[0utf0xZer0]

This was the first episode of HSI I'd describe as "relaxing", and while I've generally felt that the fast pacing and slightly chaotic happenings of the previous episodes were a strength of the show, this actually worked really well.

I definitely enjoyed the surrealism of the proceedings (then again, I'm a Shaft fanboy) and all the little character moments. My only true disappointment was that Tomoe wasn't the one to read the phone message. I just got this image of Ohana finally getting up after her sick day and Tomoe immediately asking who this "Kou" is.

(But the bit where she helps the manager drive off Jiromaru and the uncle was great... I love Tomoe.)

Regarding the complaint about Jiromaru's appearance, I can kind of see the point but on the other hand it's hard to imagine Jiromari visiting sick Ohana playing out any other way.

And most importantly... the next episode preview people. Seriously. Was that Ohana's mom who showed up in there? And is that yet another guy? Will episode 11 put the "drama" in "family drama"? (I still wonder if Ohana's father will end up playing a role in this story at some point...)

Originally Posted by Reckoner

Usually I really adore these sorts of episodes, but taken in context of the entire series, it doesn't quite work as well.

For one thing, I almost feel like this was a natural lead up from episodes 1 and 2, except we were missing episodes in between that and episode 10. This Ohana is the same Ohana who we knew in episodes 1 and 2. The Ohana in episodes 3-9 is a far different, more evolved Ohana (A more boring one I must say as well).

Now it's not that I have a problem with this sort of Ohana, and if she stayed this way for the rest of the series, I'd be more than satisfied. It's just that again this show expresses a freaking IDENTITY CRISIS.

I didn't have an issue with this, probably because I interpret her like mindovermatter does... she's insecure when she stops to think, which is probably why she's so prone to throwing herself into things and trying to be useful to others.

No really. This is the Ohana we came to knew in episodes 1 and 2. The same sort of paranoid, insecure Ohana that frankly is a little emotionally frustrated inside, despite the cheerful appearance on the outside. The Ohana in episodes 3-9 was more of a bullheaded girl who charged into situations no matter how silly, and was trying to be everyone's helper girl. She wasn't very emotionally complex at all. Really, while such characters are not necessarily bad, I much prefer this other Ohana. This Ohana has more depth.

To me, the complex emotions we see in certain episodes explain her impulsive behaviour in the others. Both are needed to see the complete image of who she is.

The problem is trying to connect the two. The world in episodes 3-9 is usually far more zany (At times WAY TOO zany such as 3 and 7). Ohana's personality shifted to match these contrasting sides of the story, but this makes the story feel very unnatural. I mean, there was no good build up from the previous episodes that Ohana was this insecure about her worth to the Inn. It comes off as overwrought, especially considering how useful she was in the last couple episodes where as Guardian Enzo pointed out, she was truly indispensable.

I actually her insecurities about this, largely because it tapped into something I've been wondering: does Kissuiso really have the customer base to support such a large staff? The inn was running fine without her, the circumstances behind her "big damn hero" moment are highly unusual.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Why exactly did Ohana find it necessary to personally chase down Tohru not once, but twice? Is it really such a stretch to think that maybe this means that Ohana does have some interest in Tohru?

I think those scenes foreshadow future developments between the two. However, I don't see how they show her interest in Tohru. There's other reasons that convincingly explain her actions there, and there's almost no notable evidence that she's attracted to him period... whereas there is notable evidence for just about every other attraction in this series.

I still think Ohana is going to be absolutely shocked when she finds out Tohru likes her, and that the immediate impact may well be to convince her to start thinking more seriously about Ko.

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

(whether a 23 year-old lusting after a 16 year-old is creepy is an individual call, I think)

I get the impression there's some cultural relativism at work here too but I don't really have enough evidence to decide. Kimi no Todoke had a teenage girl crushing on a twenty-something guy but that's not really the same thing.

Spoiler for my experiences with people's opinions on this:

When I was 22, I was asked by the mother of two sixteen year old cosplayers if I wanted to go for dinner with her daughters (well known to me from their involvement in cosplay shoot I photographed the previous year). Despite the fact there's little evidence she was actually trying to set us up, the reactions I've gotten when telling friends range from "it would have been creepy to accept" to "You're declining because you had to meet your group at that time constitutes EPIC FAIL."

Also, when I was 23 a friend of mine mistook my then 19 year old girlfriend for a sixteen year old. And she didn't tell me until her real age came up... about nine months after I introduced the two of them. Still not sure if she didn't care or if she just didn't want to stir up any trouble.