Summer Pockets: Season 1 Episode 9 “Tsumigi and Tsumigi” – Recap & Review (With Spoilers)
As the Tsumigi saga continues, it is difficult to not hope each episode is the last of the chapter.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Episode 9 “Tsumigi and Tsumigi” Details
- Available On: Crunchyroll
- Public Release Date: June 2, 2025
- Director(s): Shota Imai
- Writer(s): Yasutomo Yamada
Episode 9 “Tsumigi and Tsumigi” Recap (With Spoilers)
Spirited Away: Takahara, Tsumigi, Shizuku
Tsumigi disappearing leads to many believing she was spirited away, similar to a young woman decades ago. With the similarity being the only hint Takahara and Shizuku have to what happened, they investigate and discover the journal of a young woman who looks just like Tsumigi, and by the end of the episode, we learn it is her.
Now, as for the details of how she found her way to the present, where did her saying “Migyu” and many other things come from? That’s not answered. All we know is that in her former life, she hesitated between running away with a man she loved, eloping, or staying with her family, who used to be a notable one that lived in one of the biggest houses on the island. Because she hesitated at the lighthouse, her original self ended up in some kind of limbo.
As for how a new version of her ended up in modern times? Who knows? However, Takahara, with his own debacle, ends up meeting Tsumigi’s former self in limbo when he finds himself in a moment of hesitation. Thankfully, though, the original Tsumigi, while trapped in limbo, has seemingly helped many escape from the lighthouse’s prison and return people to their world.
But, ultimately, it seems his Tsumigi, now having some knowledge of how to find her former self, plans to get back to her. Why? Well, while she may not be able to help her get out of limbo, she can at least keep her company, which leaves Takahara a little more than a week to spend with his girlfriend, as he confesses to Shizuku, before she could truly be gone forever.
Review and Commentary
On The Fence
The Past Meeting The Present [74/100]
The Tsumigi saga continues to feel like it drops in quality from what we’ve seen before, and honestly, it makes me worry about who or what is next. Yes, outside of a few breast jokes, there is a notable decrease in ecchi content, which is a positive change; however, it still isn’t evoking or creating significant emotions. It unquestionably is a sophomore slump of a story, and I’m hoping it doesn’t go much longer, for it barely is giving anything to deserve additional time.
Don’t get me wrong, the idea that Tsumigi’s spirit somehow was reborn in modern times, or manifested itself, could be interesting. But I feel that, while we were given more details about Tsumigi, it only led to more questions, and with her not being interesting enough to double down our investment in, it just leads to more frustrations.
Overall
Our Overall Rating [74/100]
While the reduction of ecchi elements marks a welcome shift, the emotional impact and narrative depth remain lacking. The episode explores the idea of Tsumugi’s spirit being reborn or manifesting in modern times—a premise with potential—but fails to provide enough substance to justify prolonged focus.
Also, instead of offering clarity, the episode piles on more questions without deepening investment in Tsumugi as a character. As a result, this chapter feels like a classic case of a sophomore slump, with diminishing returns and growing concerns about the direction of future arcs.
Additional Links
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Summer Pockets: Season 1 Episode 21 – Recap and Review
As we get past Shiroha’s arc being remixed, the end of the summer approaches, and something might be wrong with Takahara or Umi.
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Summer Pockets: Season 1 Episode 20 – Recap and Review
Umi’s arc continues to be a bit of a struggle to watch, especially as it rehashes parts of Shiroha’s storyline, which we just saw.
-
Summer Pockets: Season 1 Episode 19 – Recap and Review
Big reveals come from Umi that shift her dynamic with Shiroha and Takahara.
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