life line by line

Pretty moving episode and has sort of made me a Shizuka fan. With the last day for Shizuka up front and center, Ryo and Shizuka spend some quality time alone (part in thanks to Akane) and we find out Shizuka’s true reasons for wanting to marry Ryo.

Originally to make her grandfather happy, Ryo and Akane are the grandchildren of the woman he originally loved but could not get married to due to class differences. Hoping to fulfill her grandfather’s wish, Shizuka goes after Ryo…. but now that’s all changed as she actually loves Ryo. With their last moments together, Shizuka spills it all leaving Ryo pretty shocked but she can’t get him to say the one thing she really wants to hear: “don’t go.”

Touching ending scene where Shizuka basically breaks down and ask Ryo what she’s missing for him to really really love her. The height of the scene comes when Shizuka tries to kiss Ryo in a tender moment but Ryo rejects her…. leaving Shizuka, in a sense totally scattered, and running out the apartment with tears shouting she hates Ryo.

I have to admit, it was sort of worth sticking it out with Final Approach. I wasn’t expecting much but with the end near, things are finally starting to get good. Odds are it’ll still be a predictable ending but the emotions Shizuka (and to a lower extent Ryo) are going through as the realization of the two breaking “up” is simply too good not to watch. I’m also starting to like Sakura Nogawa more and more as an seiyuu because of this. She did a good job as Nemu in Da Capo but the ending just left a bad taste in my mouth that I displaced partly on her. Her other roles have been good, but more comedy characters than anything else (Kaorin from Azumanga Daioh, Hina Ichigo from Rozen Maiden, and Shiho from Mai-HiME to name a few) so characters like Shizuka is a nice change (though Shizuka has her bouts of funny moments too). Hopefully she’ll have future roles that will be more “serious” as I’ll like to see her grow more as an voice actress and characters like Nemu and Shizuka are a good start