[REVIEW] Kami no Shizuku - 08
See disclaimer in review of Episode 01.
The short version: The Taiyo Beer gang are secretly the product of Hanna-Barbera.
Kami no Shizuku - le huitième verre (the eighth glass)
Plot: The Taiyo Beer gang kick the penultimate episode off by giving us the score so far - Tomine's going to win unless Shizuku gets another victory. This is serious business. Presumably, they've figured out that they can't get paid for helping Shizuku, so if they give him a hand to win his father's collection, they can all quit their jobs anyway. It's the only explanation for why they're all clustered round the tiny little table, treating the situation with the gravity it deserves.
All except Shizuku, who vows, with a chirpy smile, to do his best not to lose. It seems he's been quite happy lately, despite being royally screwed over by his father. It's all about the imagery now - Shizuku wants to have more fascinating visions and revelations. He's not in it for the money, which is more than can be said about the rest. While Honma rues not being in on the game from the beginning, their boss frets over his son not making it into high school. Perhaps talking about your family problems in front of your girlfriend is not such a good idea, Chief... Sensing an imminent row, everyone else takes off for a meal.
Over at Monopole, Sara cradles an empty wine glass, clearly unhappy. Shizuku and Miyabi turn up, murmuring office gossip to each other, only to have Sara ask for Shizuku to forfeit the battle. Exit: Sarah. Enter: the Wicked Witch of the East. How did Sara know about the battle? Maki emerges from the wine cellar to tell us all about it. Miyabi's look of horror is priceless.
Maki, stirrer that she is, drops the bombshell that Sara is Issei's younger sister - but as they have different fathers, she's not related to Shizuku at all. Maki then drops a second bombshell, explaining about Tomine's recent health problems. Shizuku manages to look faintly shocked, but this might be because he witnesses Maki doing something almost no one else in this series has done - pay for her drink.
Meanwhile, Tomine fumbles his way around the lair - a sight that appears to give Maki great glee. Nice choice of girlfriend, there. But he's finally wised up and knows she's not worried about him so much as his ability to win her the two billion. He's still going to win, because he has Sara by his side.
Of course, that won't do. Maki wants him to acknowledge his dependence on her, so she spills the beans about how Sara - completely of her own free will, with no urging from Maki at all, how could you even think that - asked Shizuku to quit. Just to add a little spice, she drops in the fact that even Shizuku seems worried about him. But dammit, Maki's a girl and she doesn't understand the hot-blooded, manly, ultra-competitive fighting spirit they've both been competing with! (When did Tomine Issei turn into the hero of a Shounen Jump series?)
When in doubt, visit a dead relative. (Hey, it works for Benton Fraser.) Shizuku angsts over his father's grave - should he risk destroying the eyesight of his only living relative? Easy choice, you'd think, but not so much when Tomine, assisted by Sara (wearing an outfit so strange you'd think her brother had dressed her), climbs up to join him.
Manly fightin' talk ensues. Tomine wants to see the imagery too, and he'd keep fighting even if his life was at stake. (Luckily, it's not that kind of drama.) When the seal is finally broken on the last bottle, of 'Kami no Shizuku', he wants them both to be there. But of course, he can't make it by himself, so Shizuku must promise not to quit. Shiny-eyed, Shizuku looks up at his slightly unhinged big brother and makes the promise. Tomine walks away satisfied; Sara, not so much.
How the hell have I written this much before the OP?
Tension is high in the Kanzaki mansion, as Tomine reminds us that he's going blind by copping a quick feel of the table. (He and Kame should get together and go furniture shopping. Tables, chairs...) This week's wine is a poem, seemingly about first love.
Cut to Monopole, where the Taiyo Beer gang have figured out that they can drink for free if they help Shizuku on his quest. With a little help from the wise and generous Fujieda (and a great deal of babble from Honma), the gang work on solving the latest clue. Somebody give Fujieda the two billion, because his suggestions are always on the money and this time he's suggesting a wine from Bordeaux's Right Bank. Cue explanations, free wine, and Miyamoto possibly transferring her affections to Kido, since he's the only one paying attention to her.
Our heroes try the wine, and Miyabi wonders if perhaps Shizuku's father's first love might be an awkward subject. Luckily, Shizuku thinks the answer has nothing to do with romance, on the grounds that all the previous clues have been life lessons - strength, harmony, beloved, trial, gratitude. I'm not sure this fashion of parenting will catch on, myself.
While Shizuku and co. muse on life, we see more of the lair! Well, a flight of stairs and a vending machine, anyway. I don't know if this is supposed to be an apartment building or an office building, but whatever, Sara's waiting when Tomine finally makes it up the stairs, only to find his lair a bit emptier than it used to be. Maki took away everything but the tables, couch, shelves, lights of intimidation and the supermarket-trolley chairs. As far as I can see, all she took was the glasses and the computer. How do you take away that many glasses?
Not that Tomine cares about the glasses. He's got his bottle and he's going to drink it, regardless of what happens to his sight. Okay, I stand corrected. He has *one* glass. He doesn't get to drink it though. His sight goes again and he ends up on the floor. Perhaps he can sue Maki for the stress.
Back at the office, Shizuku figures that perhaps the clue refers to his father falling in love with wine. It's a good theory, and one that calls for a drink with Miyabi - a glass of Raveneau, the wine which brought Shizuku's instincts out in the first place. They happily share a glass in the empty office, which doesn't remain empty for long. Miyabi, remembering Shizuku's dancing and random French singing, spins him round for a dance.
Too bad that a) Shizuku's not having a dance-type reaction and b) everyone else walks in and accuses them of making out. Miyabi frantically tries to explain to a smirking Honma. Shizuku just looks puzzled and mutters to himself about wine, unfortunately using terms which make Honma suspect he's talking about a lot more than just making out in the office.
Into the middle of all this confusion, their boss shows up, talking on the phone, ecstatic that his son is now on the waiting list. (Or something like that.) Basically, the whole thing with the Chief's son is so that Shizuku can make the leap from 'raising children' to 'cultivating grapes'.
Fujieda agrees with the Chief that life is tough after having children, though doesn't elaborate. I bet he'd be a great dad! Shizuku's mind continues to work on the children = grapes theme, with the hatachi (20th birthday, coming of age) being equivalent to the harvest. And harvest, of course, leads him to finally realise the truth behind what his dad had written all those years ago about celebrating the harvest with Honoka. It was Tomine's birthday celebration.
Back in the lair, Maki tries again to make Tomine realise he's dependent on her. No such luck. He wants her out, and he wants there to be no interference in his battle with Shizuku. For a second there, Maki almost looks scared.
Shizuku wants to confirm what was written, so he asks Kiryu if he can enter his father's wine cellar. His father left orders that no one was to enter until after the competition, but the butler obviously didn't hear those orders because he slips Shizuku a key. It's good to have loyal family servants. Shizuku reads through a few things, including a letter from Honoka to his father, and discovers that not only was he right, but that his mother knew about the whole thing. Looking more than a little unsteady, he emerges to find Robert waiting for him with a bottle of wine.
Having failed to make an impression on Tomine, Maki tries something extremely foolish and offers Fujieda a bigger bar. Boy, is she barking up the wrong tree. He says he didn't open a wine bar to make money - which is just as well since nobody ever seems to pay - and that he's enjoying himself where he is, thank you. In true bartender style, he offers Maki a few parting words of advice just before Shizuku and Miyabi show up for yet another free drink. You should see Shizuku's face when he hears it's on the house. Las Vegas couldn't be any brighter.
Back in the lair, Tomine indulges in a spate of villainous gloating - he's found his wine for the sixth round. Don't ask me how.
Cut back to Monopole, where Shizuku says many nice things about Miyabi and she flusters, amusing Fujieda no end. He's such a matchmaker, that man. Miyabi's not done a lot this episode but she's been very cute.
Actually, the episode's been more about the other main male-female pairing in the show. Tomine doesn't want Maki anywhere near him and actually has the nerve to lecture her about feelings, but he's not that great himself when it comes to matters of the heart. He says he's changed because of Shizuku, which is the last straw for Maki. Doesn't she mean anything to him? Wonder of wonders, she's upset.
She'll be even more distraught in a minute. Tomine slips on his way down the stairs - Maki catches his wrist but can't hold on. He ends up unconscious on the landing.
I don't know how the Taiyo Beer gang are managing to avoid liver damage, because they're working their way through a bunch of potential wines in the office. Honma's story about first love makes them realise that the wine should actually be bittersweet and the Chief orders them to split up and look for it. Does it count as actual work if your boss tells you to do it?
No time for the dynamic duo to search as a phone call sends them to the hospital to see a stricken Sara desperately trying to rouse her comatose brother. She gives Shizuku a "in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!" kind of look, because obviously if he'd quit, this would never have happened. And I suppose nobody with perfect vision ever falls down the stairs?
Well, you know how this kind of scene goes. Shizuku sits by his brother's bedside, has angsty flashbacks, politely asks him to wake up and then takes his hand to remind him of the promise. Alas, even Shizuku's highly-restrained show of emotion fails to make an impact. They leave Maki to look after Tomine and call the only man they know who can help them now - Fujieda.
Bless him, he opens up the bar and lets Shizuku sniff corks for as long as it takes him to find the right wine. Shizuku finds it, but he's none too happy about it since he's the only one at the showdown. This wine is revealed to be the "Path" of life, and it would've been a draw had Tomine been there. Shizuku concludes by saying that Tomine will definitely be back, so it's rather unfortunate that 'One Drop' starts right then with its "Bye Bye". More Tomine flashbacks. I didn't realise he was such a violent man!
Obligatory Kame commentary: Well, he had some nice moments when he got all misty-eyed and quiet, but Shizuku's so damned polite all the time he rarely seems riled up even when he's clearly upset. You have to love the smiles when he hears the wine's on the house, though.
Best Scene: This week's winners are the Taiyo Beer gang again, when they have to split up and search for clues - uh, the bittersweet wine. It's like watching Scooby Doo or something, except that Shaggy and Scooby were probably never accused of making out in an office. (I hope!) I love Honma's reaction to catching Miyabi and Shizuku dancing.
Conclusion: I actually found this episode hilarious because it was so over-the-top with the whole Maki/Tomine thing. It's all there: the caring younger sister, the evil girlfriend who steals all the wine glasses, the degenerating vision, the fall down the stairs leading to a coma state, the manly fighting promise that causes the whole mess...you know, if you skew all of that a bit, I think you get Dream Boys. I feel a little sorry for Tomine now (though I wish he'd stop all the ridiculous moaning over wine) but surprisingly, I feel a little something for Maki too. She seems genuinely upset by the end of the episode, and not just because her shot at the two billion is slipping away from her.
The short version: The Taiyo Beer gang are secretly the product of Hanna-Barbera.
Kami no Shizuku - le huitième verre (the eighth glass)
Plot: The Taiyo Beer gang kick the penultimate episode off by giving us the score so far - Tomine's going to win unless Shizuku gets another victory. This is serious business. Presumably, they've figured out that they can't get paid for helping Shizuku, so if they give him a hand to win his father's collection, they can all quit their jobs anyway. It's the only explanation for why they're all clustered round the tiny little table, treating the situation with the gravity it deserves.
All except Shizuku, who vows, with a chirpy smile, to do his best not to lose. It seems he's been quite happy lately, despite being royally screwed over by his father. It's all about the imagery now - Shizuku wants to have more fascinating visions and revelations. He's not in it for the money, which is more than can be said about the rest. While Honma rues not being in on the game from the beginning, their boss frets over his son not making it into high school. Perhaps talking about your family problems in front of your girlfriend is not such a good idea, Chief... Sensing an imminent row, everyone else takes off for a meal.
Over at Monopole, Sara cradles an empty wine glass, clearly unhappy. Shizuku and Miyabi turn up, murmuring office gossip to each other, only to have Sara ask for Shizuku to forfeit the battle. Exit: Sarah. Enter: the Wicked Witch of the East. How did Sara know about the battle? Maki emerges from the wine cellar to tell us all about it. Miyabi's look of horror is priceless.
Maki, stirrer that she is, drops the bombshell that Sara is Issei's younger sister - but as they have different fathers, she's not related to Shizuku at all. Maki then drops a second bombshell, explaining about Tomine's recent health problems. Shizuku manages to look faintly shocked, but this might be because he witnesses Maki doing something almost no one else in this series has done - pay for her drink.
Meanwhile, Tomine fumbles his way around the lair - a sight that appears to give Maki great glee. Nice choice of girlfriend, there. But he's finally wised up and knows she's not worried about him so much as his ability to win her the two billion. He's still going to win, because he has Sara by his side.
Of course, that won't do. Maki wants him to acknowledge his dependence on her, so she spills the beans about how Sara - completely of her own free will, with no urging from Maki at all, how could you even think that - asked Shizuku to quit. Just to add a little spice, she drops in the fact that even Shizuku seems worried about him. But dammit, Maki's a girl and she doesn't understand the hot-blooded, manly, ultra-competitive fighting spirit they've both been competing with! (When did Tomine Issei turn into the hero of a Shounen Jump series?)
When in doubt, visit a dead relative. (Hey, it works for Benton Fraser.) Shizuku angsts over his father's grave - should he risk destroying the eyesight of his only living relative? Easy choice, you'd think, but not so much when Tomine, assisted by Sara (wearing an outfit so strange you'd think her brother had dressed her), climbs up to join him.
Manly fightin' talk ensues. Tomine wants to see the imagery too, and he'd keep fighting even if his life was at stake. (Luckily, it's not that kind of drama.) When the seal is finally broken on the last bottle, of 'Kami no Shizuku', he wants them both to be there. But of course, he can't make it by himself, so Shizuku must promise not to quit. Shiny-eyed, Shizuku looks up at his slightly unhinged big brother and makes the promise. Tomine walks away satisfied; Sara, not so much.
How the hell have I written this much before the OP?
Tension is high in the Kanzaki mansion, as Tomine reminds us that he's going blind by copping a quick feel of the table. (He and Kame should get together and go furniture shopping. Tables, chairs...) This week's wine is a poem, seemingly about first love.
Cut to Monopole, where the Taiyo Beer gang have figured out that they can drink for free if they help Shizuku on his quest. With a little help from the wise and generous Fujieda (and a great deal of babble from Honma), the gang work on solving the latest clue. Somebody give Fujieda the two billion, because his suggestions are always on the money and this time he's suggesting a wine from Bordeaux's Right Bank. Cue explanations, free wine, and Miyamoto possibly transferring her affections to Kido, since he's the only one paying attention to her.
Our heroes try the wine, and Miyabi wonders if perhaps Shizuku's father's first love might be an awkward subject. Luckily, Shizuku thinks the answer has nothing to do with romance, on the grounds that all the previous clues have been life lessons - strength, harmony, beloved, trial, gratitude. I'm not sure this fashion of parenting will catch on, myself.
While Shizuku and co. muse on life, we see more of the lair! Well, a flight of stairs and a vending machine, anyway. I don't know if this is supposed to be an apartment building or an office building, but whatever, Sara's waiting when Tomine finally makes it up the stairs, only to find his lair a bit emptier than it used to be. Maki took away everything but the tables, couch, shelves, lights of intimidation and the supermarket-trolley chairs. As far as I can see, all she took was the glasses and the computer. How do you take away that many glasses?
Not that Tomine cares about the glasses. He's got his bottle and he's going to drink it, regardless of what happens to his sight. Okay, I stand corrected. He has *one* glass. He doesn't get to drink it though. His sight goes again and he ends up on the floor. Perhaps he can sue Maki for the stress.
Back at the office, Shizuku figures that perhaps the clue refers to his father falling in love with wine. It's a good theory, and one that calls for a drink with Miyabi - a glass of Raveneau, the wine which brought Shizuku's instincts out in the first place. They happily share a glass in the empty office, which doesn't remain empty for long. Miyabi, remembering Shizuku's dancing and random French singing, spins him round for a dance.
Too bad that a) Shizuku's not having a dance-type reaction and b) everyone else walks in and accuses them of making out. Miyabi frantically tries to explain to a smirking Honma. Shizuku just looks puzzled and mutters to himself about wine, unfortunately using terms which make Honma suspect he's talking about a lot more than just making out in the office.
Into the middle of all this confusion, their boss shows up, talking on the phone, ecstatic that his son is now on the waiting list. (Or something like that.) Basically, the whole thing with the Chief's son is so that Shizuku can make the leap from 'raising children' to 'cultivating grapes'.
Fujieda agrees with the Chief that life is tough after having children, though doesn't elaborate. I bet he'd be a great dad! Shizuku's mind continues to work on the children = grapes theme, with the hatachi (20th birthday, coming of age) being equivalent to the harvest. And harvest, of course, leads him to finally realise the truth behind what his dad had written all those years ago about celebrating the harvest with Honoka. It was Tomine's birthday celebration.
Back in the lair, Maki tries again to make Tomine realise he's dependent on her. No such luck. He wants her out, and he wants there to be no interference in his battle with Shizuku. For a second there, Maki almost looks scared.
Shizuku wants to confirm what was written, so he asks Kiryu if he can enter his father's wine cellar. His father left orders that no one was to enter until after the competition, but the butler obviously didn't hear those orders because he slips Shizuku a key. It's good to have loyal family servants. Shizuku reads through a few things, including a letter from Honoka to his father, and discovers that not only was he right, but that his mother knew about the whole thing. Looking more than a little unsteady, he emerges to find Robert waiting for him with a bottle of wine.
Having failed to make an impression on Tomine, Maki tries something extremely foolish and offers Fujieda a bigger bar. Boy, is she barking up the wrong tree. He says he didn't open a wine bar to make money - which is just as well since nobody ever seems to pay - and that he's enjoying himself where he is, thank you. In true bartender style, he offers Maki a few parting words of advice just before Shizuku and Miyabi show up for yet another free drink. You should see Shizuku's face when he hears it's on the house. Las Vegas couldn't be any brighter.
Back in the lair, Tomine indulges in a spate of villainous gloating - he's found his wine for the sixth round. Don't ask me how.
Cut back to Monopole, where Shizuku says many nice things about Miyabi and she flusters, amusing Fujieda no end. He's such a matchmaker, that man. Miyabi's not done a lot this episode but she's been very cute.
Actually, the episode's been more about the other main male-female pairing in the show. Tomine doesn't want Maki anywhere near him and actually has the nerve to lecture her about feelings, but he's not that great himself when it comes to matters of the heart. He says he's changed because of Shizuku, which is the last straw for Maki. Doesn't she mean anything to him? Wonder of wonders, she's upset.
She'll be even more distraught in a minute. Tomine slips on his way down the stairs - Maki catches his wrist but can't hold on. He ends up unconscious on the landing.
I don't know how the Taiyo Beer gang are managing to avoid liver damage, because they're working their way through a bunch of potential wines in the office. Honma's story about first love makes them realise that the wine should actually be bittersweet and the Chief orders them to split up and look for it. Does it count as actual work if your boss tells you to do it?
No time for the dynamic duo to search as a phone call sends them to the hospital to see a stricken Sara desperately trying to rouse her comatose brother. She gives Shizuku a "in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!" kind of look, because obviously if he'd quit, this would never have happened. And I suppose nobody with perfect vision ever falls down the stairs?
Well, you know how this kind of scene goes. Shizuku sits by his brother's bedside, has angsty flashbacks, politely asks him to wake up and then takes his hand to remind him of the promise. Alas, even Shizuku's highly-restrained show of emotion fails to make an impact. They leave Maki to look after Tomine and call the only man they know who can help them now - Fujieda.
Bless him, he opens up the bar and lets Shizuku sniff corks for as long as it takes him to find the right wine. Shizuku finds it, but he's none too happy about it since he's the only one at the showdown. This wine is revealed to be the "Path" of life, and it would've been a draw had Tomine been there. Shizuku concludes by saying that Tomine will definitely be back, so it's rather unfortunate that 'One Drop' starts right then with its "Bye Bye". More Tomine flashbacks. I didn't realise he was such a violent man!
Obligatory Kame commentary: Well, he had some nice moments when he got all misty-eyed and quiet, but Shizuku's so damned polite all the time he rarely seems riled up even when he's clearly upset. You have to love the smiles when he hears the wine's on the house, though.
Best Scene: This week's winners are the Taiyo Beer gang again, when they have to split up and search for clues - uh, the bittersweet wine. It's like watching Scooby Doo or something, except that Shaggy and Scooby were probably never accused of making out in an office. (I hope!) I love Honma's reaction to catching Miyabi and Shizuku dancing.
Conclusion: I actually found this episode hilarious because it was so over-the-top with the whole Maki/Tomine thing. It's all there: the caring younger sister, the evil girlfriend who steals all the wine glasses, the degenerating vision, the fall down the stairs leading to a coma state, the manly fighting promise that causes the whole mess...you know, if you skew all of that a bit, I think you get Dream Boys. I feel a little sorry for Tomine now (though I wish he'd stop all the ridiculous moaning over wine) but surprisingly, I feel a little something for Maki too. She seems genuinely upset by the end of the episode, and not just because her shot at the two billion is slipping away from her.