I’m a little split on this episode. On one hand the memory wipe card was played, this usually means that some random, nonsensical deus ex machina ending is imminent. However, it ended with an awesome Matsuri vs Aono standoff cliffhanger which leaves potential for an epic faceoff. Please God let it be the latter!

Episode Rating: 8.5/10

The episode starts off with Yorito solemnly taking down his beloved artificial sky roof. In context, it looks like it signifies his will to go through with whatever plan he and Matsuri cooked up last episode.

A flashback to the night Yorito went to see Matsuri shows us what happened between Yorito and Aono when he got back. Yorito tells Aono that he now knows everything that she’s been hiding from him, but despite all that his wish is to make her happy and suggests leaving town to start all over again.

Until then, life is seemingly back to normal for Yorito. He goes to school only to ditch class and take pictures of the sky on the roof, just like in the past. When Mana tries to ask Yorito what’s really going on, he stops her and asks her not to push for details. Mana calls him selfish for not telling her anything despite all she’s gone through with him and runs off.

Mana tries to calm down by going out with her friends, but when they notice her odd behaviour she runs off again. When one of them tracks her down, Mana caves and starts talking about Yorito, but her friend has no idea who she’s talking about. She, nor any of other Mana’s friends have any idea who Morimiya Yorito is, and when Mana takes out her cellphone to show them a picture of him, she’s shocked to find that he’s disappeared from the picture.

Mana rushes back to the school rooftop to see Yorito, who’s still standing there watching the sunset. The two lie down and watch the shades of orange, yellow and red blend together to create a unique and beautiful sunset. Suddenly Mana asks Yorito to take her hand so that she can believe that he’s really here. She tells him that she won’t forget. She won’t forget waking up everyday to walk to school together with Koyori, she won’t forget how their teacher will get mad at him for spacing out and watching the sky, she won’t forget how he rushes up to the roof the second the bell rings. No matter how much Yorito wants her to, she’ll never forget.

As the sun sets behind the mountaintops, Yorito lets go of Mana’s hand and disappears from her life, leaving Mana with no idea why she’s on the school roof, and no idea why she can’t stop crying…

Meanwhile, there’s another sad goodbye happening. Despite Aono’s warning that she will be leaving town with Yorito soon, Koyori comes to visit one last time. As an homage to their first meeting, Koyori asks her to teach her more origami. As the day winds down, Koyori can’t understand why even though they’re friends and want to be together, they’re being pulled apart.

Elsewhere, loli in a garbage can and hige prepare to leave town as well, reasoning that if they stay, loli in a garbage can will stop Matsuri from doing what she feels is necessary. Having taught Matsuri everything she needs to know, the two say their goodbyes and part ways.

Back at Yorito’s house, Aono is packing the last of their things when she hears a noise at the door. Expecting to see Yorito, Aono is shocked to find Matsuri standing there, armed with a sword no less.

Thoughts

Bah. Memory wipes, lazy plot device is laaaaazy.

Sure it’s an effective way to sneak in plot elements that would have otherwise taken a load of drama to arrive at otherwise and in time constrained series like Sola it’s effective at doing so. But it’s just so cliche and overused that I can’t help but think of it as a cheap gimmick. In hindsight, I would gladly give up some of those slice of life episodes to make room for a logical unfolding of events leading to Aono and Dorito-kun leaving town. But to pull a memory wipe and disappear like that is lame.

And so the only redemption in sight is an epic battle between Aono and Matsuri leading to someone’s death. I’m not asking for a Hamlet-esque “LOL EVERYBODY DIES” ending, but SOMEONE has to go.

Best case scenario is that Matsuri either kills Aono, or injures her to the point where she learns her lesson and lets go of the past (ie. Dorito-kun disappears). I don’t even care if Matsuri goes through with her end of the deal and cooks herself alive, but Yorito is a fragment of the past, and to truly arrive at anything resembling closure in this series, he needs to go.

Aside from the potential disaster that the memory wipe foreshadows, I must say that the episode itself was done quite well. It wasn’t exactly a tear jerker, but seeing Mana plead with Yorito and promise that she will never forget him was pitiable to say the least. I also couldn’t help but feel sorry for Koyori, coping with loss isn’t something someone that young should ever have to go through, even if her mental age is considerably higher.

Another thing I’m particularly amazed at is the animation quality. While the series isn’t without it’s lapses in quality, on a whole the animation is beautiful and pretty consistent, the backgrounds in particular were often awe inspiring.

On a less praising note. Sae. Please, PLEASE! STFU! God her voice is annoying.

~ Shirukii ~