A long flashback of Shintani of when he lived with his grandparents tells us that he was pretty popular back in his old school. He was the baseball team’s ace and was very popular with the girls too. But even still, all he could think about was Misaki.

Sakura tells Misaki and Shizuko that she wants to go to Yumesaki’s Culture Festival and see the band play. You remember, the band with Kuuga in who angered Misaki last time in episode ten I think it was, or somewhere around there. But anyway, apparently he’s really changed after a stage accident and Sakura goes to see him in hospital. Usui then comes along and decides to go too.

At Maid Latte they’re having a special fortune telling thing with Erika as the fortune teller. The idiot trio goes first to see their futures of them with Misaki, and it comes up with nothing. Then Shintani comes and does the same, this time, Erika sees a deflated paper balloon… So obviously Usui would join in. But we get a surprise as Erika tells them that Usui and Misaki have no future together. She sees fire and water, the two can’t mix, romance won’t happen, otherwise there’ll be great obstacles.

When Misaki finishes work she meets Usui outside. When he seemingly gives up on her because of the fortune telling, she seems like she doesn’t want that, which surprises herself. Shintani, who’s watching, leaves without a word.

Next day, thanks to a mistake by Shintani, he gets Misaki and himself soaked. Usui comes along and lends Misaki his shirt.

A depressed Shintani cries as he sees Usui and Misaki walk away. He then remembers back to his old school where his classmates warned him about what could happen if he still wants to find the girl he liked and told him to prepare himself. He says to himself that he was prepared, but it still hurts.

Soon it’s the Yumesaki’s festival day. Due to a sea of fans for the band, Shizuko, Sakura and Misaki are separated. Sakura doesn’t want to move from where she is, so Shizuko stays with her leaving Usui and Misaki to enjoy the festival.

That was a rather abrupt ending. I was enjoying the episode, and then it just finished. I was not expecting that, it took me by such surprise that I actually listened to the entire ending theme before I clicked, which I usually don’t do unless it’s the first two episodes.

Not sure about the episode though. Didn’t seem like a finishing episode, feels like this episode could be in the middle of the series, not near the end. If I picked a random episode and came to this one, I would not expect the series to end next episode. Although, that could be the effect the series is going for, y’know, don’t end it here, give a second season maybe. I’d love that.

I kinda felt that Shintani got the short end of the stick this episode. In the fact that he was shut out just like that, not that he didn’t get enough ‘screen time’, because this episode was definitely focused mainly on him. We got more of his background story and y’know what, I really really feel sorry for him now. I can definitely guarantee that if he came first, I would’ve said for him with Misaki. Nice guys are hard to find these days. I don’t know what this series is trying to do now, especially this late in the series. Okay yes Shintani kinda got rejected this episode, but I can’t help but feel that he’s gained a lot of support from everyone watching. I think it can go two ways now, one, it’ll stay Usui all the way through and this episode was it for Shintani, or two, the fight is back on and Shintani makes an appearance next episode and we get no decision from Misaki. I somehow feel like it’s going to be the latter. Or actually, there could be a surprise plot twist, but that’s unlikely.

That Shintani, he nearly had me going, it’s quite sad. I like him, I really do. There was also that fortune telling thing. Sure actual fortune telling means nothing, but this is anime, it’s always something ominous if it’s weird.

Okay, I’ll just stop here, partially because I need an early night today and partially because I don’t want to say more until I see the final episode.

For those who don’t know, I will be without internet for four days at least starting on Monday. So, it’s likely that there’ll be no blogs from me, or very few, unless I’m able to make it to a wifi zone or something to get on to post a blog. So, don’t be surprised if I haven’t posted anything for a while, nothing’s wrong with me.

Anyway, I look forward to the ending. Not sure what I’m hoping for now, so I’ll just watch and hopefully enjoy.