Amachan: Week 18 (Episode Guide)

[earth_colors]

Week 18: "I'm going back to my hometown!?"

"Among all those unpolished stones, there's only one that will shine!"

Episode Summaries:

Ep. 103. In an agitated state, Aki introduces Haruko to Suzuka. Haruko is cold towards Suzuka, and Suzuka sensing the hostility, reacts coolly in return, contributing to a tension filled atmosphere at the sushi-ten. Mizuguchi could not take the tension and retreats to the bar. Sushi chef Ume, and his assistant Taneichi are also noticing the strange scene and ask Mizuguchi what the deal is between the two. Mizuguchi could only reply vaguely.

Meanwhile, Aki tries to soothe things by constantly pouring drinks for the two older women: beer for Haruko, and mizuwari for Suzuka. Suzuka tries to strike a civil conversation but still manages to annoy Haruko by claiming that their voices are similar. Feeling slighted by that, Haruko also unintentionally "insults" Suzuka by saying the actress had been like a parent to Aki. Suzuka does not take it well to be called a "parent". Suzuka, in turn, mentions she hates stage moms who assume their children can get a break in showbiz if they make them serve as assistants to celebrities. Haruko of course, gets infuriated by being hinted as a "stage mom."

Anyway, the conversation manages to shift to Aki's issue, that is, her quitting to be an Idol. Haruko tells Suzuka that Aki will regret her decision to quit, just like the way Haruko had regretted when she quit being an Idol years before. Haruko reveals to Suzuka that there was someone in the past who had said something that made her decide to quit the business and that up to now she has not forgiven that person. Suzuka says Haruko is still carrying that pain from her past. "You're still regretting it, right?" Haruko, contradicting what she had said earlier (maybe out of defiance and dislike for Suzuka), denies it by saying she has no regrets whatsoever. "Oh, my," Suzuka just smiles at her answer, "we are in a maze, aren't we?" Haruko, still sticking to her stance, adds, "From thereon, I gave it up so I got married and Aki was born." Then she adds, rather inadvertently, "Instead, I should be grateful to YOU!"

Puzzled, Suzuka asks, "Me?" Aki could not stand the tension anymore and shouts, "UWAHH!", startling everyone at the restaurant. She apologizes immediately. Fortunately, it managed to distract Suzuka from Haruko's revealing comment. Going back to the main point, Haruko says she had come to Tokyo to help Aki change her mind about quitting. Suzuka is curious as to why Haruko thinks Aki has the makings of an Idol (considering she committed 40 NGs). Haruko defends her daughter, stating that even if Aki spent a short time in Kitasanriku, the people there had fallen in love with her, and constantly asks about her up to now. "Isn't that an Idol? Even if she's not there, it means Aki is in everyone's hearts, right? So for me, that what makes an Idol."

Suzuka agrees that Aki may have some nice qualities, but she also says it is not enough. "Such girls are a dime a dozen," Suzuka adds. "Like unpolished stones lying around. Among all those unpolished stones, there's only one that will shine!"

Just then, a new customer arrives. Aki lets out plenty of "Jehs" as she realizes it is Futomaki. He, too is taken aback when he sees Haruko again after more than 20 years. Suzuka, smiling drunkenly says to them, "I was the one who called him."

Ep. 104. Chef Ume is so mesmerized with the tension going on among his customers, that he had not noticed that he was making some up-side down sushi.

Meanwhile a cab arrives to pick up Suzuka but before she leaves, she admonishes Futomaki for firing Aki. She asks him for his reason. "She questioned my authority," Futomaki replies. Suzuka thinks it's a silly thing to get fired for. "In the old days, you used to be flexible. You don't listen to opinions of old and young people anymore?" Futomaki: "I'll listen if she has a future in this field." He even says Aki is a piece of junk, having won by default during the elections. "GMT is not only a pile of junk and trash, it's trash city," he adds, hurting Mizuguchi's feelings.

He also adds that it was actually Yui that he was after, not Aki. Haruko pipes in, "Mizuguchi-san prefers Aki over Yui-chan! He even said she has potential." Futomaki glares at an embarrassed Mizuguchi who says, "I meant b-both of them."

Anyway, Suzuka threatens that if Aki is fired, she, Suzuka, will quit being an actress. Futomaki does not believe her but still gives in. He takes it back, he says, and Aki rejoices. With that settled, a tipsy Suzuka goes home, bringing her up-side down sushi as take-out. Futomaki decides to accompany her home. "Are you running away?" Haruko asks him, with a raised eyebrow. "If there's anything you wish to say, please come to my office," Futomaki says coldly before leaving.

Over in Kitasanriku, the guys at Rias Bar are trying to console a heartbroken Daikichi. He had been crying non-stop since 2 pm that he had no tears left to shed by nighttime.

Meanwhile, after that nerve-wracking encounter at Burai Sushi, mother and daughter arrive in Setagaya, back to their old home. Masamune who was chatting online with some (single?) housewife, is caught off-guard by their sudden arrival. Later, the three, finally reunited after a long time, are having dinner as a family again. The ex-couple still bicker like old times but Aki seems happy to see them back to their usual selves.

Aki mentions how similar Suzuka was to Natsu-bappa. Haruko does not see it but she is grateful nevertheless that Suzuka helped Aki from getting fired. Masamune, then, asks how long his ex-wife is planning to stay. Haruko is not sure, and says it could be days or years. She tells Aki she does not have anything to feel sorry for what she had done to make Futomaki angry. "You did nothing wrong," she advises Aki. "It was all Futomaki's fault! To fight back against his unreasonable bullying, that's the reason why I came here!"

The next day, Haruko accompanies Aki to the Hole. The girls are thrilled to hear that Aki will not be leaving after all. They also get to be introduced to Aki's mom for the first time. It seems tiger mom, Haruko is determined to make sure Aki does not get bullied by Futomaki anymore.

Ep. 105. It's been a while since Haruko arrived in Tokyo. She has been continuing to come to GMT's rehearsals. In fact, she has practically taken upon herself to personally supervise GMT by demanding to come to their interviews and ordering colorful frilly costumes for the girls to wear. The girls are happy because finally, things are now moving for them. This of course irritates Futomaki but he could not do anything since he knows Haruko has an ace up in her sleeve.

Futomaki still tries to get along with it though. However, he devises a way to rid himself of her and the group. He tells Mizuguchi that they will push through with GMT's debut song, "Let's Go Back to the Hometown". However, he adds a condition. "If they do not sell 10,000 copies, then the band will be dissolved."

Meanwhile, Daikichi has come to Tokyo to try to bring back Haruko. He meets with her at Kai's coffee shop, and for some reason, Masamune and Anbe are also present. After a long awkward silence, Haruko tells Daikichi she has no intention of accepting his marriage proposal and... "I am not going back to Kitasanriku" until she is done with some "unfinished business" in Tokyo. They ask what her what it was but Haruko only says, "I cannot tell you. Unless I'm done with it, I won't say it!"

But Aki can guess what it is: Haruko plans to stay until she helps Aki debut. "While it does make me happy," Aki thinks to herself, "it's a pressure for me, as well."

Having been rejected (again) by Haruko, Daikichi is in a sour mood at Burai Sushi, drinking oolong tea with a drop of alcohol. Anbe, who is still with him, tells him that she wishes to go back to Kitasanriku (since her plan to make Mamebu popular is not really turning out too well). He tells her she can come home but they should not come home together (considering it might cause the locals to gossip about them). As Daikichi is about to leave, he learns that Suzuka who is at a nearby cubicle, had paid for his tab. Daikichi is so happy to meet the famous actress that he calls up his buddies at Kitasanriku. However, the guys at the bar are too drunk and do not believe him even when Daikichi had put Suzuka on the phone to talk to them directly.

Anyway, Haruko continues to stay with Masamune at their condo. She wants Aki to stay with them but Aki prefers to stay at the dorm. One morning, Mizuguchi informs the girls that the song "Let's Go Back to the Hometown" will be their debut song after all. He tries to tell them about Futomaki's "10,000 copies" condition. However, after seeing the jubilant faces of the hard-working girls, he just does not have the heart to do it.

"The people who gather around you are the ones who'll make you an Idol."

Ep. 106. Futomaki has announced to the public about GMT's soon-to-be released debut single, "Let's Go Back to the Hometown." He also declares that GMT will be dissolved if they do not sell 10,000 copies of the song. Haruko is of course not pleased with his "sympathy tactics." She warns Aki to never do stuff like begging and kneeling to the ground.

Finally, the day of their recording has arrived. Futomaki is not present so Haruko has decided to oversee the recording herself. She is happy with the recording except for Aki whom Haruko had ordered to re-do her singing line over and over again. Afterwards, Aki calls Natsu on the phone to ask how things are. Natsu tells her some big news: Yui has decided to become an Ama. Surprised, Aki asks Yui if she's forcing herself to do it. "If I say I'm not, I'd be lying," Yui answers, "But if I don't force myself even just a little, nothing will change." Aki is surprised and happy by the news but she can't help wonder (or maybe even felt jealous) about the irony of their fates: Aki who wanted to be an Ama is now an Idol while Yui who yearns to be an Idol will now become an Ama.

Later, Aki has dinner with the girls at Burai Sushi to celebrate their first recording. It also serves as a reunion with Ayumi who is now married and 5 months pregnant. Meantime, Futomaki has arrived at the recording studio, accompanied by a TV crew. The TV crew is apparently making a documentary on Futomaki. He is shown going about his business, listening to the GMT song that his staff had recorded earlier in the day. Futomaki is not happy with it, saying it's "ordinary" and that it won't sell. So in front of the camera, he tells everyone he'll be showing off his so-called "Futomaki Magic" and proceeds to handle the song himself.

The next morning, at the Amano's condo unit, a CD copy of the song arrives via a bike courier. Haruko eagerly listens to it right away. However, there is something wrong with the song. Haruko is so shocked by it, she is not even aware that her coffee was spilling.

Ep. 107. Futomaki is still being filmed by the documentary crew. He is now seen rehearsing with GMT girls. But Haruko comes, complaining about the song. The atmosphere becomes tensed and so the TV crew is asked to stop filming.

The song is played for everyone to hear. From it, they hear that the voices have been changed, or rather auto-tuned. Haruko says it sounds like a robot or an alien. Futomaki and Kawashima just scoff at her complaints. Futomaki says he only wants to spice it up because the original song was too ordinary. Haruko asks him if he asked permission from the girls first before changing it, to which he replied no since it was "not necessary." Haruko accuses him of being arrogant and lacks consideration. She also mocks him for his use of lip-synching (in the past). "My daughter and Suzuka Hiromi are not the same!" she shouts at him. Her last remark sets Futomaki off.

He starts shouting in Kansai dialect. "This ain't charity, I'm running a business here!" He said that GMT was actually a bust and that he's using the TV docu as a way to get his money back. "Girls like you can at least be able to debut, your parents should at least be grateful for that!"

Haruko has had enough and says she's taking her daughter away since "you'll fire her anyway, right?" She takes Aki's hand and drags her out of the theater.

However, Aki stops at the exit and lets go off Haruko's hand. She is torn between staying in GMT and obeying her mother. She asks Haruko to let her think for a minute. Haruko says she just can't allow Aki to stay in Futomaki's company while the girls and Mizuguchi implore her not to leave. After a few seconds, Aki has decided. She chooses Haruko.

Aki turns around to say goodbye once again to Mizuguchi and the girls, this time, for real. She kneels down in front of Mizuguchi and asks him to make sure to tell Futomaki to let GMT debut. After Aki and Haruko leave, Mizuguchi goes straight to Futomaki's office to tell him Aki's message. But he feels so irked to see Futomaki and Kawashima had already started looking for another girl to replace Aki. "There's no one who can replace Amano!" he shouts at them.

Outside, Aki and Haruko are walking away from the theater. Haruko tells Aki she will do everything possible to make Aki debut as an Idol. Aki smiles and nods.

Ep. 108. Despite Haruko's vow to make Aki an Idol, things have pretty much gone back to the usual. Haruko goes back to being a housewife while Aki has moved back to Setagaya. Aki has also started working in Kai's Coffee Shop Idol as a part-time waitress, following in her mother's footsteps.

At the coffee shop, there are no customers except, for some reason, Mizuguchi. He is there sipping coffee, and talking about his days when he was in a band. Aki is bored but tries to listen to Mizuguchi's stories. She asks what happened to her request regarding GMT's debut. Mizuguchi says the time he tried to talk to Futomaki in his office, he had offended him. Mizuguchi told Futomaki's business instincts are "a little rusty" for letting Aki go. "GMT will not succeed without Amano Aki!" Insulted that Mizuguchi would dare tell him that, Futomaki declared in front of the camera, that instead of 10,000, he will sell 100,000 copies of GMT's song. So that means, GMT's song will indeed push through. However, the song and Aki's voice will remain the same. "Just my voice?" Aki sadly thinks to herself. "I'm the same as Mom." But she is happy that her friends will get to debut nevertheless.

The topic shifts to Muzuguchi and Aki's plans for the future. Mizuguchi is unsure what to do next since he's too proud to apologize to his boss and too scared to quit either. He jokes about going back to Kitasanriku and dig for amber. Aki says she does not want to go home and join Yui in doing Ama because she has to stay in Tokyo and still try her luck in becoming an Idol on her own. Mizuguchi assures her that she can make it as an Idol. He tells her that people gravitate towards her, because she exudes a happy aura. "Becoming an Idol is not something you can decide on your own," he continues. "Nor is it something that you can just declare for yourself. The people who gather around you are the ones who'll make you an Idol." Despite saying such uplifting words, Aki is not listening since she is on the phone with someone. She hands him her phone.

On the other end of the line is Ben who tells Mizuguchi that he's welcome to come back and dig for amber. Aki also got to talk with Yui. Yui, sensing that Aki is feeling down because she got fired from Futomaki's office, comforts her friend. Yui tells her the same exact words that Mizuguchi had said, that Aki has the ability to make people smile. "No matter where you go, or whatever you do, you're an Idol." Aki tears up, touched to hear those reassuring words from her best friend.

However, on a quiet Sunday(?) at the Setagaya home, Haruko is back to peeling beans in the dining area. Masamune and Aki are in the living area, sitting quietly, doing their own thing. Aki the Narrator says, it's as if the events in Kitasanriku and Ueno happened in a dream, that nothing had changed. But finally, Haruko realizes that they have reverted back to their ordinary, boring life, and panics. "No! This can't be happening again!" She tries to tell Aki but realizes her daughter is secretly making an effort to improve her singing using a tablet. Meanwhile, Masamune is making some bromide pictures in his laptop which he is distributing to his cab passengers as publicity flyers for Aki. Haruko is touched, happy that her family is actually doing something productive and has not forgotten at all.

Right there and then, Haruko decides to come up with their own talent agency. She will be the president, Aki will be the sole talent and Masamune will be... well, still the driver. With the three of them, this company will be called "Three J Production".

Next: Week 19

Previous: Week 17

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