Mari begins to lead Mirai and Yuuki back home but is met with some challenges.
It’s the second day after the 8.0 earthquake hit the city of Tokyo and Mirai and Yuuki wake up to the noise of rescue helicopters flying pass above them. As they look towards the horizon they see the city and the rising smoke from the raging fires. They realize that Mari is nowhere to be found. Worried, Yuuki begins to ask all sorts of questions to his sister but she quickly becomes agitated. Mari comes back with food to cheer them up.
As usual, even after giving her food, Mirai still questions Mari why she stays with them. Mari replies back because they are heading in the same direction they should stick together for as long as they can. She even agrees to never leave the children alone without telling them first where she would be going. Mari pulls out her portable television and they learn that the transportation facilities are down, hundreds of people have died and more are missing or injured, and fires still continue to spread around the city. Worse yet after-shocks are expected to continue for another three days.
By the shore the coast guard is announcing that they have boats nearby to take everyone off the island. The three decide to walk over to the pickup point and it seems that hundreds of people had the same idea as the roads are overcrowded with everyone headed towards same direction. Mari believes it is best to hold hands but Mirai quickly refuses saying she’s not a kid anymore. As they walk along Mari and Yuuki gradually press forward ahead of Mirai. Suddenly a tremor hits and as the crowd recovers and begins to move again, Mirai finds herself separated from her brother and Mari. Lost, crying, and being constantly shoved by other civilians to keep on moving Mirai is quickly found again by a worried Mari. This time she agrees to hold hands.
As they keep pressing forward a second tremor hits, this time it’s much more powerful as a bridge falls down in front of them and a large building also collapses.
They finally arrive at the loading areas but they see so many people wanting to get on the boats too. They realize that the boats are full but a personnel on the boat sees them and calls out to them to get on at the last moment. Mari was mistaken as a mother with two children, therefore she was let on.
As they cruise along they see that a bridge has been burning for quite some time, Mari saying it’s probably caused by an oil truck that crashed. To the distance one of the fire boats quickly backs away. Suddenly one of the structural supports of the bridge gives way and a section of the bridge comes crashing down into the waters.
The passengers on the boat see that a tidal wave had been formed by the large mass falling into the water. The three watch helplessly as a boat behind them is flipped over by the oncoming waves. However they are not out of danger yet as the wave comes towards them. Luckily their boat does not capsize and they continue on their journey home.
Impressions – My favorite episode so far. Well that’s not saying much but whatever. Mari is proving to be an awesome pretend mother to these kids. I still did not appreciate the Mirai bitching and overall attitude but she seems to be coming around this episode. I think the animators did a better job this time of portraying the sense of large scale impact this earthquake has had and will continue to have. I am actually looking forward to the episode next week. Oh yeah, what’s with that random nut-job randomly flinging himself onto the boat and failing. We also learn Mari is a single mother, but who knows what that has to do with anything in the large scale of things.
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Mirai’s always bitchy. Hope they all have a significant change in character afterwards.
Do you really think that the boat jumper was a random nut-job? Given what’s been happening, and the possible range of motivations of the survivors (concern for possible children’s saftey/whereabouts etc.), don’t you think that his desperation was rather plausible?
Do I really think he was a random nut-job? No not really. That’s just my silly writing style more than anything.
However, given the situation and as you said it, concern for children or loved ones, where they were, the large crowds that were growing by the minute, and the more than likely possibility of more tremors to come, I found it odd that only one guy was desperate enough to attempt what he did. For all the simulations in the world the producers did for one of the worst things that could possibly happen in the city of Tokyo they are severely underplaying the disparity of people.