Miu trips and falls into Chika's bedroom
The episode starts out from Itou Nobue's point of view with gradual introductions to her younger sister Itou Chika and her friends Matsuoka Miu and Sakuragi Matsuri-chan. After leaving the house to buy cigarettes. Miu, Chika and Matsuri decide to make a gift for Nobue's birthday occuring the next day.
Summary[]
Inside her bedroom, Itou Nobue jokingly introduces herself as an 16-year old girl but is actually a 20 year-old junior-college student. She put outs her cigarette and immediately seeks out another one from her empty pack. Insufficient in cash and unsatisfied with the candy replacement, she goes her sister, Itou Chika in her room who's listening to music while reading.
Nobue mocks her sister from behind her for reading a cookbook but she doesn't hear her. Chika is then taken aback as her seat begins to shake and she finds the source to be her sister.
Nobue snaps a picture of her sister on her phone and introduces her as her 12 year-old little sister who she describes as having no distinguishing traits.
While scouting around her room for money, footsteps across the roof can be heard outside the window as a girl trips her foot on the window frame and face plants inside the bedroom. A second photo is taken by Nobue who introduces the girl as Matsuoka Miu, their neighbor whos in the same grade as Chika. Her crossing from her house to Chika's bedroom is common however, Nobue comments on her unpredictable behavior.
When Chika questions the visit from Nobue, she forgets and Miu makes a comment on her senility which results in her face planted to the ground again in the next scene. Miu unhelpfully suggest that she forgot to give Chika and Miu spending money which Nobue irritably denies. The front door bell rings and the girl and her ferret is let welcomed inside the house through the intercom.
Nobue takes a picture of the crying girl who is introduced as Sakuragi Matsuri-Chan. She 11 years-old and is a grade below Chika and Miu living in the neighborhood. Matsuri tells Nobue that her father had eaten a pudding she was looking forward to. Nobue consoles her and says she will buy her another one. Witnessing the conversation, Miu nudges Nobue with puppy eyes asking for pudding too. Nobue questions her request, which makes Miu call her actions discriminating. The next scene shows Miu laying face down one the roof supposedly from Nobue.
Nobue leaves Chika's room only to return shortly after as she remember why she went to her room for. During that short Chika explains that Miu threw herself at Matsuri tackling her. Her request for money is met with strong denial as she calls her cigarette addiction expensive. In the end, Chika lends her 100 yen which she says needs to be paid back by next month. She leaves unsatisfied by the amount burrowed but is stillab able to purchase a pack. Matsuri who has been pinned down by Miu askes for help from Nobue to which she leaves Miu face down in a trash bin. Before leaving the house, Nobue ask if any of them knew the day it is tomorrow to which none of the girls are able to answer.
Outside, she tells herself it doesn't matter if they knew or not as he puts on her helmet. A dog on the other side of a fence barks at her to which she responds by taking a photo of it. The brown and white fur dog is introduced as Satake. Nobue starts her red moped and begin riding through town to buy her cigarette
Back at Chika's bedroom, the bored Miu askes Chika to show her the homework which she immediately denies. She is reminded the time when both of them were punished for Miu laziness copying word for word of her homework. Unable to avoid Miu's pestering, the 3 girl go to a playground area.
Whilst standing on the swing, Miu exclaimed that they feel like they're missing something. Chika askes Matsuri sitting next to her if she knew if anything was happening tomorrow but her "dopey" behavior doesn't help. In Miu's sudden realization, she jumps off the swing shouting "Massachussets!" She tells the two that tomorrow is Nobue's birthday. Chika states that her sister doesn't care for celebrations or holidays but Miu is insistent on organizing a gift for her. Lacking from money and time, they choose to gift a homemade ashtray to be start to be made immediately.
Chika, Matsuri and Mui at the playground
Back at Chika's bedroom, they begin by looking through a magazine with ashtray designs. The girls are surprised when Nobue come into the room not knowing their plan and leaves to her part-time job without suspecting anything.
After eating they begin work on the ashtray. They constantly experience alternating phases of sleepiness and short-lived motivation. At risk of not finishing the present, they come up with ideas to stay awake which include hitting with a large paper fan, coffee, ice, knee-jerk reflex, forehead-flicking and chili peppers in the eyes.
Nobue showers after coming how from her late shift as is just about to enjoy some beer when she notices the lights in her sister's room one. She enters the room expecting them to be awake however, finds the girls asleep around the ashtray and birthday letters. She is happy to receive the gift however, upon closer inspection of Chika's letter, she find a snide remark about her weight to which she does not let slide.
The next morning, Chika and Miu are in hurry to school as they slept in. They meet Matsuri infront of her home where she spots something on Chika's face. Miu jumps to cover Matsuri from telling her that on the side of her cheeks, it reads "Runaway Child".
Back at home, Nobue sends a thank you message through her phone to the girls seemingly happy.
Notes[]
- In the anime Matsuri comes along in this episode to help them create a gift for Nobue, but in the manga she does not appear.
- In the anime Nobue's birthday is deduced to be 18th of April with the birth month interpreted from her ID card shown in the beginning as well as the calendar which she took as photo of display a number 4 at the bottom left.
- In the adapted manga Vol 1 Chapter 1, Nobue is a 16 year old High School student
- In the anime, Nobue jokingly introduces herself as a 16 year old High School student but is actually 20 years old junior student.
- Despite the anime and manga introducing Nobue at different ages, Nobue's sister and her friends are the same age both in the anime and manga.
- In the anime, Nobue jokingly introduces herself as a 16 year old High School student but is actually 20 years old junior student.
Trivia[]
Cultural References[]
- A large paper fan made by Miu resembles a harisen (ハリセン/張り扇) meaning giant paper fan used against those in response to their jokes.
Unanswered Questions[]
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Memorable Moments[]
- At the park, Miu goes on the swing standing up, jumps off from extremely high in the air, lands on her feet and yells, 'Massachussets!'
- Nobue picks up the card Chika made for her, which says, 'To my sis, who has gained weight recently.' The next morning, Chika goes to school with 'Runaway Child' written on her cheek.
- Miu creates a slapping fan to hit everyone on the head when they fall asleep. However a tally shows Miu ends up with 48 hits while Chika and Matsuri both have under 15.
Quotes[]
- "This is Satake. As you can see, he's a tiger." - Nobue taking a picture of the dog