Confusion and despair abounds when Sawako’s attempts to protect her new friends only serves to hurt them more. But even as a timely intervention propels the shy girl toward doing what needs to be done, darker forces rear their ugly heads.
Adolescence is a miserable and confusing time for most of us under the best of circumstances. Trying to understand who you are, what you are becoming, and where you fit in fills far too much time when you are a teen. This goes doubly for girls, for they can be absolutely ruthless at that age while still being incredibly insecure. This episode excels at capturing the distress is causes.
After the rumors running rampant about her new friends were discovered by Sawako, she made the draconian decision to isolate herself from them in the previous episode. Desiring to protect those she has come to cherish, the overly responsible girl puts on a brave face around her parents. Yet going to school and ignoring the others is not as easy as she thought.
Flashbacks to the events in prior episodes leaves her wondering if it all had been a dream in a very bittersweet scene set during a test. Images of fun with Ayane and Chizuru bring a slight smile, but it is when she flashes on Kazehaya’s face that her brave façade begins to crumble. Still not aware of what her feelings really are, it is letting go of him that hurts the most.
As her tears hit the test paper, Sawako realizes she can’t remember how to handle being alone again. The feelings she has are so new to her that she is beginning to short circuit attempting to do what is right. It’s a beautifully sad moment that pays tribute to the original art of the manga.
After school, a familiar shoe, then face await her under the trees. Kazehaya refuses to let things stand as they are and wants to know why she is avoiding him. It is too much for her and Sawako shocks the boy by bursting into tears. High speed blubbering by her gets the gist of the problem conveyed and his reaction is interesting.
He gets angry with her.
So far Kazehaya has been shown to be a very nice guy, so it is something of a relief to see him lose his cool here. Attentive as always, he still shows how frustrated and upset he has been with her actions. Being a social outcast, it had never occurred to Sawako that she might be hurting others with her unilateral actions. It is their heart to heart discussion that puts her on a new path and reveals just how little he cares about the opinion of others when it comes to her.
Meanwhile, things are going on with the others too. A terrifically comic encounter between Ayane and Pin on the stairs illustrates why he may be the best supporting character in the series. Watching him make a valid deep point only to ruin it with self praise is far too much fun.
Still, it gets Ayane thinking in the library when she sees a shelf full of ghost stories that have all been checked out by one person in the past. Likewise, Chizuru’s growing upset over events with Sawako have her in tears of frustration only to find a new perspective in a compilation of notes. Well, that and one incredibly bad illustration.
With everyone trying to figure out their feelings and where they stand, things are building to a head. Growing up and understanding others is hard to do, but things are about to get a lot worse.
Thoughts
Lovely, sensitive, insightful, and often amusing, Resolution maintains the high quality of the early episodes. Character development is central to this entry, however the plot is not being neglected as the cliffhanger ending shows so dramatically. It will make you want to see the sixth episode right away.
For a show that is a slow moving slice of life romance, there is some amazing art and “camera work” to be enjoyed. Much of it is inspired by manga creator Karuho Shiina’s cinematographic eye, yet much has been added by Production I.G. to create a beautiful anime. That can make the chibi moments distracting at times, though.
BEWARE! HERE BE SPOILERS!!!
I loved the night meeting at the bridge between Ayane and Chizuru. Not only is it gorgeous to watch, the way the teens work through how they feel about Sawako is utterly believable. Coming to understand that they love her and want to stay friends with her is a very sweet moment.
Then there is Sawako looking out her window with new found determination to break down the walls she has built. It is such a hopeful scene that gives no hint at what is about to happen.
The girls bathroom is slowly becoming a house of horrors in the series. A fretting Sawako once again overhears too much while in a stall, but this time she decides to take action when her friends are run down again.
Outnumbered and not realizing she is in physical danger, Sawako ends up shoved against a wall with the promise of incipient violence. Her slowly clenching hand does not bode well.
No comments:
Post a Comment