Episode 5: Would You Love Me?
“Welcome to the Velvet Room.” Margaret predicts that Yu will make friendships with the Strength and Moon arcana. Totally new bonds. And yeah yeah, shinning light to truth yadda yadda, give me Social Link bonus for fusing already.
Opening. “Hey sky's the limit. We can spread wings''
A certain girl asks Yu if they can start dating. To his shock and displeasure. She leans in for the kiss-!
Previously, on Tuesday the 19th, one day after Yukiko's rescue. Yosuke's tired while Yu and Chie are still pretty chipper. Also, Yukiko's tired out and is going to take several days off of school. Chie's happy for this as they can get to a normal schedule. Chie notes who Yu seems fine and asks if he does sports. He says no and then Chie asks him to do a favor for her.
Turns out this favor is giving the basketball team a temporary member, since their numbers are so small. Kou, (once again, I expect him to break out some alchemy at some point) is pleased to see the new guy turn up. Also, Daisuke is here, despite being soccer team and helping the group out because of low member rate. Yeah, this team is small enough that they are about to lose the team. While Yu is still uncertain about this, Kou insists on the help.
Anyway, this team has a history of members leaving because they are lazy for the day. No wonder the team membership is so low, no motivation. Then again, I don't believe basketball is a big sport in Japan as it is compared to baseball and soccer. Anyway, team manager introduction. Ai Ebihara. Who doesn't even work that much around here and leaves before clean up. And the other teammates ditch for a party. Leaving poor Kou alone. I would mention something about him loving those balls but the anime doesn't bring that up. Strength Acrana Rank 1!
Anyway, Dojima Residence. Nanako hides behind Yu after seeing Adachi. WITH GOOD REASON! Seriously, played the Jester Arcana social and he is such a bad influence on Nanako. Horrible. Anyway, he's around for supper since the Dojima was actually off on time and brought him home. Meal ensues. Adachi mentions to group that the police are still suspicious of Yukiko since she doesn't remember much and wonders if she's hiding anything. Cue punch from Dojima, and telling him not to blab. He then tells Nanako that he'll probably be able to take some time off for Golden Week. Nanako suggests a picnic lunch and Adachi suggests Yu to do the cooking. Much to Yu's reluctance. As usual.
Wednesday the 20 th. Cloudy. Yu meets eye at the stairway and she suggests the cut class to go get some stuff for the team, guilt tripping him into it. Cue the Shopping Montage! And...this just this!
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“The bastketball team sure needs some strange things.”
“That was obviously a lie.”
Ai remarks at how fun this is, shopping while everyone is at school. Yu admits it was a bit of a nice change. Ai's impressed that Yu's up for this, thinking he was a boring square. Who calls each other squares anymore? Also, Yu made an origami crane from a napkin. Ai admits she finds him interesting and suggests they hang out again. Moon SL rank 1!
Tuesday the 21 st. Rainy then cloudy. Practice time! Time for a strength social- wait, wait, wait, wait! They are making terrible remarks on Ai. This isn't a Strength rank up! This is Moon. But it's practice. ANIME! You're breaking the game! So this would be rank...4. Anyway, Kou defends Ai and while the guys continue on, not knowing that Ai is just outside of the door. Yu goes after Ai to check on her. But she admits it's fine and finds it exciting actually. She finds it flattering and admits that she's attracted to...Kou. Yep, this is Rank...4 I believe. She begs Yu to find out who Kou likes. And so he asks after practice. Kou is obviously flustered when Yu asks. He makes him promise that Yu won't tell. He reveals that he likes Chie. Yu coughs suspiciously at that. Kou actually remarks that he's really jealous that he sits next to her and asks Yu to put in a good word before heading off. And Yu find Ai hiding in a crate, very depressed.
And...she says she's going to kill herself now. Oh! We're at rank 5! Yu does her best to try to calm her down with Ai raging at Chie, knowing that she's way cuter than her. Yu tries his best to calm her down. Ai breaks down in tears. She tells Yu that she was once the fat girl when she was younger, calling her names like Piggy-Hara. Ai got sick of it and starved herself until she lost weight and read up on how to be popular and pretty. And yet, no one likes her. Yu encourages her that she will find someone soon, since she worked so hard for this. Ai notes that he's nice and she should have fallen for him. Yu admits that's nice and then starts to leave. She then grabs him by the arm and asks him to go out with her. Until she finds a guy she'll like, she wants him to go out with her. DON'T ACCEPT YU! It'll be much better for her if you refuse and be a friend first and foremost! H-he's going to do it isn't he? YUUUUUUUUUUU!
Commercial break. Courage is still reliable, Dilligence has bumped up to Persistent, (must be the basketball) Understanding is still basic, Expression is up to Decent and Understand and Knowledge have also remained the same, basic and average.
Friday the 22 nd. Sunny then cloudy. Yosuke and Chie walk into Yu on their way to class but...up rushes Ai asking Yu to skip and hang out. Much to the confusion of everyone. Cue, Yu very VERY reluctantly going places with Ai. Heck, she even asks for a make out at the photo booth! To Yu's absolute horror. Hmm...I wonder if something similar to this is what they are going to do for Makoto in his movies. Poor, poor Makoto. Poor, poor Yu.
Saturday the 23. Cloudy. And a lecture from Mooroka about skipping school. After school Yosuke and Chie ask Yu to hang out after school to review the cases. Wait, you guys never did this in-game.... Anyway, Yu is very depressed and...
...this is Yu's ringtone for Ai.
AWESOME!
Anyway, Yu, or should I say High-School Vincent, finally picks up the phone and gets yelled at for Ai for not picking up.
“I guess I should call her back. If I don't then she's really gonna lay into me.”
Now is that a lawful monologues or a chaos one? I'd bet Law. I sure wish someone would put up a video of all of those inner-monologues and let us compare and contrast the two.
But enough of my Catherine love. Chie asks Yosuke at Junes what she thinks of Yu and Ai. Yosuke thinks they look great, angering Chie. She knows that what Ai makes him do is not like what Yu does at all and is angered at how Yu ditched them for Ai that day. Yosuke wonders why Chie is so mad at this and gets an idea. That idea is that she's crushing on Yu. Which Chie doesn't get at all. But somehow, I'm hearing squees across the world from Scotland. Hmmm.
Tuesday the 26th. Oh god Yu suffered all weekend with Ai didn't he? Anyway Kou announces to the team that they have a practice game that weekend. Much to the displeasure of the lazy team. Yosuke drops by with Chie and says that she wants to become team manager, much to Chie and Kou's surprise. Blushing Kou is all for it. Yosuke whispers to the confused Chie that he's helping the level the playing field for her. Confusing her even more. Chie's says to Kou that's she's okay for helping out with one game though. Cue, Death Glare from Ai. Yosuke grins and chuckles at this, calling a drag out battle for love. So this amusing to you eh, Yosuke. -sigh-
Anyway, after practice, SHIRTLESS KOU! -ahem- Kou says he's going to have to quit the team because his family doesn't approve of basketball. Well, that's a simplification of a much more interesting social link. He says he really wants to win this game now and asks for Yu's help. He agrees and Kou thanks him and says that if they win, he'll confess his love to Chie! Much to Yu's shock.
Friday the 29th. Ah, it's at the end of the rain days for Yukiko's dungeon! The game is on that day. Anyway, Yosuke is conscripted into the group as karmic payback several of the players were no shows. Lazy asfdjksg. Even Daiske is here helping out. Anyway, Ai tells Chie she's not welcome here at all. Someone still likes Kou and hasn't gotten over him~ Anyway, the two fight and Yosuke notices this and remarks to Yu that it's hard being a ladies man. To Yu's confusion.
Game start! I have a feeling this is nowhere near the quality of a sports anime. Chie and Ai are at opposite ends of a bench. Ai remarks that seeing Chie sickens her and she can't believe she lost to her. To Chie's confusion. Ai remarks like she doesn't know and says she's going through hell because of Chie. Chie remarks how she hates seeing how Ai treats Yu. Even Ai thinks that Chie likes Yu. Chie remarks that she think he's a friend. Ai is now seething in jealousy as Chie is beloved and she has friends.
“You've got everything. YOU BITCH!” -slap-
“What the hell! All I'm saying that if you're going to be Narukami's girlfriend then treat him better!” -slap-
-slap slap slap slap- Cat Fight. And Yosuke remarks on being young and in love. But it's less than a minute left! Oh yeah, basketball game. Anyway, Yu tells the girls to cut it out. This is might be Kou's last game and they should watch him! He makes the final bucket and...it's not good enough. It's a loss. And Ai realizes this.
Anyway, first meal at Aiya. And first appearance of Aika, a blue-haired girl. (By the way, the only notable blue-haired girl NPC in game is one who has a crush on and older female classmate. Possibly...) Anyway, Kou digs in while Yu and Daiskue apologize for their loss. But Kou said he's not quitting now. He just loves the game so much and doesn't want it to end like this.
...that's not what the social link was about. YOU DOLTS!
Anyway, Chie bails out thanks to Ai and Ai says she'll stick around to help out. Ai says thanks to Yu for being able to pamper her and be nice to her for the last few days until she could get over it. “For a chance there, I might have actually fallen for you.” AND YOU COULD HAVE IF YOU REFUSED YOU WEAKWILLED PROTAGONIST! But it's for the best, shipping wars. Anyway, Ai decides to be a better manager now and thanks Yu. She runs up to Kou and chats with him and Yu looks happily on. Before sighing what I believe to be tiredness.
Closing. Making up for last episodes non gaining, this time we have two! Moon and Strength.
Bonds of people is the true power
Anyway Saturday the 30 th. Chie and Yukiko are about to chow down on noodles and tofu. Chie and Yukiko formally join the investigation and the resolve to find whoever is behind that. Anyway, ramen and noodle time! And Yosuke and Yu ask for bites, but offscreen, eat the food.
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Thoughts on the episode: Well, this is considered filler and a breather episode. But of course, we have this break in game to work on social links. By the way, in-game, there is no possible way to max out both Strength and Moon in the time given. But, eh adaptation.
Anyway, the meat of this episode focuses a lot more the Moon Arcana than the Strength, mostly using Strength as a means to the Love Dodecahedron that is Kou/Chie/Ai/Yu. -sigh- It's a shame because I do prefer Kou's link over Daiskue and if they wanted too, Daiskue's would have actually worked better for this episode of luuuuuv. There are lots of fun little bits, like the Catherine mythology gag, for one. But all in all, two links down. See what I mean by Gotta Catch Them All?
ON THE NEXT: I believe I have to only have two lines for this.
Yu: “Next target is...”
???: “Get bent! You are so freakin dead!
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