Overview: Ashito (Ciaran Strange) prepares to leave for Tokyo as his mother, Noriko (Monica Rial), comes to terms with him leaving home.
Our Take: With Ashito now accepted into the Esperion youth team, there is still his departure, and the emotional toll it takes on him, that he must overcome. One of Noriko’s defining traits is her strength and intensity. However, Aoi’s impending journey to Tokyo allows us to break down her walls and show us both Noriko and Ashito’s vulnerabilities.
The thought of his mother’s displeasure at him shows just how much he takes her feelings into account. Ashito’s motivation to help provide a better life for her and his family while pointing out his own drawbacks in not being incredibly intelligent nicely shows how headstrong he is as well as mindful and kind towards his family. It makes him easy to root for and to empathize with how admirable he is.
Hana gladly chewing Ashito out for not telling his mother about the tryouts shows how much of a perfect fiery girl she is and especially for him in how similar he is. While brief, seeing how much Hana likes him in developing well thought out meal plans as well as walking his mom through necessities and payments is sweet and endearing. However, it also presents another lingering problem in Ashito trying to talk to his mother but avoiding it at all costs.
Oftentimes, parents in shows such as these are never fully developed or shown as real people with their own faults. Instead, their focus often lies in their parental role and the type of inspiration they provide or lack thereof. Although with Noriko avoiding her son, it shines a light on her own selfishness in not wanting to confront him because she is so strong-willed that she does not want to show emotional weakness in front of him. The episode paints a compelling picture of just how much Ashito and Noriko are alike in him not wanting to show his friends how sad he is to be leaving and depress them in the process, trying his damndest even when his friends surprise and meet him at the station to wish him off.
As the episode winds down, Ashito reads the letter that his mother wrote for him. Noriko communicated through a letter, the only way she could, what we all knew in how she did not want to break down in front of him. It is a heartfelt and tear-jerking scene showing just how false their brave faces are when confronting how much the two of them love each other that leaves on a sweet note with him getting new cleats and money for the journey ahead.