Oh, here we go, folks. We finally get to see the fateful first encounter between Tohru and Kobayashi!
(Spoilers in this review)
The first part of the episode has Tohru trying her best to make the most delicious omurice for her beloved Kobayashi. Have you all ever had omurice? It’s very rich with all the butter they put into the frying pan. I’m also a big fan of ketchup on a lot of things (you all should totally put sriracha into your ketchup bottle to make it 50% better), so, yeah. I highly recommend trying some if you can!
She ends up going to her old world in search of optimal ingredients. Her due diligence pays off and she makes a delicious yet oversized omurice for Kobayashi.
Meanwhile, Kobayashi is on the train ride home as she thinks about how the first normal dish Kobayashi ever made for her was omurice. She hopes that she can tell Tohru that it was delicious (last time she had said it was only “so-so.” Such a tsundeyashi!) Kobayashi ends up dozing off and dreaming of her first encounter with the dragon.
It turns out drunk Kobayashi is fearless. She ignores Tohru’s threats to kill her and just pulls out the divine sword lodged in her back. Tohru, who’s speaking like an old man, theorizes that Kobayashi can only do this because she lacks faith in God. Kobayashi shuts her up and gets her to start drinking.
In the end, Kobayashi invites Tohru to come to her place since she’s all alone. She accepts, which prompts Kobayashi to demand Tohru to be her maid. And the rest, as it goes, is history.
The second half of the show featured Tohru recollecting a story about a human she talked with for a short while in her original world. The girl was a bandit who had mugged a noble (she had thought he was a mere merchant) so she had to lie low for a bit. Tohru just happened to be in the area and she allowed the bandit girl to live and talk to her.
I have to say, I really liked this new character. She was cheeky and brave and optimistic. The unnamed girl also helped Tohru realize that she isn’t living freely despite being a dragon. She also ends up convincing Tohru that having the option to choose is what’s important and that she would choose to be be a maid if possible. Kobayashi and Tohru believe that this (along with Kobayashi’s insistence) might have helped Tohru decide to become a maid herself.
And then the episode ends with a dragon coming into the real world. It can only be Tohru’s dad. If I’m wrong, I will… admit I’m wrong? Making an online bet wouldn’t be wise!
Overall, the episode set up the stage for a (potentially) climatic final episode while showcasing the progress for the relationship between Tohru and Kobayashi. Their reflection of their earlier interactions and Tohru’s life in her original world provide a nice contrast to how they, both individually and as a couple, have grown.
The Lily Garden 