Gomen ne Seishun Episode 8

It’s the second to the last episode and I definitely don’t want this drama to end! One of the key characters have made her returned (you know who), grand confessions, and some really good friendships.

Here is a quick recap of Gomen ne Seishun : Episode 8

Murai Mamoru aka Cosme is busted, big time, by no less than his father (Murai Shintaro) who is the Director of Tonkou and Sanjo’s benefactor for the merger. Cosme almost got clobbered by his own father if it wasn’t for his classmates who ran to stop his red-face dad.

At 3D’s office, The director is still in rage that his son is gay and he has been coming to school wearing Sanjo’s school uniform without anyone stopping him. Heisuke defends Murai and says that he’s never been lively and that he told the class that he’s a woman at heart. Risa follows-up and says that she thinks that Murai has a gender identity disorder where someone with a male genitalia has feminine traits.

Again, the director finds their explanations unacceptable and thinks that Murai starts acting that way because he was immersed in an all-girls environment and that the girls goaded him to do so. To add fuel to the fire, Handa has to stepped in, defend Murai, and says that they are dating. haha. That’s the final straw for the director and orders 3D to have the merger officially cancelled. Thus, the co-ed class is disbanded.

Heisuke tries to beg Murai to let them continue even with the cultural festival, but he gets a shout in his face. At Heisuke’s class, Mamoru cries and apologizes to everyone since he blames himself that the co-ed is cancelled because of him, because of his chosen gender. Sister Yoshii tells everyone not to blame Murai for co-ed’s cancellation and she says that it’s a problem between the management and the adults. Jinbou thinks that it’s unfair for Cosme since he obviously fits the most in Sanjo and that his father should support his son. The other students chimed in their support for Cosme and Endou and Jinbou asks if Sanjo will be closed down since the co-ed class got cancelled.

Sister Yoshii says that it’s likely and Ebisawa asks about Seishun’s cultural festival. Heisuke steps-in and firmly says that they will still do the cultural festival, he’ll definitely negotiate it with the director. Sister Yoshii can only wish him luck while the students says that they will believe and wait for Heisuke.

At Donmai-sensei’s clinic, a depress Risa asks Donmai what she should do and Donmai says that the director isn’t they type of person who changes his mind easily. Well, Risa isn’t talking about the director but she’s more concerned with Heisuke since he hasn’t shown his Ashura‘s face since then (cue to previous episode where Risa fell in love with Heisuke because he shouted at her). Risa misses Heisuke’s Ashura face and vows that the next time he got angry, she’ll definitely record it.

So, when Heisuke comes in and asks what they are doing, Risa says that they are having a love discussion. When Heisuke says that they take their time, Risa gives him a “pissed-off” stance and starts blabbering nonsense on how Heisuke couldn’t care less on whom she has a relationship with. Obviously, she’s trying to make Heisuke angry and motions Donmai-sensei to start camcording the scene if Heisuke transforms to his Ashura face. haha. Too bad for Risa, Heisuke chose not to retaliate and tells Risa that everything she said is true and that he will take responsibility for the cultural festival.

Heisuke goes to Murai’s residence but he was told to leave. Back home, he sees his father praying in front of the  Goddess of Mercy in his room. Goddess of Mercy transforms into mom and says that Heita will re-marry.

The next day, the entire joint organizing committee goes to Murai’s residence to plead and allow them to hold the cultural festival. Amarin reads their letter of appeal and puts in the paper that contains  676 signatures of students from both schools to make the cultural festival happen. Tempers flare when the director told his son to cut-off ties from the good-for-nothing gang and in the end, they went home dejected.

Heisuke goes to Girl’s Bar to comfort himself and Satoshi has a good news for him, he’d seen Yuko. OMG, Yuko is back! He met her at an inn in Atami during his Hachiya’s DeliCoro, remember the croquette delivery service? Heisuke is adamant to know what Satoshi has learned after meeting Yuko after 10 years. Satoshi said that he don’t think he has the right to ask intrusive questions, so he just fried a croquette and eventually goes home.

Heisuke makes inquiries later, but the hotel says that Yuko is no longer staying with them. Heisuke goes home, disappointed that he hasn’t learned more of Yuko’s whereabouts so he was surprised when someone named Yuko called “Gomen ne Seishun’s” radio show. Kaba-san asks to whom she wants to apologize and she says that it’s a friend from high school.

Yuko starts telling her story about A-kun, the boy she used to like down to A-kun’s best friend called Hei-kun who confessed his feelings for her. Yuko says that she wants to apologize to A-kun. Yuko continues with her story while Heisuke rans to the radio station so she can ask about Yuko whereabouts.

While Heisuke ran to the station, Yuko continues with her story, how she acted rashly during her youth and how she regretted it later. After all those years, she can’t remember the A-kun that she liked but Hei-kun, the guy who encouraged her until the end. Even though A-kun dropped out of school because of her, it was Hei-kun’s face that she always remember. In fact, she met A-kun the other day and the feelings she used to have is now void. So, she wants to apologized to that A-kun that she used to like, and says “sorry”.

Well, Kaba-san aka 3D didn’t hear much of Yuko’s apology because he’s staring, wide-eyed, to Heisuke who just arrived. Heisuke is too shock by what he sees that he has forgotten all about Yuko. Heck, he didn’t even listen properly to her apology, I’m sure his cellphone has a radio station. Heisuke still don’t get it and asks 3D what is he doing in Kaba-san’s booth. Seriously, Heisuke, you’re asking that question? Well, Heisuke recalls his original agenda and asks if there’s a way for the radio station to trace that call and says something how the Principal is in there on Kaba-san’s off, which makes 3D aka Kaba-san to say, “don’t prattle by yourself” in his Kaba-san’s voice. haha.

3D don’t have any choice but to confess to Heisuke. 3D has been Kaba-san before he became Tonkou’s Principal and he has been doing the job for the past 20 years. He asks Heisuke to keep it a secret at school and Heisuke can only cry and hugs Kaba-san tightly, merely because of happiness.

Two days after, Jinbou, Amarin, Bircken, and Murai went to Tokyo to see Nakai and to let Murai be the girl that he always wanted to be. They see Nakai, looking so chic and so different. To top it off, she already has a boyfriend just a week since she moved to her new school. haha.

At Murai’s residence, Heisuke and Risa are outside to beg the director to allow to do the cultural festival. After all, the students have prepared too much just to have it cancelled. Heisuke even says that he’s willing to take responsibility and quit being a teacher in exchange of allowing the cultural festival to continue. After Heisuke’s speech, the director let them inside and they are in for a surprise as the director welcome them while wearing a dress. XD

Back at Tokyo, Nakai has changed so much that her friends got nothing to do but stare at what they think is a stranger in front of them. Nakai busies herself with her cellphone, I’m sure all those years without a cellphone has finally kicked-in. Murai’s asks if her new school is fun and Amarin has to insert that she’s sure it’s fun since she already got a boyfriend within a week. Bitter much? Nakai says that the school is fun because the boys and girls at school aren’t too clingy, there’s a sense of distance that she likes.

Nakai asks about the Seishun festival and Bircken says that it might get cancelled. Though Heisuke is working hard, Murai’s dad is too stubborn to give in. Amarin mimics him when he scolds Murai about becoming more of a man and that he must not imitate women. This gets Nakai’s ire and tells them that the director’s behavior is unacceptable. She sees nothing wrong with Murai’s cross-dressing since a person should have the right to wear what he or she wants to wear, there’s should be no such thing as manly and womanly, and it’s a stupid reason to call of the merger.

Her speech made everyone teared-up, not because it was a beautiful speech, but because it’s like having their old president back. Despite the changed in her look, she’s still the that Nakai they know, the brusque Nakai. Awww….

At Murai’s residence, the director, Heisuke, and Risa were just waiting for the first person to speak. Heisuke can see that Murai’s dad has spent his days reading books, publications, and web journals to better understand what is Gender Identity Disorder. In the end, Murai’s dad decided to wear a dress and go to the supermarket to buy stuff. He says that the store clerk even did a quadruple take upon seeing him. haha. He felt really stressed-out while people stared at him and it made him think that this is something that his own son has experienced. His most awaited son, the son that they waited for years and when he arrived, he pushed all his manly ideas into him. He wondered if Mamoru got stressed with all of those, and what he didn’t understand from reading 100 books or so, he understood just by going to the supermarket.

Risa stood-up and tells the Director to go to Tonkou tomorrow with his son as Heisuke will be giving them a lecture. haha. Heisuke tells Risa that she don’t have the right to volunteer him like and to scold him for his shortcomings. Risa says that she does, she has the right because she likes him. Trust Risa to do her confession in such a unique and you-should-feel-honored way. She tells Heisuke that she wants to hear his answer tomorrow,too. haha.

The next day, Heisuke arrives at school wearing his more than a decade old Tonkou uniform. Wow, it still fits that well? Heisuke starts with his lecture and says that he decided to learn something about Murai (Mamoru) just like what his dad did. So, he watched “Rocky Horror Show” the night before. He gives the DVD case to the director and when Murai opens it, he sees a different DVD, which is Inagawa Horror Show. Heisuke apologizes for his mistake, which I think is something he did on purpose, and tells the director that his own son is in that state. The outside appearance is that of “Rocky Horror Show” while the inside is “Inagawa Horror Show”. Frankly, I don’t think there’s much difference.

Heisuke says that the outward appearance of Murai, who wears a Tonkou uniform, is different from his inside who yearns to wear a Sanjo uniform. Just like Inagawa Horror Show, who is being forced to be Rocky Horror Show, when he is Inagawa Horror Show. I know the analogy sucks because it was really lame. XD. Heisuke says that what’s outside is not important, it’s the inside. One should not judge someone based on looks, but on the person’s character.

The director asks where or what happened to the original DVD inside the Rocky Horror Show case, Heisuke says that it’s not important, it has nothing to do with Murai, but the director says it is important. The director says that he can’t bear to understand how his son, a proper boy right after birth, became like that. What happened to that inside? The director sees his son crying and he walk toward the window, Mamoru approaches him and apologize. His dad tells him that there’s nothing for him to apologize, in fact, he wants to thank him for keeping up the pretense as a boy until now. Moreover, his sex really doesn’t matter since after he turned 18, he will eventually distance himself from his parents. Mamoru says that it won’t happen since he loved his dad and the two hugged. Aww…

Director Murai turns to sister Yoshii and 3D and asks them if they’ll allow Mamoru to go to school wearing Sanjo’s uniform. Both principals agree and chases Murai as he leaves the room. They asked about the merger and Murai says that whichever is fine. He gives them order to start the co-ed class in view of the merger by both schools. Hearing Director Murai’s announcement, members of the co-ed class went running toward Sanjo and everyone are just happy.

12 days before the Seishun High School’s cultural festival and everyone are working hard. In Risa’s class, Ooki is being accused of harassment after he planned on making Sakuma a poster girl while wearing nothing but strings. haha. Handa and Narita are now in character for the class’s haunted house when Heisuke arrives to give Risa his answer.

The two goes to the rooftop and since Risa is a Catholic, she’ll only have a relationship with someone that she’ll surely to marry and that is something that Heisuke has to consider. Heisuke wants them to start as friends. Heisuke tells Risa that he never thought that she’ll like him, ever! It’s too sudden and there are lot of things that he must tell Risa first. When Risa tells him to go ahead and say it, Heisuke says that it’s not yet time, and Risa says that she hates that part of Heisuke the most, the procrastinating part. He challenges Heisuke to say how he feels about her if he’s a real man. Then, she starts thinking that maybe Heisuke doesn’t like her because she’s not too feminine but Heisuke tells her that she’s perfect the way she is now. There’s still chance, Risa.

However, what little chance Risa has in snatching Heisuke has turned to insecurity upon meeting their visitor, a writer who wants to cover the joint cultural festival, and just goes by the name Yuko. Yuko, as in Hachiya Yuko, Risa’s sister, and Heisuke’s first love and heartbreak.

Comments

This episode is full of OMG. OMG that Risa finally told Heisuke her feelings, though she was quite forceful about it. haha. OMG that Nakai changed so much after a week since leaving Mishima. It was so easy for her to immerse herself in such a different environment. OMG that Yuko’s character finally appeared and I don’t like what she hinted during her call in the radio since it implies that she’s longing to see Heisuke. Argh. I hope that it won’t lead to heartbreak for Risa, yes, I’m Team Risa. OMG to Heisuke for saying that blasted line, “Let’s be friends for now”, which was the same line that Yuko told him. Seriously, you don’t recycle lines especially lines that were used to slightly dumped you and were used by the person that you used to like because this put me in such a dilemma that Heisuke still has lingering feelings for Yuko. After all, he started that atonement thing for Yuko since he got so guilty by the fire, which he accidentally caused.

I’ m sorry for saying earlier that Murai’s story is irrelevant because it’s very relevant and timely. What I don’t like is that they labeled being gay as a psychological disorder like it’s some sort of sickness that must be cured. I’m not gay so I’m not one to talk, but I just find that kind of thinking unacceptable. However, I love the friendship that they showed in this drama, no one blame Murai for being the caused of merger’s cancellation, they were all understanding and it’s just so unreal and sweet at the same time.

I used to think that the girls are so judgmental, especially at the beginning, but they turned out to be really understanding and that they really protect their comrades instead of the typical bitching way. This episode shows that girls should stand with one another instead of being the first person to cast stones at our fellow female.

I feel sorry for Satoshi, I think he still has feelings for Yuko and hearing those words from Yuko makes it hurt more that he has really lost the girl. Anyway, LOL at fanboy Heisuke upon seeing Kaba-san in flesh. XD. Their reactions are just priceless and as much as I want to keep Kaba-san’s identity under wraps, I would also love to see how everyone will react once they learned that it’s 3D.

Now that Yuko is back, it saddens me that this drama is near it’s conclusion and the next episode is a must-watch as Heisuke does his big reveal.

Usual disclaimer applies.