AIR 10

It's sunset, and as a boy and girl play on the beach Misuzu says hello to the guy sitting there. He doesn't respond. She wishes she could play with someone like those kids are doing. The kids walk away, holding hands...

Misuzu's brought Sora home and Haruko doesn't seem to like him. Misuzu wants to keep him but she says no. But Sora's so cute... and pecks Haruko in the face as Misuzu holds him up. They'll have to apologize to her tomorrow...

At school the next day.. summer vacation's about to start and Misuzu's determined to invite people to play with her over it. She practices with Sora then leaves... Piko. Piko... Potato walks up and looks at Sora. Sora seems to be scared and jumps away, going in a window and through the school, eventually finding his way back outside to where Kano's taking care of some rabbits. She picks him up and he pecks at the big ribbon on her arm, but she can't take it off yet. She sets him down...

A crying Misuzu walks back to Sora.. she'll be alone this summer again.. She couldn't get anyone to say they'll come play with her. Everybody knows she's not a normal girl.. She walks back to the sea wall where that guy is still sleeping.. She doesn't want to be alone this summer, so she'll try talking to that person. He wakes up and she says hello to him..

Back to Misuzu's house where Haruko's not pleased that yet another one has come, but she'll let Yukito stay. Ouside with Sora, she talks while having a drink. Yukito seems to be getting along well with Misuzu. She doesn't know if he'll be able to become friends with her because of her sickness.. But Yukito doesn't seem to be a bad guy so she'll see what he can do..

Sora stays home while everyone's out the next day. A man comes by with something, and Sora slips out when he opens the door. Haruko comes speeding around the corner on her motorcycle, stopping just right before she runs over Sora. Sora has the ride of his life as he and Haruko go the temple. There'll be a festival there soon.. it'll be the tenth time.. she remembers well what happened a while back, with Misuzu going "Gao~, gao~" and her thinking that a chick would become a dinosaur... Misuzu was a child that no one wanted to be born.. Misuzu's father forced her onto Haruko.. If that guy comes back saying he'll take Misuzu away she'll go back to her life by herself she doesn't really care for.. She had never gotten Misuzu something for her birthday, pretending she had forgotten. She didn't know what to do this year.. she throws the dinosaur doll.. there's no way they can become a real family... Sora feels like he's seen these things before somewhere, but he can't remember when or where no matter how hard he tries.

Misuzu tries (and I mean tries) to make breakfast for Yukito but, being a dojiko, runs into things and makes a mess ;) Yuktito walks Misuzu to school and afterwards Sora goes back to the temple. A girl, Maika (Saika's sister) and her mother are there. Sora goes and gets the dinosaur doll that Haruko threw away. The girl walks over and gets the doll after seeing it move, and her mother puts it on the altar of the temple. Sora flys away and runs into Minagi. If he doesn't have a home she'll take him to see Michiru and eat as much rice as he wants.. but Sora goes away, and Minagi knows it's because he does have a place to go back to.

Haruko brings Misuzu home from school after she has another one of her breakdowns.. we see the scene of Misuzu breaking down after Yukito comes back again.. After Yukito says Haruko should act more like a parent we hear Haruko talking to herself.. things can't go on like this. She's decided she'll make Misuzu her own child now. She leaves the next day, but she'll be back soon...

The scene where Yukito says he's going away from Misuzu comes.. After he leaves she falls down and cries now that she's all alone.. In the bed she thinks.. she's alone today, she'll always be alone, and starts crying.. Yukito comes back and disappears in that flash of light after wishing to help Misuzu.. Sora finally remembers who he is.. He was once Yukito and was by Misuzu's side. He disappears then a vision of Yukito appears in light.. He's here for Misuzu. They embrace. She'll be able to finally arrive at the goal no one until now has been able to get to.. He'll always be by her side.. She'll do her best.. and as they grab each other's hand he disappears.

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So Yukito's wish came true through the power that was in the puppet and he was able to go back and start things over.. though as a crow. Thank goodness for the bit of humor this time with Sora after what happened last time. Haruko's motorcycle driving is probably on par with Yukari-sensei's driving ;) Interesting to see things from Sora's point of view. Saw a lot of things we didn't see the first time -- especially concerning Haruko -- her change in attitude from thinking she couldn't be family with Misuzu to finally deciding that she was going to treat Misuzu as her own child. Seems we'll be meeting Misuzu's dad next time as Misuzu seems to have gotten worse, judging from the preview..

And now, trying to do my best Satoshi impression, I'd like to a look at the scene near the beginning of this episode, of the boy and girl playing on the beach together, then holding hands as they left. I'm guessing that girl is the girl on the title logo, yes? You don't put something on the title logo for nothing, so I guess those two would be a representation of what Misuzu wishes for.. someone to play with, someone to be real friends with, someone to hold hands with.. and the "holding hands" image comes up later as she and Yukito hold hands right before he disappears.

I'll stop trying to analyze things deeply there for now ;)