クラナド Episode 15

SPOILER Summary:

In the field were lots of firefly-like lights are, the mysterious girl and junk robot commune. Apparently the robot can remember a life before (or outside) of this world and they briefly discuss it.

An excited Sunohara decides to join the Theater Club to help Nagisa and rushes to the classroom to make his announcement. Unfortunately for him, Ryou, Kyou, and Kotomi-chan are already there making the same announcement. Thus, Nagisa will have enough members to be officially have the Theater Club recognized, providing they get a sponsor. They approach Koumura-sensei, who hadn’t been sponsoring any club and who had previously sponsored the old Theater Club, but he’d just been approached by Nishina-san, the girl who lent Kotomi-chan the violin. She’s starting a Choir Club and came to Koumura-sensei first. So, the group heads over to talk to the girls in Choir Club with Nishina and Nagisa having a private talk. Afterwards, the group walks home and Kyou wants to know if Nagisa plans to back down or not.

That evening, Okazaki is in Sunohara’s room (Sunohara having knocked himself out earlier when he was beaten to making his announcement to Nagisa) when Misae-san comes by and asks if he can take a call for Sunohara from his little sister. Okazaki decides to have a bit of fun but finds that Sunohara’s sister is pretty normal seeming. Before he can confess that he’s really not her “oniichan,” she’s announced that she’s coming over for a visit and has to hang up the phone.

At school the next day, Sunohara is annoyed at having been locked in the school as he walks with Okazaki. They find a depressed-looking Nagisa and Sunohara decides to take the piece of paper she has, thinking its a love letter. Instead, it is a threat, telling her to back off her plans for the Theater Club. Sunohara won’t stand for this and says he’ll get to the bottom of this as Nagisa refuses to believe it is a member of the Choir Club. True to his word, that afternoon he has the case solved and the culprit is Sugisaka, who’s a member of the Choir Club. He even has her come by and she confesses to the letter and to being solely responsible for it. She’s not happy with Nagisa and when the two talk, she tells a sad story of Nishina being a gifted violin player who can no longer play due to an accident. As such, Sugisaka wants this Choir Club of Nishina’s to succeed and begs Nagisa to abandoned her attempts at the Theater Club since Koumura-sensei can only sponsor one club.

Sunohara has heard enough. He angrily confronts Nishina, saying how it is not right to use an emotional argument about a handicap to try to get her way. He tells Nagisa to ignore that, but she can’t, saying she’ll back down on the Theater Club creation. Sunohara angrily storms away and Okazaki explains that like himself, Sunohara had been active in sports, especially soccer. Like Okazaki, he too had been injured and could no longer play. As such, he doesn’t take to the handicap argument when people try to gain sympathy. Okazaki wonders if abandoning the Theater Club is the best choice. Nagisa tells him that even though she failed at re-establishing the Theater Club, she discovered more important things. She was able to become close to Okazaki and the others and she feels that because of Okazaki, she was able to come this far. He assures her he did nothing, commenting on how strong she’d become since they first met. She tells him her strength came from him. She gets emotional and turns from him, starting to cry. Realizing this, Okazaki gets up and puts his arms on her to comfort her. However, their tender moment is interrupted when an annoyed Kyou rushes in to confront Okazaki on the Theater Club not being created.

Back in the school, Okazaki and Sunohara walk and discuss the situation. Sunohara is still angry about it and wants to go off somewhere to goof off. Since Okazaki is broke, he takes them to the Reference Room, where student MIYAZAWA Yukine is in charge. Miyazawa serves them coffee and offers to give Sunohara a fortune reading. She tells him his lucky color is orange and his lucky word is “basketball.” He’s considerate to his friends and by showing he cares, others will be touched. This will be done as he challenges what others find impossible. He carefully listens, then suddenly has an idea and rushed off.

Out in the hall, Okazaki finds Tomoyo being cornered by the male and female captains of the Judo Club. They desperately want her to join, but she doesn’t want to. She asks for help from Okazaki, who gives it. At that moment, Fuko-chan arrives to give assistance as well since Tomoyo came to her sister’s wedding. However, because the two judo members did as well, Fuko-chan can do nothing and exits, stage-right. Okazaki asks the two to back off and they do, allowing him to take Tomoyo by the hand and lead her away. As they walk, she’s impressed that he stood up to them. She tells him of the hard work she’s putting in to being the Student Council President.

The following day, Okazaki and Nagisa walk to school where she asks about Sunohara. He’s there waiting with a basketball. Apparently, his plan to save the Theater Club is to challenge the Basketball Club to a match. Then when they win, he’ll show the Choir Club members that handicaps aren’t to be used they way Nishina used them. Thus, he will touch them and things will work out as Miyazawa seemed to have stated. Okazaki wants no part in this and all day long, he’s pursued by Sunohara. He is trying to get away from Sunohara and when he comes upon Nagisa, he gets her to run with him as well. He explains to her that Sunohara is in love with him and won’t take no for an answer which is why he’s running from his friend. She’s shocked by this but believes him and when Sunohara arrives, she tries to get him to back off by saying she’s Okazaki’s girlfriend. The conversation that follows makes it seem like Sunohara was indeed in love with Okazaki and he runs off in tears (in reality, his tears are for losing Nagisa). Nagisa apologizes to Okazaki for lying and he tells her its OK, that her words made him feel happy. However, their moment is again interrupted when young girl comes up asking if that was Sunohara Youhei that ran down the street. She identifies herself as his little sister, Sunohara Mei.

Thoughts: Fuko-chan returns for a mildly amusing cameo, but I still like to see her. I like how Okazaki and Nagisa are getting closer. I liked how Sunohara got a tad of development. Okazaki’s telling Nagisa that Sunohara is in love with him was just funny, more so afterward when Sunohara caught up to them. On the weird front is the girl with the robot on the world with all the firefly-like lights. I’m guessing that will somehow tie in with Kotomi-chan’s parent’s work.