Manga Maniac Cafe For the Geek in all of us

 CONTAINS LOTS AND LOTS OF SPOILERS!!!!

While Kuwano is trying to enjoy a quiet meal at home, he is interrupted by Michiru, who thanks him for helping her with the stalker.  While her back is turned to him, she haltingly confesses her newfound adoration for him, but Kuwano, dangling some food before Ken, thinks that they are discussing the dog’s  affection for him!  Talk about a miscommunication!

At the office, Kuwano has been invited to be on a TV show about building defects.  Researching the show, he learns that it’s watched by 11 million people!!  Plagued by a stomach ache, he goes to visit Natsumi, and lets her know that his stomach acts up when unusual things happen.  She immediately thinks of Michiru and her confession.  Kuwano laughs and remarks that he and Michiru discussed how much Ken likes cucumbers! (ROTFL!! Nobody in this show has got a clue!)  Dismissing Michiru, he requests something for his stomach, because he’s going to be on Big 9 in just a little while.  Natsumi’s wonders if he’s going to wear that shirt, and he rushes home to find something else to wear.

Answering the phone in her office, Natsumi checks her email at Kuwano’s suggestion.  He has emailed a picture of himself, and wants to know if that shirt is any better.  After numerous calls and emails, with her patience wearing thin, Natsumi finally likes one of his shirts.  Wondering why he’s taking advice from her, he tells her that if the audience doesn’t like the way he’s dressed, it’s all her fault!

With the building foreman attempting to horn in on Kuwano’s moment in the spotlight, the two begin choking each other after the filming wraps up.  Natsumi calls Michiru and gently informs her that Kuwano didn’t get the message the other night.  Michiru entreats Natsumi to tell Kuwano that she likes him.  Natsumi reluctantly gives in to her whining.  Michiru receives another call after hanging up with Natsumi; her uncle is coming back to Japan!

With the family gathered around to watch his TV segment at his sister’s house, Kuwano is upset to see that most of the scene was cut, including his explanation of the most important part of the house design process!  He’s not given much time to dwell on his disappointment, as his mother suddenly begins to suffer from chest pains.  She is rushed to the hospital.

After examining her, Natsumi discovers that she suffered from an arrhythmia from too much excitement, and proclaims she will be fine after some rest.  Left alone with his mother, Kuwano is relived that nothing was serious.  His mother thought her time was up, and now she’s most worried about his marital status.  When he asks if she wants to see her grandchildren that much, she chides him and says that she’s really worried about him.  Once she dies, there won’t be anyone else who seriously cares about him and that worries her most of all.

Going to see Natsumi, he wants to be sure that his mother is really all right.  She reassures him that she is fine.  She begins to tell him about Michiru, but can’t bring herself to do it.  Instead, she compliments how good he looked on TV.

Out to dinner with Eiji, Chiziru, and Saori, Michiru discloses that she has to move.  They joke about her moving next to someone stranger that Kuwano.  Natsumi calls, and Michiru dismisses herself to take the call.  Natsumi tells her that if she really likes Kuwano, she needs to tell him herself.  Bemoaning the sad fact that she has fallen in love with him, Chizuru overhears her.  Chizuru sneaks back to the table and shares the revelation with them.

Making his usual shopping stops on his way home, Kuwano notices that the store clerks are all wearing wedding rings…

At the office, Eiji tells Maya and Kuwano that Michiru is moving, and she has invited everyone over one last time.  Kuwano flatly declares that he’s not going.  He finds himself at her place any way, sipping tea as they wonder where everyone else is.  While Kuwano is playing with Ken, Eiji calls Michiru and tells her that they are all otherwise engaged, and that they know she has a crush on Kuwano.  Maya laughs that it’s like high school.  When they learn that Natsumi has arrived, Saori and Eiji are upset that their experiment has failed. Maya, on the other hand, thinks things are just getting interesting.

 
Kuwano and Natsumi begin quarreling, and Michiru gets angry with them.  Why do they have to have a lover’s quarrel at her house.  Both Kuwano and Natsumi are taken aback.  Michiru orders them out of her house, and sobs on Ken after they leave.

At the bar, Kawano is approached by Kaneda, who was impressed with his TV appearance.  He looked up some of Kuwano’s houses on the net, and was impressed with his work.  They share a friendly chat, and after Kaneda excuses himself to rejoin his girlfriend, Kuwano is forced to admit that he’s a nice guy.

Natsumi and Michiru meet in the park, and Michiru, smiling, understands that Natsumi likes Kuwano, too.  She declares that a man who can’t understand a woman’s feelings isn’t right for her, and wishes Natsumi luck.   

Returning to the hospital, she bids farewell to Kuwano’s mother.  Left alone with Kuwano, she asks what  that the director cut out of his interview.  When he tells her, she thinks that maybe she’s have him build her house, which will be bright, and open, and always full of people.  Ever the blockhead, he comments that she’s must be lonely to have a dream like that.  She complains that whenever they talk, it’s like a game of dodge ball.  They hit each other and it’s done.  She wants to try to play catch with him instead and she has just thrown the ball.  She goes back to work, and Kuwano is left speechless on the sidewalk.

Ever the literal thinker, he contemplates a baseball at his desk.  Eiji, checking Kaneda’s website, is shocked when he reads the latest post, "Just made a good friend," and sees a picture of Kuwano posing with Kaneda.

Alone in his apartment, even Kuwano’s music doesn’t seem to fill the emptiness of the evening.  Michiru and Ken have moved out, the goldfish is swimming alone, and there’s a void where his contentment used to be.  Thinking of Natsumi, he pulls out his sketch pad and works feverishly into the night.

Going to visit Natsumi the next day, he clumsily confesses his love for her, and hopes that he is good enough for her.  They share a brief moment of happiness, before he declares that he can’t get married.  She is taken aback, and wonders what he means.  As long as he can’t design the perfect house, he can’t get married.  Natsumi, crushed, screams at him that she can’t take it anymore and runs from the room.  Kuwano, once again, is left wondering what went wrong.

Both Kuwano and Natsumi are walking home from work, carrying their groceries.  They bump into each other, and she gently reproaches him when she sees the meat in his shopping bag.  He asks her if she has a pressure cooker, and learns that she does not.   He tells her that she can make her cabbage rolls in about 10 minutes with his pressure cooker.  Stunned, she wants to know if he’s inviting her over.  He pauses, and nods.  If she insists.  Natsumi will not insist.  But if he insists, she’ll come over.  *drum roll* He actually says "please", and does insist!  As they walk off together, there’s a shot of his apartment.  On the table, is a sketch of the perfect house, and a mock-up next to it.

I absolutely loved this show.  The characters were so quirky and unusual, and their personalities all played well off one another.  I liked how Ken was the catalyst for Kuwano’s emotional break-through.  I enjoyed the bar scenes, and how Kaneda and Kuwano’s relationship progressed just through them sitting along the same bar, and how Kuwano was finally able to accept the other man’s friendship.  It was fun to see him grow enough to set aside his jealousy of the other architect.

Natsumi’s remarks about them playing dodge ball were so indicative of their relationship.  Her desire to move beyond striking out at each other, and instead cooperate and move toward a common goal made for an emotional scene.  Meeting her finally shook Kuwano from his solitude, and showed him that having someone to talk to, and share life with, wasn’t such a bad thing.  (Though I pity Natsumi for falling for such an anal guy!  Don’t ever leave a crumb on the counter!)

Kuwano’s mother was a wonderful character, always pushing her son to reach out to other people and constantly getting grief for it.  Her conversation with him while she was in the hospital, softly voicing her concerns that he would lead a life of true loneliness, brought tears to my eyes.  What does a mother want other than to have her children be happy?  Too bad her son was so stubborn and caused her so much grief!!

Poor Michiru seemed a little abandoned and forgotten, as she sat with Ken wondering how everyone was.  I found this scene rather depressing, as she was the only major character to not find human companionship.  Of course with a goofy looking little dog like Ken, I can see why the men aren’t beating down her door.  But other than your mother, only a dog will give you unconditional love, so I guess she can’t complain too much, since he probably doesn’t talk when she’s trying to read or watch TV. 

Now I feel rather lost, as I enjoyed this show so much that I know whatever I watch next just won’t compare.  I highly recommend this show!