The direction of the episode was quite different than the other ones, there were a lot of stylistic choices to show some scenes.
This story is so messed up though. After last episode's ending, we all knew that Azuma would take the blame for Marina's death, but this episode was depressing all the way through.
It's really disappointing to see that Shizuka isn't really a great person either... She only saw Azuma as a tool to get to her own objectives. She even states at the end that she "has no use for Azuma now", which is so sickning, because you can see she did all that well knowing she was manipulating him, since he liked her, even giving him a kiss, it seems she really learned from her mother apparentaly.
And Azuma... Oh Azuma... The scene he gets a 54 in his test, and his mom just gives him the pancakes, because she doesn't care about him anymore... Hearing that from your own mother is cruel... All because you couldn't be as perfect as your brother...
Even comments like "Your brother never had to use glasses" show that his mother really only wanted a 2nd Junya, and since Azuma wasn't that, she started to become more and more cruel to him, like that would make him more similar to Junya.
Obviously that amount of pressure would only make Azuma fall deeper and deeper in a depressive and anxious state, where he only seek his mother's attention and validation. This also led him to make his brother as an enemy more than ally. The fact that this situation actually happens in a lot of households is just sad and depressing... Azuma deserved so much better.
To make things worse, he gets to know Shizuka, which he finds really similar to his own mother, which explains his true feelings for Shizuka. He isn't doing all of that because he loves her, he's doing that to seek validation from her person that resembles his own mother. This is honestly just depressing.
Since in his life he only cared about the grades, he never made friends, and now that his mother doesn't care about him anymore, he would do anything for the person that "cares" about him, in this case, Shizuka, who he thinks cares for him. The truth is she will probably forget about Azuma some days after he gets arrested, and after he comes out of Juvie, she will not even remember his name...
But there was some hope in the end, when Azuma finally confronts his older brother, and honestly, it's therapy to see someone normal in this anime. Junya actually cares for his brother, and his sad that he never noticed how Azuma actually felt like. If they had this talk earlier, Azuma would probably be a much happier kid, knowing that at least there was 1 person that was looking out for him, Junya, his older brother.
Since this episode is titled "Naoki's salvation" I thought in the end Junya would take the blame for the death, but after this scene I thought that Azuma would give up on this idea of turning himself for Shizuka. But unfortunately Azuma's situation was really bad. The anime actually isn't really clear to what happens to Azuma, whether he took the blame for Marina, or if he only turned himself in, for hiding the corpse, but not taking responsibility for her death Either way, Azuma's future is not bleak, and he will probably end up in juvie. At least he knows that after he comes out, Junya will be there, waiting for him...
Junya really was the hero this episode, and the anime really portrayed that well in all the animation and style they made the 2 brothers scene. Junya knew his younger brother wasn't well, especially after Marina's body was found, and always tried for Azuma to open up to him. In the end, he was able to do that, and making so that Azuma didn't take the blame for something he didn't do, because he was falling to the manipulation os Shizuka (this if he didn't take the blame for her). I'm afraid that Junya is best character so far, even living in a toxic environment, he didn't let that affect who he is nor trying to take any frustration out on his brother, even if he was really successful, he never let that turn him into a egotistical or arrogant person.
I'm starting to think Takopi's original sin was just trying to bring happiness to Shizuka. Due to its involvement, 2 children's life got ruined. And Shizuka's future is bleak too, considering she may very well not find Chappy.
We only have 2 episodes to go, and I'm honestly a bit loss at what direction the story is going in... I suspect that Takopi will rewind back time once again, and make things work, but until then...
This Azuma backstory and the way things went for him just made me really depressed honestly, which just shows how well the anime is portraying its main themes. Such an incredible episode... I don't even have to strenght to watch the next episode right away. Azuma deserved better :(
Edit: Just wanted to point out how beautiful that scene between the brothers was, probably one of the most beautiful scenes in anime. The way this episode was beautiful directed also helped that a lot! And I don't know, I find Azuma's story a bit relatable (strangely, not in a personal way), which just makes this episode hit harder honestly.
I also wonder if Takopi is going to realize how Shizuka really is now.
Rewatching the final scene, made me think that there's also some hope for Azuma, since it seems he might not have taken the blame for Shizuka, which honestly just makes me happier with the episode, because it gives a much better meaning to that scene between the 2 brothers, really showing how Junya saved his younger brother. |