Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 5

Ep 5 O.A. 14 May 05
Ratings: 13.3%

As usual, a good episode where we have improvements in the relationships between some people slowly but surely. However, there are also new potential conflicts coming up between some people.

First of all, Mizuki (Igawa Haruka) discovers that she is pregnant but her boyfriend, Shigeru refuses to take responsibility. Actually, the islanders are very happy over this since it would mean that there will be someone to attend the primary school in future once Mizuki's child is born. However, the cold attitude by Shigeru makes Mizuki disappointed and she decides to leave the island but he rushes to stop her at Ruri's persuasion.

Somehow, I have this to say about the scene which Shigeru swam towards the boat to stop Mizuki. As she was pulling him up, she also fell in the sea. Well, didn't the story state that she is pregnant? Then why let her fall into the sea too? Forgive me for being fussy on such details but I think letting Mizuki fall into the sea seems to be illogical and redundant.

Anyway, this matter somehow makes Ruri feel like it concerns her. Maybe she feels for the unborn child who seems to be unwanted by the parents just like she feels discarded by her mother, Nao. And when Mizuki is left to fend for herself in the beginning and the look of loneliness in her eyes makes Ruri feel the pain as she has been lonely for most of her life. That's why she's willing to do so much to get Mizuki and Shigeru to patch up.

On the other hand, another couple on the island, Natsumi (the employee of the provision shop) and her husband, Koji are having problems. The village chiefs keep hurrying them to have babies but they have a problem. When Natsumi was trying to convince Mizuki to keep her baby, she reveals that she was pregnant once but aborted the baby thus resulting in her inability to have babies. And she regrets marrying Koji which is overheard by him. Since then, Koji has been unusually cold towards Natsumi who cannot comprehend the sudden change in behaviour.

Ruri is learning the sansen (a musical instrument with 3 strings) in order to make Yuzo happy. And through this learning experience, the village chief offers to teach her how to play while Sanae helps Ruri to keep this a secret from Yuzo. Seems like Sanae and Ruri are getting closer ever since that episode when Ruri fell into the hole.

At the same time, Shomei who had gone to Tokyo to meet his daughter, Izumi fails to see her since his ex wife says that he has no right to see her as he beat her up in the past whenever he was drunk. And Shomei ends up being walloped by the street gangsters when he bumps into one of them...

The next episode will see more light being shed on Kawashima aka. Takahara's(Takenouochi Yutaka) past since the police from Tokyo are looking for him. Ruri and Yuzo are also in Tokyo to bring Shomei back so it should be quite interesting to see what exactly Kawashima is running away from.