A lot of focus has been devoted to Asa’s grief, and that makes perfect sense. After all, she’s only fifteen. She’s a defenseless child who now has to cope with a tragic loss. But adults aren’t immune to trauma either. Life experience might have hardened us, but we can still get hurt. And while this episode maintains its focus on Asa’s healing journey, it also reveals that Makio has been on this same odyssey for years if not longer. Maybe she’s been dragging her feet this whole time, unwilling to take concrete steps towards her destination. But now that she has a child to worry about, there’s finally a sense of urgency.

Makio learns that her older sister recently passed away in an accident. An older woman (her mom?) quickly tells Makio to take in Asa, her bereaved niece. Makio tries to protest, because her apartment is hardly fit for a child. Hell, I wouldn’t say it’s fit for a grown adult either. It’s a complete pigsty. Sure, Makio might be reserved and introverted, but I assure you we’re not all like that. A good lot of us can keep our domiciles relatively clean. But Makio can’t, and this is one of the many reasons why caring for Asa would be terribly inconvenient. But you know what else is even more inconvenient? Losing your parents. So tough shit, right? At the end of the day, someone has to step up and do what’s best for the child. I’m equally bemused and saddened by the old lady’s casual hypocrisy. “Have a heart for goodness’s sake,” she says. Excuse me? What about you, ma’am? Where’s your heart? You’re passing the child off to someone else in front of the child. How do you think that makes her feel? In fact, look at all these people who have gathered for the funeral. Where are their hearts? I thought we all agreed that it takes a village to raise a child!