 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Summary:
It’s December now and the weather has gotten cold. The entire SOS Brigade except for Haruhi is in the club room entertaining themselves. While thinking about how quiet it is without Haruhi around, Kyon realizes that it’s already been half a year since he met her and Mikuru. To break the peace, Haruhi bursts into the room with good news. She announces that the appliance store sponsor from the movie has decided to give them an electric stove (aka. a space heater). Over his objections, Haruhi sends Kyon to go get it (she won’t even let Mikuru go with him). Mikuru stops him before he leaves and wraps a scarf around his neck, an act which causes Haruhi to angrily tell Kyon to hurry up and go. With the “obstacle” gone, Haruhi pulls out her camera because she wants to take photos for the jacket of “The Adventures of Asahina Mikuru” DVD. And so, while Kyon is making the long trek into the city, Haruhi forces Mikuru into various outfits, from the bunny costume to the nurse outfit to the frog costume.
When Kyon finally arrives at the store, the owner gives him the promised heater. He reveals that business didn’t really change because of the commercial they did for him in the movie. He also asks if it’s true that they’re making a sequel. Kyon’s answer is that if Haruhi said so, then it will happen. The store owner reveals that he’s going to be a sponsor for the next movie too and that this heater is an advance payment for the sponsorship fees. Kyon realizes that’s how Haruhi got the heater, but takes it anyway and starts making his way back. He briefly runs into his friends, and then gets caught outside as it starts to rain. During all this, Haruhi, Itsuki, and Mikuru are out shooting more photos and video for a photo album and DVD extras. Yuki, on the other hand, remains in the club room reading. Mikuru’s friend Tsuruya comes by the room looking for Mikuru, so Yuki points her in the right direction. Once Kyon finally arrives at school, he runs into Tsuruya by the shoe lockers. Since Kyon is wet from the rain, she gives him a handkerchief (which she puts on his head) to dry himself off with.
Kyon makes his way to the club room and finds only Yuki there; the other three are still in the gym shooting more video of Mikuru. Kyon takes out the heater and plugs it in. Bathed in its warmth, he falls asleep. Yuki eventually finishes her book and stands up to leave. Sometime later, Kyon surprises Haruhi by waking up right as she’s hovering over him. Everyone else has left except for the two of them. Haruhi wants back her cardigan, which is currently on Kyon’s back. Actually, there are two cardigans on his back and he doesn’t know who gave him the first one. He leaves that cardigan on his chair and gets ready to leave, but he doesn’t have an umbrella and it’s still raining outside. Haruhi offers him hers, saying that one is enough for both of them. The two walk home together and Kyon notices that the umbrella isn’t actually Haruhi’s. She playfully grabs it from his hand and runs ahead with it, turning around to give him a “bleh!” facial gesture.
Preview:
 |
 |
 |
I don’t know whether to call this genius or time-wasting filler: there were three minutes…THREE WHOLE MINUTES…of watching Yuki read a book (with distant talking in the background that was hard to make out see below). Just to make my point, there’s an entire row of caps above from those three minutes. In fact, I think this episode has the least amount of dialogue out of all of them so far. Anyway, you’ll have to see the scene and judge it for yourself.
After perusing through several Japanese blog entries on the episode, I found one that listed most of the background dialogue from those three minutes. They appear to be references to various anime, such as Rose of Versailles, Detective Conan, and Glass Mask. That makes the scene a lot more fun, with trying to figure out what’s being said and turning up the volume really high lol.
I like the HaruhiXKyon moments at the end though. The look on Haruhi’s face when Kyon woke up was priceless and I really enjoyed the feelings of the scene when they’re walking together under one umbrella (with the light piano in the background). As for who the other cardigan belongs to, I’m inclined to believe Yuki since there was that extra scene of her finishing her reading and standing up.
Next week is the fourth story, which returns us back to volume one. Since we’re getting nearer to the end, this seems to go with the popular opinion that the series will end with the finale of that first volume.
Random Haruhi-Related Link of the Week:
Hirano Aya, Chihara Minori, and Gotou Yuuko on Oricon Style – Voices of Haruhi, Yuki, and Mikuru
