the faith now? Makes no sense. He was prepping Rin to leave this school so he wanted her to go. Perhaps they were close to success this time? Either way Kyousuke is cracked.

Kengo isn't being friends with Riki so Riki can be happy and have fun...alone...with insane Rin. I SEE THE LOGIC.

Kengo on the other hand is just crazy. I am pretty sure he is just on crack. He says he is doing this to make Riki happy. Just be happy Riki. Um...I am not sure if Kengo's eyes work but there was no happy. Especially since Rin had a meltdown. How was Riki supposed to be happy when his friends are either dead and gone or are dead and here? Yeah exactly. Masato, Kengo, and Kyousuke ignore Rin and Riki was not helping. Kyousuke seems to think him losing the baseball game and having Rin go away means....something. That since he failed in one timeline he won't help anymore since he just brings Riki sadness. Now the only illogical explanation for this is Rin is dead too. That Riki only survived because he wasn't in the bus. That Kyousuke was either trying to change Rin's fate or get Riki to learn to live without her. Kengo rather Riki repeat all these timelines with Rin and that is his happiness. Clearly I don't know enough.

Why won't you give up? Because your stance makes no sense!

Because it went so well last time Riki picked a baseball challenge to decide if Kengo joins the Little Busters or not. Now I am not sure how a win ending in a forced friendship would be positive but what do I know? Not enough like I said. Riki will repeat timelines and accidentally hurt feelings because he doesn't know any better. Kyousuke will show how much her cares about Riki by throwing balls at him and getting him hurt. Yay friendship!!! How many foul balls was that, 19? I thought the max you could was 4. I don't know, it should have been limited. That was crazy.

I can do this...I think.

After Riki magically hit the ball because this is his timeline bitch it was Kengo's turn and he thought it was going to be easy with two hands. Well Rin is like um I will pitch for Riki. I think it would have been more....poetic had Rin said something like we are all the Little Busters so I will fight for you too. Since she can't use the couple excuse yet. But yeah Rin's body started to remember pitches and memories of her nonexistent friends helped her strike Kengo out. Oh what fun we will have with a forced friend.

LET ME PROTECT YOU OR ELSE!

But Kengo was not forced. He has seen the light for some reason. Like the fog has lifted. Since I don't know what the point is to anything I can only speculate....um...nothing. Haha no really. Riki's determination to make Kengo his friend again despite this only leading to misery has touched Kengo's heart. He only wanted Riki to be happy but Riki is happy with his friends. Since everyone is hiding the truth that they are dead why not just have fun? Clearly these timelines are going to end badly no matter what despite Riki's happiness being important if impossible to achieve.

I mean....I think there should be sad tears no matter what but I guess everyone is so sad and tired they need to have a moment of happy. With tears too.

The episode ends with tears of joy on Kengo's face. I mean....he said he feels no pressure to win now yet I don't see how Riki fixed Kengo or Masato's issues. Again I am sure there is a point and I don't have all the info. Maybe Riki just helped them accept the past...somehow. Kengo was freed by Kyousuke and Riki. Will Kyousuke join Riki and continue to be in his room smelling like death? Well considering the episode ended with Kyousuke in the crashed bus looking upset maybe I am right about Rin being dead too? More sadness to come I am sure woohoo!