Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 4

Ep 4 O.A. 7 May 05
Ratings: 13.0%

The mood of the episode is quite different from the last which was rather emotionally heavy. This time round, there is a group of 5 students from Naha (capital of Okinawa) who are in Hatomijima for a study tour and Ruri is supposed to be with them when Sanae-sensei brings them around. Yuzo worries whether Ruri will be bullied by those kids for not having her real parents around but she assures him that she is fine. He also gives her a white dress which she puts on happily to go to school. She is on cloud nine when Kawashima praises her for looking pretty in that dress. And this episode also marks an improvement in Ruri's acceptance of Yuzo and his wife as her parents when she tells the Naha kids that her father catches squid (i.e. referring to Yuzo).

Somehow, I get the feeling that Ruri seems to like Kawashima a lot after all these times when he stood by her when she was having problems. Her first love? Being praised by the person you like would no doubt make you feel elated. I share her joy...

Anyway, the islanders regard this visit from the Naha students as a chance to promote Hatomijima to them in the hope that more would come here to study. Seems like those chief islanders can't wait to get someone to replace Ruri. I know she made a bad impression on them when she created trouble on the first day she arrived at Hatomijima but to behave like that towards a child as if she's unwelcome is very hurting. Well, those kids from Naha are not too friendly and one of them in particular, Teppei keeps making trouble for Ruri and even spills curry on that white dress she is wearing. Ruri is so angry that she wants to thrash Teppei but Sanae slaps him on her behalf because she couldn't stand his attitude.

That night, Teppei tries to run away in order to make trouble for Sanae and Ruri goes after him to make him drop the idea. Although Ruri and Sanae are usually hostile to each other, Ruri certainly doesn't dislike Sanae that much and doesn't want her to get sacked. On the other hand, I think she can sense that Sanae can't wait to leave Hatomijima and stop being her teacher so there is this rejection feeling in Ruri towards Sanae too.

Ruri and Teppei fall into a hole in the forest but are saved by Kawashima and Sanae who had come looking for them. As a result of this incident, Ruri and Sanae seems to have resolved their differences where the latter tells her to place more trust in her as the teacher. And Sanae drops the idea of leaving Hatomijima for the time being, most probably due to Ruri.

I think Sanae started looking at Ruri in a different light after seeing her mother, Nao and realized that she did not behave the way she did because she was just plain rebellious. It is the constant sense of betrayal and abandon from her mother that resulted in Ruri not being able to trust adults. And because of this incident, it has brought them closer but probably they aren't going to be best friends yet.

Something's been bothering me. If Hatomijima is really that secluded and backward as what they say, how come handphones can work there? Did NTT build some transmission towers there? I don't see the islanders watching too much TV either...