[relentlessflame]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Spoiler for Japanese preview paragraph for ep9:

"After what Shinichiro's mother says, the relationship with Hiromi slowly begins to change [not clear to me if this is Shin's or his mother's relationship with her]. Shinichiro objects to Hiromi's suspension, and Noe unexpectedly puts her life on the line to stop the violence. Shinichiro doesn't understand the real meaning of what he writes in his picture book. Only Noe takes the blow."

Spoiler:

Heh -- interesting. It's no great surprise that the picture book would feature heavily in the plot progression. Anytime the protagonist is an author or an artist, the answer to the plot is always in whatever they create!

If I were to guess at its contents, I would suppose that he might have Raigomaru try to help Chibeta fly, and then end the story by having them fly away together, which would symbolize him and Hiromi (even though he doesn't realize it -- it would also tie back to his drawings/stories in the early episodes). I think Noe would get the connection; she's been insistant that he should always look to the sky, since he can fly, and never had much patience for Chibeta (though she's been warming up to her a little bit more recently, as we saw). I could definitely see Noe seeing Hiromi as a sort of "Chibeta" character in real life -- an inferior who can't fly, always looking to the ground. So her issue with him and Hiromi may not only be the fact that she loves him herself, but also the fact that she thinks Hiromi is "dragging Shinichirou down". But rather than being concerned with flying himself, Shinichirou is more concerned with helping Hiromi fly.

I guess all that sort of gets at the fundamental oddity about Noe herself, and her sort of aloof, distant attitude towards the rest of the world. She simply has no time or patience for people she considers worthless. Perhaps that's the sympathy/empathy she lost when she lost her tears? If she gets her tears back, will she regain some of her humanity and be able to socialize with others normally again? And in fact, does Shinichirou see Noe as well as a sort of "Chibeta" he needs to help fly?

Anyway, interesting tidbits, to be sure. We'll see what comes of it.