TARI TARI - Episode 7

Oh, Konatsu~ へ(゜∇、°)へ

Blogger's Note: Watching Underwater's releases now.

Inevitably, there will be times in one's life where the phrase "Life sucks!" can be rightfully applied. These can be times where anger, depression, and/or lack of motivation take over, changing a normally cheerful person into a gloomy and isolated individual. Earlier, we witnessed Wakana's battle with her guilt and regret, and how it turned her into a cold and unsociable person. And just when she managed to break free from the chains that were holding her back, it's now Sawa's turn to be consumed by the current negativity in her life.

An important step in life is for one to decide on what they want to do in the future. Often, there are conflicts that arise over whether the enjoyability or monetary reward from a career is more important. With that being said, finding the right balance between the two is crucial. Generally, parents are the ones who want their child to be successful in the future, and thus, try to push their children into illustrious careers. And while some children will agree to this, there are others, like Sawa, who are determined to pursue their own goals. Personally, I don't think there's a clear-cut "right" or "wrong" decision; it all depends on one's outlook on life. It's just unfortunate that both Sawa and her father are standing firm in their position, not willing to budge and really listen to the other's reasoning. The lifelessness Sawa displayed due to her dieting foreshadowed the accident at the end effectively. Nonetheless, I was still shocked when it happened. Luckily, the preview shows that she wasn't too severely injured, which is a relief.

While all this was going on, the other four also dealt with their own personal problems, too. For Konatsu, on top of figuring out what the club will be doing for the Ivory Fair, she is bound to run into troubles when it comes to dealing with the vice principal, and even the members of the official choir club. With the vice principal in charge of the main stage at the fair, things don't look too good for Konatsu and co. As for Wien, he continues to struggle with his readjustment to the Japanese culture, despite not showing any signs of difficulty. With everyone already having their own goals—both short-term and long-term—the poor transfer student probably feels like he's being left behind. Tanaka, like many of the Japanese student population, is currently worrying about entrance exams. Finally, Wakana, although it's not really a "problem" per se, continues to work on finishing the composition for the song that her mother left behind. Despite all these difficulties, there's definitely a light at the end of the tunnel. Whether the five reach it is completely up to them.