Meiji Tokyo Renka
Let's go.
I heard that Mei-chan can hear ghosts talking.
Did you know?
Apparently, that girl can see ghosts.
Whoa, really?
You're Ayazuki Mei-san, right?
Do you wanna come with us?
Mei-chan.
Mei-chan!
What was that about?
Meiji Tokyo Renka
I will be going then, Rintaro-san.
Be sure to look over all of them closely.
Oh?
Who is this young lady?
The Little Squirrel.
Little Squirrel?
She is the fiancée I was telling you about earlier.
She is?!
You cannot be serious, Rintaro-san.
I am.
Of all the selfish—!
Do you have any understanding of your position as the eldest son of the Mori family?
Marrying such a lowly girl as this...!
L-Lowly girl?
Listen to me.
You will choose a suitable partner
from the selection of pictures I brought you, Rintaro-san.
There is no other woman more suited for the Mori family than her, Aunt.
I will not accept this little girl!
Little girl...
I am sorry about that.
It seems that my aunt has heard about me declaring you my fiancée
at the Rokumeikan a few days ago.
Yesterday and today she came to the mansion with matchmaking photos.
Matchmaking photos?
So that's who your unfortunate visitor was yesterday.
Unfortunately, I am expecting a visitor this evening.
Your aunt will probably come again tomorrow from the sounds of it.
Well, about that...
A party will be held next month at the Rokumeikan, and key people
from various circles will be there.
I would like to formally present you as my fiancée there.
Formally present?
Fiancée?
Wha?! Formally present me?!
You can't. That's the grand event nobles and government officials will be at.
You would be making a fool of yourself.
Don't worry. It will be fine.
Flower of Asakusa Rendezvous
Formally present me as his fiancée...
That is how he is protecting you.
Little Squirrel.
Why don't you join me for a bit?
Eh?
U-Umm... Where are we going?
To an enjoyable place.
Eh?
Are you familiar with the flower of Asakusa?
Asakusa? Yes, I am!
I don't know this Asakusa...
Hey now! Don't just stand there spacing out, ya idiot!
S-Sorry!
We should probably hold hands so you don't get lost.
O-Okay...
Picture Postcards
Apparently, they're selling picture postcards.
All these people are here for picture postcards?
I'll take this one.
And this one, and this one.
I'll take them all!
That's so unfair, Higuchi-san. Buying up just Kawakami-san's pictures...
A heart ardently in love is as precious as the divine.
Otojiro-sama!
Now I see. All these people are here because they're after Kawakami Otojiro-kun's actor photos.
Kawakami Otojiro?
You met him at the Rokumeikan, remember?
He is a handsome actor who is extremely popular right now.
At the Rokumeikan?
Kawakami Otojiro...
W-What?
Do you really not remember meeting a handsome man
with scores of women in love with him?
Not really. I met a lot of people for the first time that day.
Ah, well, it just so happens that today he has a performance at the Tokiwa Theater.
We'll go see it later.
We're going to see a play?
Yes, but before we do that...
This ice cream is very popular right now.
I thought you might like it.
Yes! Yes! Yes! I love it!
So sweet!
Cold! Sweet! Cold!
My, you got some on your face.
The perfect amount of sweetness.
Your ice cream is dripping, Little Squirrel.
What a waste!
Enami Photography Studio
Miss, your expression is a bit too stiff.
I-I heard that photographs in this time period were really expensive.
This time period?
U-Umm... How much does this cost?
Ah, well, one photograph is 16 yen.
So cheap!
I mean...
Then, how does that convert into sukiyaki?
Huh?
You could buy 320 bowls of sukiyaki.
T-That much?!
I accidentally took the picture. That will be 16 yen.
You're so cute, Little Squirrel.
Amazing. It's a full house.
Kawakami Otojiro-san really must be popular.
So, what kind of play is this?
It is The Golden Demon by Ozaki Kouyou.
Huh, I feel like I've heard of that before...
It was recently serialized in the newspaper.
Have you read it, Little Squirrel?
No, I don't know what it's about.
It is a love-hate play depicting a tragic relationship between a man and a woman.
So it's not going to have a happy ending, then.
A happy ending? I'm surprised you would use English so casually.
Are you perhaps familiar with foreign plays, Little Squirrel?
No, not at all.
The only foreign plays I know about are...
Uhh... Just Romeo and Juliet, I guess.
Oh, that's impressive.
Isn't that by Shakespeare?
Shakespeare...
A-And I believe he also wrote Hamlet.
"To be or not to be, that is the question."
Shouldn't it be, "To live or not to live, that is the question,"
or something?
So that's how you translated that passage?
I-I didn't exactly translate it.
You replaced "to be" with "to live" and "not to be" with "not to live."
And I believe the passage after that is, "to die, to sleep,"
which means that to die is to sleep, so that is a very natural translation.
In fact, it's quite reasonable.
You are incredible, Little Squirrel!
Uh, sure.
Just how much must you impress me before you're content?
U-Um...
I'm grateful that you're pleased.
A diamond!
That is a diamond!
That is the 300 yen diamond that has captivated the heart of Omiya!
Three hundred yen for a diamond? That's cheap.
That's worth about sixty million bowls of sukiyaki.
T-That's so expensive!
Having been dazzled by a diamond,
Omiya chooses a rich suitor instead of her childhood friend Kanichi.
Our play begins with a disturbance along the beach of Atami.
What will the fate of these two people be?
Otojiro-san!
Otojiro-sama!
That man...
You went through all this just because you wanted to dance with me, didn't you?
That was him!
Kan'ichi-san! I... I...
I will never forget the moon on this night, even if I die.
And on this night next year, the year after that,
and even ten years from now,
the moon will surely be clouded with my tears.
On this night next year, huh?
Where will I be when that comes?
I can't believe there are buildings this tall in Asakusa.
Looks like it was a good idea to have you come out,
rather than staying stuck inside the mansion.
I thought the various stimuli might help you regain your memories.
He did this for me?
Umm, I...
It's fine. Take your time.
You are always welcome to stay at the mansion as you are now, if you'd like.
Now, let us go have the most exceptional lunch.
Okay!
This beefsteak is so good!
What is it?
I'm impressed by how skillfully you use the knife and fork.
Really?
I think I'm pretty average.
Take a look around you.
You eat the meat by piercing it with this rake.
Ouch! I stabbed the inside of my mouth!
This soup is delicious.
Table manners are not something that are mastered in a day.
And with that Shakespeare comment from before, you are truly a mysterious girl.
Mysterious?
I guess so.
I am sure you will be able to handle the formal presentation.
The formal presentation?
N-No way, I can't!
Why not?
You are fond of Shakespeare, you have mastered Western table manners,
and you enjoy food without hesitation. That makes you perfect.
I-I'm not so sure...
Believe in yourself.
You just need to remember your usual smile.
Now, eat up, eat up.
Okay, I will.
It's so good!
S-Sor— Sor— Sor—!
Well, well. What an unexpected surprise, Mori-sensei.
Eh? Eh?
It is, Arima-san.
I have not seen you since Senju's poetry party.
My daughter has been eagerly awaiting an invitation from you.
Shino, say hello.
Of course.
It has been quite some time. I am Shino.
It has indeed. I am pleased to see you are doing well.
And who would this young lady be, Mori-sensei?
My fiancée.
Fiancée?
Then... the rumors of your engagement are true?
Indeed they are true.
Pardon my rudeness,
but which noble family are you the daughter of?
She is not from any noble family.
You are planning to marry a commoner?
Yes. I was not attracted by her pedigree,
but rather by her soul.
Is that right?
Well, then, congratulations on such a well-mannered young lady.
Have a pleasant day.
Shall we get back to eating?
Hey, you.
Was it that bad?
Huh?
The beefsteak.
Oh, not at all.
It was incredibly good.
We should've invited you to come with us.
No, I'm not really familiar with formal table manners.
I wouldn't want to bring shame on Ougai-san.
I ended up bringing shame on him.
She was so pretty.
I wouldn't stand a chance against her.
Do I seem even a little bit like I should be Ougai-san's fiancée?
He was the youngest person to graduate from medical school.
Huh?
He studied abroad in Germany at government expense,
and much is expected of him in the future as an army official.
Moreover, he is highly valued in the literary world.
Ougai-san.
If such an incredible person is saying you're fine, isn't that enough?
What?
In your case, no matter what unreasonable demands you make,
I can tell that, unexpectedly, you have the fighting spirit to see things through.
Syunso-san...
Anyway, will you please stop doing that?
The more I look at everything...
Watching the river flow,
The strike of Shinonome...
You dropped your handkerchief, Miss.
Thank you for picking it up, but that is not mine.
My, pardon my rudeness.
To apologize for my mistake, will you join me for tea?
Excuse me?
Of course I would not mind if we go to a normal tea house or a romantic tea house.
What are you doing with your hand?
Sir, you really shouldn't underestimate a geisha.
And get lost.
Oh, no. My nails.
Huh? Haven't I seen you somewhere before?
Excuse me...
Please make me into a woman!
Huh?
You must have a reason.
All right then. Follow me.
Okay!
My name is Otoyakko.
Otoyakko-san! What a wonderful name!
You've got some spunk.
I was amazed when you asked me to make you a woman.
Thank you very much!
I wasn't exactly praising you.
You are such a strange girl.
Yes, I get that a lot.
Meiji Tokyo Renka
Next Episode Preview
Long Road to Becoming a Fiancée
Come on now!
How many times do I have to tell you to prop the tip
of the bottle up with your left hand when pouring alcohol?!
Sir, please have one!