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Now in Japan
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Tuesday, 20 February 2007 00:00 |
 •REC's final batch of episodes is here, and provides all that you'd expect - healthy doses of humour, off-beat romance and fanservice, along with a resolution to the story that probably won't surprise anyone but will certainly generate that warm and fuzzy feeling that comes with a happy ending. But first, Fumihiko has to realise just what he risks losing if he lets Aka get away...
7 - War and Peace
Another Ha! campaign's been arranged - meaning Aka and Fumihiko have to work together again, and after recent events that's not something either of them are really looking forward to. Aka's been sleeping in her manager's office, while Fumihiko has little reminders dotted all over his apartment of how life was when she was there. Since this campaign's out of town, it involves an overnight stop, too - meaning there's no escape from each other. As usual, though, her manager's more switched on to what Aka's thinking than Aka is, and drops a few hints to Fumihiko that if he wants her back, it wouldn't hurt to make the first move - especially as Aka's increasingly-busy schedule means this could be the last live campaign they do together...
7.5 - The Unforgiven
Fumihiko's been working on some new pitches for the Ha! campaign, but he's beginning to suffer from writer's block - so with his head frazzled and Aka finished recording for the day, they head out to a local bar to let off some steam. Once there, though, the meet Tanaka-san - a former object of affection for Fumihiko, freshly dumped by her boyfriend, and thoroughly drunk. Much to Aka's disgust, Fumihiko decides to do the gentlemanly thing and escort her home - but once there, with Aka out of the way, Tanaka's predatory instincts come to the fore. Aka, meanwhile, promises to inflict divine retribution on Fumihiko after he brings Tanaka home with him...
8 - My Fair Lady
It's payday for Aka, so she promises to take Fumihiko out for dinner - nice restaurant, the works, her treat. Unfortunately, Fumihiko's latest ideas for the Ha! campaign haven't gone down too well with his boss - Hatakeda's own ideas have been picked above his own, so come dinner time he's feeling far too depressed to really enjoy himself. Aka, meanwhile, learns that the H-game she voiced is to be made into a 26-episode anime, and she's been offered the lead role - but a last-minute planning meeting means she's left running late, and she's unable to contact Fumihiko to let him know...
9 - Two for the Road
Aka and Fumihiko still aren't really talking - Fumihiko feels he should apologise for being so harsh with her, but can't think of a way to put it. Even when she tries to strike up a friendly conversation, he finds himself saying the wrong things, and only ends up annoying her even more. That night, he ends up drowning his sorrows with Hatakeda - by coincidence, in the same bar where Aka and the rest of her new show's staff are celebrating a successful first day's recording. Fumihiko and Hatakeda are invited to join the party, and hearing Fumihiko talk to the others about the hard time he's been having at work - something they've all had to go through - makes Aka realise she maybe hasn't been paying him enough attention, while Fumihiko finally works up the courage to explain his feelings to Aka...
Episode 7.5 was a DVD-only "OVA" episode. I have to admit I was expecting a bit more from it - bonus episodes like this usually go to town on the fanservice side, but this wasn't really anything different from the usual •REC episodes and adds nothing to the overall story. A bit of a wasted opportunity, especially as we don't get to see the promised divine retribution.
Back to the story proper, then. Aka really doesn't like the thought of not working with Fumihiko (to the point of being in floods of tears), and so finally opens up, first to her manager and then to Fumihiko. That leads to them at least going back to living together, but they're still trying to make it look like there's nothing going on - although by this stage it's clear they're fooling themselves more than anyone else.
True love still refuses to run smoothly, too. For Fumihiko, there's the embarassment of sitting in a restaurant on your own, with everyone knowing you've been stood up. By the time Aka gets home that evening, he's thoroughly pissed off, and really lets rip with the cutting comments - "must be nice being a popular voice actress, like a queen, and not having to keep your promises..." - and nearly torpedoes the whole relationship. Again.
Episode 9 brings the happy ending we were all expecting, though, as the two finally patch up their differences and realise just what they've come to mean to each other, all in a suitably touching way.
•REC's short episodes have suited the story really well - it's moved along at a good pace, and never strayed too much into pointless side stories. It is easy to get a little frustrated with just how daft Fumihiko can be when it comes to dealing with Aka - he's got a really unfortunate knack of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time - but beneath the surface both he and Aka are really likeable characters, so it's easy to get into their story and just enjoy it for the sentimental fluff it is. It's probably unlikely to ever reach R1, though - which is a real shame, as it's a story that's really worth watching. |
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