Aoi Hana 10

The day of Kazusa and Kagami’s wedding has arrived, while Kazusa’s father is visibly feeling melancholic, both Yasuko and Kuri cannot hide the regret and pain that shows through in their gaze.

While she’s talking to Kazusa, it becomes obvious that Yasuko has a hard time with seeing her sister marry Kagami, but the kind bride manages to smooth things over, her words hitting the right cords. Kazusa asks her younger sister to still congratulate her.

Driven to the wedding by her brother Shinobu, as usual an energetic Akira argues with him in the car on their way there.

Meeting with Kyouko and Kou, they walk towards the church and soon run into Yasuko, who thanks them for coming. She spontaneously invites both Kou and Shinobu to attend the ceremony as well, much to Akira’s dismay who doesn’t like it one bit to have her brother tag along.

Seeing Kyouko and Yasuko talk, Kou seems to be able to read the atmosphere between the girls.
When Kyouko observes that Yasuko looks good dressed in a man’s suit like that, the tall upperclassman retorts that her own sister said the same thing.

Dragging herself out of bed, Fumi is simply lethargically slouching in the couch, she even gets scolded by her mother for doing nothing with her time but hang around.
Ultimately the bespectacled girl dresses up and heads out, although she seems rather depressed. Wanting to see Akira, she tries to call her childhood friend but alas can’t get through.

Shortly before the ceremony starts, Yasuko gets into an argument with her sister Kuri, who was teasing her. Revealing she knows about Kuri having been in love with Kagami too, the girls nearly get into a fight.

Congratulating her soon to be brother-in-law Kagami, Yasuko asks the teacher if Kuri ever gave him the love letter she had written, feeling that she herself had been more straightforward by confessing to him.
When Kagami says he is lucky to have three sisters in love with him, Yasuko retorts that makes him sound like a perverted old man.

Noticing Yasuko’s clothing, Kagami says she looks quite cool dressed like that but that she would look much cuter if she would wear a more feminine outfit instead, causing Yasuko to blush beet red.

During the wedding ceremony, all the young girls revel at the bride’s beauty, and everyone gleefully cheers the newly weds on as they leave the church after the ceremony concludes. Standing further back, Kuri and Yasuko nearly get into a fight again about their feelings for Kagami but the eldest sister Shinako is able to diffuse the situation.

Getting a call from Fumi, Akira is invited by her friend to visit Enoshima, a small island off the coast. Immediately keen on joining Fumi, Akira commands her brother to drive her and prepares to head off but alas Yasuko overheard the conversation and decides to invite herself along.

Waiting for Akira to arrive, Fumi is shocked when Yasuko shows up with Akira and Shinobu. The bespectacled girl looks unsettled that the upperclassman is tagging along even though she assures Akira that she’s fine about it.

Walking ahead with Fumi, Akira gets angry when she overhears her brother Shinobu telling Yasuko tales of Akira’s childhood and orders him to stop.
Extorting Akira into letting her walk with them instead so Shinobu won’t be able to tell her such embarrassing stories, Yasuko is surprised when Fumi shouts that she doesn’t want to walk with Yasuko.

Observing he’s never seen Fumi so angry, Shinobu doesn’t know what to say when Yasuko reveals that it’s only natural the bespectacled girl holds such contempt for her since she did dump Fumi in a rather nasty way.

Thinking back, Yasuko realizes her tomboyish attitude, her feelings for Kagami, being rejected by him, changing schools,… all were the childish actions of someone who’s lost her way.

Admiring the landscape from an observation tower, Fumi suggests to Akira they visit nearby caves, an idea Akira is quite keen on.
When Yasuko and Shinobu pick up on the suggestion, Akira tries to crawl out of it, not wanting to force Fumi to face Yasuko that much, but Fumi gives a silent nod that she’s fine with it.

Heading into the caves near the rocky shores, Akira is not reassured by the ominous darkness illuminated only by the dim light of the small candles handed out to each of them at the entrance.
Separated from Fumi as she’s dragged along by her brother, Akira looks back worried, noticing Fumi’s grim expression.

Asking Yasuko why she accompanied Akira, Fumi faces her upperclassman head on. As Yasuko answers she merely felt like seeing Fumi, the bespectacled girl sternly rebukes her, telling the Yasuko to stop being so selfish and focus on the person she really is in love with.
When Yasuko asks what to do when that love isn’t mutual, Fumi replies that she should just give up on an unrequited love, like how she herself has already given up on Yasuko.

Walking ahead past Yasuko who’s nailed to the ground by the bespectacled girl’s unexpectedly harsh words, Fumi concludes by urging Yasuko to grow up.
Even though she was able to not cry during her sisters wedding, tears now roll down Yasuko’s cheeks.

Was wondering how the wedding would be portrayed and like the way it was handled, showed a lot of important details and character elements in poignant scenes, revealing much about the different characters and their evolution.

Even though she seemed to have cheered up lately, Fumi was again visibly downcast, a smile only appears on her face when she thinks of Akira and being with her friend.
Having to face Yasuko, Fumi shows surprising maturity and strength by clearly distancing herself from Yasuko, brushing off the indecisive upperclassman by literally telling her she’s done with her after what happened between them.

A lovely contrast here with Yasuko who is usually portrayed as the tough, mature girl but now shown to be quite immature and fickle, while Fumi who’s always seen as a fragile crybaby shows surprising strength and resolve.

Akira is still very protective and caring over Fumi, have her feelings from childhood grown into more without her realizing it? They do make such an excellent couple, with Fumi’s frail ladylike appearance and Akira’s energetic array of emotions and facial expressions.

Only one more episode to go!

If the next one picks up where this one leaves of, will there be an original climactic ending where Fumi and Akira get together? Or will they follow the manga and leave the story in the middle for another season down the future?
Can hardly wait to find out!