Kodomo No Jikan Period 36

Hooray For Misleading Title Cards That Have Nothing To Do With The Actual Chapter

We start this chapter from where 35 left off and Aoki is pondering to Shirai is pondering how she has come to like Aoki for being a good man.  Meanwhile Aoki has launched into a tirade about the school board and how he feels it’s an injustice to be called before them merely for looking out for his students best interests.  Things get fiery when Shirai gives him a slap.

Summary: Back at Rin’s house Reiji has come in with more gifts to a rather unimpressed Rin who mentions that Reiji’s own clothing is in tatters and that he should spend some money on himself instead of pampering her all the time.  Reiji thinks thats nonsense and Rin continues to pout.  That night while she’s sleeping with Chuck (The “pedobear” for those who like their memes rather than names) Reiji comes in saying he’s had a nightmare and has been having them ever since Roku showed up.  He wants to know if he can sleep with Rin and she says it’s fine…..but then he suddenly slams down over top of her; scaring her before rather tightly embracing her and thanking her for being there for him.

Afterward Rin seems less frightened and elsewhere Aoki starts to ponder whether moving would be a good idea, as well as trying to have Rin move in with him. (He lets his imagination get a little carried away as he pictures what life with Rin might be like including washing her hair)  Suddenly his cellphone rings and he dashes out in a hurry only to find Rin alone in a park where she laughs at his pajamas.  Aoki is not amused though and takes a while to calm down before helping her get a hot drink from a nearby vending machine.  They spend some time on a nearby park bench where Rin apologizes for Aoki getting in trouble on her account….and that she’s going to marry Reiji.  Aoki is shocked, but Rin says she’s only kidding, but seems to think Reiji needs her. (No he doesn’t)  Aoki says it’s not worth it and she hasn’t done anything wrong that would require her to go through all this trauma, but Rin now finally comes clean about the bad things she did, like almost pushing Hoin down the stairs.  Rin says she’s done terrible things and as such can’t be the pretty good girl.

This clicks with Aoki as Rin starts to run off and he asks Rin if she didn’t say he was going to be the one she married.  She says he’s too late though and if he tries to intervene then he’s the one that’s going to be arrested.  The chapter ends with Rin returning home with milk for Reiji.

Thoughts:

So here we see a comparison/contrast of both Reiji and Aoki’s relationships with Rin and how they’ve progressed/regressed with the sudden appearance of her biological father.  With Reiji who is her guardian, their relationship has regressed and he no longer seems capable of anything regarding being a good guardian.  The irony in their relationship is that he sacrifices so much for Rin and cares so much about her well-being that he has hampered his ability to actually be a good guardian as his mental health has obviously deteriorated to a point where he needs Rin to comfort him like a child after having nightmares and won’t look after himself.  His behavioural patterns are becoming more and more erractic as his fear of losing Rin causes him to sacrifice a father/daughter relationship with her to that of borderline servitude and worship of her, which is not at all what she wants.  She wants them both to be happy and as a result now she is sacrificing her relationship with Aoki to look after Reiji in his downward spiral towards a nervous breakdown.  This makes it all the more likely that Rin is going to go down with Reiji when he finally loses it once and for all, which is something Aoki will have to prevent….even if it means Rin will hate him for it forever.

Aoki’s relationship progresses though as he is increasingly more able to conduct a dialogue with Rin on her level and knows exactly what it is that she needs most, which is to get away from Reiji and live her own life rather than play a goddess to Reiji or move in with a man she’s never met.  He even entertains the notion of adopting Rin, but that’s mostly a pipe dream for now unless both Reiji and Roku are removed from the picture and right now it’s looking more likely that Roku is going to win out in the end unless there is something that can be got on him that would make him seem unfit for the duty of parenting Rin.  As of yet nothing of the sort has arisen as he has shown he can be a good provider, he seems to want a child of his own, and has the entitlement to take custody of her even against her will as she is technically a minor. (Unless laws are different in Japan, which I don’t believe is the case).  I say it’s only a matter of time before the story hits it’s climax.

This chapter get’s special mention for not featuring either Kagami Kuro or Usa Mimi in any of the frames, which sucks because I love Kagami.  Luckily it’s still a good chapter despite there absence.  I think it’s time the two paid a visit to Rin and Kagami gave her some common sense advice the way only she can.

Rating: Eight Out Of Ten