The fifth episode of A Galaxy Next Door has Ichiro and Goshiki visit the zoo with Fumio and Machi, where Ichiro’s relationship with Goshiki gets revealed to his cute siblings.
Spoilers Ahead
Episode 5: At The Zoo With The Princess
In the previous episode, Fumio and Machi’s visit to the zoo was unfortunately canceled because of the turbulent weather. The weather, however, set up the premise for Ichiro and Goshiki to confront their feelings for each other. Ichiro managed to own up to his feelings of love for Princess Goshiki. This episode begins with the two kids as excited as ever to see a clear sky because it means that they will finally get to visit the zoo.
Ichiro and Goshiki’s main concern, however, is not the kids but their own feelings. How should they break the news to them? What will the kids’ reaction be? Conservative in their approach, they handle it with restraint and decide not to burden the kids with this information. They reach the zoo, and Ichiro plans the tour and some pictures for the purposes of his manga. Goshiki is impressed by this preparation by Ichiro.
The kids are delighted to see the animals in the zoo. The magnificent elephant, the powerful gorilla, and the cute guinea pig. Ichiro decides to let the kids play with the guinea pigs. Machi gets comfortable picking up the guinea pig, but Fumio withdraws himself. Goshiki understands his fear, as back on her island, Guinea pigs would grow to an enormous size, much bigger than the star people. She kneels down at Fumio’s level and calms him down, explaining that animals sense fear and that whenever he feels ready, he can play with them; he will not harm them, neither will they harm him.
Against the backdrop of this sweet outing, fierce emotions were raging in both Ichiro and Gochiki. When Gochiki sees a couple holding hands, an intense urge rises in her to behave in the same way with Ichiro. Ichiro, who barely mustered up the courage to accept his true feelings for Goshiki, acts too meek to make these gestures in front of his siblings.
Their walk on eggshells finally gets over when Machi herself points out their weird behavior and asks if they are dating each other. The truth comes out, and Machi inadvertently helps them relax when she tells them that holding hands is not as big a deal as Ichiro and Goshiki had made it up in their heads. In a beautiful moment, Goshiki and Ichiro hold hands for the first time and watch a regal giraffe.
While their romance is blossoming, back on Goshiki’s island, we see her family worried about her well-being. Her stern mother, who was of the opinion that she would return within a few days, is seen feeling lost and concerned. We see Goshiki’s attendants, who yearn to make contact with her. Her mother commands them to give her any information regarding whether they make contact with Goshiki.
Ichiro returns to his apartment along with Goshiki and the kids and finds his incomplete manga staring back at him. Already tired from the trip to the zoo, he goes into the kitchen to wash his tiffin but falls asleep. On the one hand, we have the exhausted Ichiro, but on the other end, we have Goshiki, whose excitement refuses to fizzle out. She gets animated every time she thinks about Machi’s question: “What does Ichiro like the most about her?”
Unable to contain her excitement, she sneaks up to Ichiro’s room but is startled by Chihiro. She suspects something is up; otherwise, why would Goshiki try to enter his room in the middle of the night? Goshiki nods her head when Chihiro asks if Goshiki and Ichiro are in a relationship together. Chihiro tells Goshiki that Ichiro is in the kitchen. Goshiki enters the kitchen and proceeds to touch his neck but hesitates.
Episode 5: Ending: Why Did Goshiki Hesitate?
Goshiki hesitates because her principle is that one cannot touch the other person while they sleep. She herself gave Ichiro an earful when he touched her tail during her sleep and accidentally pricked himself. She wakes him up with her voice alone and touches him only after getting his consent.
Episode 5: Review
The episode was another sweet addition to the magical love story. Now that Fumio and Machi know about their dating, the subtext of suppressing their feelings in front of them seems over. Slowly but surely, the two worlds are setting up to meet. One where Ichiro and Goshiki are growing fonder by the day, and the other where Goshiki’s family grows concerned for her well-being. The series is nicely set up for them to make contact with Goshiki. The repercussions of this love story on the stars would be interesting to see. As far as the love triangle between Chihiro, Ichiro, and Goshiki goes, the episode gave no sign to go with that subplot, as Chihiro acted very casually upon knowing the status of their relationship. It may be built upon in the later stages of the series. Overall, the episode was quite refreshing and will definitely urge the viewer to come back for more.