Ugetsu

Wow, I am a little worried -- Kawaoru is tying up all the knots, I think she is ready to finish this series. I want it to keep on and on and on.

BTW you have probably noticed that Saha finished this in record time. I missed the fact that "Aki" was only Reiji's fantasy, the girl never claimed that was her name. And outside Daisuke and Rin were talking about RIN'S mother, and the quote was what Rin's mother (the real Aki) would have said from Heaven.

Kikiskeeter

I think Houin finally got it. She realizes Aoki has feeling for the girls, and that she was there basically as a witness that nothing happened. I think we see the beginning of Shirai and Oyjimia dating. I think the Idea is we are starting to come to a turning point not necessarily an end. She did imply they would be a sixth grade year on her blog. I think after the filler of the last volume she is trying to keep the story on track. Still we see Reiji getting nowhere with his problem, and there is no real solution appearing for it. However I do speculate maybe Houin could become interested in Reiji somewhere down the line. What we see is growth, which is what the story is about. The thing could also be Kawaoru is seeing how far she can press with the sexual side of things. I think we definitely will see Rin doing more research and possible going over line once more to a far worst degree, as she only seems to have short periods of stability. Definitely the co-workers could start finding ways to keep Reiji out all night.

Ugetsu

There is a huge hint when Aoki is talking to Houin. He says she was raised by a single parent and "you would have hated the idea of re-marriage?" She says "only when I was a child -- when I became an adult it was just fine." Juxtapose that with the talk about Reiji going to the topless bar "as an adult" -- and how he broke away from his Aki memories in a way, just for a moment, by mistake. I think this is the beginning of healing for Reiji...

Newnonimous

That little piece of information Houin said definitely made me get the idea of her and Reiji possibly seeing each other, who knows maybe Aoki and Rin may try to get the two together on a date or something. The manga has always been about growth it became obvious after about a dozen chapters but the way Kaworu combines it with sexuality is pretty ironic. I honestly am unsure however about Reiji after his experience at the topless bar. The chapter demonstrated a nice beginning for everyone in the chapter as we are about to see more of their adaptations evolving individually. Lastly i also don't think the series will end anytime soon as i don't see any conclusions occurring.

Shinobu

I wouldn't be so quick in calling them "whores", they're working like everyone else, it's just they wear less clothes. (he he) Come on, Ryuji's (in Toradora!, ironically is the same voice as Aoki) mom is a hostess in a bar, and she is way stacked (To Taiga's dismay). I'm sorta surprised that Marilyn (or Maririn) gave him her card. Although Reiji said it didn't look like Aki, I think she did. I don't think, though, anything will come of it, it's that Reiji thought it would make him more "adult" if he went to this place, since Aoki said he's like the other kids in his class. He will have to come to the realization that it's okay to love someone else, and I'm sure that Aki will come to him in a vision or dream to say that. Maybe he'll be out of it again, when Rin comes to him to say that he can have another relationship, and he'll mistake Rin for Aki. Then realize that he can move on.

Dark Samus

"Sorry Samus but i lost my spirit of Christmas a long time ago due to the world who defaced the true meaning of it"

"You`re a mean one....Mister Grinch..." Ha ha ha...just kidding Newnie, I perfectly Know what you`re talking about, the mall where I work is always full of people buying clothes and gifts (but anyone buy glasses TT.TT)but hey, still it`s Christmas Eve, and at least we can relax and stop thinking in the problems......but it`s a little sad tough....not to have anyone next to you to share the joy of this hollidays,the real meaning of the Christmas......I`m talking about myself......Anyway, nice chapter.

Kikiskeeter

Same here. And worse of all I have to work Christmas night. Oh well I guess somebody has to keep the economy running even on it's day off.

This does show another shift in the story. Houin has just about stated she was giving up her chase of Aoki, and she is just a friend. But man how she traumatized poor Chika. I hope we do see more of her later (character wise as we already seem everything from THAT stand point.) Notice too we see Houin full nude in what will most likely be her last significant story line unless she gets involved in something else. I notice she had been used less and less lately. Nice too to see her understand that taking the threee to the beach gave them a lifetime of memories and that he shared something with them that many teachers would never do.

Newnonimous

@Samus: Well just because i lost my spirit doesn't mean i still care for others who wants a Christmas. I guess...this time around and even my birthday aren't the happiest days as i just feel depressed during those days. My emotions may not endure such a holiday but at least i can still attempt to give others happiness that includes you and Kikster

@Kikster: That makes two of us for working during Christmas and New Years but hey that doesn't bother me. Anyway, it's true we've been seeing little and little of Houin in any major part of the story, we'll see if there may be something planned for Houin of some influence. Aoki is a special kind of teacher with a hidden ability to change peoples lives around, we've yet to see half of what he's capable of doing.

Ugetsu

I doubt if this bothered anyone (except me) but I had made a mistake in saying that Aki's name (秋) meant "springtime." That was a slip-up on my part, that word and that kanji actually means "autumn" or "fall." Maybe implying something about her impending death? At any rate it is a great example of the picturesque imagery in these Chinese characters. Fall is when the leaves turn red and yellow. The first element in the kanji is a plant (I think of it as a tree but really it means "wheat") and the second is "fire" -- so it should be easy to remember that the leaves turn the colors of fire in the fall...

I think that one reason why they have kept the kanji in Japanese is exactly this, the associations are often downright poetic -- the way you have to think to remember what these tiny pictures actually mean.

Shinobu

Hey, what's the deal with Houin? I thought she was fat! And she pops in the bath with Chika and she looks great? No way, she was pinching her fat roll a while back, I don't think she'd have lost that much weight... Unless she was doing an "old guy at the beach" by holding in her gut...