Kanon 6 - The Game Show

What is eternity doing tonight? has become Mega Megane Moé. For the latest posts, please change your links accordingly. And we're back on the set of Uguu~! Today on Uguu~, newcomer Nayuki Minase was our latest contestant to attempt a shot at the throne of 5-episode champion of monosyllabic mastery, Ayuuuuuuuu Tsukimiya!

*crows cheers, jeers, etc.*


For those of you just tuning in, it's been a close fight all the way through the episode so far. Minase got the first strike in this episode, but Tsukimiya quickly retook the lead two to one.

However, the bonus round of this episode awaits, and the category this time is "Movie Date-o!" The situation is looking bad for Minase, who's been excluded from participating in the bonus round. Tsukimiya has a big chance to expand her lead here, and third contestant Yuuichi Aizawa, the perennial contender for last place, has a shot of getting on the board here.

Let's begin!

"Hey, look, a person exploded." Now, the correct answer to this question is...
*ding*
Yes, Tsukimiya?

Ayu: UGUU!!

That's correct! A third point for Tsukimiya, which makes it 3-1-0. Now, next question: when your coat is stolen away from you, the correct response is-

*ding*

Ayu: UGUU!!!!

Right again!

*flash forward*

And that'll put you up to 16 points for today, Tsukimiya, with the correct answer to 'what to say when the harem lead teases you!' Which, incidentally, as it has been for the last 18 questions, 'uguu'.

*more bells*

Ohhhhh, and that's all the time we've got for today folks! Let's look at the scores:


Aizawa made a valiant effort this time to score points but in the end he ends up tied with today's feature contestant Minase with only one point. Which leaves Tsukimiya, with 16 points, you are today's winner of...

UGUU~!

See you all next time after the jump, where sanity and much, much plot foreshadowing ensues. Remember, kids: spay and neuter your pets and don't click the 'read more' link unless you've finished watching Kanon!



Well, that was a nice break from sanity. Just thought to poke a bit of fun at the incredible amount of uguu~ing (even I'm getting tired of typing that word now) Ayu pulls off in this episode which is quite centered on her, even in the middle of the Makoto arc.


We start with the usual Ayu dream sequence, which is more historically accurate than usual, with trees, sunset, and crying Yuuichi. Of course, we are not told of the latter...but come on, there's only two guys in Kanon, Yuuichi and Jun, and Jun wouldn't get this far with a girl in a million years. Isn't it sad, Harem Support Male?


Also, we get a vaguely relevant Ayu Ayu flashback, where she begins to foreshadow the death of her mother. Although it has all the markings of Major Plot Point, this is never really expanded on during the anime as the focus is more on the 'death' of Ayu. There are a few red herrings in Kanon and this is one of them.

Although, perhaps the most can be made out of it is a parallel to Nayuki and Akiko, or just Akiko herself and how both girls are remarkably attached to her - the daughter, and the one that's been around so long she might as well be the other daughter.


Akiko continues to mess with everyone's mind as she first plays very innocent about Ayu, prodding Yuuichi's memories to see if he remembers her with the above question, and then she goes into to the real deep stuff with the one below...


She has been waiting for seven years, and she'll still be waiting for many episodes...


And, to go 3-for-3 with Akiko, she seems to know more about Makoto too than she lets on; she shouldn't know Makoto's real identity unless she knows what the words 'Makoto Sawatari' mean (and who they really belong to). But she seems very hesitant when Yuuichi says Makoto's memories will come back when she meets other (i.e. !=Yuuichi) people, as if saying that Yuuichi is the only one important to Makoto.


Shiori's scene in this episode is 200% more cute and prophetic than usual. This time she seems possessed by Ayu as she states lines that are pretty much exact parallels with her - frozen in time, without moving in the hospital bed, and all alone, waiting for Yuuichi. Shiori is waiting too, waiting for her moment in the spotlight...

We get a sequence that should be and will become very important to the Yuuichi and Ayu team, which is Yuuichi running to Ayu on the bench. He is late as always, although Ayu doesn't mention it this time.


Gee, I wonder why Ayu only has one outfit, hmm? Perhaps it's a bit of a stretch to assume she only wears one because she's frozen in one day in time, but as in most anime, everything is important.

On that note, it's great fun to watch with first-time viewers to point at everything and say it's vital to the plot. Try it with the fox on the hill in episode 1, or the name Sawatari Makoto. They won't believe you.

In the same manner as two paragraphs up, Ayu also contemplates why she stopped going to movies with her parents. Aside from the fact that one of her parents died and Ayu herself went into a coma. Speaking of, it's very strange how we never see any important adults at all except for Akiko and Mai's mom in Kanon. You'd think if you had a daughter who fell off a tree and was in the hospital for 7 years, the least you could do is pay some attention to her, or at least go all ominous and meet with Yuuichi and say, "It's up to you now to save her."


Also, Ayu's theme of 'waiting' is brought up for the second time this episode, the first being Shiori. Ironically enough Ayu is still going to have to wait a long time for the person she's waiting for to really show up.

Anyway, movie scene, lighthearted monosyllabic screaming ensues (down in front, seriously!), and we eventually get to the couple (to be) parting ways and heading home.


Eventually, although Ayu seems hesitant to leave Yuuichi because of the above reason. However, there are probably more implicit reasons, such as the Makoto theory of 'I don't want you to leave me again', or the fact that she doesn't really have a home to go to -


- as Yuuichi ponders. And no, the hospital doesn't count. Does Ayu even exist outside of the screentime she gets?


And finally:
1) Token Mai scene
2) Token plot revelation
2b) Token foreshadowing for Makoto
3) Token fanboying for Mai. Wai for Mai!

It still remains to be figures out how Mai knows so much about Makoto, as the two share a lot of background in common (getting abandoned by Yuuichi) but their stories are miles apart.

Or are they?

-CCY