As the chairs continued to spin to find a new pilot after Kako’s unceremonious death, we see the flashback of Chizu. An innocent girl, filled with merely pure love for her teacher, is suddenly thrown into the world of the Internet and sex scandals. Chizu’s arc is here and does that mean that she will be the next pilot? Or will that simply be an indication of misleading you to think that way?

Episode 7, despite some flaws in storytelling, gives compelling insights to a teacher-student relationships, lies, a pure heart yearning to be loved and a girl who simply wants to improve her life.

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Episode summary

Chizu walked out of the house as she skipped breakfast, rejecting the offer from her mother to walk her to school. When she got home, she found her father being the monkey in Momotaro, a children’s play in school. The other children’s parents were also helping out in this play, as Chizu showed them that she wanted to be in a private middle school named Pa.Calle. Her parents said that it would be better for her to be in a public school, since her sister studied in one and she might be lonely without any close friends. When they walked out to the living room to discuss the matter, her sister noted that Chizu’s undergarments were stolen, the one with the red pattern.

Chizu insisted to call the police, even though her family felt that it was making a big matter out of nothing. They then discussed jovially about the undergarment, but Chizu was pressing them why they were not talking about her choice of schooling. His father told her to relax and it was too difficult for her to apply into the school through their exams, since it was way too late. Chizu said she could at least try and ran off, annoyed. At the student-teacher meeting, Chizu’s parents were unable to go, and hence her sister went. It seemed that Chizu was very quiet in class, as her social studies teacher, Hatagai, noted the behavior of Chizu.

When they talked about Chizu’s future, her sister mentioned Chizu’s desire to go to a private school but the family considered it cheaper and more practical for her to be in a public school. Hatagai said that they should not restrict her as education at her level was very important and she should be given the choice as the time passed in middle school could not be replaced. Hatagai said Chizu should be allowed to study without regrets at this age and if she worked hard, her parents would understand. Chizu replied happily when Hatagai told her to retrieve some things from the department office.

Chizu started to work hard and gaze when Hatagai was teaching the basketball team. Chizu waited for the teacher in the evening one day in school, and went home together. It seemed that Hatagai did not cook, and was the second son of his family like Chizu was second in the family. Hatagai asked why Chizu did not join the athletics team like her sister, but she said she had no talent but was good at cooking. She also told him that she would make a bento for him the next time.

At home, Chizu’s mother was surprised Chizu was cooking since she had never cooked, but Chizu said she did occasionally. At school, she passed the bento to Hatagai and received a mail that he liked it. After school, Chizu waited for him along the road to his house, and she wanted him to tell her personally, even though she received the food. She also received a dolphin pendant necklace from him, saying that it was a gift. At class, Kako was forced by his classmates to tell Chizu that the dolphin necklace was childish, but she retorted that dolphins were cute as Kako was laughed by his classmates for being weak.

When Chizu went to the basketball court to find Hatagai, he was called to the principal’s office as it seemed that he had been fired due to a huge misunderstanding. The principal did not want to listen to him as Chizu said she would cook something to cheer him up. When Chizu reached his house and opened the refrigerator to find ingredients, Hatagai hugged her from behind. Chizu told him to stop as they were student and teacher, but Hatagai said that he really loved Chizu, did not care what others think and Chizu replied that she loved him too. With that, they had sex.

Chizu said that the teacher provided more than a physical warmth, but also giving her emotional warmth simply by talking and chatting. In school, Chizu was happy to see Hatagai, but Hatagai asked if she was scolded for going home late. She said she made an excuse and tried to hold his hand only to be stopped by him angrily. Kako then asked Chizu out for a date for the beach (where the fifteen went), and she said she would think about it. In a sms received by Chizu, there was a message that said, “I used it, the shot is nice, the screen is small and it would not be discovered”, as Chizu wondered if the mail was sent wrongly by Hatagai. During the school assembly, there was a report of hidden cameras in the school which was posted up on the Internet, as Chizu heard rumors of Hatagai being the suspect, with the basketball team suspected.

When Chizu went up to the site, her naked photos with Hatagai were shown, as she confronted him after finding the hidden camera in his room. He said that he was lonely and stressed up, which was why he was forced by others to do so to keep his sanity. He then said that Chizu was a pure and innocent girl, and asked to be forgiven. He then hugged her, asking her not to leave her. As she left, she met her sister on the streets as Chizu asked where her sister was going. Her sister said it was a secret and said she would tell her in due time. Chizu started to suspect something as she ran back, only to see Hatagai being intimate with Chizu. Back to real life, the chairs were spinning as it stopped at Chizu’s chair. She was the next pilot.

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Thoughts

Updates of children surviving after episode 7 - Click here

Well, as I mentioned earlier, I felt that Chizu’s confession of how assured she was when she was having sex with her teacher, Hatagai toward Kako was rather out of place considering that she must be feeling quite a bit of hatred at that period of time. The actions do not tally to me, and I feel that there should be more of a consistent flow of events in terms of character reactions. I do not think that Chizu should act that way, not with the amount of contempt she has.

If anything, I am very surprised how she is actually treated by her teacher. Initially, I only thought of it as a flawed relationship in which the teacher is a pedophile that somehow had some love with Chizu. However, the scandal clearly showed that he planned it a long time ago to broadcast his sex encounter in the Internet.

It seemed that it was not the first time that he had done so, and I am surprised at how much he took advantage of the somewhat naive and trusting Chizu to do his bidding. If anything, it is a very disgusting tale of how disturbing the Internet can be, and that a book cannot be judged by its cover. Chizu’s opening clearly shows her to be a girl who is somewhat hot-tempered, yet having the drive to move up the social ladder and living the fullest.

As much as her parents are loving, there is still somewhat of a flaw in which they cannot understand her aspirations. The line that stood out for me toward the family development is that “our family never had such aspirations or ambitions”. It is clearly seen that despite being in somewhat of a loving family, Chizu is not given the exact attention that she wants: the belief to move forward in an ambitious way. Even though some might think that it is merely a child’s jolly, when a child really decides to go to a public education school in order to improve her studies (she explained this), it is definitely worth a thought on the type of family she is in when they laughed it off. I do not think that she is devoid of love, but she is devoid of emotional warmth and support.

That is perhaps why she is extremely susceptible toward people like Hatagai who are more than likely to fake concern and assurance in order to get attention from such a vulnerable girl. I somewhat pity Chizu much more because it is made so realistic. I mean, it can be much worse but I believe that the fact of statutory rape (despite its subtle showing table shaking with clothes on table) is a very big thing, and it’s not something that we can gloss over so easily. The impact of anime is one of a wide audience, since anyone on the television with a tuner can actually turn it on and watch such an event happening.

I guess in a way, I am happy that the subtle approach was used to talk about this theme, considering that it is perhaps one of the most dangerous and disturbing crimes. I believe that the manga (not spoiled) had more disturbing themes for Chizu, but I guess with the anime adaptation, we are given a more realistic and heartfelt portrayal of the heart of an innocent child being abused for one’s personal selfish gains.

Next week’s title is Revenge. We see scenes of Hatagai in front of the mecha and with Chizu’s words of “Sensei, I am going to join you.”, it is perhaps an indication of something between her and Hatagai.

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