Episode 6
It’s ironic that Atsushi is helping Rokka to fall in love with “Hazuki,” but I doubt that he has any intention to return his body soon. I mean, he’s enjoying himself way too much now… Continuing where we left off, Rokka makes the odd request to wash his back. Atsushi suggests that they might as well take a shower together, which turns the whole thing off. Before leaving her house, he tells her to stop using “her dead husband” as an excuse to play games. This affects Rokka throughout the rest of the episode, as she feels bad about her behavior while also entertaining the idea of taking Hazuki seriously.
I love how this anime explores Rokka’s emotions by dealing with all the tough questions. Just how do you move on from your loving, caring partner who died, let alone your first love? How do you get over the guilt of loving someone else? And with new relationships comes a great deal of uncertainty, as she hardly thinks of herself as the type to attract a younger man anyway. I know I’ve been accrediting Atsushi for giving the most interest to the series, but I don’t mean to undermine Rokka’s character. All the weight she must carry makes her a very interesting, complex, and unique character. I can’t imagine being in her shoes, nor do I want to be, but that’s part of what makes her a compelling character to me as well.
Towards the end, Rokka confesses that she also loves Hazuki. It makes the wrong person blush, but hey…maybe Atsushi is really starting to get comfortable in Hazuki’s shoes. Since this has been a competition between them, it only makes sense for Atsushi to keep this going. Even if he isn’t who Rokka thinks he is, he still gets to be with her. Who wants to be a ghost, anyway? But then again, I think the desired goal of this story will be for Atsushi to move on just as Rokka is finally starting to. I’m really curious to see how this will work, because again, it seems all too tempting for Atsushi to start a second life with her and forget the poor boy… Meanwhile, Hazuki is drowning in a red sea somewhere…
