[REVIEW] One Pound Gospel - Round Five
Everything I said about the fourth episode? Double it for this one. Absolutely amazing.
One Pound Gospel - Round Five
Plot: Our hero lies facedown in the leaves, watching, waiting. Not, as one might think, to ambush an enemy soldier, but to spring a surprise attack on...a nun on a bicycle. Not just any nun, of course, nor is it a plain old pile of leaves. Kousaku, who takes his stalking to a whole new level this week, now routinely hides on the leafy hill where he first met the love of his life, waiting for her to pass by on her bicycle. Understandably, she's not too keen on this, nor does she swallow his story about wrestling with a bear. I'm sure Kousaku *could* quite easily launch himself at a bear if it was for Sister Angela's sake, but I doubt they hide out on that particular hill.
He runs happily alongside her; she could keep him in shape by simply riding off the whole time. He wants to have some time to talk (go Kousaku with your random English) but she's not interested. You're not supposed to engage your stalkers in conversation, are you? Kousaku gets distracted by a Valentine's display and asks the Sister to give him chocolate and confess her love. Never mind that if you have to ask, you're probably not going to get, but again, Kousaku, I'd just like to say: NUN! Kousaku proves that his ability to make a complete idiot of himself is limitless with a little choco song - how much are they paying Kame for this? - and somehow manages not to fall in the road while he half-skips, half-dances his way along. Never let it be said that all the training the Johnny's guys do doesn't pay off.
Back at the convent, things are surprisingly pink as the nuns busy themselves preparing cute little packages of chocolate for the parishioners. Little does Kousaku know he could probably just turn up at church and get chocolate from his beloved, though I suspect they'd throw him out. In perhaps the least convincing act of sleight-of-hand that I've ever seen, Sister Angela, overcome by a sudden, confusing desire to give Kousaku some Valentine's chocolates, hides some behind her back. Better hope she doesn't lean back in her chair. She's not quite sure why she took the chocolates, but it's back on the bike and off to the boxing club...
...just in time to see Noriko, (a.k.a. Kousaku's boss's daughter a.k.a. the one with the hopeless crush), give our lovestruck young boxer a giant chocolate heart. Aww. She knows the way to his heart is through his stomach. The other boxers, with the exception of the terminally-irritable Ishizaka, flock to the chocolate, eager to help Kousaku consume it - particularly since he's supposed to be on a diet. Glutton that he is, Kousaku's thrilled by the chocolate and not at all opposed to a congratulatory hug - unfortunately witnessed by Sister Angela, who never quite made it through the doorway. Distraught, she cycles off, once again treating God as some sort of cosmic Agony Uncle.
Just as Kousaku is about to tuck in, Seiko saves him from all the extra calories. There's a bit of an argument over who should have the heart, during which poor Kousaku looks utterly despairing and Ishizaka just looks more and more annoyed. Alas, Mitaka doesn't get to have the heart either, as Nori takes it home again.
Sister Angela finally has one of those Rumiko Takahashi heroine moments, yelling "Baka!" (idiot!) and throwing the chocolates off a bridge. Not in the water, though - they land on the grass! Katsumi, who happens to witness this, is surprised to see a nun losing her temper, but an alternate solution presents itself to Sister Angela and she gives the chocolates to Katsumi instead. Probably the only chocolates he'll get on Valentine's Day, as the series seems to be remarkably free from girls his age.
Kousaku's not expecting him to get chocolates either - especially from Sister Angela! Kojima suggests that perhaps the Sister prefers younger men. Since Katsumi's in junior high, I think this borders on cradle-snatching. Luckily, Ueda's around to point out that this obviously can't be true. Ishizaka's bad mood, never helped by talking about girls inside the gym, gets even worse when Kousaku flips out completely and demands that the camera tell him why.
Upstairs in the office, cute but oh-so-awkward scene for Seiko and Mitaka, in which the latter hints that maybe Seiko has something she wants to say to him - she doesn't - and oh well, he's going home now. No Valentine's chocolate for Mitaka, which is a shame 'cause he's lovely, but if he wants chocolate he's really chasing the wrong woman. She's more likely to give you tickets to a boxing match.
Downstairs, Kousaku's still trying to make sense of why Sister Angela got mad enough to throw the chocolates and then give them to Katsumi. Part of his thought process seems to involve preventing Ueda from dressing and/or strangling him, and it's not until the guys point out that actually Kousaku's really annoying with his effusive declarations of love that he realises that maybe, just maybe, he's gone a bit overboard. But Valentine's Day is over, and they've lost their chance to understand each other's love! A bit dramatic.
While Kousaku broods on the floor, Ishizaka is spotted with a cute package of what might be chocolate and immediately teased. Once again, Ueda plays peacemaker. Loving him more every week. He's obviously a saint in disguise. Kousaku, who must have springs in his shoes, bounces back up with the fantastic idea of giving Sister Angela chocolate instead and confessing *his* feelings - like he doesn't already tell her enough! Katsumi, who we can assume probably knows less about these matters than anyone else in the room, informs Kousaku he's got it the wrong way round. Kousaku crumples like an empty packet of crisps, and deflates even further when Katsumi, being mean, suggests that he'll have to wait for Christmas to share his feelings with Sister Angela. Christmas is too far away and nobody thinks to tell Kousaku about White Day, so as far as he's concerned, the next opportunity is April Fools which even this clueless idiot realises is perhaps not the best time to make a sincere confession!
Back at the Three Meals Cafeteria, Kousaku totally leads Nori on again by asking her when is a good time to give girls presents. Birthdays, she suggests. Too bad he's not paying attention when she tells him hers.
Someone who *is* paying attention is Horiguchi in his other life as a taxi driver, who happens to see Ishizaka hand the little box to his girlfriend and get slapped for it. Not that I don't often want to slap Ishizaka myself, but he looked rather shocked here and I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.
Back to the cafeteria again, and Sister Angela turns up just in time to see Kousaku and Noriko load up their bikes with food to be delivered, having fun all the while. The nun then begins her own stalking campaign, following them as they slack off with their deliveries and stop for a snack. Boxing has clearly gone out the window - not only does Kousaku say his match isn't for some time, but he's eating whatever he wants. Sister Angela even follows them to a restaurant where Noriko is treating him to an enormous Chinese meal. Poor, lovestruck girl.
Shock! Horror! Kousaku spots his stalker and chases after her, almost getting defeated by a sliding door (look familiar, Jin?), and they run down the exact same road they always run down. Good thing there's never any traffic. Kousaku's done this route so many times he knows a short cut and gets back to the convent first. And this time, when she demands to know why he's following her, he can answer back by asking why she was watching him - which she fervently denies, of course. Sister Millie, lurking in the shadows, overhears him ask Sister Angela for her birthday. He's acting quite restrained, for him - all for naught, sadly, as she doesn't know when it is.
Somehow, Kousaku has gotten the idea that Katsumi is some sort of expert on romancing nuns, probably because he was the one who got the chocolate, and while Ishizaka practises, every other male in the club (besides Mitaka) sits around and speculates that perhaps the Sister is jealous of Noriko. Not only does Kousaku not really think of Noriko as a girl, but he's positive she doesn't like him. Well, no one ever loved Kousaku for his brains, did they? Ueda, who is obviously the real wise man of the Mukoda Boxing Club, reasons that Sister Angela can't be jealous unless she actually likes Kousaku. Everyone thinks this is hilarious, aside from Ishizaka, who fumes quietly and stalks out. Horiguchi explains that the poor guy got dumped. Kousaku doesn't care - he's too busy hugging the sandbag.
Sister Angela, who might at this point be better off consulting Ueda than God - at least she'd get an answer - gets taken to task by Sister Millie for still seeing Kousaku. Sister Millie warns her to be clear about her feelings and not lead him on - nice nuns don't, you know. After another leafy ambush, Sister Angela accidentally slips to Kousaku - in an indirect way - that she's jealous, and once he gets hold of this concept, he's just not letting go.
Kousaku's so happy about this that he completely scuppers Ueda, Horiguchi and Kojima's plan to not mention women at the gym in order to keep Ishizaka feeling better than enraged. Kousaku's speculation on how he might have to dump Noriko - not that they're even dating - infuriates Ishizaka further, and despite Ueda's best efforts to keep the peace, all five guys end up in the ring, trying to stop a fight breaking out properly. Seiko has the solution: climb in the ring herself and KO everyone.
And now we have the unusual spectacle of a binge-eating nun, though at least in Sister Angela's case, it's only fruit. Some of the other nuns look downright scared, but the Mother Superior knows what's going on and takes her off for a heart-to-heart. (Neither of these hearts is made of chocolate, sadly.) They establish that a) it's okay to fall for a guy, though it will lead to a necessary departure from the convent eventually, b) Sister Angela should do whatever makes her happy and c) that Mother Superior would not be averse to setting aside her vocation for a good-looking guy so long as he was her type. I'm not quite sure what her type is, but she seemed to like Mitaka...
Ueda's 'cheer them up, make them exercise, stop them bitching at each other' routine fails miserably and he ends up going to the river by himself, where he witnesses another Katsumi being bullied by a gang of five students. I've seen Gokusen, I know schoolyard gangs come in fives. Ueda disguises himself and pretends to be a monster, though Katsumi recognises him and the thugs just think he's a freak. Still, it works, and they leave Katsumi alone. For now. Katsumi makes Ueda promise not to tell his mother; Ueda says it's a promise between men but Katsumi's not into that sort of thing. Perhaps he's not keen on sweating.
Alone in the ring, Kousaku tries to think about his disaster of a love life. He doesn't get very far, but luckily Mother Superior shows up at the gym to help him straighten things out. Everyone is surprised to see her there, especially when she has a few goes at the sandbags. (Aww...so cute!) She explains to Kousaku that Sister Angela was an abandoned child and therefore doesn't know her birthday - her dream is to pray to God for peace on Earth, and is Kousaku prepared to carry the weight of that dream? The convent is all she knows, and if she goes with him she'll have to leave it.
Unfortunately, this leaves Kousaku even more unhappy than before, because if he manages to win Sister Angela her dream will disappear.
A moment of failed parenting where Seiko is completely underwhelmed by Katsumi getting top score on a maths test, and her best advice to him is eat breakfast to get strong. I'm not so sure getting strong is what concerns him, dear. Ueda, who must have been taking stalking lessons from Kousaku, ambushes Katsumi on his way to school to play bodyguard, but the kid's not having it, and once again Ueda is left alone when he turns around. So sad.
Sister Angela goes on a date with Seiko. Well, sort of. They go to karaoke, though only Seiko sings, and the machine keeps interrupting their conversation. Seiko confesses to using Sister Angela to motivate Kousaku into working harder, and apologises for this.
Kousaku's not working very hard at all right now - in fact, he hasn't even warmed up - but Ishizaka challenges him to spar with him. No head gear, just gloves. Macho knock-down drag-out fight to make them both feel less pathetic. Ishizaka scores points with me here, even if it's for beating Kousaku up, because he tries to force him to confront his feelings and the problems they cause Sister Angela - is Kousaku man enough to make it all work? And I'm sure Ishizaka's probably thinking, "How can I lose to a guy like this?" He tried his best with his feelings and lost - Kousaku's still in with a chance. At least Sister Angela doesn't want him to quit boxing and become a salaryman! There's an odd sort of strangulation/rest-break/hug thing taking place here, with Kousaku all teary and Ishizaka yelling at him...and once again, Kousaku ends up in tears, alone in the ring. At least it's not the middle of the night this time. Stop making me cry! I thought this was a comedy! Why are you breaking my heart every week?
Ueda tries to have a much less violent heart-to-heart with Kousaku when they're lying awake at night, confirming what we all know by saying that Kousaku is only chronologically an adult. Kousaku feels powerless, and he wants the power to do something for his beloved Sister Angela. More tears. (I wonder what Kame thinks about to make himself cry on cue? Jin moving to L.A.?)
Next day, Sister Angela's in the church, checking in with her own personal agony uncle to find out what she should do. Mother Superior's behind her, and both women are more than a little surprised by Kousaku suddenly impersonating the voice of God. (I'm thinking Sister Angela can't love Kousaku that much if she didn't recognise his voice, though!) He tells her to continue to pursue her faith, praying for peace - and under no circumstances to turn round and see the little guy behind the green curtain.
Well, all right, so the Great and Powerful Oz isn't there, but a beaten and bruised Kousaku, wearing a jacket so ugly I'm amazed Kame could bring himself to wear it, is hiding in the back. He tells her that today will be her birthday, as she has been set free from suffering - presumably by giving up on Kousaku and becoming a better nun. Kousaku's just about to leave, when...
Cut to Horiguchi, Ishizaka and ex-delinquent Kojima (I should've guessed from the hair) who are out to pick up women. Kojima's technique could use a lot of work!
Cut to Katsumi in the gym, half-heartedly tapping the sandbag. He's startled by the appearance of Ueda, who offers to teach him boxing. Clearly, Ueda is going to be the best big brother/substitute parent/all-round decent guy ever. I love this show.
Cut to Seiko and Mitaka deciding on an alternate fuel source for Kousaku, and Mitaka making the bold declaration that he would carry Seiko's dream anytime. I really wish she'd show him a little more affection, because the guy is lovely and it's obvious he cares about her so much.
Finally! Back to the church. Sister Angela is certain...that she likes Kousaku! Mother Superior approves. Kousaku's a bit stunned - he never thought he'd hear it - and despite them standing not that far away from each other, he yells that he loves her. Cue more dorky smiling, and a great deal of cheering from me...through my own dorky smile and some happy tears, that is.
Obligatory Kame commentary: It's easy to seem despairing in the dark, but this week Kame pulled it off in the light too, making me cry along with him when he lay in the ring. I could easily write the same thing for this section every week, because I'm constantly impressed by everything he does and his willingness to completely throw all poise and dignity out the window amazes me. Kousaku's a lovable idiot who tends to be hyperactive and annoyingly repetitive - he's a little kid, really - but he's so goodnatured that it's hard to get cross with him. (Well, some people can, obviously!) The crying gets me too. I'd love to know what Kame thinks about then.
Best scene: For the jaw-dropping astonishment factor I'm going to go with Mother Superior telling Sister Angela she wouldn't know what she'd choose to do if a good-looking guy of her type appeared before her. There's also Kousaku trying to convince the Sister that he'd been wrestling with a bear. Nice try, boy.
I'm also quite partial to the moment when Ueda asks Katsumi if he wants Ueda to teach him how to box. I've warmed up to Katsumi a lot lately - he got a bit less bratty - and I really want to see this relationship develop. Don't look at me like that - I'm talking about a brothers/mentor type relationship, okay? It'd be nice to see Katsumi slowly come to appreciate the lifestyle his mother's chosen more - he certainly spends enough time at the boxing club! - and maybe it'll help their familial relationship too?
Conclusion: It's a good thing I don't rate episodes, because I'd have had to have given 04 a 10/10 which would've made 05 11/10, and I just can't do that. So much good stuff here! We got to see sides of the other boxers that we don't normally see (or more detail than usual), we finally made progress towards Katsumi considering boxing, we got a sort of confession from Mitaka, we got a stalking, binge-eating nun (no, not Sister Grace) and a double love confession in a church. That has to count for something. Everyone was brilliant. I'm loving the way this series is developing, and even characters I never used to like or care about seem essential to me now.
One Pound Gospel - Round Five
Plot: Our hero lies facedown in the leaves, watching, waiting. Not, as one might think, to ambush an enemy soldier, but to spring a surprise attack on...a nun on a bicycle. Not just any nun, of course, nor is it a plain old pile of leaves. Kousaku, who takes his stalking to a whole new level this week, now routinely hides on the leafy hill where he first met the love of his life, waiting for her to pass by on her bicycle. Understandably, she's not too keen on this, nor does she swallow his story about wrestling with a bear. I'm sure Kousaku *could* quite easily launch himself at a bear if it was for Sister Angela's sake, but I doubt they hide out on that particular hill.
He runs happily alongside her; she could keep him in shape by simply riding off the whole time. He wants to have some time to talk (go Kousaku with your random English) but she's not interested. You're not supposed to engage your stalkers in conversation, are you? Kousaku gets distracted by a Valentine's display and asks the Sister to give him chocolate and confess her love. Never mind that if you have to ask, you're probably not going to get, but again, Kousaku, I'd just like to say: NUN! Kousaku proves that his ability to make a complete idiot of himself is limitless with a little choco song - how much are they paying Kame for this? - and somehow manages not to fall in the road while he half-skips, half-dances his way along. Never let it be said that all the training the Johnny's guys do doesn't pay off.
Back at the convent, things are surprisingly pink as the nuns busy themselves preparing cute little packages of chocolate for the parishioners. Little does Kousaku know he could probably just turn up at church and get chocolate from his beloved, though I suspect they'd throw him out. In perhaps the least convincing act of sleight-of-hand that I've ever seen, Sister Angela, overcome by a sudden, confusing desire to give Kousaku some Valentine's chocolates, hides some behind her back. Better hope she doesn't lean back in her chair. She's not quite sure why she took the chocolates, but it's back on the bike and off to the boxing club...
...just in time to see Noriko, (a.k.a. Kousaku's boss's daughter a.k.a. the one with the hopeless crush), give our lovestruck young boxer a giant chocolate heart. Aww. She knows the way to his heart is through his stomach. The other boxers, with the exception of the terminally-irritable Ishizaka, flock to the chocolate, eager to help Kousaku consume it - particularly since he's supposed to be on a diet. Glutton that he is, Kousaku's thrilled by the chocolate and not at all opposed to a congratulatory hug - unfortunately witnessed by Sister Angela, who never quite made it through the doorway. Distraught, she cycles off, once again treating God as some sort of cosmic Agony Uncle.
Just as Kousaku is about to tuck in, Seiko saves him from all the extra calories. There's a bit of an argument over who should have the heart, during which poor Kousaku looks utterly despairing and Ishizaka just looks more and more annoyed. Alas, Mitaka doesn't get to have the heart either, as Nori takes it home again.
Sister Angela finally has one of those Rumiko Takahashi heroine moments, yelling "Baka!" (idiot!) and throwing the chocolates off a bridge. Not in the water, though - they land on the grass! Katsumi, who happens to witness this, is surprised to see a nun losing her temper, but an alternate solution presents itself to Sister Angela and she gives the chocolates to Katsumi instead. Probably the only chocolates he'll get on Valentine's Day, as the series seems to be remarkably free from girls his age.
Kousaku's not expecting him to get chocolates either - especially from Sister Angela! Kojima suggests that perhaps the Sister prefers younger men. Since Katsumi's in junior high, I think this borders on cradle-snatching. Luckily, Ueda's around to point out that this obviously can't be true. Ishizaka's bad mood, never helped by talking about girls inside the gym, gets even worse when Kousaku flips out completely and demands that the camera tell him why.
Upstairs in the office, cute but oh-so-awkward scene for Seiko and Mitaka, in which the latter hints that maybe Seiko has something she wants to say to him - she doesn't - and oh well, he's going home now. No Valentine's chocolate for Mitaka, which is a shame 'cause he's lovely, but if he wants chocolate he's really chasing the wrong woman. She's more likely to give you tickets to a boxing match.
Downstairs, Kousaku's still trying to make sense of why Sister Angela got mad enough to throw the chocolates and then give them to Katsumi. Part of his thought process seems to involve preventing Ueda from dressing and/or strangling him, and it's not until the guys point out that actually Kousaku's really annoying with his effusive declarations of love that he realises that maybe, just maybe, he's gone a bit overboard. But Valentine's Day is over, and they've lost their chance to understand each other's love! A bit dramatic.
While Kousaku broods on the floor, Ishizaka is spotted with a cute package of what might be chocolate and immediately teased. Once again, Ueda plays peacemaker. Loving him more every week. He's obviously a saint in disguise. Kousaku, who must have springs in his shoes, bounces back up with the fantastic idea of giving Sister Angela chocolate instead and confessing *his* feelings - like he doesn't already tell her enough! Katsumi, who we can assume probably knows less about these matters than anyone else in the room, informs Kousaku he's got it the wrong way round. Kousaku crumples like an empty packet of crisps, and deflates even further when Katsumi, being mean, suggests that he'll have to wait for Christmas to share his feelings with Sister Angela. Christmas is too far away and nobody thinks to tell Kousaku about White Day, so as far as he's concerned, the next opportunity is April Fools which even this clueless idiot realises is perhaps not the best time to make a sincere confession!
Back at the Three Meals Cafeteria, Kousaku totally leads Nori on again by asking her when is a good time to give girls presents. Birthdays, she suggests. Too bad he's not paying attention when she tells him hers.
Someone who *is* paying attention is Horiguchi in his other life as a taxi driver, who happens to see Ishizaka hand the little box to his girlfriend and get slapped for it. Not that I don't often want to slap Ishizaka myself, but he looked rather shocked here and I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.
Back to the cafeteria again, and Sister Angela turns up just in time to see Kousaku and Noriko load up their bikes with food to be delivered, having fun all the while. The nun then begins her own stalking campaign, following them as they slack off with their deliveries and stop for a snack. Boxing has clearly gone out the window - not only does Kousaku say his match isn't for some time, but he's eating whatever he wants. Sister Angela even follows them to a restaurant where Noriko is treating him to an enormous Chinese meal. Poor, lovestruck girl.
Shock! Horror! Kousaku spots his stalker and chases after her, almost getting defeated by a sliding door (look familiar, Jin?), and they run down the exact same road they always run down. Good thing there's never any traffic. Kousaku's done this route so many times he knows a short cut and gets back to the convent first. And this time, when she demands to know why he's following her, he can answer back by asking why she was watching him - which she fervently denies, of course. Sister Millie, lurking in the shadows, overhears him ask Sister Angela for her birthday. He's acting quite restrained, for him - all for naught, sadly, as she doesn't know when it is.
Somehow, Kousaku has gotten the idea that Katsumi is some sort of expert on romancing nuns, probably because he was the one who got the chocolate, and while Ishizaka practises, every other male in the club (besides Mitaka) sits around and speculates that perhaps the Sister is jealous of Noriko. Not only does Kousaku not really think of Noriko as a girl, but he's positive she doesn't like him. Well, no one ever loved Kousaku for his brains, did they? Ueda, who is obviously the real wise man of the Mukoda Boxing Club, reasons that Sister Angela can't be jealous unless she actually likes Kousaku. Everyone thinks this is hilarious, aside from Ishizaka, who fumes quietly and stalks out. Horiguchi explains that the poor guy got dumped. Kousaku doesn't care - he's too busy hugging the sandbag.
Sister Angela, who might at this point be better off consulting Ueda than God - at least she'd get an answer - gets taken to task by Sister Millie for still seeing Kousaku. Sister Millie warns her to be clear about her feelings and not lead him on - nice nuns don't, you know. After another leafy ambush, Sister Angela accidentally slips to Kousaku - in an indirect way - that she's jealous, and once he gets hold of this concept, he's just not letting go.
Kousaku's so happy about this that he completely scuppers Ueda, Horiguchi and Kojima's plan to not mention women at the gym in order to keep Ishizaka feeling better than enraged. Kousaku's speculation on how he might have to dump Noriko - not that they're even dating - infuriates Ishizaka further, and despite Ueda's best efforts to keep the peace, all five guys end up in the ring, trying to stop a fight breaking out properly. Seiko has the solution: climb in the ring herself and KO everyone.
And now we have the unusual spectacle of a binge-eating nun, though at least in Sister Angela's case, it's only fruit. Some of the other nuns look downright scared, but the Mother Superior knows what's going on and takes her off for a heart-to-heart. (Neither of these hearts is made of chocolate, sadly.) They establish that a) it's okay to fall for a guy, though it will lead to a necessary departure from the convent eventually, b) Sister Angela should do whatever makes her happy and c) that Mother Superior would not be averse to setting aside her vocation for a good-looking guy so long as he was her type. I'm not quite sure what her type is, but she seemed to like Mitaka...
Ueda's 'cheer them up, make them exercise, stop them bitching at each other' routine fails miserably and he ends up going to the river by himself, where he witnesses another Katsumi being bullied by a gang of five students. I've seen Gokusen, I know schoolyard gangs come in fives. Ueda disguises himself and pretends to be a monster, though Katsumi recognises him and the thugs just think he's a freak. Still, it works, and they leave Katsumi alone. For now. Katsumi makes Ueda promise not to tell his mother; Ueda says it's a promise between men but Katsumi's not into that sort of thing. Perhaps he's not keen on sweating.
Alone in the ring, Kousaku tries to think about his disaster of a love life. He doesn't get very far, but luckily Mother Superior shows up at the gym to help him straighten things out. Everyone is surprised to see her there, especially when she has a few goes at the sandbags. (Aww...so cute!) She explains to Kousaku that Sister Angela was an abandoned child and therefore doesn't know her birthday - her dream is to pray to God for peace on Earth, and is Kousaku prepared to carry the weight of that dream? The convent is all she knows, and if she goes with him she'll have to leave it.
Unfortunately, this leaves Kousaku even more unhappy than before, because if he manages to win Sister Angela her dream will disappear.
A moment of failed parenting where Seiko is completely underwhelmed by Katsumi getting top score on a maths test, and her best advice to him is eat breakfast to get strong. I'm not so sure getting strong is what concerns him, dear. Ueda, who must have been taking stalking lessons from Kousaku, ambushes Katsumi on his way to school to play bodyguard, but the kid's not having it, and once again Ueda is left alone when he turns around. So sad.
Sister Angela goes on a date with Seiko. Well, sort of. They go to karaoke, though only Seiko sings, and the machine keeps interrupting their conversation. Seiko confesses to using Sister Angela to motivate Kousaku into working harder, and apologises for this.
Kousaku's not working very hard at all right now - in fact, he hasn't even warmed up - but Ishizaka challenges him to spar with him. No head gear, just gloves. Macho knock-down drag-out fight to make them both feel less pathetic. Ishizaka scores points with me here, even if it's for beating Kousaku up, because he tries to force him to confront his feelings and the problems they cause Sister Angela - is Kousaku man enough to make it all work? And I'm sure Ishizaka's probably thinking, "How can I lose to a guy like this?" He tried his best with his feelings and lost - Kousaku's still in with a chance. At least Sister Angela doesn't want him to quit boxing and become a salaryman! There's an odd sort of strangulation/rest-break/hug thing taking place here, with Kousaku all teary and Ishizaka yelling at him...and once again, Kousaku ends up in tears, alone in the ring. At least it's not the middle of the night this time. Stop making me cry! I thought this was a comedy! Why are you breaking my heart every week?
Ueda tries to have a much less violent heart-to-heart with Kousaku when they're lying awake at night, confirming what we all know by saying that Kousaku is only chronologically an adult. Kousaku feels powerless, and he wants the power to do something for his beloved Sister Angela. More tears. (I wonder what Kame thinks about to make himself cry on cue? Jin moving to L.A.?)
Next day, Sister Angela's in the church, checking in with her own personal agony uncle to find out what she should do. Mother Superior's behind her, and both women are more than a little surprised by Kousaku suddenly impersonating the voice of God. (I'm thinking Sister Angela can't love Kousaku that much if she didn't recognise his voice, though!) He tells her to continue to pursue her faith, praying for peace - and under no circumstances to turn round and see the little guy behind the green curtain.
Well, all right, so the Great and Powerful Oz isn't there, but a beaten and bruised Kousaku, wearing a jacket so ugly I'm amazed Kame could bring himself to wear it, is hiding in the back. He tells her that today will be her birthday, as she has been set free from suffering - presumably by giving up on Kousaku and becoming a better nun. Kousaku's just about to leave, when...
Cut to Horiguchi, Ishizaka and ex-delinquent Kojima (I should've guessed from the hair) who are out to pick up women. Kojima's technique could use a lot of work!
Cut to Katsumi in the gym, half-heartedly tapping the sandbag. He's startled by the appearance of Ueda, who offers to teach him boxing. Clearly, Ueda is going to be the best big brother/substitute parent/all-round decent guy ever. I love this show.
Cut to Seiko and Mitaka deciding on an alternate fuel source for Kousaku, and Mitaka making the bold declaration that he would carry Seiko's dream anytime. I really wish she'd show him a little more affection, because the guy is lovely and it's obvious he cares about her so much.
Finally! Back to the church. Sister Angela is certain...that she likes Kousaku! Mother Superior approves. Kousaku's a bit stunned - he never thought he'd hear it - and despite them standing not that far away from each other, he yells that he loves her. Cue more dorky smiling, and a great deal of cheering from me...through my own dorky smile and some happy tears, that is.
Obligatory Kame commentary: It's easy to seem despairing in the dark, but this week Kame pulled it off in the light too, making me cry along with him when he lay in the ring. I could easily write the same thing for this section every week, because I'm constantly impressed by everything he does and his willingness to completely throw all poise and dignity out the window amazes me. Kousaku's a lovable idiot who tends to be hyperactive and annoyingly repetitive - he's a little kid, really - but he's so goodnatured that it's hard to get cross with him. (Well, some people can, obviously!) The crying gets me too. I'd love to know what Kame thinks about then.
Best scene: For the jaw-dropping astonishment factor I'm going to go with Mother Superior telling Sister Angela she wouldn't know what she'd choose to do if a good-looking guy of her type appeared before her. There's also Kousaku trying to convince the Sister that he'd been wrestling with a bear. Nice try, boy.
I'm also quite partial to the moment when Ueda asks Katsumi if he wants Ueda to teach him how to box. I've warmed up to Katsumi a lot lately - he got a bit less bratty - and I really want to see this relationship develop. Don't look at me like that - I'm talking about a brothers/mentor type relationship, okay? It'd be nice to see Katsumi slowly come to appreciate the lifestyle his mother's chosen more - he certainly spends enough time at the boxing club! - and maybe it'll help their familial relationship too?
Conclusion: It's a good thing I don't rate episodes, because I'd have had to have given 04 a 10/10 which would've made 05 11/10, and I just can't do that. So much good stuff here! We got to see sides of the other boxers that we don't normally see (or more detail than usual), we finally made progress towards Katsumi considering boxing, we got a sort of confession from Mitaka, we got a stalking, binge-eating nun (no, not Sister Grace) and a double love confession in a church. That has to count for something. Everyone was brilliant. I'm loving the way this series is developing, and even characters I never used to like or care about seem essential to me now.