[Kaoru Chujo]

Really enjoyed the bracing comments from Ascaloth. I gave this ep a 10 -- and I wouldn't change that if I could -- but he/she makes some good points. However, I think the way they wove the story worked beautifully. Suppressing the sorrow made it more effective, in a way. It took the whole ep for it to work its way to the surface, and that was art. But I, too, wondered where Nayuki went after school. The feeling that Nayuki might show up was lurking there in the background for us through the scene between Yuuichi and Ayu, which gave it a twist.

As for what some others considered a surprising event between Ayu and Yuuichi near the end, it was not surprising if you consider: Nayuki already said Yuuichi loves Ayu; Yuuichi and Ayu met secretly at night in their pyjamas (or at least hers) twice in this episode; they are able to talk to each other about their intimate feelings; they spend many after-school times "searching for something" together; they are "really" the same age and were close friends seven years earlier, sharing a promise always to meet. Moreover, in the midst of tears is a very natural moment for such an event to occur.

As for the points made by Zoahr: that was a teardrop, and there was no hint of Nayuki in the reflection. However, the fact that we didn't know where she had gone did perhaps give us a little uneasy feeling that she might be around somewhere and see them. The round shape might make one think of a round crystal, or even a pearl, but if you watch them, drops of water may start elongated, but end up round before they hit the ground.

And in answer to velocity7's question about syoboi calendar, it only has the titles up to ep21, but it shows that there are broadcasts up to ep26, beside which it puts the symbol "end," which it does when it knows that that is the final episode.