Aoi Hana 8

Rain pours down as a storm rages outside, much like the turmoil inside Fumi’s heart. Having been rejected by Yasuko who told her that they can no longer be going out, Fumi fights a losing battle to keep from crying.

Unsure why the bespectacled girl is so adamant on heading home, Yasuko’s mother and sisters are at a loss, though Kuri soon suspects Yasuko may have said or done something horrible to Fumi, so she agrees to take the distraught girl home.

Driving through the pitch black night, Kuri asks Fumi if she had a fight with Yasuko. When Fumi asks Yasuko’s older sister if it is indeed the adviser of Fujigaya’s theater club that her upperclassman is in love with, Kuri shocks Fumi by revealing that Kagami is going to marry their sister Kazusa in September.

Meeting Fumi at the train station the next morning, Akira enthusiastically inquires how the visit at Yasuko’s house went. Reluctant to answer, Fumi instead asks to go watch a movie together after school.

Arriving in class, Akira is greeted by her classmates who show her a news article about their teacher Kagami marrying the former Fujigaya teacher Kazusa.

Staring at the article, Kyouko sits dejectedly at her desk while lost in thought.
Spotting Kagami in the school hallway after class, Kyouko confronts the teacher, accusing him of having lied to her about Yasuko, and that she must have been in love with him, hence why she left Fujigaya.
When the teacher asks the blond girl why she’s so interested in Yasuko, Kyouko in turn reveals that she’s in love with Yasuko.

At the movies, Fumi’s mind is still preoccupied about breaking up with Yasuko, so she tightly grabs hold of Akira’s hand, much to her friend’s surprise.
Afterward, Akira asks what’s going on since Fumi has been acting strange all day, forcing the bespectacled girl to confess that she has been rejected by Yasuko.

The next day, a visibly aggravated Akira meets Yasuko at the station and when the upperclassman asks her about Fumi, Akira bites back that Fumi is staying home because she’s not feeling well.
Even though Akira denies being angry, it’s written all over her face how upset she is with the tall basketball player.

On a whim, Yasuko drags Akira along to a small cafe she had always wanted to go to. Sitting down in front of a delicious looking dessert, Yasuko observes how Fumi always used to talk about Akira when they were together.
Interrupting Yasuko, Akira angrily asks why she tossed Fumi aside and if the upperclassman is still in love with Kagami. With a sigh, Yasuko retorts she used to love him and had never imagined it would hurt that much to see him marry her sister.

Deciding to cut class for the rest of the day, Akira walks along the beach for a while until she heads to Fumi’s house, wanting to see her friend.

Sulking on her bed, Fumi hurriedly gets up once she hears Akira is there. As she opens the door, the tall girl is pounced on and tightly hugged by her childhood friend.
Observing Fumi ditched school, Akira confesses she too has skipped class and gave Yasuko an earful because she simply can’t forgive the uperclassman for what she did to Fumi.

In despair at her own meddling into Fumi and Yasuko’s affairs, Akira slumps down on the bed. Sitting down next to her friend, Fumi says Akira really is a kind, good-natured girl.

As the days go by, Fumi clearly distances herself from Yasuko and slowly regains her own smile back, Yasuko however seems to remain as conflicted about her own feelings as ever.

At Matsuoka, Yoko, Miwa and Misako are talking to Fumi about doing something fun together during the upcoming summer break, they even suggest inviting Akira along.

Unbeknownst to them, Kyouko invites Akira to visit her summer villa, offering for Fumi and her classmates to join as well, though the blond girl is unsure Fumi would accept.
When Akira blurts out it’s a great idea for it would cheer Fumi up, she reveals to Kyouko that Fumi and Yasuko broke up.

Heading home after class that same afternoon, Yasuko sees Kyouko waiting for her at the school entrance. When the blond girl says she heard that Yasuko broke up with Fumi, the tall upperclassman is irritated that Kyouko thought this could mean that she would now start dating her just like that.
Confessing her love for Yasuko once more, Kyouko is bluntly rejected.

Staying over at Akira’s house, Fumi gladly accepts the invitation to Kyouko’s summer villa and reassures her childhood friend that she’s gotten over her heartache, her feelings for Yasuko ebbing away.

While looking at Akira’s sleeping face that same night, Fumi realizes the reason she has truly overcome her heartache and has cheered up is all thanks to her dear friend Akira.

Discussing the summer break trip together at a cafe, Fumi and Kyouko inexplicably find themselves crying together over their heartache while Akira visits the bathroom.

Adored this episode. While Yasuko may seem cruel and is no doubt a rather selfish and pampered princess, she’s at least honest enough to break up with Fumi now that she realizes her feelings for the girl aren’t as genuine as she had hoped, and that she’s been using the poor bespectacled girl as a distraction from her conflicted feelings for Kagami.

Not too sure about Kyouko, seeing her still want to be with Yasuko even though she knows the basketball player is still hung up on her earlier crush and she would probably be treated no better than Fumi makes her look blinded by love, even desperate.
While no doubt realistic in terms of how complex and conflicting a person’s feelings can be when it comes to a one-sided love, Kyouko’s continuing pleas to Yasuko make her seem rather meek, quite unbecoming of a girl who else seems to be quite intelligent.

Loved Akira in this episode, not only was her range of vivid expressions quite entertaining, it was a welcome change to see her get genuinely angry, though looks like she still held back when she vented that anger on Yasuko.
Slowly but surely we see Akira growing up, very subtly she’s changing but her unconscious desire and actions to protect and console Fumi are unwavering.

Liked how they showed Fumi coping with being rejected, how she overcame the bulk of her heartache and ultimately realizes that it is thanks to Akira’s support and presence that she’s feeling better and able to move on.
Is Fumi slowly coming to realize what Akira truly means to her?

So far “Aoi Hana” has explored the aspects of one-sided love and its consequential heartache quite well, will they also show us how a mutual love can grow and form from there?
Are Fumi and Akira going to become to more than just childhood friends?
Can’t wait to see!