For one of Rei’s birthdays, Nana had given her a Moleskine notebook. It was meant to help Rei collect ideas for future manga. Nana wanted Rei to keep going. Rei, however, had already decided to chart a different course: she announced that she intended to become a teacher. It didn’t have to be one or the other, though. A large problem with these characters was (and still is) that they lacked balance. I don’t understand why nobody can just split the difference. You need to eat and have a roof over your head, so yes, becoming a teacher makes sense. You also need to have a spark in your life — something that you’re passionate about — so keep drawing manga on the side! Though to be fair, this story kicked off when Ai found her at a convention, so she didn’t completely give up, I think? Or was that like… stuff she never compiled before into a book?
Back in the present, we see Rei staring at an empty list of “100 things I want to draw for manga.” Eventually, she erases even the title. The next time she advises the club, she sets them a target (Winter Comitia), and she insists on Ai finding a new inspiration somewhere on the island they inhabit. So why can’t she also do that? Again, it’s about balance. She’s a teacher now, so her students are her top priority. She even gives Ai a Moleskine notebook. It can’t be the same one Nana had given her, right? Oh man, it literally is the same notebook. She’s trying to unburden herself by passing the proverbial baton to Ai. But how does that saying go for doctors? “Physician, heal thyself?” So teacher, teach yourself! Mentor, ment…or yourself! Ultimately, just be kind to yourself. Rei can but doesn’t have to live vicariously through Ai. Instead, she can also draw manga side-by-side with Ai. In fact, imagine how cool that would be! Attending meetings weekly where you get to read each other’s work? That could be such a fun exercise.
But for now, Rei drives her students all over the island as they take in the various sights. Immediately, the ideas are rolling in as the kids innocently marvel over the world around them. For example, a layered rock wall makes them think of giants munching on Baumkuchen. They finally cap things off by hitting up a summer festival. In the end — with fireworks, i.e. literally a metaphor for inspiration, going off in the background — Ai reshares the notebook with Rei. Not only did she grab the baton from her teacher, she went above and beyond; the notebook has hundreds upon hundreds of ideas. Hell, I’m surprised she could write all of that down in just a single sightseeing trip. Still, Ai has certainly been inspired today, and none of this would’ve been possible if Rei didn’t put in so much effort for her students. Her kindness to them almost feels like the woman is desperately trying to atone for her failure as a mangaka. It’s all a bit sad, because Rei also needs to be kind to herself. Why should she be the one nearly in tears when her girls are beaming beside her? Nothing the kids have done today should be considered out-of-bounds for the woman. She can still be inspired! She can still draw manga! It’s not too late! It’s only over when you’re dead, and contrary to what this show’s title might imply, Rei’s not dead yet. Not even her spirit.
I think Nana feels the same way, because she gives Rei yet another Moleskine notebook. It’s a telling bookend for the episode.
Stray thoughts & observations:
— Now that I know Nana likes Rei, all of the former’s actions take on a new light. Here, we see her shifting her body toward Rei…
— Sheesh, it’s been a hot minute since I’ve come across one of those Moleskine notebooks. I used to have one too… like over ten years ago, so I guess it makes sense that we’re in a flashback. All of my note-taking these days is digital now. I’m actually using Obsidian right now to jot down my thoughts while watching these shows.
— Sure, I get it: Rei was staring at an empty list, so she was out of ideas — fresh ideas. But why stop there? Why not revisit one of your earlier works and see if you can improve it? Why not grab one of your favorite manga and draw a few panels in your own style?
— I’m glad Nana’s just happy that Rei kept the notebook. I could see some silly dramatic subplot where Nana is instead mad that Rei gave it away without ever using it.
— Of course, Hikaru continues to march to the beat of her own drum. Sure, she’s probably not neurotypical — and her mother appears to be a very busy mangaka herself — but what else is going on with Hikaru? I feel a bit short-changed by the lack of character depth.
— What I’d like to see is more character development from everyone, and this would’ve been a great place to do a “check-in,” so to speak. Rei tasks them with getting their parents’ permission again, but unfortunately, we don’t get to see how any of that went down. After all, don’t you want to know if things have improved for Kokoro at home? How has her relationship with her mother developed since the last time we saw the latter? All we get is a throwaway line about how the mom wants Kokoro to invite her friends over again.
— On the other hand, we barely know anything about Sachi other than her having a ton of younger siblings. She seems more like comic relief than an active member of the club, but does she ever want to create her own work?
— It’s nice to have an active imagination. Meanwhile, I just daydream about no longer having financial worries, so I can adopt a cat or two. Sigh…
— Unfortunately, we don’t get to see Nana tag along with the club. I suppose she has her shop to run, but how many customers do you think it sees on a daily basis? In fact, is it even doing good business? I suppose this show isn’t going to worry about such questions.
— This island alone seems to have an inordinate amount of amazing vistas and curiosities packed into one small area. How can you not feel the whimsy when you have something like a stone stairway between two large trees leading to a forest pathway? Hell, there’s a desert nearby for a change in biome. Hell, there’s a volcano, too! Sure, California has its share of natural wonders, but it’s also a huge state. I would need to drive hours to see the nearest desert (the Mojave). I could drive all over the state for a month and still not see everything California has to offer.
— All of this hiking seems fun, but I’ve read and heard too many horror stories about people disappearing in the wilderness.
— Hikaru never changes her outfit, huh? Definitely not neurotypical. We at least saw Rei in her loose clothing for the hike. Also, Hikaru has somehow never heard of a yukata. C’mon, I know she’s from the city, but people still wear yukata in Tokyo.
— Hikaru has to be trollin’ at this point, right? There’s no way she doesn’t know about fireworks.
— Y’know, I could’ve easily let Moe Sucks’ domain registration lapse. If I had lost that, that might have been the final nail in the coffin for the blog. But even when I had stopped writing about anime for years, I still felt this compulsion to keep this site alive. Nothing I’ve done here is as magical or wonderful as creating a brand new story out of thin air like what these girls have done. But there are days where I’ve had a heavy heart, especially over the past year — getting laid off from a job you’ve been working for nine years, dealing with this job market, losing your cat, seeing one of your old parents end up in the ER, racking up bills upon bills — but writing even just about shitty anime has been an incredibly helpful distraction. So I’m glad I never let Moe Sucks completely die even though I’ve certainly neglected it.