天下制覇

Ouch. Where’d the budget go?

Impressions:

Remember way back in episodes 1-3 or so, where Suzu was some kind of ninja, capable of beating all the other girls in battle and going head to head with Ayane? I miss that Suzu. I also miss the animation budget. The art and animation wer really terrible for the vast majority of the episode. There’s just really no other way to put it. The animation budget has clearly reached its limit, or they’re saving up for some crazy fight stuff in the eleventh hour. This was another Suzu/Ikuto relationship episode, but it really felt pretty forced and trite, and excessively platonic in the end with them both going on about the other being family instead of the other person being special. Suzu and Ikuto have been separated plenty of times in the recent past and neither of them suddenly became incapable of functioning without thinking of the other. Why gathering firewood was such an emotionally involved event for the two of them, I’ll never know.

Summary:

Late one evening, Yukino is heading home on Kumakuma’s back when a bird flies out in front of her, scaring her. A glowing blue feather drops into her hand.

In the morning, Ikuto is practicing sword swings. Suzu says good morning before scampering off like a good little coquette.

At the river bed, Suzu is doing a little soul search about how she was flirting with Ikuto. Yukino goes running past in a frenzy. She explains to Suzu about the flower she found and that how it’s from a magical bird. Yukino sort of convinces her to help before bodily recruiting her into the search.

Back at the hut, Yukino’s rabbit lets Ikuto and the chicken know that Suzu is off searching for the feather.

Across the island, Yukino’s animals are keeping an eye out. Suzu is a bit bummed out because she was going to spend the day with Ikuto. Yukino is all fired up to find it and has her dog start sniffing it out… but it just sneezes instead.

Ikuto is gathering firewood, and turns to ask Suzu, but forgot that she’s not with him. He thinks aloud about how she’s always with him, but the pig and rabbit are demanding his attention too.

Back with Yukino and Suzu, Suzu thinks that finding the blue bird will mean happiness, but Yukino and Kumakuma say that only an immature kid would believe such a story. Yukino just wants the bird as a new friend. The dog suddenly senses something in the bushes, and the ‘blue bird’ ends up being some fat flightless thing. They chase after it. It runs, and then struggles to fly away. It manages to get enough lift over a covered ditch and sends all four hurtling into a pit.

Ikuto returns home and apologizes for being late, but Suzu isn’t there.

In the pit, Yukino is shaking Suzu awake. Suzu tries to get up, but her leg is pretty hurt. She says it’s okay though. Kumakuma tries to climb out, but can’t get a good grip. Suzu tries to think about what Ikuto would do, and says that she’s sure that he’ll come to save them.

Yukino is reporting in to Kagami that her daughter and Suzu are missing somewhere in the mountains, but Kagami is more worried about other things. Still, Ikuto tells her to stay at home in case Yukino returns, and she sends her animal cronies to help him.

Now night, Ikuto and the animals are searching for them without too much luck. Tonkatsu gets the scent eventually and they run off.

In the pit, Suzu is feeling sorry for herself, but Yukino is nearly crying in hunger. Suzu opens her dress and pulls out a mountain of cherry things for them to eat. The forced happiness clues Yukino in that she may be quite a bit more worried than she lets on, but Suzu says that she has faith in Ikuto. Yukino says that she’s really envious of Suzu and what she has with Ikuto is pretty special. Rain starts to fall.

Ikuto and the animals are huddled under a tree. Ikuto remembers Suzu’s face and how she hates the rain and rushes off. He suddenly hears a voice and stops. The blue bird… the real one… flies out of the bushes and hovers in front of him. It says his name and then flies off. He chases after it, thinking it’ll lead him to his happiness… Suzu.

Eventually his cries reach the pit and Suzu begins to yell back. He finds them in the pit and as he looks up to thank the bird, it’s gone. From behind a tree, we see it transform from its majestic form back into the fat little thing and try to fly off once again.

Ikuto manages to pull the crew out of the pit with the help of the other girls. Kagami apologizes to Suzu on Yukino’s behalf while Rin starts putting up a protective fence around the hole. Everybody eventually heads home, leaving Suzu and Ikuto together. As they turn to walk away, Suzu’s leg pains her. She tells him that she’s okay, but he chews her out and says it’s natural for family to be worried about each other.

Suzu starts crying from Ikuto calling her family, and accepts his invitation to carry her home. As they walk home, Ikuto thinks about how Suzu has become someone special to him and he wants to become strong in order to protect her.

Post-ED, Ikuto is carrying Suzu across the beach. Suzu tells Ikuto that his back is warm. She continues, saying that Ikuto is a very important part of her family too. Ikuto says that they’ll be always be together and Suzu agrees.