Minami-ke Episode 08

Hosaka, filled with fervor for Haruka, embraces a fish.

"Hosaka"

"Hosaka" (ほさか)

Airdate: 25 November 2007

Internal Date: Sometime in October 2007, after the 14th.

Previous Episode → 07

Next Episode → 09

Synopsis

Hayami learns about Hosaka's love for Haruka and is intrigued, trying to indirectly encourage them to meet each other, partly for entertain value. Using dubious methods, Chiaki tries to teach Kana how to blow bubblegum bubbles, but is upstaged by Haruka's godlike performance. Hosaka learns from Atsuko that Haruka likes to cook and begins cooking impressive bentos to try to approach her, but is so obsessed by his visions of the perfect introduction that he refuses to actually do so.

Segment One

Maki is surprised by Hosaka's behavior.

Haruka blushes in Hosaka's fantasy.

Hayami is intrigued.

Hosaka embraces Haruka, in another of Hosaka's fantasy.

Hosaka accosts Maki.

What appears to Haruka to be a love confession.

^[Manga]Hosaka discusses Maki's upcoming visit to Haruka's house with Hayami and Atsuko. Maki makes it clear that he is not invited, and is repulsed by his over-the-top behavior. Hosaka contemplates how to become Haruka's friend by the end of the day, so as to be invited, and seems to have reach a decision to talk to Haruka. Desperate to intercept his advances, which she views as unsavory, Maki enlists the assistance of a passing Hayami.

This proves to be a mistake, as Hayami was unaware of Hosaka's interest and views it not as a source of problems, but as as a source of entertainment. Hayami decides to bring Haruka to the scene, and Maki is unable to stop her from doing so.

Maki tries to get Hosaka's attention to talk him out of it, but Hosaka is too busy having one of his trademark fantasies, involving giving Haruka his umbrella on a rainy day. He is, however, describing it to himself out loud, enabling Maki to overhear it and utter her catchphrase "Kimochi Warui" (How disgusting!).

Meanwhile, Hayami grabs Haruka and starts to walk her in Hosaka's direction.

Hosaka has another fantasy, about meeting Haruka in a snowy park for a date. Hosaka, however, is unable to finish, incapable of deciding of what to say to end the segment. Maki unwisely gains his attention by asking him about his fantasy. Hosaka demands of her whether it would be better for him to utter the informal "Suki Da!" or the more formal "Suki Desu" (both of which mean "I love you"). When Maki expresses indifference, he accosts her, demanding that she give him an answer and listen carefully.

Haruka and Hayami arrive just in time to see Hosaka loudly yell the two phrases at Maki. Maki straightens her hair, turns around, spots the misunderstanding Haruka, and tries to chase her down.

Hosaka finally emerges from his trance, not having noticed Haruka's presence.

Segment Two

Chiaki blows a bubblegum bubble.

Kana bites her cheek.

Kana pops Chiaki's bubble.

Kana's training montage. Note that Chiaki has the black belt and Kana the white belt, indicating their respective levels of experience.

Where did Kana get the doujou costume? Why is she doing the Hitler salute? What does any of this have to do with blowing bubblegum bubbles? Decent people do not ask such questions.

Chiaki, left, and Kana, right, express their appreciation.

Haruka shows them both how it's done.

Chiaki arrives home to find a pack of gum on the table. Seeing it, she proceeds to blow a bubblegum bubble, startling and astounding Kana, newly-emerged from the shower. Kana proceeds to pop it, an act she insists is an involuntary habit.

When Chiaki finishes washing her face, she finds Kana chewing desperately at a piece of gum, trying to replicate the feat, which she signally fails at. She ends up biting the side of her cheek, causing desperate pain. Chiaki looks at her with pity, causing Kana must consternation and humiliation. Chiaki finally agrees to teach her.

Chiaki's methods of teaching leave much to be desired, however, consisting of what appears to be outright exploitations of the opportunity to roleplay and humiliate Kana, without much that has anything to do with actually blowing bubblegum bubbles. Chiaki seems in dead earnest, however. Unfortunately, the most relevant parts of "training", where Chiaki shows Kana how it's done, always end in Kana popping the bubble out of habit, forcing Chiaki to wash her face again.

Finally, Haruka arrives home and spots the gum. She proceeds to chew it and blow them both out of the water by blowing the extreme rare and difficult bubble-within-a-bubble, shocking them both. This causes them both to start cheering her on by chanting kami no shitowaza (skill akin to a god) while pumping their arms up and down. Haruka withdraws the gum and leaves, causing them to ask why she has stopped and to tell her to show it to them again. Haruka tells them it's time to make dinner.

Segment Three

Hayami eats Haruka's food.

Hosaka conducts some crows.

Hosaka calls Atsuko over to talk.

Atsuko reacts to Hosaka stripping.

Hayami reacts to learning that she has eaten Hosaka's cooking.

^[Manga]The segment starts off with Hayami mooching off of Haruka's lunch.

Hosaka is surprised to learn of Haruka's skill in cooking from Hayami, who also teases Hosaka by suggesting that he ask Haruka for some food, and also that he just be bold in asserting his affections. Amazingly, she seems to convince Hosaka to do it.

Unfortunately for Hosaka, the only one in the classroom when he arrives is Atsuko. He tells Atsuko that he has finally found a common interest since, starting that very day, he would cultivate cooking as a hobby. He then makes bold assertions about the absolute truth of Haruka's words while unbuttoning his shirt, much to Atsuko's embarrassment. He then proceeds to fantasize about conducting the flight of white crows from a steel beam on a half constructed building. Atsuko thinks to herself that Hosaka actually seems cool, but probably shouldn't be unbuttoning his shirt.

She gets him to button his shirt back up, and then informs Hosaka, when he asks, that Haruka went with Maki to buy some bread for lunch, Hayami having eaten her lunch. Hosaka doesn't hear the second part of Atsuko's explanation, concluding that Haruka only eats bread for lunch, this must be bad for her health, and he needs to start cooking for her.

Hosaka shows up the next day with two identical packed lunches, which he calls "french-style". Hayami proceeds to eat some of one of it, calling it delicious. Hosaka then criticizes his own cooking, saying it is too bland. Hayami is shocked that she has accidentally eaten Hosaka's cooking, and Hosaka swears he will make Haruka the perfect lunch.

Segment Four

Haruka responds to Kana forgetting the rice.

Chiaki responds to Kana forgetting the rice.

Haruka without rice in the morning.

Fortunately, Hosaka has been preparing for this day.

Some girls observe Hosaka.

Unfortunately for Hosaka, this reaction has nothing to do with him.

^[Manga]At the Minami Household, Haruka berates Kana for forgetting to prepare the rice for breakfast. Kana suggests bread, and they angrily accept.

Chiaki punching Kana.

Kana feels guilty after all.

At school, Haruka is hungry and completely without energy. Hayami overhears Atsuko's observation of such.

Several girls watch Hosaka, and one of them comments that Hosaka seems cool as long as he keeps his mouth shut. Hosaka begins fantasizing and playacting cooking pasta for Haruka, prompting another of the girls to say that he's weird even when quiet.

Hayami appears, telling Hosaka that Haruka is hungry and Hosaka immediately leaps into action. Hayami suggests that Haruka may be on a diet, but Hosaka rejects the notion, saying that Haruka would never ruin her nutrition just to lower her weight. He then comments that even if she gained a few plans, he could construct a meal plan for her to lose weight in a healthy manner.

At Haruka's classroom, Maki spots Hosaka arriving with a boxed lunch, and begins to worry, but at that exact moment, Atsuko offers Haruka some rice balls. Haruka is so hungry she bites into one without taking off the foil, but eventually figures it out.

Spotting this, Hosaka feels himself defeated and departs, leaving Maki confused. Hosaka comments that as long as Haruka is eating well, there is no need for him to be there.

Haruka arrives home to find Chiaki punching Kana repeatedly in the head. It seems that Kana was cooking rice to try and make up for the morning's events, despite Monday night being pasta night.

Segment Five

Hosaka's imagined Kana prepares to grab some food.

Hosaka's imaginary family.

Pity Hosaka his unavoidable fate.

Maki, Hayami, and Atsuko respond to Hosaka embracing a fish.

At the supermarket, Hosaka is shown refusing to buy cheap sukiyaki, shaking his head sadly.

On his way out, he encounters a vendor advertising fresh codfish. He immediately begins fantasizing about eating a simmering hotpot with his imagined family of Haruka and her two "kids". Kana and Chiaki bicker over the food, but when Haruka offers him a blow, she disappears behind a cloud of smoke, followed by Kana and Chiaki, then the entire scene. It seems that the fish was an insufficiently high quality ingredient to sustain his fantasy, and Hosaka, stripping, grabs the fish, swearing to make the perfect meal for Haruka.

At his moment, Maki, Atsuko, and Hayami appear, spotting Hosaka, the flummoxed vendor, and the crowd of women around the scene. Maki says her signature catchphrase: "Kimochi warui".

A while later, at the same supermarket, Haruka comes across the exact same package of sukiyaki Hosaka was inspecting earlier and accepts it gladly.

Mini-Drama

The Japanese drama included on the soundtrack disk, titled "Just a Few Minutes Longer 8.5" highlights Maki as she tries to convince Haruka that she is not in a relationship with Hosaka. Atsuko suggests she explain what Hosaka is up to, but Maki disagrees. After some deliberation, Atsuko reluctantly agrees to help Maki by following her lead. Maki then proceeds to tell Haruka that they are in love, much to Atsuko's dismay. Upon hearing this story, Haruka un-invites Maki to her house, because, "her sisters will be there." It ends with Maki chasing her down, trying to repair her story.

Manner of Adaptation

Except for the original sequences and added Hosaka fantasies, adaptation was again quite faithful.

Fan Reaction

Fan reaction to this episode was generally very positive, with this episode creating many new fans for Hosaka and his wacky ways.