Episode Synopsis:
The school festival brings about the reveal that Tohru is living with the Soma’s. Determined to make sure their precious friend is being taken care of Uo and Hana hatch a plan to sleepover and check on things. Meanwhile two more zodiac members show up, Yuki’s in a dress, AND we’re left on a cliffhanger!
Review:
I was a little shattered by the lack of secret toilet after that amazing buildup from Tohru’s imagination in Episode 02…
Thankfully it’s as if the show heard Brendan and Scott from the previous episodes and made this episode chock fulla Uo and Hana. Now I’m back to being happy.
Let’s get some of the side pieces out of the way. House Soma gains two more members, Momoji and Hatori. It’s revealed that Momoji is the rabbit and honestly I’d love it if he just stayed in bunny form. He’s so darn cute as a bunny rabbit. He’s also so darn awful when speaking German. Please show…no more German. Where’s Tiffany Grant when I need her?!
Momoji and Hatori are gone as quickly as they appear, but not before we get this little gem out of Yuki.
On the whole, I felt like the school festival was a way to toss Kyo a bone. Yuki gets stuck in a dress to please the bizarre whims of the female upperclassmen, and Kyo just gets to make snide comments. Little does Kyo realize, this helps build Yuki’s character. Yuki is normally so calm and put together and he…
It’s refreshing to see him get self conscious and not want to make a fool of himself in front of Tohru. It adds a little normal superficiality to his person. It’s also nice to see him acquiesce to Tohru’s statements when he realizes this dress escapade (dresscapade?!) is a way to open himself up to people. Good for you Yuki! Also…way to be…smoooooth in stating how cute Tohru would be in that dress.
Now that we are done with that, it’s on to the most important part of this episode. SLEEPOVER ACTION! Uo and Hana’s visit starts off funny and ends with a touching sequence. Uo’s concerned that she and Hana don’t really provide anything in Tohru’s life because she’s quietly stubborn and always taking things on by herself. When the Rat/Cat Soma boys explain that Tohru doesn’t need to be offered something to feel her friends have value, it made me smile. They really get her and understand how much she values those around her.
Most important is the scene where Tohru reinforces this notion herself. She just genuinely loves her two best friends and they love her in return. Their dazzling friendship is just so beautiful. I am ALL about this!
After this poignant moment I enjoyed a second helping of chuckles, but I think the ominous phone call bit was a touch jarring. This episode was filled with so much love and happiness and people growing. I know the writers introduced Hatori so that his call at the end would make a nice cliffhanger, but it felt odd that the episode bookends itself with these new characters that have so little influence over the rest of the emotional content here.
Summary:
This episode was filled with everything that makes fluffy shoujo amazing. Friendship and character growth are just flying high here. Also Yuki is putting the moves on Tohru! A scene with Akito, and Hatori’s mysterious call means ominous things may be on their way but for this week, let’s just enjoy all the Uo and Hana goodness.
Let’s end with an important news bulletin: Remember kids, don’t mess with Hana…
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