Hourou Musuko- 2. Cry Baby, Cry (Hate, Hate, Dispise)

No, this episode isn't about Sasa. Sasa works as link between Chiba and Takatsuki and as a plot element

This episodes centers around one stubborn, rude and arrogant girl...

...Chiba Saorin, the one who hit the anonymous boy for teasing Nitori? The one in the photo of the previous episode? Yes, this one.

interview time again! but the person interviewed doesn't look straight at the interviewer or her audience...

Noticed the slight change of expression between these 2 shots?

did I say that she's a spoiled brat and green out of jealousy? how could I forget?

princess, you don't know how to lose...

She's very stiff- her arms so close to her body, like in guard, like trying to pull herself together. She avoids the lens; a lens is a mirror as are the eyes of another person. Talking about her personal thoughts, thoughts that make her feel vulnerable and sad, she doesn't want to face anyone. She also doesn't want to see how silly she looks for keeping such an attitude. The whole issue is a love triangle: Chiba wants Nitori, Nitori wants Takatsuki, Takatsuki and Chiba hate each other. Chiba feels that since she's the one who accepted (even pushed towards crossdressing) Nitori, since she's the 'first one' who laid her eye on him, she has the right to have him. Chiba feels neglected from the moment Takatsuki stole the lights and gained Nitori's love so easily. Jealousy and such thoughts are quite normal at such age, yet her disclosing and aggrevating behaviour towards the whole world isn't normal... She's shown such a little b*tch and we have yet to see what the 'hard life' she has is, as Ariga Makoto mentioned.

Throughout the episode we see how much hate she encloses and how she plays tough by ignoring seniors, most probably because she wants to hide how weak she feels.

Sasa holds back Saori in order not to slap Momo. All the mess began with Saori of course saying that Chi is weird. Quite provocative thing to do in front of her best friend. In the end she doesn't slap her... Quite an ill-mannered child and attention-whore.

The series lets us get better acquainted with the characters and tries to uphold the foggy atmosphere of the first episode bit by bit. Chiba Saorin is one piece of the puzzle and through her we get a piece of information about the past of the characters and their relationships. Sasa is though the one who by denying to accept the past and the cold behaviour between her friends make things move forward.

Well done, Sasa! She got caught in the middle and she didn't want to lose either.

One heck of stubborn girl! Takatsuki proposes they leave the past behind, yet Chiba doesn't want to. She only gets to retort that the hate is mutual.

Takatsuki gets struck by the truth behind Chiba's words and she gets mad, throwing her bag to the ground. Later, at her home she recollects the memories of the events that lead to the current situation- enlighting the viewers on the way, too.

She has a point... apologising doesn't fix anything; yet that's what she had to tell herself to before she came to Takatsuki's house. She should also understand that being sadistic towards Takatsuki wouldn't heal her broken heart.

So very polite... She creates an uneasy atmosphere and softly spits out cruel words. And she expected Takatsuki to just sit there and apologise?

She's unbelievable- she imposed herself on others only to be mean to them, because she got hurt... She must find someone to blaim and she blurts this out so casually, too! Not to mention that few seconds ago she said she didn't know why she went to her house. She's messed up herself...

Takatsuki is more mature and self-confident. Chiba turns away her face. Takatsuki ruins her outburst, she talks with reason and that's exactly what Chiba hates. When Chiba expresses her thoughts for the above line, Takatsuki starts yelling... the last drop it was

I can't blame Takatsuki... Chiba deserved this

Indeed... Yoshino saw through Saori... - should I take this 'always' as more flashbacks in the future?

I'd be interesting to learn more... Chiba listens surprised

That's where Saori was referring to in the present. Unsolved problems piled up and perhaps that's why Takatsuki is also at fault- she could have communicated her uneasiness earlier.

Although the greater part of fault lies on Chiba, it's Takatsuki again who tries to reconnect. She suggests walking home together. For the sake of Sasa mostly. But now she brings as excuse that the seniors that Chiba got angry might want to harm her, so Takatsuki will be there for her safety... In the end those two with Sasa, Chi, Momo, Shu and Makoto go out together for an ice cream. 

And in a self-loathing, masochistic style Chiba admits she didn't say hello to those seniors... but all end up well. Chi laughs madly and the atmophere lights up again.

end scene- Chiba still a bit self-loathing, but the rest are well :) I hope the reconsiliation will last...

The line of the last picture is worded by Makoto towards Shuuichi, who nodded. Yes, apart from Chiba, the episode gives us other tiny details.

to notice such small details means one thing: love

and although Takatsuki rejected Nitori, she doesn't seem unconcerned either...

again Shu observing Yoshino- this time her determination or akwardness

We also get to see Makoto's feelings and his special secret, as well more of Maho's frustration that her brother is cute in relation to her boyfriend.

homosexuality becoming more clear for Makoto and his intuition that he's not the same as Shu

Maho letting her frustration on her lunch... her 'cute brother' whom she shoved out of her class violently brought her lunch, after mom's instructions- she just shouldn't have forgotten her lunch...

Is this the main reason she gets so angry?- Her boyfriend explains to her that he said he was cute, because they looked alike, in other words because she liked her; so it would be only natural to think of Shu as cute

Still Maho behaves childish and disgusted. Her mom calls her to take a bath. She denies at first, but when her mom says that if that's the case, Shu should go, Maho gets out of her room to head to the bath =.=

Lastly we get glimses of their school life: finding seats, choosing clubs, overhearing nasty conversations ("that guy is so gross!") and boys changing clothes... and some 'weird' but courageous fights...

apart from Chiba's quarrel, Chi had to face bullying as it seems from a senior asking for her as 'the girl who wore boy's uniform'- Chi didn't flinch when the issue came up and shoved her; then ran away (she displayed some stupid moves and Momo got her to think she was in public)

Nitori thinks boys stink and so his reaction when he's called a girl is one of happiness. We are remembered here the bipolic view of what girls and boys are.

Some words here and there left hanging questions: "Mom didn't notice" says Nitori, when his mom gave Maho's Lunch to him to deliver- It's unclear to me, if he refers to her sister teasing him or him crossdressing... There's also that boy who insults Nitori while they undress in the class and a friend of his asks him if he holds grudge for being whacked. The whack refers to Chiba's reaction, yet I'm not sure, if this dialog doesn't have any other meaning to it... I don't think it's a fill line...

And of course we got some eye candy again. The screenshots that follow are after Takatsuki and Chiba decided to walk together home.

Time and place: Spring, afternoon, school

water at the backyard?

an old, strong cherry tree- like an enduring friendship?

I can't recognise this thing/ place... are they railings? anyway it seems to focus on these marks/ paths that join at one point, just like the girls

P.S.: A blogger made a clever remark about last episode- Nitori waking in the middle of the night and standing in front of the washing machine, implied we had a wet dream. Yet another difference between girls and boys.