Aoi Hana (Sweet Blue Flowers) episode 5 review; Fumi’s jealousies and insecurities.

 

      This episode begins with some girl’s from Akira’s school hanging posters for the upcoming play, and the drama club begins their rehearsals, Fumi tells Akira that she’s feeling uncomfortable with Yasuko’s popularity with other girls. Akira tells her that she’s not the best person to ask for this sort of advice.  Later, when Kyoko and Fumi are walking down the hall, Kyoko asks Fumi if she likes Yasuko.  Fumi stops in her tracks in total silence.  Kyoko says you too? Kyoko says that Yasuko is really special and lots of girls like Yasuko. When rehearsals finish Kyoko tries to talk with Yasuko but she soon rushes to talk to Fumi instead, Yasuko tells Fumi that she’s going to run late so don’t wait for me. As Fumi is leaving the school she runs into Akira who invites her to join Kyoko for tea.

      As they’re riding the train, Kyoko observes how Fumi and Akira interact with each other, and I think she’s also checking out the completion/winner. While Fumi is making a phone call outside the tea shop, Akira tells Kyoko that Fumi is a nice girl; Kyoko then makes a comment about Fumi and Yasuko. Kyoko says she had it all wrong and begins to cry, Fumi sees this happening from a distance.

 

     Back at home Fumi sends a text to Yasuko, and she calls Fumi back right away. Yasuko can tell something is bothering Fumi and she tells Fumi to ask her about it or she won’t be able to sleep, so Fumi tells Yasuko about Kyoko saying she likes her and about her tears. Yasuko asks Fumi if she remembers her first love. The next morning when Fumi and Akira meet at the train station, Akira notices that Fumi has changed her hair style back to the cute braided pigtail look and that Fumi’s in a much better mood, Fumi tells her that Yasuko called her last night.

 

     At Akira’s school, Kyoko can sense that Akira is uncomfortable discussing Yasuko around her so she tells Akira not to worry, she’s OK, and Akira thinks that she never thought that two people liking each other could cause someone else pain. Later, Yasuko asks Fumi to come along with her to her rehearsal, but Fumi says no. Yasuko asks Fumi if she feels uncomfortable around Kyoko, and does she pity for her. Later, at Akira’s school, Akira observes tons of girls fawning all over Yasuko, and she thinks that Fumi probably didn’t want to see this. When Akira watches Kyoko getting close and being very friendly with Yasuko she snatches her away to help her make some tea, and when they enter a supply room some other girls rush away dropping a picture of Yasuko which Kyoko picks up. After practice Kyoko sends Akira home alone saying that she has something to do.  Kyoko asks Yasuko if she’s just a girl in the crowd just like those other girls. Yasuko tells her that she just treated her like normal, and she tells Kyoko that she’s adorable. Kyoko says like a little sister?  Yasuko tells Kyoko that she’s strong and she will get over this.

     At Fumi’s house, she’s called downstairs by her mother and is shocked to see that Yasuko has stopped by for a visit. While they chat outside, Yasuko tells Fumi that she wants her to work the front desk during the play, and she figured that would be the only why she could get her to come. Well, Fumi says she’ll come and she tells Yasuko that wasn’t the only way she would have attended. Yasuko now seems very happy, and then they chit chat and make small talk. Later, Fumi calls Akira and tells her everything that happened, and Akira tells Fumi that she should have been straight forward with Yasuko and just told her that flirting with other girls bothers her. Well, that’s all for this episode.

         Well, after the first couple of getting to know the characters episodes, Aoi Hana is turning into a very enjoyable and rewarding show to watch. It’s been quite interesting watching Fumi come out of her funk over losing her first lover, and finding a new love interest. When the series first started Fumi was almost always in “life sucks, cry,cry mode” but once she reestablished her friendship with Akira and started dating Yasuko things turned around for her, that’s not to say that Fumi still doesn’t have her share of emotional problems. Fumi still keeps her feelings too close to her chest for her own good, and I find my self agreeing with Akira that Fumi just needs to tell Yasuko what’s on her mind. I would find it quite interesting to see Fumi invite Yasuko over for a “school study” session and watch an emotional and phyiscal eruption of volcanic proportions occur when Fumi finally tells/shows Yasuko how she feels.

       I also love how Akira’s character is developing. When the series first started Akira was portrayed as this genki, overly innocent, and naive girl, but as Aoi Hana is progressing she’s the one character that’s shown the most quiet introspection about herself and her knowledge of other people and interpersonal relationships. A few examples of this are; Akira’s wondering if she being naive about excepting Fumi’s lesbianism and her relationship with Yasuko, Akira trying to figure out to support Fumi and her relationship, Akira realising that two people liking one another can cause pain to a third party, and Akira giving relationship advice to Fumi when she tells her that you should be straight forward with someone like Yasuko. I wouldn’t  relish being in Akira’s position of trying to maintain friendships with both Kyoko and Fumi when she knows that they both love the same person, I think it would be so easy to fall into the trap of siding with one of the girls and losing the other as a friend.

      Now, for my wish list for future episodes. While I like both Yasuko and Kyoko, I feel that their characters need to be fleshed out in much greater detail. Yasuko; #1 we know that she had a crush on the art teacher and was rebuffed,  #2 we also know that she left the private school for some reason, and #3 we know that Yasuko now likes girls and rejected Kyoko and chose Fumi. What I would like answered is did Yasuko’s being rejected lead to her leaving the school, or was it some combination of rejection plus she hated being fawned over by all those girls, and I would also like to know if Yasuko’s rejection lead to her becoming a lesbian. Now, I know some fellow anime fans might say “read the manga”. I have read the manga, but that’s not the point, each media is separate creation so one shouldn’t have to know the manga to have plot points resolved.

      Now, it’s time to talk about Kyoko. What’s the deal with her and Kou? Do her parents really approve of a college guy saying that he’s going to someday marry their daughter, and we know this behavior started back when she was still in middle school. I know that back when I was Kou’s age if I would have showed up at one of my neighbors’ house and pledged marriage and love to their daughter I would have probably been shot regardless or whether or not I’ve been friends with her around the neighborhood for years, you might fool around with her but you’d never let her parents know. Also, I would like to know if Kyoko’s really a lesbian, or if this is just one of those things that sometimes happens, and If Kyoko’s really a lesbian why does she keep up the game with Kou? What, she doesn’t want to hurt is feelings? I wonder what she thinks would happen with Kou’s feelings if she dumped him for another girl before she finds him a replacement girlfriend?

     Well, one thing I know is that the many unanswered questions will keep me watching Aoi Hana, and I look forward to watching Fumi’s and Yasuko’s relationship progress and grow. I feel that as far as anime is concerned, Aoi Hana has been a very thoughtful and realistic portrayal of the issues it’s trying to address.