{Watch Party Wednesday #3} I Cannot Reach You: Episode 4
Hello, Internet, and good mornight to you all!
My name is Taffryne, shoppekeeper of Midnight on Memory Lane, and it is my absolute delight to welcome you to the second of the three posts for this week's Watch Party Wednesday.
'Tis a pleasure, 'tis a pleasure indeed.
As the title of this post says, we're going to be talking about the fourth episode of the Japanese BL-drama, I Cannot Reach You. I humbly present my thoughts for your enjoyment and consideration. Accordingly, please mind that there will be spoilers ahead!
MyDramaList Link: click here!
Disclaimer: I apologize if there are any crucial cultural notes or nuances that I misunderstand or fail to recognize. I, unfortunately, must trust the accuracy of the translated text to accurately represent the story and characters.
Trigger Warnings: Feelings Crisis, Failed Confessions, Interrupted Confessions, Pining, Teasing
Episode 4
Recollection
- Kakeru, Ohara, Hosaka and friends are going on a school trip to Kyoto
- Kakeru is in another feelings crisis because Ohara hugged him at the mall and then even more because Ohara saved him from falling down the stairs
- Akane and friends show up to the same shrine because they're also on their own school trip
- Hosaka keeps teasing Ohara about his feelings towards Kakeru whilst also maybe flirting with him but in that way that's probably to mess with Kakeru
- Kakeru gets a Bad Luck Fortune that basically says "Stop lying to yourself about your feelings before you lose him, idiot"
- Ohara bought couples matchmaking omamori (lucky shrine charms, basically) for himself and Kakeru
- Ohara was in the midst of saying his heartfelt emotions to Kakeru but then Kakeru fell asleep on him and then the teacher interrupted them
- Kakeru gets threatened into giving some other girl's omamori to Ohara during the school trip
- Kakeru ends up accidentally hiding on top of Ohara when the teacher comes to check that they're asleep (lots of dokidoki ensues)
We're on the school trip!!! A staple of any students-falling-in-love drama. I didn't have many school trips during my childhood, but I remember the ones I did have fondly. I don't like their choice of destination: Kyoto. I respect the historical and cultural importance of Kyoto with my utmost sincerity but...it's Kyoto. It has been so touristed to high heavens that I actually cackled at the shots of the streets and shrine they showed. Those paths all need about a million more people on them and the distant sounds of the rickshaw drivers having to beg traffic to get out of their way. The scene under the shrine tori gates? Now you're missing about 100 million other people and 100 thousand strollers. Drama crew, please, please tell me how you were able to go to Fushimi Inari shrine in such peace. For anyone who does ever go to Kyoto, though, the shrine is a really beautiful place and the omamori culture is huge (I have a collection, myself).
HOW DID THESE KIDS SNEAK AN ENTIRE PLAYSTATION SETUP INTO THE RYOKAN??? WHOSE SUITCASE DID THEY PUT IT IN? HOW DID NOBODY ELSE HEAR FREAKING TEKKEN 7 THROUGH THOSE THIN WALLS??? Also, this teacher loves his job so much. You can just tell. I wish I could extract out all the enthusiasm he has and make it into a potion like those little 5-hour energy shots.
Kakeru, lad, I know you are just getting slapped with one feelings crisis after another but...you need to work on your poker face, buddy. How Ohara has not picked up on your obvious infliction of feelings is beyond me. Also, I know girls can be scary, but you shouldn't have caved in to her threat of giving Ohara the omamori. You are in the middle of trying to figure out if you like-like him like that. This is nowhere near the time nor the moment to try and pull the "distraction with another girl's confession" card; even if you aren't trying to be hurtful with it. Especially not after you failed to ask him about the tension between you two, fell asleep during his heartfelt moment, and then hid on top of him under the blanket.
Ohara, oh you sweet boy. I give you props for tamping down your own emotional turbulence and treating Kakeru like your friend again. Your buying of those omamori, though? Absolutely precious. I can't say I'm too much of a spiritual person myself, but...I've done the enmusubi omamori thing. I've done it more than once with different kinds of them to the same person as a matter of fact. Thankfully, mine worked! I hope yours with Kakeru turn out too; I'm scared about the ticking time bomb Kakeru's got though. Hats off for your Tekken 7 skills as well. I can always respect a skilled fighting game player. Congratulations on your crush also accidentally using your chest as a hiding place from the teacher. Now all you gotta do is not make it weird! ...good luck with that.
To Hosaka, specifically. You've become my character of intrigue. You've given solid advice to both Ohara and Kakeru regarding their feelings for each other, yet I can't quite pinpoint your motivation. Are you doing it as a friend? For entertainment? Is your messing with Ohara in a semi-flirty way a dig at Kakeru? Ohara? None or both? Are you coming at this in a "if you don't claim him, I will" way or is everything purely from a place of platonic care? I've got my eyes on you and I hope you don't disappoint me.
I am so eagerly awaiting the moment these two can finally hash their feelings out without getting interrupted by anyone or themselves...
Episode 5 Preview
Oh no...Kakeru, you idiot. You big dumb idiot. DON'T GIVE HIM THE RANDOM GIRL'S OMAMORI YOU IDIOT!!!
Thanks for Reading!
I hope you've been able to watch and enjoy the story for yourself! If you haven't, that's okay too! My thoughts are here to keep you updated and entertained in the meantime.
This caps off this post, so off into the nighttime we go in preparation for the next one and final one publishing very shortly!
May we meet again when the clock strikes 12:00!