Review of Seinaru Kaibutsutachi Ep 4

Mie is putting up an obvious defiance against Keiko as shown by her behaviour in the opening scene. Keiko's mother-in-law sends a helper over to pass a gift to Keiko for her unborn grandchild when the helper hears Mie's laughter from the second floor. Mie is watching a comedic performance on TV and seems to be making such sounds on purpose so as to make things difficult for Keiko. In addition, Mie keeps reminding Keiko that she is the one carrying the baby even though the latter emphasizes that Mie is carrying Keiko's and Toshio's child. By now, Keiko should finally realise that Mie isn't going to do her bidding without putting up a resistance. There will be a time when Keiko will find it unbearable and Mie's existence will threaten the success of the surrogate mother scam so it's anybody's guess what she will do to ensure that Mie doesn't stand in her way.

Coupled with troubles with Mie, Keiko also has to put up a front in public. During an event at the Hyuga Group's kindergarten, Keiko suddenly finds the cushion she tied to her stomach slipping downwards in front of two kids. If not for Toshio's quick thinking, she would have been exposed for faking the pregnancy. Those two kids who saw what happened were so shocked that their jaws were practically going to drop. To be frank, this development seemed funny on one hand but was also harrowing for Keiko and Toshio on the other.

Meanwhile, Itokawa seems to be suffering from something more serious but is reluctant to undergo further tests. Actually, his spreading of rumours about the hospital's operations is making the staff lose their patience with him and I suppose they would be really keen to see him leave the hospital soon. If it so happens that Itokawa has something more serious going on in his body, he might have to be transferred elsewhere to receive medical care. I don't foresee him going anywhere soon since he's definitely going to dig for more information and threaten a person or two along the way before the surrogate mother scam erupts. In the later part of the episode, more is revealed about Itokawa as one who failed in business, no longer has a family and keeps coming to the hospital because that's the only place he can be at.

Kasugai goes to Keiko's place to draw blood from Mie in preparation for the childbirth in case she needs a transfusion at that time. And this is where we can observe the group dynamics. At first, Kasugai is really dismissive of Keiko's claims that Mie's actions are freaking her out but then what happens at the dinner table makes Kasugai take notice of what's going on. As Keiko tries to be protective of her child and Mie deliberately goes against her, Toshio seems to be under Mie's influence or rather Mie seems to have something on Toshio which makes him do her bidding. Toshio tells Keiko to relax and takes Mie's side but I don't think Keiko is shrewd enough to sense the link between her husband and Mie.

Looks like the bridge between Okubo and Toshio is finally established, although the first encounter isn't pleasant for Okubo. Toshio sort of gives a dressing down to Okubo, saying that to protect the legacy of his predecessor i.e. parents, pride and lofty ambitions are most important. In other words, Toshio's belittling Okubo for getting so desperate to talk him into investing in the hospital the moment they meet. I'm thinking that the tables may be turned slightly in Okubo's favour when the gynae Toshio has engaged falls out with them for one reason or another. In any case, it is highly probable that Okubo will benefit from the scam and save his hospital (at least before the scandal breaks).

Shiba finally realises why his friend Takeuchi asked about Yoko. Turns out that Takeuchi is Yoko's ex and she had tried to borrow JPY 2m from him but to no avail. Although Shiba wants to know why she needs the money, he's not one who pursues it directly but it sure will be a nagging concern for him. At the same time, seems like the guy blackmailing Yoko or rather the reason why she needs money goes to Shiba's father's shop as a customer but it isn't clear if he's already aware of Shiba and Yoko being an item or he just happened to be there. Anyway, at least now we know he's a policeman (or so he claims). Even though Shiba asks Yoko about the loan of JPY 2m later, she refuses to tell him the reason. And from the fact that Yoko also takes money from a female patient and promises the "best" medical care with this payment, I think it's hard to believe that she's as angelic as it seems or really has no choice in doing this.

Besides the scare that Keiko had in front of the kindergarten kids, there are more near-misses in this episode.

Keiko's mother-in-law comes visiting with Toshio's son and ex-wife unannounced. Keiko is literally on tenterhooks as she tries hard to suppress her anxiety at them finding out about Mie. However, Shosuke (Toshio's son) spots Mie and tells Keiko's mother-in-law. On the surface, she tells Shosuke not to divulge this to anyone but I think she is probably starting to suspect something.

The second crisis (well, not yet a full-blown one) is when Shiba meets Keiko face-to-face and knows about her identity as Kasugai's sister. Keiko and Kasugai may not know it but Shiba has seen Keiko being sent to the university hospital when she suffered a miscarriage and I vaguely remember that he and his friend were commenting that Keiko's womb might be removed. If Shiba remembers this and suspects why Keiko is pregnant now, that will be a big problem for those in the surrogate mother scam.

There is also more reason for Mie to be extra protective of the baby she is carrying. During the visit by Keiko's mother-in-law, I think she sensed that Keiko seems more obsessed with maintaining her position in the Hyuga family rather than wanting to have Toshio's child as what she had claimed. That's why Keiko is wary of leaving Mie alone and gets Kasugai to keep an eye on her. True to what Keiko suspects, Mie runs away but is soon caught by Kasugai who is so smart to even fish out the truth i.e. the child that Mie is carrying was the result of her affair with Toshio and not Keiko's and Toshio's child! As how they started, Toshio was the one who took the initiative and it was before Keiko came up with the idea of a surrogate mother. Apparently, Toshio was the one who told Mie to pass off their baby as that of his and Keiko's when he accepted Keiko's proposal. It was the easy way out for him because Mie refused to abort his child at that time.

I don't know what Kasugai did but she manages to get Mie back to the Hyuga residence. Even when confronted by Kasugai, Toshio shamelessly taunts her to tell Keiko the truth, knowing very well that this will deal her a double blow i.e. her husband's infidelity and the child she has been eagerly anticipating is not hers. Of course, Kasugai wouldn't want to do anything to hurt her sister so she tells Toshio to make sure the truth wouldn't be known. Talking of coincidences, Okubo happens to see Toshio and Kasugai leaving the same place after their confrontation so this piece of information might figure in why Toshio will finance Okubo's hospital at the end.

Mie turns out to be still harbouring plans to escape from the Hyuga residence but in her haste to run, she falls down from the staircase. Isn't it too early for her to give birth when the drama isn't only at the halfway point? And the next episode's trailer shows Keiko and Toshio holding a baby? Then that means there will be another surrogate pregnancy in the later half of the story?

The trailer also shows Shiba possibly being part of a malpractice case and that Kasugai has all along been aware of what Yoko is doing. Wow, more showdowns next week! Last episode was a bit slow for me but I think this episode really picked up the pace and got very exciting.

Nakatani Miki and Hasegawa Hiroki were very good in that intense confrontation scene. If Toshio thought that Kasugai would have no choice but to become an accomplice in hiding things from Keiko, he would only be half correct. Kasugai had the last word after all and pointed out that Toshio would have to bear the sin of lying forever. Great acting there from the two of them!

Similarly, when Kasugai was fishing out the truth from Mie, that was also a good scene from Nakatani and Suzuki An. For a moment, I also thought that the teddy bear contained a wire tap but it turns out that Kasugai was bluffing Mie. That was such a genius move from Kasugai!

Okada Masaki seems to be more at ease with his role now but Shiba is still lacking in emotional development as compared to the other characters who have undergone upheavals in their characters' emotions. The only significant change would be that he has nagging thoughts about Yoko but is still trusting her. I'm hoping for him to show different sides to Shiba rather than continuing to be the good young doctor. Looks like the next episode will offer some potential for change.