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Who is Asumi, and what impact did she have on everyone? That is the focus of episode 2, “Sepia Graffiti.”
| Aired | 1/12/2022 |
| Network | Crunchyroll |
| Directed By | Kakushi Ifuku |
| Written By | Vio Shimokura |
| Introduced This Episode | |
| Chikushi | Nakamura Yuuichi |
Recap
The Yabusame Gang – Kaba, Chikushi
One of the major plagues that the Itadaki restaurant, and the rest on the Takara Shopping Street, are dealing with is the Takara Mall ran by the Yabusame gang. Kaba and SARG official Chikushi talk about them, and Chikushi breaks it down for us. This gang does semi-legal activities to buy up land, get construction contracts, and one of the methods to their work is putting areas like the Takara Shopping Street out of business.
Now, with Kaba’s kids working there and their families making their living there, he isn’t fond of this but, as a teacher, even if an influential one, his hands are tied.
What Asumi Meant To Me – Mari, Asumi, Ran, Koki, Shuta, Kinako
Back in 2011, Asumi came up with the RGB nickname, and since then, it has stuck. But, keeping Koki, Shuta, and Ran together was a challenge that Asumi often relied on Mari to help with. For it is Itadaki where the boys often found themselves reconciling and breaking bread while eating either Mari’s food or even her family’s.
But, as for how Asumi brought these people together? Simply by being a loving and encouraging presence. With Ran, she didn’t stigmatize his interest in graffiti, and when Kinako met Ran, while he was painting a bathhouse, she was excited about the idea of him painting live on camera, which Ran still does to this day. In fact, he has even made a mural to Asumi outside of his club headquarters.
As for her older brother Koki? Like his father, Koki wants to do a lot for his community, hence why he came up with the Gourmet Fest. However, he doesn’t have that persona Shuta or Ran have to draw people to him and believe in his vision – especially without his father’s influence. Asumi, though, she helped people get invested and thus made one of the biggest events of the year for the area.
Then, when it comes to Shuta, she gave him opportunities to be the hero he sees himself as. Which, yes, sometimes was just being a hero to kids by playing with them and showing off his athleticism, but we all got to start somewhere.
Lastly, there is Mari, who, like with everyone else, she gave genuine encouragement to, and with that, she created an eternal friend. One who feels guilty about how she was jealous over the attention Asumi got and that she didn’t stop her from running into the building where she would ultimately die.
The 2021 Gourmet Fest – Mari, Ran, Koki, Shuta
While the Gourmet Fest isn’t a make or break for Mari and Shuta’s families, it is one of the major events that brings tourism and money to Takara Shopping Street. Itadaki is directly competing with the Yabusame gang restaurant Mon Jungle. So, with Ran, Koki, and Shuta cheering her on and taste-testing her best food, there is hope that Mari can win for the third year in a row and keep the Yabusame gang from making any moves on the area.
Review
Highlights
Understanding Asumi’s Impact
Asumi is an integral part of the show. She is the voice who called and triggered something in everyone. She is why Ran does art the way he does, Shuta still holds onto his hero fantasy, and why Koki realized he can step onto his father’s path and even find his own lane. It’s all because she believed in them beyond just being a cheerleader, but by also showing up, cleaning dishes, handing out fliers, and creating opportunities for them to live the dream rather than meekly pursuing it.
Being Able To Maintain Your Attention Without Life Or Death Moments
After the first episode, I thought we’d get a pitchfork moment of the week that RGB would have to handle as we discover their personal issues and see them slowly reconcile. However, that isn’t given this episode, and I don’t feel like the quality of the show suffered for it. If anything, by focusing on Asumi’s impact, it gave the show heart and reinforced the foundation of the show. Also, by not having their powers activated in this episode, the notoriety wearing off is delayed.
How It Introduces The Yabusame Gang
While we met two of the gang members in the first episode and see their boss in this one, I like that they aren’t doing a full dive into the members and organization just yet. They want you to be aware of who they are, and they are potentially dangerous but want to build up the leads before they properly have the villains become a prominent role on the show. Never mind also introduce SARG and get into the politics of how Yabusame makes money since it is mainly by intimidation and being sharks than drugs and quick money methods.
Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- We see Ms. Tsuzuragawa with the machine shown in episode 1 – could it be she controlled the Asumi we saw and set up the situations?
What Could Happen Next
- More information on that Asumi call
- Seeing the Yabusame gang really make a name for itself on the show
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