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earth_colors) wrote2013-05-21 06:19 pm
earth_colors) wrote2013-05-21 06:19 pm
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Amachan: Week 2 Episode Guide
Week 2: "I don't want to go back to Tokyo"
"I think the problem is not the place, it's the person himself."
Episode Summaries:
Ep. 7. Aki starts her first days of training as an Ama. Being a rookie, she is tasked to do simple chores first (cleaning the beach, assisting her seniors, showing hospitality to customers), and is not expected to dive yet for uni*. When the tourists leave, the older women teach her the proper basic sea-swimming techniques. By night, she is exhausted and falls asleep at the dinner table. At this time, Haruko informs Natsu she is getting a divorce from her cab driver husband. "So that is why you did not want to go home," Natsu says. She also tells her, "While you're here, get a job to help pay for our living costs." So Haruko accepts the job of manning Natsu's shop** (both as cafe and snack bar).
She starts working the next day at the cafe. Daikichi drops by and both recall the day when she left. "I hated the countryside, and its lame people, including you and myself," she said. But Daikichi says he had loved her ever since back then. He still believes that their city's time will come. He gets up to sing and for some reason, chooses a karaoke song from 1984, "Ghostbusters." Aki, meanwhile, rushes to finish her train station job selling unidonburi so she could head out to the sea. Before she is taught to dive, she must first pass the test of holding her breath under the water for one minute. So far, she has not succeeded yet. And just when Haruko is back home, filling up her divorce papers, a man driving a Tokyo cab arrives in town. It is her husband and Aki's father, Kurokawa Masamune...
(*Uni = sea urchin)
(**Both shops are named "Riasu", pronounced as 'Rias' but spelled differently: Cafe Riasu [リアス] and Snack Bar Riasu [spelled with characters 梨明日 or 'pear-tomorrow']; It comes from the word 'ria' which means a deeply indented coastline)
Ep. 8. Aki is feeling impatient. So far, she has not passed the underwater test yet and is worried that summer break will soon be over without her being able to dive yet. Meanwhile, Masamune asks a local, Osanai Rokuro (Fishing Co-op president) to show him the way to Sodegahama. When they reach the village, Osanai proceeds to the Co-op where Aki and the Ama-sans are. Aki sees old photos of past Amas. Some of them were topless. The older folks tease Aki, saying that rookie Amas go diving topless for the first few years. "So you should do it, too!" Aki believes it and is shocked. She tells Natsu she does not want to dive anymore but was later reassured that it was just a joke, and that the old practice of diving topless was all in the past. Natsu tells the story of how her husband fought against this practice. "He was so cool and so I decided to marry him!" Meanwhile, as Haruko is dropping the divorce papers in the mailbox, Masamune arrives. He is surprised to learn about the divorce but Haruko does not explain why. "It's all in the letter that I mailed to you." He also learns about Aki's desire to be an Ama, and was against it. He goes over to the beach to reprimand her but Natsu gets in between them. It is the first time Masamune meets his mother-in-law and tries to apologize. They did not notice that Aki is gone. She has dived into the sea again.
Ep. 9. Aki swims away leaving her arguing relatives behind. She goes to the Fishing Co-op, and stays late to chat with the people there. She enjoys listening to them talk about the personal lives of Daikichi and some of the Ama-sans. Hiroshi drops by and tells Aki he saw her jump into the sea again but did not sound the siren because she looked fine. At the Amano home, Haruko and her husband discuss about the divorce. She tries to explain why she wants to divorce him, albeit vaguely, saying that it maybe good for Aki and herself. But Masamune does not see a reason why they should since he was a man who prioritizes his family more than his job (which Haruko wished for in the first place). Anyway, Haruko says she already made up her mind and had signed the divorce papers using the Amano (her maiden name) seal. But Daikichi and Anbe tell her that she should have used her married name seal because if not, the document will be invalid. Haruko: "Oh, I didn't know that since I've never been divorced before." Later, Masamune goes to the bar with the men and tells how he met Haruko in Tokyo in 1988. She was a passenger of his and they hit it off well, dated and got married. Yayoi (Ama, 59 yo) tells him that Haruko grew up in a family whose parents were not always at home. "When you're with someone all the time, soon you won't have anything to talk about." Then, Daikichi (who is weak against alcohol) passes out, apparently unaware that Yayoi was serving him oolong tea mixed with alcohol. Back at the Amanos, Aki arrives home, looking cheerful. Haruko is supposed to tell her about the divorce but Aki (thanks to her recent helpful chat with the Ama-sans) says there is no need to say anything because she understands that Haruko is going through a lot of things. The next morning, Masamune goes to the beach again to see Aki... He watches her from a distance, noticing that Aki is happier and laughing cheerfully - a far cry from the gloomy and shy daughter that he had known in Tokyo...
Ep. 10. Masamune is joined by Haruko and both watch Aki smile happily at the customers. Masamune gives in and tells Aki later that he's going back to Tokyo and that she could continue being an Ama for the whole summer. Meanwhile, Hiroshi also watches Aki's light-hearted smile from the monitoring hut. Later, he goes to the cafe and chats with Haruko. She tells him his father (the congressman) used to be her high school teacher. "How is he?" Hiroshi reveals they not been talking much in years. Haruko guesses correctly regarding Hiroshi's short stint in Tokyo. "Did you feel you didn't belong there?" He nods and says, "Anyway, I don't feel I belong anywhere." Haruko feels the same way about Tokyo. She thought her leaving the countryside for Tokyo was a good decision. But it turned out to be unsatisfying. "I think the problem is not the place, it's the person himself." Meanwhile, Aki is alone finishing her chores at the beach when she sees a man taking pictures of her. She tells Haruko about it that night. Alarmed that a pervert is peeping at her daughter, Haruko goes to the beach the next day, to stand guard. As Aki is trying hard to pass her underwater test (staying under for a minute), the man, Hibiki Ichiro (who happens to be just a harmless Camera Boy or hobby photographer) shows up taking pictures again of the Amas. Haruko screams, "Pervert!" and chases after him. The Amas give chase too, leaving Aki behind, unsupervised. Being underwater, she does not know she is being pulled away into the sea. Good thing a fishing boat is passing by, and rescues her. At the Co-op, everyone is relieved that she is okay. Plus, she joyfully learns that throughout the commotion about the "pervert," she was able to stay underwater for over a minute. Thus, signaling that Aki is ready to begin her diving lessons.
Ep. 11. Aki begins her diving training but has a hard time reaching the uni at the bottom. During her vending chores at the train station, she sees Hibiki again, taking pictures of Yui who was posing willingly like a model. Aki wants to thank the man for helping her pass the underwater test but he is rude to her, and tells her to "buzz off, ugly." Aki gets mad and throws uni at him. Despite that, she was able to talk to Yui who remembers her from before. Yui says she has a blog and that is how Hibiki got in touch with her, asking if he could take pictures of her. Aki is in awe of Yui's prettiness, and was delighted to be invited by her to some town activity the next day. It turns out to be volunteer work, making parade floats for the city's upcoming Autumn Festival. Aki feels happy being with everyone but feels sad that she will be leaving soon. Yui, on the other hand, loves to talk about Tokyo (even though she's never been there), and does not seem to notice the beauty of her own hometown. Aki decides to forget about her sadness, make the most of her remaining time and see all that she can about Kitasanriku. So she goes with Oda Ben (amber miner) and visits the amber mine that he himself had dug up. Here, she is able to let out her feelings by shouting: "I don't want to go back to Tokyo!! I want to stay in Kitasanriku forever!!"
Ep. 12. The atmosphere is gloomy at the Fishing Co-op as Aki's return to Tokyo draws near. A touching moment passes between Natsu and her granddaughter when she feeds Aki with sea urchin for the last time. "Don't you forget the taste." Hiroshi also bids Aki farewell, gifting her with free curry tickets from a shop in Tokyo. That night, the Ama-sans and the men discuss and lament about the mother and daughter's impending departure. The women insist that Daikichi propose to Haruko so she won't have to leave. Natsu chooses not to do anything about the situation, quoting her favorite line: "Those who leave will not be pursued.* " Meanwhile, Haruko wants to ask Aki if she really wants to leave. But Aki, bottling up her true feelings, says she's fine about returning to Tokyo. Natsu comes home, and goes straight to bed early, ignoring the fact about their leaving. "Gotta get up early. Better go to sleep." Haruko remembers that those were also the words she said the last time Haruko left home 24 years ago. "If there's something we have to talk about, you always turn a blind eye and pretend to sleep!" The next day, the Ama-sans gather at the house to say goodbye, except for Natsu who went to the beach to gather seaweeds. Daikichi is supposed to propose but backs out. At the station, Aki hesitates to ride the train home. Haruko asks her what she really wants to do but Aki still says she's okay with it. Just in time, Haruko steps off the departing train and pulls Aki with her. The train leaves without them. They go back to Natsu's home, much to the delight of the grandmother.
(*The complete saying is "Those who come will be welcomed. Those who leave will not be pursued.")
Next: Week 3
Previous: Week 1
Episode Index: Link
Character Guide: Link
"I think the problem is not the place, it's the person himself."
Episode Summaries:
Ep. 7. Aki starts her first days of training as an Ama. Being a rookie, she is tasked to do simple chores first (cleaning the beach, assisting her seniors, showing hospitality to customers), and is not expected to dive yet for uni*. When the tourists leave, the older women teach her the proper basic sea-swimming techniques. By night, she is exhausted and falls asleep at the dinner table. At this time, Haruko informs Natsu she is getting a divorce from her cab driver husband. "So that is why you did not want to go home," Natsu says. She also tells her, "While you're here, get a job to help pay for our living costs." So Haruko accepts the job of manning Natsu's shop** (both as cafe and snack bar).
She starts working the next day at the cafe. Daikichi drops by and both recall the day when she left. "I hated the countryside, and its lame people, including you and myself," she said. But Daikichi says he had loved her ever since back then. He still believes that their city's time will come. He gets up to sing and for some reason, chooses a karaoke song from 1984, "Ghostbusters." Aki, meanwhile, rushes to finish her train station job selling unidonburi so she could head out to the sea. Before she is taught to dive, she must first pass the test of holding her breath under the water for one minute. So far, she has not succeeded yet. And just when Haruko is back home, filling up her divorce papers, a man driving a Tokyo cab arrives in town. It is her husband and Aki's father, Kurokawa Masamune...(*Uni = sea urchin)
(**Both shops are named "Riasu", pronounced as 'Rias' but spelled differently: Cafe Riasu [リアス] and Snack Bar Riasu [spelled with characters 梨明日 or 'pear-tomorrow']; It comes from the word 'ria' which means a deeply indented coastline)
Ep. 8. Aki is feeling impatient. So far, she has not passed the underwater test yet and is worried that summer break will soon be over without her being able to dive yet.
Meanwhile, Masamune asks a local, Osanai Rokuro (Fishing Co-op president) to show him the way to Sodegahama. When they reach the village, Osanai proceeds to the Co-op where Aki and the Ama-sans are. Aki sees old photos of past Amas. Some of them were topless. The older folks tease Aki, saying that rookie Amas go diving topless for the first few years. "So you should do it, too!" Aki believes it and is shocked. She tells Natsu she does not want to dive anymore but was later reassured that it was just a joke, and that the old practice of diving topless was all in the past. Natsu tells the story of how her husband fought against this practice. "He was so cool and so I decided to marry him!" Meanwhile, as Haruko is dropping the divorce papers in the mailbox, Masamune arrives. He is surprised to learn about the divorce but Haruko does not explain why. "It's all in the letter that I mailed to you." He also learns about Aki's desire to be an Ama, and was against it. He goes over to the beach to reprimand her but Natsu gets in between them. It is the first time Masamune meets his mother-in-law and tries to apologize. They did not notice that Aki is gone. She has dived into the sea again.Ep. 9. Aki swims away leaving her arguing relatives behind. She goes to the Fishing Co-op, and stays late to chat with the people there. She enjoys listening to them talk about the personal lives of Daikichi and some of the Ama-sans. Hiroshi drops by and tells Aki he saw her jump into the sea again but did not sound the siren because she looked fine.
At the Amano home, Haruko and her husband discuss about the divorce. She tries to explain why she wants to divorce him, albeit vaguely, saying that it maybe good for Aki and herself. But Masamune does not see a reason why they should since he was a man who prioritizes his family more than his job (which Haruko wished for in the first place). Anyway, Haruko says she already made up her mind and had signed the divorce papers using the Amano (her maiden name) seal. But Daikichi and Anbe tell her that she should have used her married name seal because if not, the document will be invalid. Haruko: "Oh, I didn't know that since I've never been divorced before." Later, Masamune goes to the bar with the men and tells how he met Haruko in Tokyo in 1988. She was a passenger of his and they hit it off well, dated and got married. Yayoi (Ama, 59 yo) tells him that Haruko grew up in a family whose parents were not always at home. "When you're with someone all the time, soon you won't have anything to talk about." Then, Daikichi (who is weak against alcohol) passes out, apparently unaware that Yayoi was serving him oolong tea mixed with alcohol. Back at the Amanos, Aki arrives home, looking cheerful. Haruko is supposed to tell her about the divorce but Aki (thanks to her recent helpful chat with the Ama-sans) says there is no need to say anything because she understands that Haruko is going through a lot of things. The next morning, Masamune goes to the beach again to see Aki... He watches her from a distance, noticing that Aki is happier and laughing cheerfully - a far cry from the gloomy and shy daughter that he had known in Tokyo...Ep. 10. Masamune is joined by Haruko and both watch Aki smile happily at the customers. Masamune gives in and tells Aki later that he's going back to Tokyo and that she could continue being an Ama for the whole summer.
Meanwhile, Hiroshi also watches Aki's light-hearted smile from the monitoring hut. Later, he goes to the cafe and chats with Haruko. She tells him his father (the congressman) used to be her high school teacher. "How is he?" Hiroshi reveals they not been talking much in years. Haruko guesses correctly regarding Hiroshi's short stint in Tokyo. "Did you feel you didn't belong there?" He nods and says, "Anyway, I don't feel I belong anywhere." Haruko feels the same way about Tokyo. She thought her leaving the countryside for Tokyo was a good decision. But it turned out to be unsatisfying. "I think the problem is not the place, it's the person himself." Meanwhile, Aki is alone finishing her chores at the beach when she sees a man taking pictures of her. She tells Haruko about it that night. Alarmed that a pervert is peeping at her daughter, Haruko goes to the beach the next day, to stand guard. As Aki is trying hard to pass her underwater test (staying under for a minute), the man, Hibiki Ichiro (who happens to be just a harmless Camera Boy or hobby photographer) shows up taking pictures again of the Amas. Haruko screams, "Pervert!" and chases after him. The Amas give chase too, leaving Aki behind, unsupervised. Being underwater, she does not know she is being pulled away into the sea. Good thing a fishing boat is passing by, and rescues her. At the Co-op, everyone is relieved that she is okay. Plus, she joyfully learns that throughout the commotion about the "pervert," she was able to stay underwater for over a minute. Thus, signaling that Aki is ready to begin her diving lessons. Ep. 11. Aki begins her diving training but has a hard time reaching the uni at the bottom. During her vending chores at the train station, she sees Hibiki again, taking pictures of Yui who was posing willingly like a model. Aki wants to thank the man for helping her pass the underwater test but he is rude to her, and tells her to "buzz off, ugly." Aki gets mad and throws uni at him. Despite that, she was able to talk to Yui who remembers her from before. Yui says she has a blog and that is how Hibiki got in touch with her, asking if he could take pictures of her. Aki is in awe of Yui's prettiness, and was delighted to be invited by her to some town activity the next day.
It turns out to be volunteer work, making parade floats for the city's upcoming Autumn Festival. Aki feels happy being with everyone but feels sad that she will be leaving soon. Yui, on the other hand, loves to talk about Tokyo (even though she's never been there), and does not seem to notice the beauty of her own hometown. Aki decides to forget about her sadness, make the most of her remaining time and see all that she can about Kitasanriku. So she goes with Oda Ben (amber miner) and visits the amber mine that he himself had dug up. Here, she is able to let out her feelings by shouting: "I don't want to go back to Tokyo!! I want to stay in Kitasanriku forever!!"Ep. 12. The atmosphere is gloomy at the Fishing Co-op as Aki's return to Tokyo draws near. A touching moment passes between Natsu and her granddaughter when she feeds Aki with sea urchin for the last time. "Don't you forget the taste." Hiroshi also bids Aki farewell, gifting her with free curry tickets from a shop in Tokyo.
That night, the Ama-sans and the men discuss and lament about the mother and daughter's impending departure. The women insist that Daikichi propose to Haruko so she won't have to leave. Natsu chooses not to do anything about the situation, quoting her favorite line: "Those who leave will not be pursued.* " Meanwhile, Haruko wants to ask Aki if she really wants to leave. But Aki, bottling up her true feelings, says she's fine about returning to Tokyo. Natsu comes home, and goes straight to bed early, ignoring the fact about their leaving. "Gotta get up early. Better go to sleep." Haruko remembers that those were also the words she said the last time Haruko left home 24 years ago. "If there's something we have to talk about, you always turn a blind eye and pretend to sleep!" The next day, the Ama-sans gather at the house to say goodbye, except for Natsu who went to the beach to gather seaweeds. Daikichi is supposed to propose but backs out. At the station, Aki hesitates to ride the train home. Haruko asks her what she really wants to do but Aki still says she's okay with it. Just in time, Haruko steps off the departing train and pulls Aki with her. The train leaves without them. They go back to Natsu's home, much to the delight of the grandmother.(*The complete saying is "Those who come will be welcomed. Those who leave will not be pursued.")
Next: Week 3
Previous: Week 1
Episode Index: Link
Character Guide: Link