In the sixth episode of the new anime series A Galaxy Next Door, the sweet and awkward love story of Ichiro and Goshiki continues as they experiment with their communication styles. Goshiki, having been on the island for such a long time, is a little behind on this front. Ichiro has never dated a princess before and naturally doubts the way he expresses himself before her.
Spoilers Ahead
Episode 6: A Letter With The Princess
In the previous episode, Fumio and Machi became aware of Ichiro and Goshiki’s relationship together, and to their surprise, the kids didn’t seem to have a problem with it. The episode tells where the problem lies, but there is no need to worry as it is a minor and cute one.
Ichiro, having expressed her love for Goshiki, begins to develop the intention to never see her sad and gloomy. Every time Ichiro sees her upset, some part of him grows sad as well. He begins to harbor these feelings about making Goshiki cheer up. The only problem is that the relationship has just begun, and it isn’t that easy to find ways to change Goshiki’s mood. She is a princess from Star Island, and Ichiro is an ordinary manga artist. The only commonality between them is their love for manga. Goshiki started as his assistant, didn’t she? And so Ichiro thinks that he can surely begin with “work talk.” He immediately finds himself thinking that it isn’t at all what he wants to say. But what else is there to talk about? Feelings? No! Ichiro is much less adapted to that kind of talk than the work-related one.
Goshiki grows sadder as the work talk reminds her of her own inability to communicate properly. What had happened earlier was that Goshiki had applied for two other assistant posts, out of which one had not replied back, and the other one had a trial session that didn’t go too well either. In actuality, the session hasn’t gone as badly as Goshiki thinks.
The events were as follows: she was called in by a manga artist named Sano, who really liked her sketches, although her persona didn’t quite match her environment. How could it? She was a princess, after all, who was trying to work as an assistant to a local manga artist. Of course, she looked out of place. It’s the same feeling Ichiro had when he first laid eyes on her. Sano ignored those facts pretty quickly and focused on her work. He suggested she make herself aware of the manga of the magical genre, as that could fit her style. Although Goshiki wasn’t aware of that manga, she was a princess from a magical island, wasn’t she? The reason Goshiki thinks that the session went poorly is that she blurted out the “princess” part in front of Sano, making him question her mental state. She tried covering it up but Sano got busy with his own work after a while. He didn’t really care about some young girl’s statements that much to keep fretting about it all day, but for Goshiki, it was like she had committed a serious faux pas.
Ichiro listens to Goshiki retell her account of what had happened at Sano’s office and is surprised to see her so upset over such a minor issue. He wants to cheer her up so badly, but talking too much about work will surely do no good. What else could he help her with to lighten her mood?
In comes Fumio and Machi out of the blue. The two cute little devils had been eavesdropping on their conversation, and they suggest Ichiro take them to their favorite barbecue restaurant and let Goshiki have the chance to try some stuff out. The plan works, and Goshiki has a blast trying out several delicacies at the restaurant. Ichiro is indeed happy to see Goshiki delighted, but as time passes, Goshiki starts feeling down again.
Ichiro realizes that a letter would be a good idea for communicating his true feelings. He would not feel awkward expressing himself on a blank page, and there’s always the chance to edit the rough draft. Also, the letter just might harmonize Goshiki’s dwindling mood. Ichiro begins writing the letter, but his abilities betray him. He is good with pictures, but not so much with words. Can he draw his feelings instead? Sure! Ichiro is an up-and-coming manga artist, and he can use his skills to display his feelings. He completes his unique ‘visual letter’ and gives it to Goshiki. She is completely overwhelmed by Ichiro’s efforts to cheer her up. She goes to complete her work with a content heart. Meanwhile, Ichiro receives a phone call from a friend who tells him something embarrassing.
Episode 6: Ending: Who Called Ichiro? What News Did He Share?
Ichiro receives Sano’s phone call. The same Sano who had called Goshiki in for a trial session. Ichiro wasn’t aware that Goshiki had gone to assist his friend Sano. Now that he has come to know about it, he is rather surprised. Sano first confirms with Ichiro whether he has someone named Goshiki working for him, to which Ichiro replies positively. He wouldn’t have owned up to this fact so easily if he knew that Goshiki had fiercely exclaimed about the status of their relationship in front of Sano. Sano talks to Ichiro as an old-time buddy, so from his perspective, Goshiki is Ichiro’s fan who thinks she has fallen in love with him. To keep such a girl as a professional assistant could be troublesome, which is why Sano calls to give him a heads-up. This embarrasses Ichiro to no end but he musters the courage to tell Sano up front that he indeed was dating Goshiki.
Episode 6: Review
The sixth episode didn’t have very high stakes, but it did manage to be emotionally engaging simply because of the way the characters are set up. The clarity with which everyone’s reaction is depicted helps the viewer keep track of everyone’s emotions, whether it be doom or delight. The show loses some pace when Goshiki remembers her childhood on Star Island, which is fine as long as it remains brief. The mild cliffhanger of Sano’s call could actually grow into a giant conflict later on as news of their relationship spreads. Catch the episode now; it’s streaming on Crunchyroll.