Summary:
If snow can save you from dying in a motorcycle crash, it can also save you from falling to your death. Noe ends up with just a fractured leg bone, and reveals that she thought she could fly after watching how awesome Shinichiro’s dance was. Hiromi is worried about Noe pulling the sympathy play, but is terribly conflicted about how to confess to Shinichiro. After working her stress out with some basketball, Hiromi tells Shinichiro that she has always loved him, and she will wait for him to pick between Noe and her. In an incredible twist, Kanae even comes over to support Hiromi during the wait.
Shinichiro wants to show Noe the finished book, but she refuses because she believes Shinichiro would have finished the book without her help. Shinichiro threatens to toss the book into the ocean where Jibeta refused to fly, and Noe is shocked he saw that. Noe eventually limps to the ocean to see Shinichiro making the pages of the book into paper airplanes and she saves the pages from going into the ocean. Shinichiro tells Noe that he loves Hiromi but that he truly was inspired by Noe. Shinichiro believes that Noe can fly, essentially saying, “Believe in the me who believes in you.”
This is enough for Noe and she gathers the strength to limp back to the hospital on her own. Shinichiro has taught her that without pain there is no gain, and Noe is finally able to accept that sadness can help one to grow. Meanwhile, Shinichiro finds Hiromi along the bamboo path and tells her that he will be with her always. As Hiromi cries tears of happiness, the snow begins to fall.
Flash forward to spring and we learn that Noe has finally managed to get some friends. Jun is wanted for being a siscon and has fled the authorities, and Tomoyo still sucks at basketball. Also, Shinichiro’s dad finally realized that Shinichiro wants to be an artist and so begins teaching that kid with the shaved head how to make awesome sake. Ai actually is happy to see Miyokichi now, and we see Noe standing at Jibeta’s coop. Noe sees the words that Shinichiro made her that fateful day, and is finally able to shed some tears at how badly Hiromi owned her.
Reaction:
This was a complicated episode with a lot going on, but I really enjoyed it. I felt enough loose ends were tied up in a way that gave the whole series a consistent theme about growing by working through tough situations. Hiromi especially exemplified this ideal, and she faced haters at every turn. However, Hiromi was able to face her feelings and do the right thing time and time again. By the end, her consistent efforts netted her Shinichiro and also the ability to do a full split.
I like that the story highlighted that flying isn’t about getting on a tall cliff and jumping, it is about persistence. All series long Noe was running away from her sadness, and that made her determined limp to the hospital that much more powerful. I’m glad she was able to gain friends and a life on her own, without Shinichiro or Jun there to help her.
Even the Aiko-Miyokichi resolution was nice, even if Ai was just a bit character. The happy look on Ai’s face when she saw Miyokichi was in stark contrast to her doom and gloom at the beginning of the series. Braving the awkwardness after what she did to Shinichiro and Miyokichi ended up paying tremendous dividends and resulted in a happy win-win situation.
Facing your feelings is hard, and I liked the advice that Shinichiro’s father gave about tears showing a wavering heart. I’m really glad that Shinichiro was able to lay everything out for Noe, and she accepted his explanation. Shinichiro had finally figured his own feelings out, and completed his transformation. It was fitting that he returned the inspiration back to Noe to help her achieve her own dreams.
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This post was written by...
Kabitzin – who has written 1940 posts on Sea Slugs! Anime Blog.
One of the founders of Sea Slugs, I handle most of the blog admin tasks while wearing my I AM BOSS shirt. I like my action series well choreographed, and my romance series extra trashy. I also have a soft spot for puns.
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This episode was really nice even though I felt really sad for Noe! I’m glad she got her tears back though and it was Shinichirou who had helped her. At least he fell for her, but I kinda hoped that he had chosen her instead of Hiromi. In the end, it makes sense.
Technically Noe was the one that fell, nyuk nyuk nyuk! I don’t think Shinichiro x Noe would have made much sense since neither Noe nor Hiromi would have been happy with the situation.
Haha, but it’s true what you said that things would be happier if Shinichirou went with Hiromi. I wonder why Kanae was so bitchy before? And I feel sorry for Jun, but it looks like he’s a lot happier now.
The Kanae and Jun developments were the weakest in the story by far. The Jun thing didn’t serve any purpose other than giving him a reason to leave so that Noe could fly on her own.
Did Shinichiro ever rework his ending? If not, maybe it is good that Noe couldn’t find that page on the beach.
In terms of wrapping everything up, I liked the episode. But the delivery was so lacking, compared to other episodes the finale was pretty tame.
Also, what did you think of the mini time skip thing at the end?
I thought the time skip was fine, since it meshed well with the theme of not being able to just fix things all at once. I liked the delivery in this episode a lot, actually. In fact, I think this episode raised the whole series up another level for me.
RAGING IN EVERY BLOG ABOUT NOE’S LOSS.
Noe, I still love you, even if the other Shin doesn’t ;-;
The popular theory is Shin and Hiromi were re-enacting Mom and Dad years ago.
Except this time, things weren’t left hanging and thus leading to many cut out picture albums.
Kanae thought that Hiromi was the home wrecker archetype, when in fact, she’s herself years ago.
@Shin: LOL! spamming is bad! But I support you kinda, but I don’t mind HiromixShin
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! DAMN YOU HIROMI!!!!!!! THAT BUNNY SHOULD HAVE KILLED YOU WHEN IT HAD THE CHANCE!!! (dammit bunny! Why the hell did we pay you!!!)
I’ve got to admit that I’ve been easily transformed into a Hiromi fan. I mean, shes got the glasses, the bust, the lips, the foot fetish thing, the childhood friend card, can play basketball, and now she can do a split? WHATT?!! I guess I didn’t like her at first cause of the emo/bitchy attitude she gave towards the beginning of the series, but it was mostly cause of the mom (who I think is hot btw… I can’t be the only Kanae fan here…right?)
What? Is that what they were doing all this time? I thought it was a science lab or something! Too drunk myself perhaps? XD
Well, as long as we get the Noe x Jibeta ending, its all good in da hood!
the director was in a pseudo musical mood /jk
well, theatricals is a good reason for a lot of things
hell, if it suddenly rained during that scene I wouldn’t be surprised
though I would cringe even more
Hiromi obviously won because of her awesome basketball skills. Everyone loves a sporty chick.
It was a bittersweet end, but it ended fairly strong and without much trouble. Noe was at least happy and my good man Nobuse got his Aiko. Shin and Hiromi can get married shortly after this though I want to see that wedding, Hiromi is going to have Shin’s parents both as step parents and in-laws…
Noe is Moe. Sieg Noe.
The final episode was a fitting end to a series which showed a lot of promise in the beginning but ultimately puttered out at the end. It was by no means bad, but I feel a bit of sadness at what could have been had the ending not just sort of trailed off until the final episode.
You know, when Hiromi first said no to going out, for a second I thought we were getting a “SHIN GETS NO ONE” ending and laughed aloud.
I disagree that a Noe ending would have been bad all around, because a Noe ending would have been written differently. It could easily have gone the other way, and been a relatively happy ending for everyone, and for much the same reason that this ending worked so well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this series, even if my precious Noe had to go the hard way to get her happy ending.
Thanks everyone who contributed to all the various discussions. Noe fans, don’t be too sad. Hiromi fans, don’t rub it in. Hiromi herself avoided that, so you damn well can.
I could have done without the singing myself but I suppose you take the “melo” with the “drama.” Overall, just a great series.
Shinichiro is more of a dancer than a singer.
And Hiromi actually won me over because of her basketball skills. That was the sole reason I began rooting for her.
^Thats pretty much what swung it for me as well.
The Tomoyo moment was lulz, Hiromi made a crossover that’d make Iverson gush then threw a Steve-Nash-like no look only to have Tomoyo clunk it like Eric Snow – I’m assuming Hiromi tips it in. If so that possession pretty much describes 08 Cavaliers (wait what blog was this again).
Basketball rant aside I thought Noe got more of the spotlight in the final episode. It was nice conclusion but I’d like to see a Hiromi-centric OVA.
Hiromi definitely had a nice crossover, and pretty good rebounding for a guard (I am assuming she is a guard since she brings the ball up on every possession). Tomoyo, on the other hand, is practically just a groupie. Tomoyo has shown herself to be a slow/poor passer, a poor shooter, and a lazy student.
I really liked the anime even though it had a sad ending, i think it was very beautiful. But i feel really sorry for Noe since i wanted Shinichiro to choose her, i still think she deserved a happier ending. To me Hiromi didnt deserve such a happy ending since she was being mean and selfish and all that(to me her sad past is no excuse for her to think she should get whatever she wants) and it seems that Noe’s the one that gets a sad ending with nobody there to comfort her,everybody leaving her T_T. Oh well, i still loved the anime and I am happy for Noe, at least she was able to get her tears back and made friends. im still a fan of NoexShinichiro forever <3
I wanted noe to win