Episode 40, “A Bittersweet Favor! Budding Christmas Love?!”
The Christmas Story
As Kyoko is doing some cleaning, she comes upon a rock that has meaning to her, and asks Godai to investigate it. While doing so, he meets up with Kozue, and realizes that he needs money to pay for gifts and for a Christmas party. Godai works part-time jobs and buys the gifts. Later, on the night of the party, Kyoko goes on ahead with Mitaka, while Godai goes to retrieve the stone, which he discovers was a gift from her late husband, and find information about it. Unfortunately, Sakamoto, who had given the rock to a friend who studies geology, left it aboard a train. As Godai looks for the stone, Kyoko worries as time passes by at the party. Will he make it there before it’s over?
Christmas Gifts
Christmas decorations and shoppers, “Jingle Bells” (played like five times), Christmas trees, a winter storm and “Silent Night” played as a slow dance song.
The true meaning of Christmas is…
Sacrificing for the one you love. Despite his jealousy of Soichiro, Godai goes to great lengths to find out about the stone and to let Kyoko know that it was a meaningful gift. Although the only mention of Christ is when Kozue and Godai go to a planetarium show about the Bethlehem star, the theme of the two episodes was very appropriate for the holiday, more so than most. Godai cheerfully, painfully and sacrificially gives for the one he loves, while Kyoko’s budding feelings take the form of paralyzing worry. This is a particularly brilliant pair of episodes in a brilliant series, and represents the spirit of Christmas very well.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, anime gave to me:
Fossilized limestone,
Santa Urd shining shoes,
a bloody day and silent night,
Broken hearts and ornaments,
Mio’s darling dresses,
Chiyo’s dad as Santa,
Haruka crushing,
a blonde Santa Claus,
a Christmas tree comet,
Paper Sisters birthday,
and Sakura knitting a nerdy dollie.
Tomorrow’s Forecast
Brave the snow to find your love that perfect gift! Although to afford a nice coat, you may need to find some part-time work, particularly if you’re a ronin.
Wow…that Girl looks almost identical to Kagome Higurashi from “Inuyasha”
*looks the series up*
Oh hey! The authors the same!
XD
Very good! Sounds like an anime I might want to watch some day
Oh yes, Rumiko Takahashi! I think Maison Ikkoku is her masterpiece – it’s a wonderful series, if you don’t mind angst. I hope you’ll check it out sometime. 🙂
[…] Maison Ikkoku (Eps. 2, 18. 39-40 – “Love is in the Air? Which One Does Kyoko Love Best?”, “Kyoko’s Gift! What, You Mean It’s For Me?”, “Love Takes Guts! Godai’s Part Time Job Ploy!”, “A Bittersweet Favor! Budding Christmas Love!?” [1, 2] […]