Kurenai - 05

Kurenai's fifth episode wraps up with another wonderfully produced episode. Episode five didn't have as many revelations as the last episode, but this episode does compensate you with a more heartwarming and comedic episode.

Summary:

The episode opens with Shinkurou on the phone with someone (probably Yuuno because the conversation involved how he was feeling physically or something like that). The scene switches to Shinkurou and Murasaki changing as the two seem to be headed off somewhere. While on the train, Murasaki makes sure to question Shinkurou about the experiences that are foreign to her. Murasaki later becomes a little depressed and worried as their trip takes them to an area similar to what the Kuhouin household's surroundings looked like. Shinkurou reassures her that they aren't going to the Kuhouin household. Murasaki again confides in Shinkurou on the bus about her fears of whether Shinkurou would protect her if Yuuno attacked her, but Shinkurou reassures her that Yuuno isn't that kind of person.

The two soon arrive at the Houzuki (Yuuno's) household, which Murasaki remarks is similar to the Kuhouin household. As Shinkurou and Murasaki wait in the waiting room, Chizuru, who turns out to be Yuuno's younger sister, greets Shinkurou and is introduced to Murasaki. Yuuno soon appears, and the two eventually go off to do some martial arts training while Murasaki and Chizuru are left to hang out with each other in Chizuru's room. Some comedic moments ensue as Murasaki hangs out with Chizuru. Shinkurou basically gets knocked around by Yuuno for a while, but after Murasaki arrives to watch Shinkurou, he eventually gets the better of Yuuno in an exchange.

Shinkurou sits down to talk with Yuuno's grandfather about some stuff. I had some trouble understanding the grandfather's words, but the gist of what he was trying to tell Shinkurou seemed to be that Shinkurou is part of their family and they care about him. Shinkurou and Murasaki eventually leave and go shopping for food, during which Shinkurou and Murasaki talk about their day and what to eat. The two eventually arrive home to find Tamaki and the landlady inside already eating some kind of soup and tofu dish. Some more hilarity ensues, and the episode basically ends with them eating around the table.

Thoughts:

I really can't express enough in words just how much I enjoy watching Kurenai. Murasaki's innocence, willingness to learn, brash, and intelligent nature meshes amazingly well with Shinkurou's more calm, mature, thoughtful, and reserved nature. Episode 5 did a great job and illustrating how intelligent Murasaki's character really is. Since the first episode, without a doubt, you could tell Murasaki was an intelligent girl already, but in episode 5 she shows just how smart she is when she was able to recite an entire recipe for a dish that Shinkurou didn't know how to make. In fact, throughout the episode, Murasaki displays that quick and willingness to learn by using all the new words and concepts she's seen on television while Shinkurou is at school.

This episode also seemed to illustrate Murasaki and Shinkurou's deeping relationship. Murasaki openly confides in Shinkurou about her worries, and Shinkurou tries his best to relieve her of her worries and compromise with Murasaki when she wants something. The writers are doing a wonderful job writing witty and funny dialog throughout this series so far, and episode 5 shows how the writers can switch from a serious episode to a more light-hearted and funny episode. I look forward to more of what Kurenai has to offer. From the previews, the next episode seems to involve Ginko somehow.