Grisaia no Kajitsu (The Fruit of Grisaia) – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

Episode 7: Letter of Happiness

Overview

This episode focuses on Yuuji helping Sachi work through the issues caused by her past.

Review (with Spoilers)

In this episode we not only learn about Sachi’s past, but get a taste of Yuuji’s as well. For with Yuuji, as a child, being a part of Sachi’s story, he becomes more than the school’s fairy godfather but an actual participant in the life of one of the girls he is trying to save. Leading you to wonder, with this show being 13 episodes, will he be the last one whose backstory is explored?

For more on “Letter of Happiness,” look below.

Topic 1: There’s Something Strange Going On Here – Sachi

As Sachi notices Michiru is a bit sillier, and perhaps putting on less of a performance, and also Sakaki seeming a little less uptight, Sachi is very curious as to what Yuuji did for them. Especially since Sakaki is no longer antagonistic towards him.

Commentary

Often in series like this, when characters seemingly change in the matter of days, it seems rare that there is any mention of them changing, much less it being noted as odd. So I quite liked Sachi pointing it odd and being curious of the change. The only thing which would have made it better is if she investigated how the change happened more.

Topic 2: A Special Request – Michiru and Sachi

With a test upcoming, Michiru is threating since she absolutely hates test. She even asks Sachi to handle the situation which, if it was any other time, she would have ignored Michiru and just would have considered it Michiru being silly as always. However, this request she takes seriously enough to start putting bombs all over the place and prep to blow up the school so the test won’t happen.

Commentary

Since the beginning we have seen Sachi as sort of the dorm maid. She wears the outfit, cleans up, makes things for her dorm mates, and seems fairly involved in making the environment amicable to learning. So learning her backstory, talked about in topic 3, was surely of no surprise. I do wonder though, since it wasn’t really gone into, when did the bombs she make become something amateur? For with her parents not being bomb makers, and her seemingly not having a military background, are we to really believe she learned everything she knew about bombs from the internet? I mean, I’m sure it is possible to learn online, but at the same time she had circuitry, a remote detonator, and everything.

Topic 3: Friends Forever – Sachi & Yuuji

Before Sachi ended up at Mihama Academy, she was your average little girl. She had two parents, who worked, and would go to the playground to entertain herself. For with her parents largely being unavailable, all she had was the park. A place where she met Yuuji and played with him, until he disappeared. Thus leaving Sachi alone once more and then, when she lashes out at her parents on her 10^th birthday, tragedy strikes. For, as her parents come to get her from the park, where she ran to, they are hit by a car in front of her. Thus leading to the end of her father’s life, and her mom ending up in a coma for years.

As for how Yuuji helps her through this? Well, he first gets rid of the bombs Sachi made, and then validates the idea that she has the right to be selfish for, as noted in the collected quotes: “There are times when selfishness can save a person.”

Commentary

Once more, I am left wondering: how did these characters end up at Mihama Academy? Did Yumiko personally pick them out or did they apply? That thought aside, I must admit I got a little teary eyed as Yuuji helped bring Sachi some closure. Though it has me wondering more and more when are we going to learn about him? For right now only Amane and Makina are left when it comes to the girls at school, unless principal Tachibana is included, and we have 6 episodes left. Which, even with the episodes being deep enough for an emotional reaction, doesn’t seem enough. If just because there is so much, besides the background of these characters, to still go into.

Collected Quote(s)

“Being indebted to someone is nothing to be ashamed of. Not repaying that debt is.”
—          Yuuji – “Letter of Happiness.” Grisaia no Kajitsu

“There are times when selfishness can save a person.”
—  Yuuji – “Letter of Happiness.” Grisaia no Kajitsu