After the rock of the group succumbs to a fainting spell,  circumstances fall so that more of the group confer their anxieties to Taichi.  will MC Happypants (My new favorite nickname for our intrepid protagonist) be able to heal everyone’s heart with a good talk and somewhat creepy revelations? For the sake of this story’s strength, I hope so.

We follow up from last week with Inaba lying in a nurse bed, trying to pass everything off as a simple faint from sickness. I really hope this isn’t the show to simply use that for temporary drama, and I am wholly unconvinced by Inaba’s explanation. I imagine we will only know in time, but this just throws up another warning flag that the true breakdown is still to come, for her and maybe for the entire group.

Once again Inaba asserts her will amongst the group by setting up some one on one therapy sessions with Dr. Phil …I mean Taichi… and the lovely Iori. It seems that her problems are even more messed up than one would initially guess. I love how this show is still playing with the concept of individuality, and what actually makes someone unique. Taichi gives her his spiel about how even if she doesn’t believe in the constancy of her very psyche, he will always know her for her. With the way Iori handles it it would seem she actually is being helped by these talks to Taichi, but upon reflection, does what he said even help?

Our hero has built himself quite a penchant for being the key to unlocking past trauma, but how do we know he is really helping? He says he knows Iori, but how can he really, if she doesn’t even believe she knows herself? To me it struck more as hollow words of consolation from a boy to his crush. Still it is heartening to see him try so hard to make the people he loves happy.

This is showcased brilliantly again in the final act of the episode. Inaba comes back with another bomb to land on Taichi’s lap. Her fears are wholly understandable, and are only made worse by the small things like Taichi and Aoki’s antics in the previous episode. There is a saying, “If you can think it, you can do it.” Inaba has seemed to take this to the logical conclusion of “If you can think it, they can do it.” The reality of this train of thought is devastating and at the time I could not really think of a way for Taichi to reconcile Inaba’s total lack of faith in even the people she considered friends.

Taichi only has one remedy for her paranoia but I really can’t tell you much about this last bit of this show without giving away a big moment that is at once bold in its audacity and refreshing in its frankness. Our man MC Happypants lives up to his new name and admits something that usually gets the cops called on someone. I loved this scene mostly because it fits Taichi’s buffoonish but genuine nature to give Himeko such a devastating secret as collateral for her friendship.

On a final note, this show is like Mad Men with its mad misleading previews, so while it does seem like shit is majorly going down next episode I’m going to temper my expectations a bit

Now for some thoughts from my man Life on that final scene, skip if you haven’t seen it yet.

Lifesong’s Thoughts: HHHNNNGGG… I am still trying to recover… That is all.