Rinko is facing trouble at work as she keeps rewriting the script to satisfy the director. Hayasaka and Mami invite Rinko for dinner, and she brings them to Nonbe, dragging Koyuki and Kaori as well. Upon Hayasaka’s invitation the three girls go to a concert for a band, where we are introduced to Kaori’s ex, Ryo, who she spots as the band’s guitarist. The band sings the theme song for the drama Rinko is writing, and they bump into Key backstage, who appears in the band’s music video and also turns out to be a friend of Ryo.
Kaori thinks of this meeting with Ryo as a second chance and while he hugs her out of happiness, this moment is cut short by the appearance of his girlfriend. The three girls head back to Nonbe to drink, but not without Key bluntly telling Kaori off for beign naïve.
Later, Koyuki spots Key buying a flower and follows him into a cemetery where he places it on a grave.
Hayasaka tells Rinko that she’s been dropped from the project, with the director going for a different scriptwriter. A depressed Rinko tries to get her job back by following the director and scriptwriter to a hotel believing the gossip from Mami that the scriptwriter may be giving other favors in exchange for jobs. But it turns out that this isn’t the case at all and an embarrassed Rinko leaves after being spotted by Hayasaka.
Kaori tries to forget about Ryo. He calls her and asks her to meet but she rejects him. Later, she ends up meeting him.
Rinko goes to Nonbe to drink away her depression, and Key strikes up a conversation with her, where she reveals that her personal life has affected her work: she is unable to write a good script because she hasn’t had any experience.
Key brings a drunk Rinko to her apartment, after being asked by Koyuki’s father.
In the last quarter of the episode, the scenes go back and forth from Ryo and Kaori to Key and Rinko.
Ryo brings Kaori to his apartment because he wants to show her something: the view of Tokyo tower he promised her many years ago. Kaori pretends not to remember. But as they watch the view, Kaori gives in to Ryo as he kisses her and they end up in bed together.
Rinko wakes up at her apartment to find Key there, and she talks about how her life is over. Key reveals a bit more of himself as he tells her he knew someone like her, a tarareba onna. After Rinko says a woman like her without a man or even a job, is over, he suggests she try sleeping with him. Rinko is confused, but doesn’t stop him.
The next morning, Kaori learns that Ryo is living with his girlfriend and Rinko wakes up to find Key gone and in disbelief that they slept together.
Thoughts:
I’m glad to see pacing was retained from first episode, and some additional development for other characters. This episode was quite packed, and two couples at the end of it certainly moved fast. For a j-drama to have two love scenes (even a kiss) quite early on, is a good sign. Although looking back on the manga, it’s actually not a surprise.
Of course the main turning point here is Kaori and Rinko.
Kaori at first is flustered to meet Ryo again and despite knowing he has a girlfriend, she’s hoping he’s coming back to her. Ryo seems to still have feelings for Kaori as well, no hard feelings from her dumping him back then. Following her heart over her head, she sleeps with him, but is shocked that he’s actually cheating with Kaori in an apartment he shares with his girlfriend. Ryo seems innocent, perfectly aware that he’s two-timing, but doesn’t seem to see anything wrong with seeing two women at the same time. Kaori has become the other woman, although we’ll have to see what her position in Ryo’s life really is.
Rinko, earlier in the episode admitted to the girls that Key is her type (his face), she is irritated at how his face and personality just don’t match up. This episode was hard on Rinko, having to see Hayasaka and Mami being all happy, and then losing her job.
Key continues as a sounding board, this time not just for Rinko, but Kaori as well. He is actually kinder to Rinko while she’s getting drunk at Nonbe, and even carries her home.
Their conversation when she wakes up show his more human side, where he’s not exactly encouraging her, he’s still very candid and level-headed. He doesn’t feed Rinko’s self-pity and hears her out.
Earlier in the episode, Koyuki sees him buying a flower and follows him to a cemetery where he places it on a grave with the name, Sawada Yoko. Later, she asks her father about him, and deduces that the person who used to come to Nonbe (who’s not here anymore) could be this person.
Key also tells Rinko that he knew a woman like her and that’s why he gets so irritated seeing her, she should be “a tarareba onna” properly. Obviously, this is Sawada Yoko, although we still don’t know why she died and who she was to Key. This is the biggest clue so far on what Key thinks about Rinko, he reminds her of that person, and clearly that person was important to him. While it’s a cliché for them to sleep together, when Rinko is drunk and emotionally vulnerable, it is Key who initiates their sleeping together.
Whether Key actually feels something for Rinko or just that she reminds him of Yoko (even their names are close…) we’ll have to find out later.
Rinko, with Key, was probably so confused in that moment. But with nothing going right in her life, I think she felt she had nothing to lose.
This episode definitely moved the drama at a fast pace, and also introduced a new storyline with Kaori and Ryo. [I remember watching it when it first aired, and I looked forward to episode 3 so much, to see how they resolve this, since Rinko was basically confused/didn’t know what to do at the end. so far, with developments for Rinko and Kaori, all that’s left is Koyuki.
Side notes:
What is with jdramas and awkward love scenes?
This drama isn’t exempt from jdrama/movies with awkward kissing scenes, although Ryo and Kaori with their familiar feel, are slightly better. I appreciate Key turning his head in an angle for a less awkward kiss, but Rinko practically staying still, plus her eyes wide open still made it awkward [I know she’s shocked, but can it hurt to close her eyes], this plus the very stiff/mechanical way of Key pushing Rinko sideways on the couch is just so awkward.
Another is that I don’t always know the time intervals in the scenes. Sometimes it’s clear that it’s the next day. Other times, they’re skipping a few days or more than a week, but I can’t always tell.
inksmearedfingers 