CUE Mai-HiME music
Summary:
I love Sawako's crazy American accented delusion
Kurumi tries her best to ‘befriend’ Sawako by saying ‘hi’ to her a trillion times a day, picking up her papers and so on. Sawako marvels at how casually Kurumi is able to chat with Kazehaya, while she is so awkward with him. While chatting with Kurumi after dropping her papers, Sawako imagines if she were able to talk to Kazehaya just like her, and decides to ask Kurumi for advice.
Just sit right there Sawako-chan, I'll be right back after I light that propane tank on fire...
Kurumi tries her hardest to convince Sawako that she shouldn’t try to hard to be close to Kazehaya because Kazehaya is just a nice guy and that’s the only reason she’s talking with him. Kurumi tells Sawako that the reason why her and Kazehaya get along so well is because they are so compatible but Sawako takes it the wrong way, as she vows to try her hardest to get closer to Kazehaya, prompting Kurumi to let her anger show momentarily once Sawako walks away.
Meanwhile Chizu tells Ayane about Kurumi in middle school. Apparently Kurumi used Chizu’s friendship with Kazehaya to try and get random girls to confess to him, which Kazehaya all rejected. Then in front of everyone, Kurumi made all the girls ‘give up’ on Kazehaya, and from then on the notion of ‘Mina no Kazehaya’ (everyone’s Kazehaya) was born. While Chizu never really got the true point of her own story, Ayane picks up immediately and realizes just how conniving Kurumi really is.
Outside, Sawako is watering the plants as usual when Kazehaya bumps into her. After some awkward moments, he confesses that he’s a bit nervous and Sawako is overjoyed that it wasn’t just her being nervous. Before the two could have a real heart to heart, Kurumi interjects and drags Sawako away for some girl talk. It is at that moment though that Kazehaya calls her ‘Kurumizawa’. Apparently her real name is Kurumizawa Ume (Ume being her given name), and Sawako is overjoyed that Kazehaya didn’t actually call Kurumi by her first name.
Kurumi lets her evilness be known to the world
As Sawako walks with Kurumi for some girl talk, she decides to call her ‘Ume-chan’ which makes Kurumi momentarily extremely mad before she controls herself and tells Sawako to call her Kurumi only. Realizing that all her attempts at misdirection and trickery were unsuccessful, Kurumi decides to go for the gold and asks for Sawako’s help. When Sawako says she’s glad to help, Kurumi drops the bomb as she finally lets it be known that she likes Kazehaya after all.
This week’s Kawaii Sawako pic:
Surprised-that-her-name-is-actually-Kurumizawa-Ume-faced Sawako is cute too!
Reaction:
If there was any lingering doubt in ANYONE’s mind, this episode solidified once and for all the depth’s of Kurumi’s scheming. It seems that ever since middle school Kurumi’s been trying to get girls to fail with Kazehaya, but she herself has never for whatever reason been able to convert that to her advantage yet. Sawako presents a special problem for Kurumi, and her usual attempts at misdirection fail because of Sawako’s amazing level of naiveté. As predicted, Kurumi decides to drop the ‘suki-bomb’ on Sawako. Also as predicted, Ayane with her vast and ample relationship experience has everything figured out already.
I really liked Sawako’s reaction to finding out that Kazehaya was also a bit nervous in chatting with her, and her reaction when she realized Kurumi was just a nickname for Kurumizawa’. I guess the only letdown is that by now it’s pretty obvious that Kurumi is really just a two-bit shojo villian, the kind that we know has absolutely ZERO chance with Kazehaya and never had anything more than that. Oh well.
This post was written by...
Epi – who has written 193 posts on Sea Slugs! Anime Blog.
As a huge fan of all things mecha, high school and tsundere, I've been writing for SSAB! since the summer of 2009, although my love of anime spreads through all genres. I'm not as witty as some, but I aim to bring comprehensive and well-written anime reviews out there for you all out there to enjoy!
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
In fact, I kinda enjoyed how Sawako’s well-meaning ditziness resulted in exactly the opposite which Kurumi wanted to achieve. Normal would be to have her bravely follow Kurumi’s mis-advice and be burnt by it (and blame it on herself). I know, I fully expect that to happen later. But seeing Kurumi tilt several times without Sawako even noticing was strangely enjoyable.
Oh yes, I can completely see Sawako see Kurumi’s hands shake and then Sawako would say something like ‘Daijobou Kurumi? Are you cold?’
I think Sawako is strangely unaffected by Kurumi’s “Evil Face” because she’s pretty clueless about her own “scary face” as it is.
Were they making a specific reference with Sawako’s American daydream, or was it just completely random? I’m not usually one for school-girl romance anime, but this one has me hooked like gangbusters. It helps that the visuals are really beautifully done.
No idea if it was specific, but it was pretty funny haha.
As much as I hate her, I think Kurumi is still more than the usual villain/rival girl. The level of deception that she uses, and the total amount of girls that she’s played is beyond the capabilities of most shoujo antagonists. She also hasn’t managed to capture Kazehaya’s attention or time very much, which is in contrast to the rival from Itazura na Kiss for example. Part of the fun of hating her is that she is more than just evil, she’s capable and formidable…and yet still loses to Sawako!
She’s capable and formidable, BUT her own feelings are completely repressed which makes it all so much more tragic.
Kurumi’s repeated failings made me connect to her just a bit more than the usual catty rivals you see in anime. She’s not a particularly deep character right now (not that anyone else is, either), but she has her own insecurities. Kurumi would probably be a terrible person in reality, but this is anime, so she’ll find her own redemption eventually. :p
Perhaps we can have a NANA-type plot progression where everyone just gets preggers with eachother.
American section wasn’t fat enough!
And screw you guys, I’ll support Ume-chan! I love bitchy, manipulative, two-faced girls! See the optimal feasible solution is that Sawako will, of course, beat out Ume for Shota, but then a new bully will appear and Ume-chan will steal the new bully’s hot nice boyfriend (who looks and acts similar to Shota) and decimate the new bully with Sawako’s help. Win-win!
Whoa! She’s so perverse. But now I’m tired of Kazehaya’s sluggishness ¬¬ If he just keep doing nothing that slow Sawako will be separated from him…
Nice show so far ..
kurumi does have this Ai ( from T T) vibe to her .You know that type that knows where’s she’s going but doesn’t give up and screws everyone around her just to get what she wants .Kurumi though is way smarter than Ai and knows how to scheme .Ai cheated on her Bf many times but not Kurumi .I’ve noticed the girl with the less opportunity is always the bad girl in these type of shows and the most tragic one though we can all agree that what Ai did is worst.