Sakurai Rihoko: Story Arc

Episode 3: Sakurai Rihoko – Part 1: Twilight

Thank You and Good Night

Rihoko struggles to get up when her alarm clock goes off as Kanae watches her. Eventually Rihoko gets up as Kanae waits for her. Rihoko is now the president of the tea club with Junichi as the vice-president. It has been several months since the seniors had graduated and that Rihoko loves Junichi. In class the lesson finishes. Some of the boys complain that this would be their last summer holidays of high school. Makabe vows to get at least two or three girlfriends as the boys leave with him. Rihoko is asked by Kanae if they go home together. Rihoko apologises as she helping Junichi to clean the club room. Kanae wonders if anything has progressed between the two of them. Meanwhile, Junichi hands back a “video” back to Masayoshi explaining that the “video” caused him to have a lack of sleep. Kanae tells Rihoko to tell Junichi how she feels. Rihoko sort of agrees.

Cheeky...

Later, Rihoko is cleaning the club room with Junichi. She is asking him questions but his answers are vague as if he is not listening. Rihoko looks to find Junichi lying down suffering from heat fatigue. Rihoko wonders why he is suffering. Junichi lies that he was studying late last night, when actual fact he was studying the “video”. Junichi tells Rihoko that if she suffered from heat fatigue herself, she would lose her appetite. He then wonders if she had put on weight since Spring. They go to the infirmary and Rihoko steps on to the scales; she becomes miserable that it went up by a lot. However, she discovers Junichi was standing on the scales. She tries again, but her weight hasn’t changed. Rihoko then thinks back to when they were in 5th grade and they took each other’s measurements. A young Junichi and Rihoko went into the nurse’s office and measured each other’s height. Rihoko wins after measuring their heights. Junichi then suggests chest measurements, thinking that he would win. However, Rihoko wins again this time. Back in the present, Rihoko explains that every year they would compare heights and that was the only time that she had won.

This would of taken longer...

They decide to measure each other’s heights and chest and add them together. Rihoko loses. Later outside, Junichi collapses again from the heat. He explains that his parents went off to see his uncle after he strain his back. Therefore Junichi and Miya have been eating noodles and watermelon. Rihoko offers to cook for them; Junichi begs her to come and asks for something that would cure his heat fatigue. Rihoko agrees and would see him later; she then leaves wondering what she would cook for him. At home, Rihoko changes out of her uniform and heads off to do some grocery shopping. Rihoko is walking down the street and wonders what to buy for cooking tonight. She hears some voices; she looks around and spots Manaka and Ruriko. Junichi tells Miya that Rihoko is cook for them tonight, which Miya is happy about as she is sick of eating watermelons, even though she told Junichi that she live on them all summer. She then suggests that they get some ice cream for dessert.

''Eel'' you go!

Meanwhile, Manaka and Ruriko are curious about any development between Rihoko and Junichi. From Rihoko’s reaction nothing has developed. Manaka and Ruriko give Rihoko some roasted eel and also suggest getting some lotus root. However, Rihoko is a bit suspicious of them due to something similar happening last time. Manaka and Ruriko are outraged that Rihoko suspects them, making her apologise for doubting them. Rihoko leaves and is happy walking along when she is called from behind. It is Makabe, he asks what Rihoko is doing, she tells him that she has been grocery shopping for dinner; she is about leave when Makabe stops her. Junichi is in the shop getting ice cream when he spots Rihoko walk pass the shop window. Makabe leads Rihoko down into a back alley and then confesses his love for Rihoko and asks her to go out with him. She tells him that it is all too sudden and tells him that she has someone she likes. Junichi arrives hiding around the corner just as the train passes over head, drowning out Rihoko’s confession of someone she likes to Makabe.

So it looks as though this is going to be a short season of Amagami, with each girl getting just two episodes each for their story. This arc is of Rihoko and I originally wasn’t much of a fan of her, but slowly I do seem to like her a bit more, but still not in the same league as Ayatsuji Tsukasa. I hate conquest people; those who look to get a girlfriend\boyfriend just for one on the score sheet. Obviously that Makabe was just looking for an easy score and selected Rihoko. Add to bad timing by Junichi who happens to look around the corner. Also I figured out what Manaka and Ruriko were planning. They were hoping that the Junichi would eat the eel and the lotus root (although I am unsure about the latter) which would act as an aphrodisiac. Basically, they were scheming to get Junichi and Rihoko together. Anyway shouldn’t be long for the conclusion as this is going to be a quick and fast second season.