Episode 07 – “In This World, I…”

They make the funniest faces in this show, I swear. Anyway, the ESP Research Society is still at Kotoura’s huge house for summer vacation and are getting themselves into a variety of shenanigans. When Manabe and Kotoura’s grandfather discover that the mixed hot spring is out of order, they decide to dig their own only to strike oil instead. Like how random could the first two minutes of the episode be? Moritani also tries her hand at cooking again with some hilariously drunken results.

Kotoura revisits her old room and meets the head priest, from whom she discovers that her mother had recently come to see her. Even if they didn’t get to formally meet and she didn’t exactly come on her own volition, Kotoura seems to be glad that her mother showed up at all. Though, this causes Kotoura to recall the last time she saw her mother, in which she said that Kotoura should have never been born.

During the second half of the episode, Manabe completely avoids Kotoura’s advances to hang out and even goes as far as to keep his mind occupied with random math. All the while, Moritani struggles with homework and begs Kotoura for help. It seems that Moritani is incredibly conflicted about her feelings for Manabe and feels guilty because he likes Kotoura. Despite knowing this, Kotoura doesn’t harbor any bad feelings towards her at all. In fact, it would seem it’s just the opposite.

We get to see a bit more of Mifune’s childhood too, in which she’s getting bullied because of the scandal involving her mother, and it seems the only person who believes her is a stunningly normal looking Muroto. Man, puberty was not kind to him. By the episode’s end, we find out that Manabe was secretly planning a birthday party for Kotoura and even got a job to buy a present for  her (maybe he’s not so brainless after all).

If you think about it, this is Kotoura’s first time celebrating her birthday since her family fell apart. Kotoura’s mother may have told her that she should have never been born, but she might be the only who thinks that. This whole scene was great, if only for the beautiful accompanying music with gushing strings and a flowing piano. Kotoura’s definitely got great friends loving her now.

B.W.