Suzuka Ep 24: Shissou (Disappearance)

The Tokyo tournament begins where Yamato is hyped up over the upcoming race. Meanwhile, Suzuka manages to clear her event with a good result which will allow her to take part in the Kantou tournament.

As Yamato keeps telling himself that he will confess to Suzuka again about his feelings if he gets No.1, he can't help but wonder if she will reject him again. When he recalls how Suzuka offered her best wishes to him for the race, he gets encouraged about his chances in succeeding.

Miyamoto comes to ask Yamato about his running style for the race and the latter happily remarks that he will follow what he has been doing during training. Miyamoto seems concerned about this but does not comment further and reminds Yamato to take it easy since he has to run in 3 races over the 2-day event. Yamato reassures him that everything will be fine and goes to do his warming-up. Miyamoto reveals to the captain that ever since Yamato changed his running style, he may have been suppressing his accleration rate unknowingly which results in his running time being slower than before. However, changing the running style is for Yamato's interests in the long run since that will make him a potential national champion even if he does lose to Arima in this tournament now.

The 100m race begins with Yamato taking the lead at the start. However, Arima gradually overtakes him and Yamato ends up being the last in the heat due to his inability to accelerate at will. In the end, Arima takes the gold medal for the race as Yamato wallows in despair over the result.

Miyamoto apologises to Yamato for getting him to change his running style in just 2 weeks but the latter says that it is his fault since his mind went blank during the race. Miyamoto encourages Yamato to work hard for the summer tournament instead but he keeps thinking that he's a burden to his teammates and isn't sure what he should do.

Yamato skips his dinner again which makes Miho comment that he's been like that since losing the race yesterday. Suzuka doesn't seem too interested in this topic and leaves the dining area after finishing her dinner. As such, Miho and Ayano wonder if Yamato and Suzuka are engaged in a cold war again.

In actual fact, Yamato is not so troubled over losing the race but rather not meeting Suzuka's expectations when she had even encouraged him to do his best. As such, Yamato doesn't know how he should face Suzuka. Just then, Suzuka comes to look for him and offers to cook boiled eggs for him since she bought too many during a sale. Yamato asks why she didn't cook it in her apartment but she says that she didn't want to waste her gas supplies since the eggs are meant for Yamato in the first place. When Yamato sees Suzuka washing his dirty dishes, he keeps wondering why she came to his place but gives up thinking since he can never comprehend her actions. Suzuka suddenly talks about her past experience of not doing well in the high-jump event which makes Yamato realise that she is here to get him to cheer up.

When Suzuka prepares to go home, Yamato decides to tell her about his feelings again and says that he will wait for her answer until the day he wins the next race. This makes Suzuka recall what Tsuda said to her on the day before he was killed in an accident and she stops Yamato from speaking further. Suzuka tells Yamato to stop whatever he's saying and rushes out of his apartment. This makes Yamato very upset since it means that he won't get a chance to confess again.

Miho comes to look for Yamato and reveals that Suzuka is not in her apartment. This makes Yamato get worried since it's been one hour after she ran out of his place. As such, he can't help but feel that his confession is the reason why Suzuka is still loitering outside.

Yamato goes out to look for Suzuka and calls Miki to help. Meanwhile, Suzuka is in tears as she walks around aimlessly and ends up at the shrine's entrance...

The more I watch this, the more irritated I get about the development of Yamato and Suzuka's relationship. It's so obvious that Suzuka does have feelings for Yamato but she seems to be backing out every now and then whenever something reminds her of the similarity between him and Tsuda. It's high time she got over Tsuda but of course, it's easier said than done. I get the feeling that she does like Yamato as compared to what she feels for Tsuda though. It's as if Tsuda was somewhat like an idol to her and she didn't really see him in the romantic sense until his confession. Unless she gets over this psychological barrier, there will be no resolution to the problem.

Suzuka Ep 23: Gekirei (Encouragement)

Miyamoto offers a suggestion to Yamato about how he should improve his running technique so as to increase his chances of winning Arima. However, as there is little time before the Tokyo tournament, Miyamoto is concerned about the consequences of changing his running style at this juncture. Upon hearing this, Yamato assures Miyamoto that he will put in his best effort so the latter decides to draw up a new training plan for Yamato.

Yamato tells Suzuka enthusiastically about the change in training plans and the possibility of him running faster than before but she is sceptical about this proposal working out. Suzuka even goes to the extent of dampening Yamato's hopes and screams at him to stop telling her about his plans. This makes Yamato bewildered as to why Suzuka is blowing up at him for no apparent reason.

During practice, Honoka wants to bring a towel to Yamato but stops in her tracks when she sees how hard he has been training for the tournament and him smiling happily in the company of the teammates. Much as she wants to show concern for him as an ordinary friend, Honoka finds it hard to do so especially when others are around.

Yamato gets Miki to stay back with him for more training whereby she senses his enthusiasm in trying to achieve the best results. Yamato tries to conceal the reason why he is so hyped up about being the champion but Miki realises that he is doing this for the sake of Suzuka. Miki reminds Yamato that being the No.1 would not win him Suzuka's heart but he is insistent on achieving this because he wants to be worthy of Suzuka when he confesses his feelings for her again. Miki decides to help Yamato continue with the training under the condition that he has to treat her to dinner. Unknown to them, Honoka has overheard their conversation.

During dinner, Miho remarks to Ayano that they should do something to encourage Yamato who has been training hard. When they ask Suzuka for suggestions, the latter leaves the dining area as if she's not interested in this topic. Suzuka returns to her room and can't help but feel frustrated over Yamato's ambition to be the No.1 runner in Japan.

Honoka calls Nana for a chat and they meet up at her family's shrine. Honoka says that she has been hoping to get back with Yamato one day when she feels more confident about herself. However, when she sees how serious Yamato is about Suzuka, she feels that she doesn't stand a chance at all. As such, Nana tells Honoka to forget about Yamato since she should find a guy who truly cares for her.

Hattori praises Yamato for working so hard to be No.1 but teases him at the same time for his reason to do so. At the same time, Suzuka also sees how hard Yamato has been training for the race but still reacts indifferently when Yamato tells her about his improvement. Although Yamato is upset by Suzuka's reaction, he decides to concentrate on his training so that he has something to show for it in future.

In the midst of his personal training, Suzuka comes to tell Yamato to go home since he's been practising too hard and this will not have any positive effect on his results. The tone of her words makes Yamato flare up at Suzuka because he feels indignant about her attitude towards his enthusiasm. Yamato decides to go home because he doesn't want to quarrel with Suzuka. She realises that she has gone too far and chases after Yamato to apologise. Yamato assures her that he's not angry so she encourages Yamato to work hard and runs off quickly. Yamato is happy to hear this and gets more hyped up towards achieving his goal.

The day of the Tokyo tournament finally arrives and Yamato is raring to go...

Well, as how Miki puts it, being No.1 in the race doesn't matter when it comes to winning Suzuka's heart. I mean, the two of them obviously have feelings for each other but they must overcome their own psychological barriers before anything can work out between them. Yamato is afraid of being rejected again while Suzuka has to get over the trauma she experienced when Kazuki died soon after he confessed his feelings for her. Unless they resolve these issues, nothing will turn out well. I just have this feeling that this problem will dragged till the end before we see an happyily-ever-after conclusion for the couple.

Suzuka Ep 22: Kakugou (Resolution)

On the day of the tournament, Yamato is wondering whether he should confess his feelings to Suzuka again but he doesn't want to relive the memory of being rejected by her. Yamato realises that he has not changed much since the time he was rejected so it's likely that Suzuka will not see him in a favourable light. Besides, he knows that Suzuka is just treating him as a replacement for Kazuki and gets more dejected.

Just then, Hattori comes to look for Yamato and tells the latter to warm up now instead of staring at Suzuka. Yamato then asks Hattori what he is doing here and feels down about Hattori's happy mood being in stark contrast with his gloomy state. Hattori asks Yamato if he really does enjoy athletics because he doesn't really seem glad about being treated as a rising running star in his team. He reminds Yamato that he entered the athletics team for Suzuka's sake and wasn't interested in the sport itself at all. When asked about how he feels about Suzuka now, Yamato tries to deny that he feels anything for her initially but realises that he cannot fool Hattori. However, Yamato feels that this is not the right time to broach the issue. Before Hattori can ask further, Miyamoto comes to look for Yamato to warm up for the race.

Hattori congratulates Miyamoto for being the captain but he mocks at himself for not being up to the task. Miyamoto says that if Kazuki was still alive, this post would have been his. He relates the past to them where Hattori realises that the meaning of Kazuki's existence to Suzuka was more than a platonic friend. Hattori points out bluntly to Yamato that he's just scared of being compared to Kazuki, leading Yamato telling him to shut up. When Hattori refuses to stop harping on the issue, Yamato suddenly shouts aloud which makes him the centre of attention. Yamato then reveals that he will aim to be the No.1 athlete in Japan before he goes to confess his feelings to Suzuka.

Yamato is fired up for the upcoming race which is quite different from his usual self. This makes everyone puzzled over his sudden change including Suzuka.

Meanwhile, Miki is complaining to Hattori that she finds herself silly for worrying over Suzuka and Yamato since she thought that things would get worse if Yamato told her the truth about his breakup with Honoka. It turns out that the situation wasn't as bad as she thought. Hattori tells Miki that she should have kept out of their affairs like how he told her before but Miki refuses to listen to his theory. She asks Hattori why he has come to watch the tournament and it's because he wants to see if Yamato makes a fool of himself again.

Yamato sees Emerson again and resolves to beat him or he would never be the No.1 in Japan. During the heat, Yamato decides to eliminate the distractions in his mind and aim for a good time. He finishes first with a time of 10.81 seconds but sees that his teammates are behaving strangely. Yamato wonders if the record was too slow and gets more bewildered when Suzuka reprimands him for being wasting too much energy on the first heat since he can easily qualify for the next round even if he gets a record within the 11-second region. Yamato feels dejected at not being complimented for his effort.

Subsequently, Emerson finishes his heat with 11.09 seconds which is much slower than his personal best of 10.46 seconds. Yamato feels worried since his personal best of 10.81 is far from Emerson's record. Just then, Honoka comes to look for him and encourages Yamato to work hard. At the same time, she can't help but feel that Yamato is drifting further from her as he becomes better at athletics.

Miyamoto informs Yamato that there will not be a final since the next round will see the top 8 based on time records move on to the Tokyo tournament. As such, Yamato will not get to race with Emerson this time. However, he decides to go all out for the semi-finals and even tells his senior that he might not have the energy for the upcoming relay race. With response to this, his senior tells Yamato to get the No.1 placing or else he will scold him for not saving the energy meant for the relay race.

Meanwhile, Suzuka is hiding somewhere instead of watching Yamato's race when Miki comes to tell her about the results. Upon hearing that Yamato broke Emerson's record and was the No.1, she doesn't seem to be particularly thrilled though.

Later, Suzuka goes to congratulate Yamato for getting the first spot but is surprised to see him looking dejected. Yamato passes the result slip to Suzuka where she notes that Emerson was the No.1 and Yamato only held on to that spot for a brief moment since his race was earlier. Suzuka tries to console Yamato but he is not happy at all since he wants to be No.1. Yamato asks Suzuka where his fault lies but she doesn't know about this area. Yamato apologises for asking the questions and decides to seek help from another senior. Suzuka is puzzled over Yamato's sudden fervent for running and wonders what he is thinking of...

Suzuka Ep 21: Koukai (Regret)

Yamato makes up his mind to train hard for the upcoming competition. On the other hand, he fails to mend his relationship with Asahina as she is still giving him the cold shoulder. Although Yamato knew very well that things would come to this stage since he lied to Asahina about the reason for his breakup with Honoka, he still feels upset over Asahina's attitude. As a result, this affects his concentration level and he keeps dropping the baton during the relay race practice. Yamato's senior Sasaki grumbles about his lousy techniques but Miyamoto defends Yamato for being a newbie at relay races so as to pacify them. However, Sasaki points out that Yamato is not serious about practice while Miki looks on worriedly.

After practice, Miki waits for Yamato and asks about his training condition. Upon hearing what happened, Miki offers to help Yamato with practising on how to pass the baton. Even though the running track is closed, Miki brings Yamato to a park to practice. After repeated tries, Yamato is getting the hang of it but when he thinks of Asahina's attitude towards him, he gets distracted again and drops the baton. Miki decides to take a rest for a while and buy some drinks.

When Yamato is alone while waiting for Miki to return, he can't help but feel despondent over not meeting up to people's expectations. As he's not sure what his goal is, Yamato doesn't know how to change the current situation. Miki points out that Yamato regrets lying to Asahina but he denies it and puts the blame of his breakup with Honoka on himself. Yamato feels that he cannot tell Asahina the truth so Miki offers to tell her about it on his behalf. However, Yamato decides to do it himself since he wants to make up with Asahina.

The next day, Yamato is troubled over how to tell Asahina the truth when Miki asks why he has yet to take any action. Hattori wants to know what is going on but Miki refuses to divulge. As such, Hattori accuses Miki of trying to get close to Yamato which leads her to scold him for having wild thoughts.

During practice, Yamato is distracted again and incurs the wrath of his teammates. As such, he decides that it is time to settle the matter once and for all as this will continue to be a hindrance to his preparation for the relay.

Asahina returns home to see Yamato waiting for her but she ignores him. When she hears the real reason for his breakup with Honoka, Asahina gets a shock and questions why Yamato had to lie to her. Yamato says that he doesn't want to remain in this situation with her but she leaves when she hears that he is attributing blame for his lack of concentration due to their quarrel.

Yamato goes to the laundry shop and meets Asahina there. The atmosphere between the two of them is awkward as she keeps giving half-hearted answers. This makes Yamato quite disappointed that telling the truth has not brought about any positive effects. He offers some croquettes he bought but she rejects his offer. Despite Asahina having finished her laundry, she remains seated which leads Yamato to remind her to take the clothes out. Yamato finds out that she's just too embarrassed about taking her underwear out from the washing machine so he prepares to leave the shop. Just before he steps out, Asahina stops Yamato and says that she will have one of his croquettes and tells him to go out of the shop once he finishes them.

When Yamato returns home, he receives a call from Miki who asks about what happened. Yamato does not go into details and simply says that everything is fine. Later, Asahina calls him and says that she's not angry anymore so he has no more excuse to fumble at training. Upon hearing his encouragement, Yamato is elated and reaffirms his liking for Asahina.

Well, both Yamato and Asahina are really clumsy at communicating their real thoughts to each other. Although she is no longer angry at Yamato after knowing the truth, she chose to talk to him through the phone instead of while they were in the laundry shop. On the other hand, Yamato knows that he is not eloquent enough to handle the situation and keeps putting off this matter until he realises that not clearing the air would be detrimental to his training progress and his emotions. Sometimes, it can get quite frustrating to see the two of them behaving like kids without social skills. However, since it's nearing the end of the series, I believe that unless one of them decides to come clean with his/her feelings, nothing will come out between the two of them.

Suzuka Ep 20: Ouen (Support)

Yamato looks extremely listless in the morning which makes Ayano and Miho worried since they notice that Honoka did not come to wait for him like before. On the way to school, it is the first time that the feeling of the breakup has finally sunk in for Yamato. When he bumps into Honoka along the corridor, the atmosphere between them is so awkward that the latter walks away hurriedly after exchanging greetings.

During lunch, Yamato confides in Hattori about what happened between him and Honoka. Hattori reprimands Yamato for not listening to him and is surprised about Yamato admitting that he's in the wrong. Yamato regrets being so selfish without a care for Honoka's feelings. In order to lift his spirits, Hattori tries to cheer Yamato up but the latter is still upset. Just then, Miki comes over to talk to Yamato and argues with Hattori who calls her a busybody. Miki misunderstands that Yamato is feeling down over the recent chemistry test and encourages him to get over it by revealing that she got 20 marks only for that. Hattori mocks her for being stupid thus resulting in them bickering again. Yamato suddenly leaves his seat without a word which leads Miki to ask Hattori what had happened. However, Hattori refuses to say anything so as to spite Miki which results in him being pinched on the cheeks.

During athletics practice, Yamato is asked about the whereabouts of Honoka who is not around. The members find out that they had broken up and blame Yamato for causing Honoka's absence. They even push her duties to Yamato in punishment. When Miki sympathises with Yamato for being treated in that way by the others, Asahina says that it is his own doing and they should not feel sorry for him.

Honoka asks Nana out for a chat and tells her about the breakup. She reveals how miserable she feels when she met Yamato today. Nana asks Honoka if it's OK for her to give up Yamato so easily but the latter feels that it is no use staying with him if he still likes Asahina. However, Nana thinks that Yamato had never said that he is pining for Asahina thus it's a waste to give up the relationship in this manner. Nevertheless, Honoka feels that the relationship failed to work out because she lacked self-confidence and Nana cheers her up that she will find someone better in future.

The next day, Honoka turns up for practice which makes everyone feel happy. Kobayakawa offers a drink to her and tells her to look for him if she needs a listening ear. Actually, Honoka has made up her mind to tell Yamato about her feelings one day if she feels confident about herself.

Miyamoto gets Yamato to join the relay team but the latter is apprehensive about his abilities. Miki tells Asahina about it but she's not concerned about this and says that she dislikes Yamato for being a frivolous guy. Asahina reveals that Yamato told her that he was sick of Honoka so he broke up with her but Miki is not convinced.

After practice, Miki asks Yamato about the real reason of the breakup but she sees that he is just lying since Honoka would not have come to practice if this was true. As such, Yamato tells Miki that Honoka thinks he still has feelings about Asahina so he couldn't tell her about it since it would make her guilty. Miki promises not to tell Asahina about it and even drags him to have some food so as to cheer him up.

Miki and Yamato go for okonomiyaki where they quarrel over how to cook it. At the end of the meal, Yamato realises that the purpose why Miki has done so much for him was just to encourage him to get over the matter. Yamato says that he feels confused and guilty towards those who are serious about athletics since he entered the team just to get near Asahina but got her more angry as a result. Miki realises that Yamato is toying with the thought of quitting but she persuades him to fulfil the expectations of those who have faith in his abilities instead of worrying over meaningless things. Thus,Yamato makes up his mind to stay on in the team in return for Miki's concern towards him.

Yamato may have the kind intention to lie to Asahina about the real reason for the breakup but he failed to realise that this will sour his relationship with her as a result. In such situations, it's hard to decide which option to take. Even if he tells her the truth, the atmosphere between them may become awkward as Asahina tries to avoid Yamato. When he realises the gravity of the result of his decision, he would have to spend time to mend things between them.

Actually, I really don't like Asahina's attitude towards Yamato. It seems as if she is really undecided on what she wants to do about him. On one hand, she keeps getting close to him subconsciously when he is with Honoka. Now that he's no longer with her, she judges him according to what she is told without thinking further. I'm sure she should be smart enough to know that Yamato is behaving strangely for someone who has supposedly dumped his girlfriend. It just goes to say that she's still confused and this will be tough for Yamato to guess how she's feeling.

Suzuka Ep 19: Wakare (Separation)

Yamato tells Hattori about Honoka flaring up at him despite her insistence that she wasn't angry about him going shopping with Asahina. However, Hattori points that this is impossible as Honoka must be upset since Yamato used to like Asahina. Despite her effort to put on a strong front, Yamato had to aggravate the situation by talking relentlessly about the shopping trip which made Honoka flare up at him. Hattori remarks that Yamato is always thinking about himself but the latter denies it. He advises Yamato to apologise to Honoka soon or things between them will be beyond salvation. Yamato refuses to listen and says that nothing will turn out well every time he listens to Hattori.

During athletics practice, Yamato tries to apologise to Honoka but she walks away and says that she doesn't want to talk to him now. Yamato is stunned by her attitude and feels rather upset.

Yamato goes home and finds Asahina waiting for him along the corridor. She asks him if he has made up with Honoka and finds out that Honoka is not willing to listen to him. Asahina apologises for causing this quarrel between them but Yamato assures her that this is not her fault since he was the one who made Honoka angry. Asahina asks Yamato what he intends to do and suggests that he can try a few more times before Honoka is willing to listen to him again. Yamato is apprehensive about doing this but he agrees to take up her suggestion in the end.

Yamato tries to call Honoka but she's engaged on the line with Nana who tries to persuade Honoka to patch up with him. However, Honoka believes that Yamato is still in love with Asahina and wonders if they should continue dating. Yamato decides to go to Honoka's place personally as he doesn't want the situation to get worse.

Yamato brings the birthday present he bought for Honoka and goes to her place to talk to her. Honoka is surprised by his sudden visit and tells him to go back when he tries to pass her the present again. Yamato gets angry and says that Honoka should make herself clear about what she's upset over. Honoka states that she doesn't feel comfortable seeing them together and Yamato could have got anyone else to go with him to buy the present. Thus, she can't help feeling that Yamato was just using that as an excuse to go out with Asahina. Honoka then runs out to the entrance of the shrine where she is stopped by Yamato.

After the heated quarrel, Yamato and Honoka finally settle down but there is an uncomfortable silence. Yamato realises that his actions may have suggested to Honoka that he's still in love with Asahina and feels that he has hurt her unknowingly. Honoka then says that it's better that they break up or they will keep quarrelling over the same issue. Yamato agrees to it which leads Honoka to remark that he should not have dated her in the first place. Yamato clarifies that he did not date her just because she took the initiative to kiss him and says that he does have some feelings for her. Honoka also accepts the present as a symbol of their brief relationship. They then say goodbye to each other after the chat.

Yamato returns home in a crestfallen state and says that he doesn't want to eat dinner when Miho asks him. He is still pondering over Honoka's remark that he's still in love with Asahina. When Yamato sees Yuka and Megumi drinking in his apartment, he gets irritated and blurts out that they have broken up. Yuka scolds him for giving up Honoka just like that and he might not find another girl as good as her. Asahina happens to walk past Yamato's room and overhears their conversation. Yuka says that it's good for Honoka because she won't have to bear with Yamato who doesn't love her wholeheartedly.

After Yuka and Megumi leave, Asahina comes to look for Yamato and asks about his breakup with Honoka. She wonders if she's the reason for this development but Yamato doesn't think that it's right to tell her the truth. As such, Yamato lies that he dumped Honoka because he found it hard to please her. This gets Asahina angry and she leaves his room in a huff. However, Yamato is also feeling upset as he knows that Asahina will blame herself if she knows the real reason for their breakup...

Well, in a way, breaking up would have been good for both Yamato and Honoka. He won't have to convince himself that he likes Honoka and she won't have to bear with the thought of whether he's still in love with Asahina. However, Yamato's kind gesture in trying to prevent Asahina from blaming herself might backfire on him since this has caused her to misunderstand that he's a callous jerk. As such, unless Asahina knows the truth, it will be hard for them to reconcile or even start a relationship.

Suzuka Ep 18: Okurimono (Present)

Yamato is pondering over what he should buy for Honoka after Nana told him about her birthday. He realises that he has been thinking of himself only and feels that it's embarrassing that he has to be told by a third party about his girlfriend's birthday. As such, he makes up his mind to buy a suitable present for Honoka and qualify as a good boyfriend this time round.

When Yamato and Honoka are walking to school, his mind is taken up over what he should buy as a present and fails to pay attention to what she is saying. Suddenly, Honoka asks Yamato if he's free to go out on Saturday but he lies that he's going out with Hattori even though he is planning to buy the present tomorrow. Even though Honoka is disappointed to hear this, she still puts on a smile.

Hattori suggests that Yamato should give red roses to Honoka since girls like romantic gifts but the latter remarks that he doesn't like the idea of going to a florist. This leads Hattori to comment that Yamato is more concerned about his reputation than pleasing Honoka. However, Yamato defends himself and says that he doesn't think in this manner. Hattori reminds Yamato that losing face elsewhere is nothing as compared to making his girlfriend happy.

When Yamato asks Ayano about what she would be happy to receive as a present, she says that it's OK to receive anything as long as it's a heartfelt gesture from that person. However, he gets more confused when Miho, Yuka and Megumi chip in with their contradicting views. Yamato feels that he should not have asked them in the first place and decides to think about the gift himself.

Yamato goes to a convenience store and tries to find gift ideas from a women's magazine when Asahina happens to spot him. He reveals that he's trying to see if there's anything suitable for Honoka's birthday and asks about her opinion. When Asahina remarks that he can buy accessories like a necklace, Yamato says that he knows nothing about this area and asks if she can come along with him to buy the present. Yamato realises that it is unlikely that Asahina will agree to his suggestion but she actually offers to meet him tomorrow where they can go shopping for the present. Yamato is very thankful about Asahina's help even though he's apprehensive about going out with her without the knowledge of Honoka. Meanwhile, Honoka is upset about Yamato not knowing her birthday but she consoles herself since she did not tell him about it in the first place.

Asahina is waiting for Yamato at the Shinjuku train station where he arrives late since he is unfamiliar with the area. He asks why she wanted to meet him here where Asahina remarks that they will not be spotted by their friends here instead of shopping near their place.

Honoka is reading her horoscope forecast which mentions that she will receive an unexpected present from her boyfriend but she's not enthusiastic about it materialising. Just then, she meets Yuka and Megumi at the store where Yuka blurts out that Yamato has gone out to buy a present for her. Megumi reminds Yuka that she shouldn't have told Honoka about this so Yuka tells Honoka to pretend that she's unaware. This makes Honoka extremely happy and she decides to go shopping for something as reciprocation for Yamato's gift.

Yamato is not concentrating on finding the present as he lacks knowledge in female accessories. This makes Asahina quite unhappy as it seems that Yamato is not putting in effort to find what he wants to buy. She scolds Yamato for giving half-hearted answers when she is asking for his opinion and insists on going home. Suddenly, a street vendor butts into their conversation and suggests that Yamato can buy something to pacify Asahina. Yamato finds a necklace and asks Asahina put it on before he decides on this as Honoka's present.

Yamato and Asahina prepare to return home where Honoka happens to see them at the train station. She is stunned to see them together and gets upset when they appear to be chatting happily.

Yamato prepares to go to Honoka's place and sees Asahina waiting for him. She reminds Yamato not to tell Honoka that they went to buy the present together. He assures her that he knows what to do and heads to look for Honoka but Asahina is still concerned.

Yamato passes Honoka the present he had bought which makes her very happy. Honoka decides to reveal the truth that Yuka had already told her about Yamato's gift and thanks him for taking the time to buy it. Yamato feels that it's not right to lie to Honoka and wants to tell her the truth but she says that she saw him with Asahina at the train station yesterday. As Yamato sees that Honoka seems to be unaffected by this matter, he gets carried away and talks about their shopping trip happily. However, this makes Honoka angry and she returns the gift to Yamato by saying that she doesn't want to listen to him anymore. Yamato is puzzled by her attitude and doesn't know what he had done wrongly.

Asahina is waiting for Yamato to come home and she asks how Honoka reacted to the gift. Yamato reveals the truth which makes Asahina comment that he was too silly to say more than what he should. However, he is still unaware of why Honoka flared up at him even though Asahina tells him to repent...

I don't think Yamato meant to hurt Honoka when he went out with Asahina to buy the present. He felt that it wasn't right to spend time alone with Asahina without Honoka's knowledge but he convinced himself that it should be fine since his intention was to get advice on buying the present. However, he is totally unaware of the fact that Honoka will mind whatever he does with Asahina since he was previously in love with her. It's as if you are continuing to spend time with your ex-girlfriend even though you are dating someone else. Unfortunately, Yamato failed to realise this so he continues to be bewildered by Honoka's behaviour. On the other hand, Asahina should have realised the ambiguious nature of their outing but she chose to go ahead with her feelings for Yamato so as to help him. If she had allowed her practical side to rule her actions, maybe this would not have happened. As such, this is not entirely Yamato's fault although he should not have asked Asahina for help. In such circumstances, he could have been better off by asking people like Miki.

Suzuka Ep 17: Kareshi (Boyfriend)

Hattori finds out what happened between Yamato and Honoka but mocks Yamato for not achieving anything in the end. Yamato insists that there's no hurry to progress to that stage and refuses to listen to Hattori's advice. Miki passes by where Hattori remarks that girls care about the atmosphere when sleeping with the guys they like which leads Miki to flare up and scold him for being a pervert. Yamato is caught between the two of them and wishes that they can leave him alone.

After athletics practice in the gymnasium due to the rain, the ex-captain tells Yamato to remain behind for more training. Although Honoka has something on and cannot wait for him, she's still concerned about Yamato not having an umbrella but he assures her that he will be fine. In the worst scenario, he can ask Miho to bring an umbrella for him. Asahina happens to overhear their conversation when Miki tells her to go back together.

Miki asks Asahina to go to the cake shop together but the latter rejects her invitation as she has to retrieve her handphone which she left behind in the classroom. Although Miki offers to wait for her, Asahina tells her that it's fine and she's not interested in cakes today. However, Miki insists on coming along where Asahina later finds her handphone in the bag all along. Just as Miki thinks that they can finally grab a bite, Asahina tells her that she has to finish a report to be submitted today so Miki decides to go home alone.

At this time, Yamato has finally finished training and bumps into the girls. He decides to call Miho to bring an umbrella for him when Asahina offers to lend her umbrella. Yamato is hesitant to accept it but gives in when Asahina says that she is going somewhere with Miki. This makes Miki puzzled as Asahina had insisted on staying behind alone just now. When Asahina falls into a daze while looking at Yamato, Miki asks her if she is in love with him. Miki mentions that Asahina has been behaving strangely ever since she returned from Hiroshima and it is obvious that she has the intention of waiting for Yamato based on her actions just now. Asahina denies this so Miki does not probe further and offers to treat her to cakes.

The next day, Honoka invites Yamato out for tea which leads their fellow teammates to remark that they are getting along very well. Asahina is observing their actions when Miki tells her to go to the karaoke together.

Yamato and Honoka are walking along the streets when his attention is taken away by a CM of a MD player featuring an idol Shirakawa Nana. Honoka thinks that Yamato likes Nana but he explains that he is interested in the MD player which makes her relieved.

The two of them go for tea where Yamato notices that Honoka is looking around repeatedly. She then reveals that her friend wishes to meet Yamato today and it turns out that Honoka's friend is Nana. Yamato is shocked to see that they are friends and everyone is looking at them as a result. As such, they decide to go to a karaoke so that they can chat without interruptions.

Honoka and Nana knew each other since junior high when the latter was smoking at the shrine which Honoka's family is managing. Nana was quite well-known at that time but Honoka did not know her so she treated Nana like an ordinary person unlike others. As such, they became friends easily. Nana explains that she wanted to meet Yamato because Honoka has never been in a relationship and she tells Yamato not to force himself on Honoka like the last encounter. Honoka gets embarrassed and runs away to the toilet.

Miki and Asahina happen to be in the same karaoke lounge when the latter spots Yamato with Nana in one of the rooms. She barges inside and scolds Yamato for betraying Honoka but this turns out to be a big misunderstanding. As such, the five of them decide to sing together.

Asahina moves closer to Yamato because Miki is coming in later but this leads Honoka to ask him to move closer to her as if she doesn't want Asahina to be near Yamato. Nana observes the unnatural atmosphere between the three of them.

Miki tells Asahina and Yamato to choose their songs but he does not feel like singing. Asahina mocks Yamato for not having the guts to sing so he decides to choose a song to prove her wrong. Coincidentally, the two of them choose the same song. Miki suggests that they can sing a duet which they agree to. However, when Yamato sees how unhappy Honoka looks, he tells Asahina to sing the song alone.

Yamato and Nana send Honoka home when Nana remarks that Yamato is a good boyfriend. However, she gets angry when he says that he will put in more effort to make Honoka happy and not upset her. Nana mentions that he's just trying to convince himself that he's a good boyfriend and put on an act in front of Honoka instead of showing his true self to her. She points out that Yamato has never bothered to understand Honoka and this will hurt her in time to come. Yamato realises that he has not put in effort for their relationship when Nana reminds him that Honoka's birthday is in 3 days' time. This makes Yamato feel that he has to change his attitude towards Honoka...

Well, right from the start, Yamato is obviously not in love with Honoka. He was just going with the flow from the moment Honoka kissed him. As such, he has to put in effort to convince himself that he loves her and take care not to upset her. I mean, if you like someone, why is there a need to force yourself to remember this fact? Nana has observed that Yamato is trying too hard and gives him a reminder to wake up from his ideal boyfriend behaviour. As to whether Yamato can learn how to change the situation, I doubt so. He still has feelings for Asahina but he may not know it since he's too caught up with trying to make Honoka happy.

As for Miki, she can see that Asahina does feel something for Yamato but she knows that probing further will amount to nothing. Thus, she chooses to lighten the atmosphere instead by changing the topic. I think Asahina feels grateful towards Miki for her consideration instead of pushing her into a corner.

Although I was rooting for Honoka initially, I really cannot stand her behaviour of late. She's dating Yamato, for heavens' sake. I know she still feels unsure about his feelings for her but showing that hurt or upset expression every now and then to dictate Yamato's actions indirectly really got on my nerves. At least when she went after Yamato, she had confidence in herself but now that she has achieved her aim, that self-confidence seems to have disappeared into thin air.

Suzuka Ep 16: Shoudou (Impulse)

Honoka comes to Yamato's apartment but finds out from Ayano that he is still in Hiroshima with Asahina. Despite his assurance that he would return on the previous night, Yamato did not tell Ayano about the reason why they had decided to stay for another night. Honoka is worried about this and Yuka reminds her to keep a tight rein on Yamato or he would be taken away by Asahina. Unknown to them, Yamato and Honoka are already dating but this does not reduce the uneasiness which she feels.

On the way back to Tokyo, Yamato thinks about what Asahina said to him last night and tries to convince himself that she was just pulling his leg. When they reach Tokyo, they make plans to go for lunch but see Honoka there to fetch him. Asahina decides to go home and leave the couple alone.

Honoka grabs Yamato's hand which makes him sense that she was worried about what would happen between him and Asahina. At Yamato's assurance that he won't betray her, Honoka suddenly hugs him tightly despite them being in public. Honoka says that she's happy to hear for the first time that Yamato likes her which makes him realise how much she loves him. As such, Yamato decides to stop thinking about Asahina and kisses Honoka in return.

The next day, Asahina is preparing to go to school when she hears that Honoka has come to meet Yamato so that they can walk together. Ayano tells Yamato to have dinner by himself as she won't be able to come home in time.

During lunch, Hattori asks Yamato whether he has kissed Honoka and the latter is surprised that everyone seems to know that they are dating. When Hattori remarks that their relationship must be platonic, Yamato retorts that they have already kissed. Hattori asks Yamato if he has slept with Honoka which leads the latter to choke on his food. Yamato insists that such things are up to individuals and he's in no hurry to progress to that stage. However, Hattori reminds him that if Honoka is OK with kissing him, that means she must be waiting for Yamato to go to the next step. Hattori says that he should invite Honoka to her apartment since he's living alone and make use of the chance to progress further.

At night, Yamato is thinking of how to invite Honoka over but gives up the idea in the end. Just then, Honoka comes to his apartment and offers to make dinner for him. This surprises Yamato who can't seem to sit still while Honoka is busy with the cooking. He can't help but think of what Hattori told him earlier and is undecided on what he should do since they are alone in his apartment.

After dinner, Yamato praises Honoka for her good cooking skills where she insists on feeding him with the last mouthful of food. Suddenly, he thinks of Asahina again and worries whether she had dinner. In order to conceal his uneasiness and show himself that he loves Honoka, Yamato pushes her onto the bed and gets intimate with her. However, Honoka pushes him away and runs out of his apartment. She happens to see Asahina returning home so the latter asks Yamato what had happened. Yamato refuses to explain when Asahina says that he must have made Honoka angry and closes the door forcefully.

The next day, Honoka skips athletics practice which Yamato interprets as a sign that she must still be angry at him. Yamato knows that he should not have taken it out on Honoka just because he wants to drive Asahina out of his mind and decides to apologise to her.

Yamato comes to Honoka's home and apologises for what he did. She says that she is not angry at that but she was just frightened by his expression and she has never been intimate with any guy. Thus, she doesn't know how to face Yamato and skipped athletics practice. They finally clear their misunderstanding and make arrangements to go to school together again. Yamato feels that it is good that he came to apologise.

When Yamato returns home, he sees Asahina standing in the corridor and deep in thought. She asks whether he had reconciled with Honoka and she's happy to hear about this. Actually, Asahina has been waiting for Yamato to come home and wonders why she is doing this for him...

It's clear that Yamato is not in love with Honoka as what he thinks. You don't have to force yourself to think that you love someone since this should be a natural feeling. He's been trying too hard to convince himself that he loves Honoka just because he knows how much she loves him. I don't think you can seek a perfect balance in a relationship where you love someone to a certain level and expect the other party to feel as deeply for you. Besides, he's still easily affected by Asahina which means that he has never gotten over her. He's just using Honoka to get over the pain of being rejected by Asahina.

On the other hand, Asahina knows that she feels differently for Yamato but doesn't know how to change the situation between them since she was the one who rejected him in the first place. At this juncture, it's hard for her to turn back and expect Yamato to dump Honoka for her. It's not in her character to do such a thing although she may feel terrible at seeing how close they have become. Besides, she seems to think that Yamato no longer feels anything for her so things between them are not possible anymore. I wonder how long they would take to realise that they are in love with each other.

Suzuka Ep 15: Hotarubukuro (Firefly pocket)

Yamato and Asahina are stuck in Hiroshima after they missed the last train to Tokyo. He apologises for getting her into trouble and suggests that they can go to a karaoke or family restaurant which is open 24 hours. However, Asahina has left her wallet on the train while Yamato has 600 yen only. Yamato has to think of another way when they are harrassed by a drunken man who tease Yamato for making his "girlfriend", Asahina angry. He even suggests that they head to a love hotel so as to make up. Yamato remarks angrily that they don't have the money to go there which Asahina retorts that even if they had money, she won't go with him. Yamato decides to call his father for help so that Asahina can stay at a hotel for the night while he returns home. Asahina asks him why he has to step aside to make the phone call but he tries to evade the question. Actually, Yamato is just scared of letting Asahina hear him speak in dialect.

Meanwhile on the train, the captain is trying to contact Yamato and Asahina but in vain. Honoka gets more worried when she thinks of them being together.

Yamato says that his father will drive to the station to lend money to Asahina and bring him home. Asahina then calls the captain to let him know their plans so they will return tomorrow. Suddenly, she passes her phone to Yamato and he's surprised to hear Honoka on the line. He assures Honoka that nothing will happen since he will go back to his home alone.

Asahina asks Yamato if he was the one who confessed his feelings to Honoka which he confirms accordingly. He lists the good points of Honoka and says that he feels at ease with her. She suddenly tells him to shut up which makes Yamato angry because it was Asahina who initiated the question. After this, the two of them sat together in silence for the next two and a half hours.

Yamato is scolded by his father for being a fool to miss the train. His father insist on bringing Asahina home with them because he's worried for her safety. This makes Yamato very uncomfortable because he had told Honoka that Asahina will not go home wth him.

The next morning, Yamato's family members poke fun at him like usual but he's feeling uneasy because Asahina is around. As Yamato's father is busy, he will only drive them to the train station in the evening.

Yamato has to bring his dog out for a walk and invites Asahina to walk around with him since it will be some time before they go back. However, Asahina tells him to leave her alone which makes him grumble about being treated like that when he's trying to be nice.

When Yamato goes home, he asks her to go with him to see fireflies and stay for another night. She remains cold towards him and says that Yamato is being an idiot to bring her out as this will make Honoka uneasy. He realises her intentions and decides to stay clear of her.

Yamato calls Honoka and tells her that he will return tonight. He also tries to assure her that nothing is wrong between him and Asahina. After the conversation, Yamato tells Asahina to prepare for the return to Tokyo but she suddenly says that she wants to stay on and see the fireflies. Although he is stunned by her sudden decision, he decides to oblige.

Yamato brings Asahina to the bridge over the river but there isn't any firefly in sight. This makes him very puzzled since he knows that they will appear during summer. He apologises for disappointing Asahina and says that this always happens when it comes to the crux. Yamato says that he tried to confess his feelings to a girl during his junior high days here but there wasn't any firefly and he got rejected too. Asahina laughs at him so Yamato retorts that he did confess to someone before under a great atmosphere i.e. Asahina but he also got rejected.

Asahina tells him to simulate what he did at that time and Yamato puts the firefly into a flower named firefly pocket. He gives it to Asahina to show her what he did and she accepts the flower by saying that she will be his girlfriend. Yamato tells her not to make fun of him but she says that she's not. He gets confused about why Asahina is behaving like this as countless fireflies appear to light up the night sky. To break the silence, Asahina says that she was just lying. Yamato is disappointed to hear this even though he knows very well that Asahina does not like him...

It's very obvious that Asahina has taken a liking to Yamato no doubt she may deny it to everyone. This is why she decided to stay on to see fireflies even though Yamato had promised Honoka that they would return as arranged. It might be jealousy at work because she saw how Yamato cared about Honoka's feelings and used this subconsicously as a method to spend more time with him. In addition, her serious expression when Yamato was simulating his past failed confession would have revealed that she wanted so much to tell Yamato she's telling the truth but seeing the stunned look on his face, I guess that made her give up and decided to lie so as to make him feel better.

Suzuka Ep 14: Shukufuku (Blessings)

Yamato starts to see Honoka in a different light after she kissed him at the stadium and even takes the initiative to kiss her by the koi pond. Honoka asks Yamato if it is right for them to kiss where he suddenly asks her to be his girlfriend. This surprises Honoka who is so elated that she cries. Miki happens to see this and wishes that she should not have come to look for Yamato in the first place.

Later that night, Miki and Asahina are at the women's bath and Miki is pondering over whether to tell Asahina about Yamato and Honoka being an item. Just then, they overhear Yamato creating a din in the men's bath next door and Asahina is happy to hear that Yamato seems to have recovered from his depression. Seeing Asahina's expression, Miki gets more undecided about whether to reveal the truth.

The next morning, the 3rd year students return to Tokyo while the rest of the team members remain behind in Hiroshima for the training. Yamato asks Hattori why he has chosen to stay on which the latter says that he won't go back empty-handed after failing to know any girls here. Asahina comes to Yamato and asks him to go with her for some souvenir shopping. Unexpectedly, Yamato rejects her offer which makes Hattori very surprised and Asahina angry at his response. Hattori then realises that the relationship between Yamato and Honoka has changed so that's the reason why Yamato had kept Asahina at arm's length.

Asahina goes out shopping with Miki and sees some T-shirts which suit Yamato but she insists that she won't buy them for him. Miki decides that it's time to tell Asahina about Yamato's relationship with Honoka. Although Asahina remains unaffected by the news, Miki can see that Asahina is just putting on a pretence.

During the afternoon training, Honoka passes a note to Yamato, asking him to meet her alone after dinner tonight. Unknown to Yamato, Asahina has been observing their lovey-dovey gestures.

Yamato and Honoka sit by the koi pond where she reveals that she just wanted to spend some time alone with him. Honoka also says that she has been in love with him for a long time and the extent she went to in order to be with him. This surprises Yamato who has never been aware of how Honoka feels but he feels happy to have realised it now.

The next morning, Miki comes to look for Hattori where she finds out that he knows about Yamato dating Honoka. Miki questions Hattori why he didn't stop Yamato from doing this since he had always said that he liked Asahina. However, Hattori says that this will also be unfair to Honoka who has always like Yamato. Thus, it will be best for them to be onlookers instead of interfering in their affairs since there's no right or wrong in love.

Yamato stays behind for additional training where Asahina reprimands him for not taking training seriously. Suddenly, Asahina asks Yamato if he is really dating Honoka so he admits to it despite not knowing how Asahina could have realised this. Asahina remarks that it is a surprise that Yamato can get a girlfriend and even offers to help him with the stretching exercises. Yamato thinks to himself that Asahina's attitude towards him has remained unchanged despite knowing that he is dating Honoka.

At night, Asahina is gazing at the sky in a daze. Miki reminds her to sleep early since they are returning to Tokyo tomorrow. However, Asahina says that she's not sleepy and looks like she's troubled over something.

Yamato brings his friends out to look for an okonomiyaki restaurant but they cannot find the place. Everyone is grumbling about it but Honoka tries to reassure Yamato so as to lift his spirits up. Actually, they had invited Asahina and Miki too but Asahina refused to go along with them.

In the end, the group fails to find what they want and ends up eating ramen instead. On the way to the train station, Honoka gives Yamato a handphone strap which is the same as hers while Hattori watches them from behind.

At the train station where the team is taking the last train back to Tokyo, Asahina goes to the toilet while Yamato has gone to buy some drinks. When he returns, he accidentally drops the cans on the floor and Asahina goes out of the carriage to help him pick up the stuff. Just then, the train door closes and they are left behind while the train pulls away.

Miki sees Asahina and Yamato at the train station and realises that they did not board the train. The captain tells Miki to call Asahina's mobile phone to find out their situation. When Honoka hears about it, she tries to call Yamato but his mobile phone is left on the train. Meanwhile, Yamato and Asahina find out that they have no way of returning to Tokyo and would have to spend the night at Hiroshima...

Finally, there is some reaction from Asahina with regards to Yamato's matters. Although she may seem icy-cold on the surface, her subtle gestures which show her concern for him are giving her true feelings away. However, she chooses to hide her true self under her pretence even though Yamato and Honoka are now dating. I think there will come a point where she cannot tolerate seeing them together and may break down or do something to change the situation. The issue is when she will do this.

As for Yamato, I don't feel that he really likes Honoka. It's just that he was prompted to think what Honoka meant to him after their kiss. Once that happened, it made him assume that he liked her enough to start a relationship when he was just admiring her as a nice girl. If not for that, I doubt he would have started to see her in the romantic sense. In actual fact, if that kiss had happened slightly later, I guess Asahina would be able to show her feelings for Yamato in one way or another which would have changed the state of things.

Suzuka Ep 13: Kuchibiru (Lips)

The athletics team goes to Hiroshima for the Inter High championships where Yamato and Hattori also tag along. Yamato will not be competing since he lost in the prefectural race while Hattori has nothing better to do during the summer holidays. The captain tells Yamato that he should train during this period despite him not taking part in any race. Yamato gives the excuse that he's buying a drink in order to escape from the captain's nagging.

On the way to the store, Yamato asks Asahina if she wants to have a drink but she rejects Yamato's gesture and treats him coldly. Asahina also tells Yamato not to talk to her as she's trying to concentrate on thinking about the upcoming Inter High. Yamato feels that Asahina has been treating him like this ever since he overheard her telling Honoka that she doesn't like him.

Honoka sees how dejected Yamato is when he heard Asahina's words. Hattori teases her for looking so sad when she sees Yamato feeling down. He tells Honoka to confess her feelings for Yamato soon or else he might be snatched by someone else. This makes Honoka feel the heat at the possibility of Asahina lying to her about how she really feels for Yamato.

Hattori tells Yamato to bring him around the city since his hometown is in the locality but the latter says that he's not familar with the urban area. Just then, Yamato meets Arima and greets him but the latter ignores him. Yamato starts to feel that his distance with Asahina is probably as far as his distance with Arima who is the No.1 runner in the country. Miki tries to cheer Yamato up but to no avail.

During dinner, Miki mentions this to Asahina and says that Yamato might be disappointed with the lack of improvement in his recent race times. Asahina feels that it's no point worrying over this since he can't improve within a few months. Thus, Miki tells Asahina to encourage Yamato but she refuses to do so since this is none of her business.

Yamato is practising alone and gets more discouraged at his lack-lustre results. Just then, Honoka comes to look for him and tries to lighten up the atmosphere so that he will not wallow in despair. After hearing Honoka's encouragement, Yamato starts to feel better but he gets a shock when she suddenly reaches out to hold his hand. However, Honoka happens to see Asahina coming to look for Yamato and kisses him on impulse so that he will not look behind and see Asahina. Yamato's mind is in a blank and he can only remember that Honoka's lips are very soft. Honoka then runs away and meets Asahina at the gate but does not say anything to her.

Yamato is shocked to see Asahina suddenly while he is thinking why Honoka kissed him. He starts to stammer but he manages to calm himself down by thinking of the fact that he doesn't need to feel guilty about kissing Honoka. Asahina tells him to relax while training and to cheer her on tomorrow during her event. Yamato gets more frustrated with Asahina who talks about athletics only and feels that he still likes her but deep down, he's starting to think more about Honoka.

The next day, Yamato's mind is taken up by Honoka and when she sits beside him at the stadium, he can't help but stare at Honoka who apologises for what she did. During this time, Asahina has got No.3 in the Inter High and Yamato actually failed to see that since he was thinking about Honoka. This also makes Yamato feel that things between him and Asahina are getting more impossible since she's a national-class athlete now. When Honoka wants to leave her seat, Yamato holds her hand and the two of them sit in silence.

At night, the Year 1s are preparing for the celebration party and Yamato can't help looking at Honoka instead of Asahina. During dinner, the captain is looking for Yamato but he's not around. As such, he asks Miki to look for Yamato.

Meanwhile, Yamato is sitting beside the koi pond and wonders why he keeps thinking of Honoka despite him liking Asahina. Just then, Honoka comes to join him and Yamato can't help but feel at peace when he's with Honoka as compared to Asahina. Honoka is about to slip and fall but Yamato manages to grab her in time. When Honoka takes the initiative to kiss Yamato, he backs off and she apologises for doing this since they are not lovers. Yamato sees Honoka crying and suddenly hugs and kisses her. Miki happens to see this while she is looking for Yamato...

Bravo for Honoka! Frankly speaking, I don't like most of the characters who come into the male and female leads' relationship but in this case, I think Asahina has herself to blame for bringing Yamato and Honoka together. If she wasn't so proud and unwillingly to face up to her real feelings, things between Yamato and her would not be that strained. Even though Honoka did kiss Yamato first, if his relationship with Asahina was amicable and had the possibility for further development, I doubt he would have kissed Honoka back. Basically, Honoka didn't do anything evil to break them up. It's more of a case of seizing the perfect opportunity at the right timing in her favour. Since Yamato keeps feeling unsecure about the gap between him and Asahina and that their relationship has been turbulent to date, it's no wonder he is looking towards Honoka for a peaceful and more smooth-sailing relationship.

Trust Asahina to say things like, "I never thought that you can find a girlfriend" in the next episode's trailer! I would have preferred that she keeps her mouth shut instead of passing remarks like this which would hurt Yamato even he may start to date Honoka. Deep down, Yamato still has feelings for her and hearing things like this would probably widen the rift between them.

Suzuka Ep 12: Gokai (Misunderstanding)

On the way to school, Asahina asks Yamato whether he will turn up for training and he replies in the affirmative. Although he wants to seize the chance to chat with her, Yamato senses that Asahina's attitude towards him is still icy-cold and feels discouraged before saying anything.

Yamato wonders if Asahina is still mad at him for mentioning Kazuki that night and feels that there is not much hope between them to patch up. Honoka realises that Yamato is feeling down because of Asahina and feels uneasy about Asahina's outburst that day during the race. Honoka is not sure of how Asahina feels towards Yamato but she starts to worry about the possibility that Asahina may like Yamato.

That day, after practice, Honoka suggests going home with Yamato but he has to stay behind as punishment for skipping practice previously. As such, Yamato tells Honoka to go home first and proceeds with his self-training as it's getting late. Honoka has no choice but to leave reluctantly and gets worried about leaving Yamato and Asahina alone.

Yamato wants to talk to Asahina but he's afraid of being ignored or disliked by her. Meanwhile, Honoka decides to look for Yamato as she's concerned about him being together with Asahina. When Yamato finishes practice, he sees Asahina leaving without a word and grumbles about her being a heartless person. Unknown to him, Asahina has heard this when she returns to help him do cooling-down exercises after the training. Asahina reminds Yamato of his shortcomings during running and he gets happy knowing that she has been watching him train. Honoka happens to see them holding hands while cooling down and is very shocked. She tries to conceal her uneasiness and convince herself that Asahina feels for Yamato in a different way from her.

Yamato receives 2 free tickets to the swimming pool from the cable TV salesgirl and wonders if he should ask Asahina out for a date on Sunday. When he raises this suggestion to Hattori, the latter mentions that unless Asahina likes him or is his girlfriend, girls would normally not go to the pool with a guy easily. In addition, he reminds Yamato that he was rejected by Asahina when they went to the amusement park previously and asks him whether he wants history to repeat itself. Although Yamato tries to convince himself that he does not have any ulterior motives for asking Suzuka out, he is reminded by Hattori that Asahina may have her plans for Sunday and Yamato remembers that she usually spends her Sundays visiting Kazuki's grave. Thus, Yamato drops the idea of asking Asahina out.

Honoka asks Yamato to go to the swimming pool with her on Sunday and this is overheard by Miki and Kobayakawa who want to tag along with them. Miki also asks Asahina to come along and the latter agrees after looking at Yamato for a brief moment. Yamato and Honoka are surprised at Asahina's decision since he is under the impression Asahina will go to visit Kazuki while Honoka is not happy about Asahina obstructing her attempt to spend time with Yamato.

At the swimming pool, Yamato is still wondering what made Asahina decide to go swimming with them and shrugs off the idea that she came because of him. Yamato wants to talk to Asahina but Miki drags her off to the pool. As for Honoka, she also intends to spend time with Yamato but Kobayakawa is eager to impress her and stops her from being with Yamato. However, Yamato makes up his mind to improve his relationship with Asahina today.

Yamato laments that he has no chance of getting close to Asahina and rejects Honoka's suggestion of playing on one of the attractions. Honoka realises that Yamato's attention is totally focused on Asahina and feels upset. Yamato starts to wonder if this is all his imagination about Asahina coming for his sake when she seems more interested in swimming.

On the way home, Yamato is tying his shoelaces and his friends walk ahead of him. To his surprise, he sees Asahina returning to look for him and they walk together. When the fireworks display is on, Yamato and Asahina are reminded of their time together at the amusement park where Yamato suddenly grabs her arm and is prepared to confess his feelings for her again despite the possibility of failure. Before he can say anything, Honoka, Miki and Kobayakawa return for them and Honoka sees that Yamato was grabbing Asahina's arm.

The next day, Honoka asks Asahina to walk home with her and she remarks that Asahina is on good terms with Yamato. Honoka reveals that she's in love with Yamato and asks Asahina if it's fine that she tells Yamato about it. When Honoka remarks that Asahina likes Yamato, the latter gets defensive and says that it's impossible for her to like him. Yamato happens to hear this and Honoka runs away as she's embarrassed by what she said. Asahina tries to explain herself but Yamato walks away, saying that he knows all along that Asahina does not like him. Even though he tries to pretend that it's OK, Asahina feels worried that she has hurt Yamato with her words...

Finally, Honoka has made her move by confronting Asahina about her feelings for Yamato and it is perfect timing for him to hear Asahina denying Honoka's view. I guess this will make Yamato realise the hopelessness of his situation with Asahina and by the next episode, it seems to be the turning point for his relationship with Honoka and look at her in a different light. Asahina does not seem as cold as before and she starts to see how her lies have hurt Yamato. By the time she realises her feelings for him, it may be difficult to rectify the situation now that Honoka is also involved.

Suzuka Ep 11: Shobu (Contest)

Yamato drags Hattori along to walk around aimlessly on the streets as he doesn't want to turn up for the athletics meet. However, Hattori tricks Yamato to go to the stadium even though he is reluctant to see Asahina after their quarrel the previous night.

Meanwhile, Asahina is at the stadium and recollects Yamato's words which makes her wonder why he knows about Kazuki. Just then, she sees a group of reporters surrounding Arima Emerson who is the No.1 sprinter in senior high school and he used to lose to Kazuki in the past. However, Asahina does not think much of Arima and gets angry when Miyamoto mentions that he has hopes of Yamato replacing Kazuki in the race. She says loudly that Arima is nowhere near Kazuki which is overheard by Arima himself. Miyamoto tries to get her to lower her voice but Asahina cannot be bothered to keep her thoughts to herself.

Yamato and Arima happen to see Arima approaching Asahina for her remarks about him being not comparable to Kazuki. Asahina gives a half-hearted apology which Arima is not happy with. He even mocks that since Kazuki is no longer around, whatever Asahina says would be of no meaning. Fellow athletes overhear their conversation and surround Asahina to make her apologise to Arima. Hattori tells Yamato to leave so that they are not implicated. However, he still goes to Asahina's rescue and brags that he will win the race. Nobody believes Yamato's words but Arima says that he's prepared to see how fast Yamato can be.

Asahina asks Yamato if he had considered carefully before challenging Arima but he says that he's prepared to apologise to Arima if he really loses. Asahina scolds him again for not thinking of the consequences but Yamato feels that as long as he doesn't lose, everything will be fine.

Honoka is helping Yamato to warm up when Miki comes to tell Yamato about Arima's background. His confidence gets shaken as a result. Hattori comes to chat with Asahina who says that she doesn't think Yamato will win over Arima. However, Hattori doesn't speculate on Yamato's chances and simply tells Asahina to go and watch the heats.

Arima and Yamato happen to be in the same heat and the latter is further pressurized by Arima's supporters. Arima thinks that Yamato is just trying to copy Kazuki and thinks lightly of him. Although Yamato thinks that it would be tough for him to beat Arima, he feels that he will have to try his best since he's angry at Arima for bullying Asahina. Yamato lags behind Arima since the start but he suddenly increases his pace after hearing Asahina's voice and almost overtakes Arima who is having problems catching up. However, Yamato falls down before reaching the finishing line and Arima wins the heat easily. Even though Yamato is prepared to apologise to Arima, the latter simply says that he doesn't need that and tells Yamato to scram because he's disturbed by the fact that he was almost beaten. Yamato seizes the chance to scold Arima before running away.

Arima is sitting under a tree and feels that Asahina will dislike him more due to his childish behaviour. Unexpectedly, Asahina comes to look for him with the first aid box and gives him some treatment for his knees. Although Yamato is surprised by Asahina pasting so many plasters on his slightly grazed knees, he is happy to hear that she tells him to return for training which means she's no longer angry with him...

Yamato simply refuses to give up Asahina as seen from his action to protect her from Arima. Although he says that he's not going to get involved, it would be impossible to sever all ties with Asahina just because they quarrelled. Besides, as what Honoka noticed, Yamato got the motivation to accelerate when he heard Asahina's voice so it's obvious how much she means to him.

Honoka is finally making her move. By asking Asahina in the next episode whether it is OK for her to confess to Yamato about her feelings, this helps Asahina to think about how she feels for him but I don't think she will tell Honoka at this point in time that she likes Yamato since she's still pining about Kazuki. In addition, Honoka simply needs some assurance from Asahina that she will not be an obstacle. Only when Honoka really starts to date Yamato, it would be Asahina's turn to feel sorry for not realising how she feels at an earlier point in time.

Suzuka Ep 10: Koigataki (Love Rival)

Yamato runs to Asahina's hometown in Yokohama so as to find out whether she is meeting Kazuki and what type of person he is. Even though he has no idea how to face Asahina or what to say when he meets her, all Yamato can think of is to get to Yokohama as soon as possible after seeing the photo in Asahina's room.

Yamato finally finds his way to Asahina's house and is surprised to see that she's from a rich family. Just as he's wondering whether to press the doorbell, Asahina's elder sister asks about Yamato's purpose. He explains that he's concerned about Asahina's meeting with Kazuki but decides to give up looking for them. However, Asahina's sister says that it's fine and will bring him to where Asahina is meeting Kazuki.

Asahina's sister does not reveal where she is bringing Yamato to and he has to follow her blindly. On the way, he reveals that he has been rejected by Asahina and she remarks that he can't do anything since Asahina doesn't like him.

Yamato is brought to the cemetery where he sees Asahina paying respects to Kazuki at his grave and is stunned about Asahina pining for a dead person. Asahina's sister explains that Kazuki died on the day he was supposed to take part in the National Athletics Meet when he was knocked down by a truck. Kazuki was a year older than Asahina and the ace short distance runner in the school team. He was said to be the No.1 runner in the prefecture and Asahina admired him a lot. Even though he was a star athlete, he was constantly making a fool of himself in daily life and Asahina's sister remarks that Yamato seems rather similar to Kazuki in terms of looks and character. Upon hearing this, Yamato decides to go home without telling Asahina even though her sister tries to stop him. He tells her sister not to tell Asahina about his visit and leaves with a sad expression.

Asahina is surprised to see her sister at the cemetery and the latter tells her to stop pining for Kazuki. She suggests that she can go to the amusement park with friends but this strikes a raw nerve in Asahina as she's reminded of Yamato who went with her previously.

Yamato remembers words from Miyamoto and Asahina's sister about him resembling Kazuki and is angry and upset about being regarded as a substitute by Asahina. He scolds himself for being silly to love her when she has never looked at him as an individual. When he returns home dejectedly, Miho asks about his meeting with Asahina but he just thanks her for finding Asahina's address and goes back to his room without a word.

Ever since that day, Yamato skips athletics training as he cannot bear the thought of facing Asahina after finding out the truth. Meanwhile, Asahina starts to think of the past where she used to be at loggerheads with Kazuki as she couldn't stand his relaxed attitude of doing things. As such, they kept quarrelling over minor things and she got irritated at him who always called her Suzukaze instead of Suzuka. However, things started to change after Kazuki helped Suzuka to overcome her pressure during the prefectural competition when she was in Year 2. On the eve of the National championships, Kazuki confessed his feelings for Suzuka and asked her to reply to his request of being her boyfriend when he wins the Nationals. However, he passed away on the next day due to the accident...

The captain of the athletics team ask Miyamoto why Yamato is skipping practice despite the competition being around the corner and Miki offers to look for Yamato later. After school, Hattori asks Yamato why he is not turning up for practice but the latter ignores him. Miki comes to tell Yamato to go for practice but he replies that he's no longer interested in running. She gets angry and tells him not to be a quitter as this will get him into Asahina's bad books. At the mention of Asahina, Yamato grab his bag and leaves even though Miki reminds him to turn up for the competition tomorrow.

That evening, Asahina comes to look for Yamato at his apartment and she starts to reprimand him for causing a lot of trouble with his lack of determination to stay in the athletics team. This makes Yamato angry and he tells her to stop poking her nose into his affairs since she should be the one who is happiest to see him leave the team. They start to get into an argument and Yamato cannot control himself and shouts at Asahina not to treat him as a substitute for Kazuki anymore. She gets mad at the mention of Kazuki and slaps Yamato before running back to her room.

On the day of the competition, Yamato refuses to turn up and is brooding over his relationship with Asahina at home...

I think it's high time Yamato gives up Asahina once and for all. When I saw her scolding Yamato and slapping him, it really made me wonder why she's exhibiting constrasting attitudes to him. On one hand, she keeps scolding him for being a nuisance to the athletics team by joining and quitting at whim but on the other hand, if she really dislikes him and can't stand the sight of him, why go to the extent of questioning his intentions and decision? If you do not care for someone, there's no reason for bothering what he wants to do. In this sense, Yamato does mean something to Asahina but she's been blinded by her feelings for Kazuki and fails to take a good look at her feelings about Yamato. I guess only when she feels that she's going to lose Yamato, the realisation may then come over her.

Seeing the fact that Yamato is in anguish over being taken as a substitute despite being truly in love with Asahina, it's no wonder that he's angry. And there's no reason for Asahina to slap him like that when she was the one who led him on at first and blew hot and cold at him. She doesn't realise how cruel she has been to Yamato.

Anyway, Yamato seems to have turned up for the competition in the next episode and I wonder how things between him and Asahina will change after that. Whether he will stay on in the athletics team is one question and how he will behave towards her is another. And when will Honoka finally make the move to grab Yamato away from Asahina?

Suzuka Ep 08: Kyori (Distance)

Yamato joins the athletics team much to the surprise of Asahina, Miyamoto, Hattori and Honoka. However, Asahina does not think too highly of Yamato who is intending to take part in the 100m race.

Yamato is surprised at how tough the training is and Asahina scolds him for being a burden to the athletics team. Yamato meets Hashiba Miki who is also a sprinter and a friend of Asahina. When Yamato sees how good Asahina is, he feels more admiration for her.

Yamato is so tired that he can't even walk home. When he sees Asahina practising alone after the end of training, Miki tells Yamato about Asahina's strengths as an athlete. Yamato feels the distance between them the more he tries to get close to Asahina. Hattori and Honoka come to help Yamato home and all he could think of is how good Asahina is.

As time goes by, Yamato starts to get used to the tough training but Honoka feels sorry for him whenever she comes to see him after school. Hattori suggests that Honoka can try to join the athletics team if she wants to get close to Yamato. However, Honoka is not too good at sports and feels sad that she cannot be an athlete.

On her way home, Honoka meets Yuka who brings her to the public bath and accidentally blurts out that Yamato is in love with Asahina. Honoka is stunned but decides not to give up as she is serious about Yamato and wants to spend more time with him.

Honoka joins the athletics team as a manager in the hope of being near Yamato. At the sight of Honoka, Asahina gets irritated and ignores Yamato and Honoka. Contrary to Honoka's expectations, she has so much work to do and can't spend a lot of time with Yamato. Asahina tells Yamato to be more serious when she sees Miki trying to give Yamato a massage as he is suffering from muscle ache. Miki tells Asahina to be less harsh on Yamato as he is working hard.

This makes Yamato more determined to work hard and prove himself to Asahina who keeps convincing herself that his enthusiasm won't last. Asahina gets frustrated with him but starts to remember the happy times they have spent together...

The next episode shows Asahina and Yamato quarrelling again. Well, it's time Asahina snapped out of her irritated mood and stop treating Yamato like dirt. And it seems that we might find out who that guy in the photo is. Asahina would probably realise Yamato's importance only when he gets together with Honoka...Wouldn't that be too late? Honoka is more frank when it comes to getting what she wants as compared to Asahina and I find myself rooting for her instead as the anime progresses.

Suzuka Ep 07: Ketsui (Determination)

After being rejected by Asahina, Yamato is feeling very down and knows that it's hard to pretend that nothing has happened. Seeing how upset Yamato is feeling, Hattori offers to bring Yamato for a go-kon (group date) but Yamato rejects his suggestion. Even Miho realises this so she tries to liven up things by saying that she will marry Yamato if nobody wants him in the end. This makes Yamato feel even worse as he has to be comforted by his younger cousin in his relationship matters when he should have been more mature in his way of doing things.

That night, Yamato meets Asahina who has returned home from a gathering with her athletics teammates but she returns to her room without speaking to him. Yamato feels down again but lightens up when he hears someone knocking at his door. To his disappointment, he sees Yuka and Megumi who bring drinks to his room and say that they are going to comfort him for being out of love.

Yuka tells Yamato about her own experience and tells him that he should not give up so easily even though he has been rejected. Upon hearing this, Yamato makes up his mind to continue liking Asahina and even shouts at the top of his voice about his feelings which makes Asahina very embarrassed.

After some consideration, Yamato contemplates joining the athletics team at Miyamoto's suggestion and tells Hattori about it. To his surprise, Hattori tells him to give up the idea since his intention of joining the athletics team is just to get closer to Asahina. When Asahina hears about Yamato's decision and realises that he has no idea how tough the training is, she flares up and tells Yamato not to belittle the athletics team's training as a piece of cake.

Yamato had intended to join the athletics team to spend more time with Asahina but makes her angry again. He fails to find a good opportunity to apologise to her and Hattori keeps telling him not to join the team for such a reason. When Honoka hears about Yamato's intention, she dissuades him from joining since the training is tough and it will tire him out. Actually, she is saying this because she wants more time with Yamato.

Hattori decides to bring Yamato to Asahina personally and apologise for his words. However, Yamato makes up his mind and tells Miyamoto that he is joining the athletics team much to the surprise of Hattori and Asahina...

I had the urge to make Asahina come to her senses when she ignored Yamato after the rejection. Come on, you can still be friends so what's with that attitude?! And poor Yamato is so smitten with her that he even joins the athletics team just to spend more time with her. I really think he deserves someone who will appreciate him better.

Well, joining the athletics team may not turn out well too as seen in the trailer for Ep 8 when he feels the distance between him and Asahina. And Honoka finally springs into action and takes the initiative to change the situation between her and Yamato. That's good because without competition, Asahina will never realise the importance and value of Yamato.

Suzuka Ep 06: Kokuhaku (Confession)

As tomorrow is the school founding anniversary, Asahina does not need to go for training. Yamato wants to ask her out for a date but is troubled over how to do it naturally. Just then, a newspaper promoter comes to his doorstep and offers to give him 2 tickets to the amusement park if he subscribes to the delivery service. As such, Yamato has a legitimate excuse to ask Asahina out on the next day and gets very excited at the possible scenarios to ask her out naturally.

However, Yamato cannot find a chance to talk to Asahina and even has his tickets torn by the cat. As such, he is feeling upset when Asahina tells him that the newspaper promoter gave her two tickets to the amusement park for free even though she did not subscribe to the service. Yamato offers to go with Asahina as a joke but she agrees to it unexpectedly.

The next day, things start off on a bad note when it rains heavily thus Asahina gets irritated at having to spend the day on indoor attractions. She grumbles at Yamato who is constantly in a daze and says that she is going home after they are done with the current ride. This makes Yamato rather unhappy but her sudden change in attitude about continuing to spend the day at the amusement park lifts Yamato's spirits.

After the rain has stopped, Yamato and Asahina go to watch the procession and fireworks where during all this while, they have been holding hands. Yamato suddenly confesses to Asahina about his feelings which make her stunned. However, she lets go of Yamato's hand and apologises for not being able to reciprocate his feelings. Yamato tries to pretend nothing is wrong as they walk home silently.

Yamato goes home to find Hattori in his room and he tells the latter about his day at the amusement park. Hattori realises what has happened even before Yamato talks about his confession and leaves behind a pack of tissues for him. After Hattori leaves, Yamato cries his heart out after being rejected by Asahina...

Somehow, I think Asahina has been leading Yamato on with her everchanging attitude. One moment, she seems so kind to him and the other, she makes Yamato quite frustrated. Why would you want to hold a guy's hand for so long if you don't feel anything for him? I don't think she is doing it deliberately but this subconscious action is making a fool out of Yamato who has eyes for her only. Now, if Honoka makes the first move, will jealousy finally make Asahina budge and take notice of her feelings? In addition, who is that guy in the photo Asahina seems to like so much? That could be the reason why Asahina is not willing to accept Yamato.

Suzuka Ep 05: Koi wazurai (Love troubles)

After that hug in the rain, Yamato wants to know how Asahina feels about him but she keeps avoiding contact with him. This makes Yamato rather uneasy and he gets angry at Asahina when she agrees to go somewhere with a guy wearing spectacles. However, it turns out that this guy, Miyamoto used to be Asahina's senior in junior high and is asking for her help to get Yamato into the athletics team. Although Yamato is glad that there is nothing between Miyamoto and Asahina, he still rejects Miyamoto's offer as he did not think that the record he achieved during that shuttle run was real. It was most probably by luck that he could run that fast so he didn't think it was right to join the athletics team. Nevertheless, Miyamoto says that he will ask Yamato again since he's not likely to agree to it now.

That night, there is a thunderstorm which results in a blackout. Being afraid of the dark and the thunder, Asahina comes over to Yamato's room with an aromatherapy candle and they sit side by side in the dimly-lit room. They talk about their hometowns where Yamato brings up the day they hugged in the rain. Asahina tries to brush it off by saying that she held on to him because she was stunned by the car which drove past them and tells Yamato not to assume things.

Yamato is confused by Asahina's ever-changing attitude and wonders if she has any feelings for him. Hattori realises that Yamato is troubled over Asahina and gives him some advice.

After school, Yamato asks Hattori to go to a karaoke with him to vent his frustrations when the latter asks Honoka along. Yamato does not realise Honoka's obvious feelings for him and decides to go home as he feels that he's not enjoying himself at all. He wonders if he should confess his feelings to Asahina but he's scared that they cannot be friends if she rejects him. Suddenly, he hears Asahina calling out to him and she asks him to go shopping with her. As such, Yamato decides that it's better not to tell Asahina about his feelings first as he doesn't want to lose her.

Frankly speaking, if I am Yamato, I would also feel frustrated at Asahina's everchanging attitude. One moment, she's quite nice and the next, she seems to be avoiding Yamato like the plague. However, it seems like Asahina's feelings have somewhat changed after seeing Yamato run in the race so I guess she's not willing to come to terms with her feelings yet. On the other hand, we have Honoka who's obviously obsessed with Yamato but he only has eyes for Asahina.

The next episode's title is "Kokuhaku" (Confession) so does this mean that Yamato is going to make a move?

Suzuka Ep 04: Shunran (Spring storm)

There is more progress for Yamato and Asahina in a sense. We start to see Asahina experience some internal turmoil as to how she views Yamato and how she really behaves towards him. The main event in this episode is the physical fitness test where Yamato used to excel in when he was in secondary school except for the 50m shuttle run. However, much as he tries to impress Asahina, he finds that he is soundly beaten by her and Hattori in every segment which makes him lose hope despite Sakurai encouraging him not to give up. When it finally comes to the 50m run, much as Yamato thinks that he's not likely to come up with a good result, he ends up beating the fast runner from the baseball team. And during the race, Asahina is very much shaken by the fact that Yamato looks so similar to that guy who posed with her in the photo displayed in her room. That must be some guy she admires very much and this makes her go into a trance in Yamato's presence. Of course,Yamato doesn't like her attitude but he can't do anything to her anyway.

One day, Yamato forgets his umbrella and intends to wait for Asahina to finish with her training so that they can share her umbrella to go home. Actually, he's undecided whether to wait for her since he's still upset with her cold attitude but he still waits for her. As they go home together, Asahina loses her balance when a car drives past them, causing her to grab Yamato. It's literally a hug but then she pulls away from Yamato after a brief trance and just walks away.

Well, from the way I see it, Asahina does have something to hide with that guy in the photo. Maybe she used to like him and when she saw how similar Yamato looked like that guy, she's stunned and probably confused whenever Yamato appears in front of her. And to Yamato, he won't be able to see why she is behaving this way and of course, attributes it to her attitude problem since Asahina blows hot and cold towards him. The problem is, he just cannot ignore her since he does like her or he could have accepted Sakurai who is very good to him. And by the time Asahina finds out how she feels or even realise that she likes Yamato, I'm not sure whether it's too late.

Promising anime but can they do something about the OP and ED? I always skip through the credits except for the debut episode just to see the seiyuu list and hear the songs for the first time. Surely, the same song is not going to be played for 20 plus episodes? However, it doesn't make sense to change it halfway...I guess I just have to bear with it.