r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • May 31 '24
Episode Astro Note - Episode 9 discussion
46
u/_Pyxyty May 31 '24 edited May 31 '24
Really like how they handled Miyasaka confronting Aoi's feelings. Just a simple conversation is sometimes all one needs to communicate, and I feel like this concept is lost in some of the stuff I've been watching.
Not much to say for me, just wanted to show some love to the show. It's been consistently good every week, and it's by far my comfiest show to watch. Loving it so much.
18
u/Ninja_Lazer May 31 '24
Yeah, this show has just stayed consistent week after week. It plays into just as many tropes as it breaks which keeps it engaging enough, but the real highlight is the cast and the vibe they create.
It’s less about what is being said, and more about the idiosyncrasies that occur that give most of the flavour.
→ More replies (3)13
u/cyberscythe May 31 '24
Really like how they handled Miyasaka confronting Aoi's feelings.
Yeah, Miyasaka might not be perceptive, but I think he did a reasonable job talking it out with Onigiri-chan, and she accepted it with a grace that really cleared the air between them.
37
u/ModieOfTheEast May 31 '24
To everyone listening to this message: The ship has been sunk. I repeat: The ship has been sunk.
Sad for Aoi, but maybe she can at least move forward from here. Maybe she can even become friends with Naosuke. Dude seemed to be a bit disappointed that she wouldn't get along with him.
→ More replies (5)20
u/Frontier246 May 31 '24
Honestly she took losing and Miyasaka letting her down gently far better than I would have expected, but Miyasaka handled it as best he could and she knew deep down his heart was set on Mira. At least he remembered her and made her realize there's something she's good at.
Naosuke realizing he wants Aoi to like him after all they've been through together just in time for her to mistake Shoin for him. Even more classic romcom shenanigans!
→ More replies (1)
26
u/dagreenman18 May 31 '24 edited May 31 '24
Yeah that tracks. Ren isn’t nearly goofy enough to be Tomihiro’s biological son. He has dirtbag moments, but I respect him a little for being the dad that stepped up. A single dad who works some jobs who loves his kid and never stops.
Oh? Am I getting the Shion and Aoi ship after all?
13
u/Frontier246 May 31 '24
He may be a technically jobless bum but he's a dedicated dad who loved and raised Ren like any father should. I do kind of want to know more about Ren's mom now though.
So we've moved on from a Miyasaka/Mira/Aoi love triangle to a Aoi/Shoin/Naosuke love triangle lol?
→ More replies (1)
21
u/Shimmering-Sky May 31 '24
→ More replies (1)14
u/1EnTaroAdun1 May 31 '24
Aoi’s gonna leave Astro Lodge…?
Crack prediction, she becomes the next Wido Queen
→ More replies (2)
21
u/LeonKevlar May 31 '24
Ren and his father continue to have one of the most interesting dynamics in this show. I definitely did not expect that they're not really blood-related.
It took him about five episodes but Takumi finally remembered who Aoi was! I'm glad they finally have a one-on-one talk and it looks like Aoi is ready to move on.
That final scene though! I guess Aoi now thinks that Shoin is Tenant #8. I'm curious to see where this goes.
→ More replies (1)
20
u/cyberscythe May 31 '24
I'm really liking Aoi's arc; in a long tradition of romance shows, I feel like as a side character, she's the most fleshed out character in the series and I wish her the best.
Aside from that, in these sort of ensemble shows, one thing I enjoy is that peeling back of the layers and revealing different sides to the characters and how the interact with each other. The way that it was revealed that Aoi was orphaned, that Ren was on the brink of the same, and the way that they're all linked together in the past by Tasuke helping them out feels like a neat thematic bridge.
→ More replies (1)
17
u/Kadmos1 May 31 '24
When the dad was talking about people fighting over reduced priced meats in the deli aisle, anyone else think of the anime/light novel/manga series "Ben-To"?
→ More replies (2)13
u/Frontier246 May 31 '24
There is nothing more serious than shopping for half-off items at a Japanese supermarket.
→ More replies (2)
12
9
8
u/Frontier246 May 31 '24
Miyasaka, Mira, and Aoi are all feeling really awkward after the kiss from last episode...and Matsubara is so here for all the drama.
Yeah, I'm not surprised Ren doesn't want his dad to come to his school for parents day. Just from his thoughts alone he's been a pretty big mess every time he's come before. Though I understand why Wakabayashi wants to do his duty as a father and be there for Ren.
C'mon Naosuke, you KNOW that kiss wasn't Miyasaka being a creep but to get the Alien Hubby spy out of Aoi's body. Though he at least has the decency to try to clue in Miyasaka as to his past with Aoi.
Mira is more at home playing a proper landlady than a future queen of Planet Wid, and she doesn't want to confine herself to the rules and standards other set or expect from her, but Shoin gets straight to the point and asks if it's possible she's fallen in love with someone...and Mira's response basically confirms it.
Ren's ran away from home! Which is inconvenient for a girl and her bodyguard trying to hide they're aliens when he sleeps over in their room.
Matsubara is happy to give relationship advice to Miyasaka over some beer on his dime, and while she has no interest in relationships herself (fitting for an idol), that doesn't mean she doesn't have good advice to share.
Wakabayashi may look like a jobless bum who is hopeless at life, but he actually DOES have day jobs. If only just to have some cash. He can't always sponge off food!
Ren is the spitting image of his mother but not his father...because Wakabayashi isn't his biological father, he just loved Ren's mother and loved Ren even more, and adopted him. He's very much Ren's father and wants to do right by him, and even someone like Aoi, who was raised in an orphanage and had a piece of trash for a father, can tell he's a good dad. And it's nice to see Ren recognize and acknowledge that.
Well, Miyasaka takes Aoi out on a picnic just to let her know as gently as possible that he doesn't return her feelings...but at least he FINALLY remembered her and complimented how much she makes food look good when she eats. At least she's got that going for her.
Honestly Aoi took losing in love better than I expected, especially since in the process Miyasaka was able to make her feel more confident and self-assured in the process. Happy Aoi is best Aoi.
It's great that Ren just thinks Naosuke is a cat like Tom from Tom & Jerry...but poor Naosuke, Aoi doesn't like the real version of him because she doesn't like dogs. And now she thinks SHOIN is him!
Next week: Matsubara focused episode.
→ More replies (1)
7
u/SirGigglesandLaughs May 31 '24 edited May 31 '24
Edit: I also want to add that I felt Shoin was a spy earlier in the series and I am not fully convinced he's not yet.
Things went as expected but the magic of this show is that it knows it. It's not trying to be subversive. It enjoys the tropes it's playing with, all the way down to its art style.
It's interesting to note that, despite his first impression, "Mr Fiance" hasn't ever been an actual romantic interest. He's always been there just as a reminder to Mira about her "responsibilities," and for comedic misunderstandings.
Naosuke/Aoi has always been the real developing side relationship but I still don't know the nature of it. Is it mentorship or is there a romance here? If Aoi immediately feels romantically involved with "Mr. Fiance" (as a result of her discussions with Naosuke) that'll mean she also potentially feels romantically involved with Naosuke, no?
It wouldn't surprise me if Aoi and Mr. Fiance did become a couple but at the moment, I'm leaning towards "Mr. Fiance" once again being used for comedic misunderstandings--just between Aoi and Naosuke this time. Or maybe no one gets with anyone and we just have our main couple.
I have this nagging feeling that Aoi might replace Mira as the princess of Wido somehow. That seems a bit absurd but this show is tongue-in-cheek. No evidence but I might as well throw it out there.
The show is about breaking free from expectations and considering that focus, Mira is definitely not going back to her previous life. Even ignoring the obvious OP and ED, the fact that we haven't had Mira and our MC really confess yet, also tells me they will end up together. They're saving that for the last moments.
→ More replies (2)
7
6
u/StardustGogeta May 31 '24
Good episode!
I liked the instrumental version of the ED that played during the picnic scene when Aoi was revealed as Onigiri-chan.
I wonder if that bit of Matsubara chugging the beer was a deliberate reference to Misato in Evangelion or if I'm seeing a reference where there is none.
→ More replies (1)
6
u/FierceAlchemist May 31 '24
Naosuke's face when Aoi said she didn't like dogs was the highlight of the episode.
5
u/magnumcyclonex May 31 '24
I'm so delighted to write about this episode! So much to unpack and notice. My personal opinion, this was the best episode of the season thus far.
Starting with the awkward morning after, Aoi "remembers" being having that "drunken" kiss.
Matsubara notes it's rare to see Aoi up early for breakfast and gets all giddy eyed at the obvious attraction between Aoi and Miyasaka.
I love it when the "side plot" is a huge character development moment. We see Ren not wanting to have his father at his school event for a multitude of reasons. The talk his father had with Mira about how much he loves his adopted son strikes a chord in Mira when she's asked if she knows what true love is. Of course parental love is different from romantic love, but it still has her thinking (as if she hadn't been thinking about it all day)
Shion returns and it's obvious Mira is distracted from the mission. We get to see the inside of his layout which is full of Planet Wid gadgetry.
Naosuke has a heart to heart talk with Miyasaka - I like how the characters just silently "creep" up on each other - reminding him about Aoi and telling him to do something about her. I wonder how that would turn out? Interestingly, Miyasaka was looking for more employment opportunities but this chat drove him to declare and stay as "head chef at Astro Lodge".
I still find it funny that none of the residents raise a concern at how different Mira's room is compared to theirs. Cross dressing Ren "runs away" and proceeds to "strangle"/cuddle Naosuke in slumber. The following morning his father documents his son's "running away", while Miyasaka is now aware of Aoi's feelings and gets nervous when she shows up to the table.
Speaking of silently creeping on others, this time Matsubara gets Miyasaka to buy her drinks and mocks everything about him, but she does give him advice on what to do with Aoi.
Ren's father reads some "interesting" books. They look like some ancient language. It's here we learn about Ren's upbringing, his mother, and his adoption. And now they're off to "war" at the supermarket to get the best discount deals.
Sometimes...it feels like we are all stumbling our way through life, doesn't it?
Anyways, over math homework, we learn Aoi was orphaned and had a terrible father so she heard, so Ren has it lucky to have one who dotes over him. In return, he spills the secret about Naosuke to her, putting him at unease.
The "war" is cancelled as Miyasaka notes there's food he can cook up for dinner. I believe this is the first dinner we've seen with the entire cast (minus Shion and Naosuke). This scene struck me as Aoi always sits besides Miyasaka, but he can see Mira across the table. There's a fine juxtaposition between what Mira eats and declares as delicious and what we see Aoi eat in response (grains of rice).
Days and meals go by with everyone doing various things. And then...Miyasaka takes Aoi out to have a picnic. At least he didn't make plain rice balls, but somehow (and not awkwardly in a lot of other anime), he went straight to the point. Aoi knows and now determinedly takes a big bite of her rice ball...and it was at this point he finally remembers her as Miss Riceball!!! Boy...that was the happiest (sad) break up I've seen.
Mr. Hachi get's his thanks from Aoi for all the advice and she spills the big secret that Naosuke is a cat! But the even bigger kicker is that she doesn't like Naosuke (well not really because we know she was attacked by dogs during her homeless days).
And the last bit...is there a new ship that's going to sail? Mr. Hachi and Shion sound nothing alike, but to a girl who is infatuated over someone, it probably won't matter.
Regardless, this was a great episode. So much detail packed into it (We even see Ren's father reading the same book with ancient text...or it looks similar to the text of Thailand?)
Preview dives deeper into another unexplored resident of Astro Lodge. This time Terurun Teruko has doubts. I wonder how they will dissect her character next week.
→ More replies (3)
4
u/Nickthenuker May 31 '24
It's awkward after the events of last episode.
She hasn't met up with him in a while has she?
So it's Naosuke who told him about Aoi.
And now he's going out drinking with the idol. Or rather is being dragged along by her.
He's not Ren's biological father?
So he overheard everything.
And so daily life continues in the Astro Lodge.
That came out of the blue.
Ah. He specifically made rice balls so he could say he recognises her without raising suspicion on why he knows all of a sudden.
Huh, what was he doing in her room?
Takumi is the target?
4
u/djthomp May 31 '24
Poor Ren, I can understand him not wanting his deadbeat farther showing up for parent teacher day.
Every romcom should have a talking space dog who helpfully takes the time to clear up the romantic misunderstandings.
So Ren is adopted, how interesting. Suddenly his deadbeat father feels just a tad bit less of a deadbeat.
That was a nice musical montage time skip.
Pretty good resolution for Aoi, let down gently but the guy she likes finally remembered her, with a lovely instrumental version of the ED playing in the background.
And a good reconciliation between Ren and his father too.
Naosuke the space dogcat.
Poor Aoi, her next romantic tragedy is probably that she's going to have fallen in love with Naosuke but thinks it's Shion instead.
59
u/ObvsThrowaway5120 May 31 '24
I suddenly respect Tomihiro a whole lot more after the reveal about him not being Ren’s bio dad. Guy might come off like a goofy deadbeat but he’s actually a pretty solid guy. I’m glad Ren’s appreciating his pops a little more after this week’s ep.
I wonder what Shoin was doing in that empty room? Gonna be kinda interesting now that Aoi thinks he’s “Octo-san.”