Contains spoilers for Episode 4, “The Gift”
The episode opens with another one of Miyo’s dreams. Miyo witnesses her mother (Sumi) beg her father (Shinichi) not to give up on Miyo. He declines, stating that if they were a normal family with no supernatural abilities, then maybe he could have loved her. Sumi falls to her knees in response. She says aloud that she won’t be able to protect Miyo since she doesn’t have much time left, but she knows that Miyo will be fine.
And then Sumi looks at Miyo.
So this is a big deal. I don’t even remember if this scene was in the manga or not, to be honest. It seems like a filler scene, but it’s not. Sumi is aware of Miyo’s presence in this dream (that I’m assuming is not actually a dream but a glimpse in the past), so it has to be a sign that Miyo has inherited some of the Usuba family’s mind-reading/mind-control powers, right? Or at least some form of it that involves dreams.
Another thing is Sumi knew her time was limited. I don’t think we’re ever told how or why Sumi dies, but it’s clear from this sequence that she was well aware her death was imminent. If that’s an important fact or not, we’ll just have to see.
Anyway, moving on… Miyo is so grateful for the comb that Kudo gifted her that she wants to give him something in return. Yurie suggests that Miyo make something that he can use everyday, and she decides to make a braided hair cord.
She asks for permission from Kudo to go on an errand with Yurie, and Kudo reluctantly agrees to let her go, but not without giving her an amulet first. He instructs her that she must keep it with her at all times.
Miyo and Yurie go shopping and while Miyo is waiting for Yurie to return from running an errand of her own, she’s spotted by Kaya and Kouji.
Look, I’m not a violent person.
But I have never before in my life wanted to punch a character in the face more than I want to punch Kaya. My God is she a terrible human being. She insults Miyo over and over again, saying she must have been abandoned since she’s outside wearing her haggard kimono, that if Miyo needs money she should beg her, etc. Kouji, being the useless piece of shit he is, just stands there listening. He eventually half-assedly tries to stop Kaya, but of course she doesn’t listen. I know that he’s also in a difficult position, but if Miyo is supposedly someone he cherishes and wants to protect, how, HOW could he withstand seeing her be insulted like that?!
In the meantime, we see Kudo visit the Saimori house to talk to Miyo’s father and step-mother. He declares that he wants to make his engagement with Miyo official but wants to first define the relationship between the two families. For Kudo to pay the Saimoris the betrothal money for Miyo, Kudo demands that Miyo’s father sincerely apologize to Miyo for all the abuse she’s experienced at his hands. If he doesn’t, he’ll cut ties with the Saimoris.
Then this Father of the Year says:
I honestly don’t know what’s worse: the fact that he didn’t immediately agree to apologize just so he can get the betrothal money out of Kudo (after all, that means Miyo was worth something!) or that he has to think about apologizing. We know why he has to think about it: Apologizing to Miyo means acknowledging he was wrong, and there’s no way Mr. Father of the Year would want to lose face like that.
Kudo leaves, warning that he won’t wait very long for Shinichi’s decision, and while leaving he passes Kaya and Kouji, who have just returned from shopping. He doesn’t pay any attention to them, but Kaya certainly pays attention to Kudo. She’s awestruck by this beautiful unknown man.
Keep looking, girl, cause that’s all you’re gonna get.
Back at the Kudo household, when he returns home, Kudo immediately notices something is wrong with Miyo when they greet him. Yurie later tells him about the confrontation with Kaya and advises Kudo that the way to build confidence within Miyo is to show her that she’s loved.
The next day, Miyo has a visitor: it’s Hana, her old maid from the Saimori house that was dismissed because of her. Hana reveals that she’s happy living a modest life and asks if Miyo is happy. Miyo admits that she couldn’t possibly be happy, that she’s unworthy of happiness and unworthy to be with Kudo. Hana says that the reason why she’s there is because Kudo contacted her. So clearly, the man cares for her. How else could Hana be there?
Then Miyo realizes that Kudo has known everything all along. He knows about the way she was treated by her family. He knows that she doesn’t have supernatural abilities. He knows all of this and yet… he’s allowed her to stay with him.
She gathers her courage and rushes over to Kudo to tell him the truth. She gives him the braided cord she made, and says to do with it as he wishes, even if he wants to discard it or burn it. She also says that she will do whatever he wants, repeating back to him the lines that he said to her when they first met.
Kudo’s basically like “what chu talkin’ ’bout?” — of course, he doesn’t want her to go. He’s planning to formalize their engagement. Doesn’t she want to stay too?
The episode ends with the ugly mug of Minoru Tatsuishi (Kouji’s father) spying on Miyo and Kudo through his Spirit-Sight. He’s upset that they’re getting along well, and he vows to wreck their happy home and will somehow use Kaya to do it.
This was a lot to cover in just one episode. I hear that there’s going to be a total of 12 episodes for the season, so it makes sense why they packed so much in just a single episode. But I thought the pacing of the story was good. It didn’t feel rushed at all.
If I remember correctly, the next episode should feature the scene that I want to see animated the most: the thank you dinner Miyo makes for Godo (Kudo’s subordinate) for being involved in bringing Hana to see her. Should be highly entertaining!
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