The fourth episode of the new anime series Skip and Loafer takes Mitsumi on a journey where she learns about work-life balance, if only very superficially. She inadvertently helps Tsubame Society’s treasurer, Takamine, evaluate her own breathless schedule and her rushed, joyless academic life.
Spoilers Ahead
Episode 4: Recap: Tingling And Scraping
An unusually chirpy Mitsumi gets ready for school by making a rough sketch of her day. She is greeted by Kanechika, and immediately he asks her about Shima Sousuke’s availability to join the drama club. Kanechika had pestered Sousuke before as well, but he had dodged his advances. That’s a little hard for our small-town valedictorian, Mitsumi, as he is very agreeable by nature. She doesn’t know that Kanechika’s gloomy faces are all for show. In her heart, she doesn’t want to pester Sousuke, but after declining to join the club herself, she feels she has the burden of asking Sousuke, at least once, to join the drama club and help out Kanechika with his play.
Kanechika, trying to hammer the point into Mitsumi, shows her an episode of an old television show. Mitsumi doesn’t get why Kanechika is so adamant about getting Shima into his club, but one glance at the episode and the reason becomes clear to her. A preteen Shima Sousuke pops up on the screen and melts Mitsumi’s heart. Kanechika admires his acting abilities, which is the reason why he wants him to act again. Mitsumi is bowled over by the younger Shima’s cuteness and finally commits to asking him to begin acting again.
But wait a minute: Why didn’t Shima ever tell her that he was the star of such a popular show? Does he not want to bring that up with her or anyone else? Can Mitsumi’s audacity to ask him to act even when he doesn’t want to even talk about it adversely affect their friendship? Such questions have a weed-like growth in Mitsumi’s mind throughout the day. The result is that Mistsumi isn’t able to focus a bit in class or otherwise. She fails her English quiz and, after being terribly absent-minded on the volleyball court, gets hit in the face by the serve and gets a nosebleed. She is obsessed with Shima being on TV, and even more so with the fact that he has kept this fact hidden. While in the school’s infirmary, she is startled by Shima, who happens to be playing on the nearby soccer field. Thinking that it would be the perfect time to ask him about his stint on the show, she asks him to sit down.
Shima replies that he simply acted not because it made him happy but because of his mother. Mitsumi is satisfied by this simple and truthful answer and decides to clearly refuse Kanechika’s suggestion about Shima joining the club, which she successfully does later. Before leaving, Shima asks about her childhood and Mitsumi tells him about her dreams and the reasons behind undertaking them. This seemingly small conversation deepens their bond and they together do the “Pinky” promise to mark this passage of their friendship. Mitsumi keeps feeling a little tingle long after Shima leaves for home.
After her mind regains the essential focus she so desperately needs, she meets her other classmates, who only manage to disturb her peace once again. Mitsumi learns that many of the classmates have lived abroad and won’t be at a disadvantage with their English exam. Questioning her discipline regarding her studies in such a competitive environment makes Mitsumi plunge into despair. She contacts her English teacher, who suggests she meet with Tsubame Society’s treasurer, Takamine, whom she thinks will surely lift Mitsumi’s spirits.
Mitsumi meets Takamine, who is busy executing her tight schedule. She accompanies her in trying to learn about time management and the art of consistency. Takamine sees a very bright kid in Mitsumi but senses her trying to be something she is inherently not. Takamine misses her bus, and we see her having nightmares about that. She meets Mitsumi the next day and tells her to relax and not worry so much about the future.
Episode 4: Ending Explained – Why Did Takamine Tell Mitsumi To Relax?
Takamine, upon this outing with Mitsumi, realizes that she herself is living a hurried existence. All her decisions are cramped into a deadline that does not translate into better results, as she herself failed middle school. Seeing that Mitsumi looks up to her, she feels that molding Mitsumi into a rigid routine may not be the best thing for her future, as she won’t enjoy her time in high school and probably won’t grow up to her potential. So the next day, she tries to relax so as to lead by example and enjoy her remaining school days more calmly.
Episode 4: Review
In another sweet little episode, another aspect of Mitsumi was explored. In doing so, the characters of Shima and Takamine also gained some expansion as to their arcs and backstories. Shima gains more depth as a primary character; his poignant backstory about giving up acting and trying to find himself while forging an identity really generates care and empathy for his character. The upcoming story will surely add many more flavors to Mitsumi’s character, revealing many more troubling issues and their healing through her friendly interactions in high school.