One Pound Gospel - Round Three

Plot: Surprise surprise! Kousaku is 11kg overweight for his upcoming match against someone so completely inconsequential to the plot that Sister Angela doesn't even take tea at his house. While out for a run with the bitchy boxers (who are assuming collective responsibility for failing to stop him from snacking), Kousaku ends up crashing the charity bazaar at the convent. Sister Angela knitted a muffler, and naturally, he wants it, lovestruck fool that he is. She could've told him she'd knitted them all and made a fortune.

Alas, the muffler in question has already been sold, to Ishizaka of all people! The cad! He and Kousaku end up wrecking the bazaar in their struggle, involving the latter's surprising offer to knit a duplicate, the demise of several loaves of bread, and a giant pink bunny head making a guest appearance from episode 7 of Yukan Club. Consequently, Kousaku gets banned from the convent. Cue much sulking and resentment towards Ishizaka, which is fine since he's not particularly likable anyway.

The sulking and strangulation attempts get interrupted by the unexpected arrival of brat #2, a.k.a. Yoshihiko, as played by the tiny guy with the massive lungs, Yuri Chinen. (Two guys from Hey!Say!JUMP in the same show? Is this the wave of the future? I want a KAT-TUN guest appearance!) He immediately goes for Kousaku, pointed out to him as the strongest guy in the gym by Katsumi, but doesn't manage to land a single punch.  He's trying to look all tough, and claims he never loses a brawl, which means he should be allowed to join the gym. Hmm. Let me think about this. Middle school kid mixing with a bunch of pros? I think not. And so does the chairman, right up until the new equipment the kid's father sent arrives.

Meanwhile, Sister Angela gets told off for seeing Kousaku. Kousaku gets told off for eating. And with this, the main plot of the episode is firmly established.

Not unexpectedly, Yoshihiko can't keep up with the training and doesn't want to clean up afterwards. Naturally, the boxers take bets on how long he'll last, and none of them are optimistic. Kousaku only wants him for his money, because money -> food, and Yoshihiko takes the opportunity to target him while he's eating. The kid made a deal with his dad - if he can land a punch on the strongest boxer in the gym, he's allowed to take up boxing. Kousaku is saved by his own gluttony and greed.

Out for a run, Kousaku spots Sister Angela on her bike and gives chase, followed by Yoshihiko and the chairman. The latter two get into a fight of sorts while the nun breaks Kousaku's heart (again) by telling him she's not allowed to see him anymore. Because, you know, nuns can't date. Seiko tries to teach the brat a lesson but ends up doing her back in and going to hospital. Katsumi is at school when the news breaks - not feeling too happy as bullies have stolen his street shoes. I'd like to say this makes me feel sorry for him.

Actually, maybe it does. Just a little. He's much more likable than Yoshihiko, which doesn't mean a lot, and doesn't come off as sleazy, at least!

In Seiko's hospital room, the guys from the gym are so used to thinking of her as one of them (or some sort of divine, wrathful being) that they totally miss the implications when she says she wants to change clothes. Namely, get out of the room. Light dawns eventually, leaving her alone with Sister Angela, from whom she extracts a promise to watch over Kousaku while he trains so he doesn't eat on the sly. He's given his word that he won't, but the word of that gluttonous boxer is worth less than the price of an onigiri.

Kousaku finally finds out that he's being targeted by Yoshihiko, because of course, he hadn't noticed at all. The boxers gang up on the brat and tough-talk him a bit, so Kousaku takes the opportunity to ask his beloved nun to dinner. No luck there. Try asking her for something that's not food-related, boy!

A frustrated Yoshihiko vows to hit Kousaku no matter what, but our favourite binge-eating boxer is defended by Katsumi, of all people. This renews Yoshihiko's campaign to hit Kousaku when he's distracted by food, and so he offers him forbidden goodies when they're out running. Luckily, Sister Angela cycles up just in time to scarf it herself, saving Kousaku from temptation and seriously frustrating the brat.

Kousaku is thrilled to be training with the woman he loves and works ten times as hard as before, but the other guys at the gym feel a little odd having a nun watching over them. Although Sister Angela is impressed by Kousaku's dedication, she still doesn't love him, despite his efforts to be a better boyfriend by actually asking questions to find out about her, like favourite colour and so on, and more importantly - does she like sweets? Who knows, but she's happy to eat sweets so that Kousaku doesn't have to.

Food = love in this series, as bunny-shaped apple pieces provide a lovely moment for Seiko and Mitaka in the hospital.

Back at the gym, and Kousaku's so starved he's practically animalistic. Yoshihiko badly mistimes his attack and ends up on the floor, reminding me of nothing so much as that weird little alien assassin that tried to kill Octane when he and Sandstorm were having lunch during 'Starscream's Ghost'. Same bad timing, same comical mishaps.

A ravenous Kousaku does his fish impression, slumped over the kitchen table with his mouth opening and closing as in the background, Mitaka explains to Sister Angela just what boxers and superheroes have in common. As she leaves, she gives Kousaku a locket with a cross on it to help him stay strong and focused in her absence, and keep away from the food!

Alas, this is not to be. Seiko is sprung from the hospital, so no more nun in the gym, and Kousaku, who has progressed to serious misery and appears to be wearing eyeliner in bed, discovers he's shut in with more food than he could ever hope to eat. It's Yoshihiko's doing, of course - he plans to hit Kousaku when he's gorging himself, but Ueda(?) intervenes, freeing Kousaku...but not before he's started comfort-eating. Not that it's given him much comfort, because he's crying. (The downside of this series is that I was absolutely starving while watching, but felt way too guilty to eat anything!)

Seiko and the gang lecture Yoshihiko, who has no concept of boxing as serious business and can't see past his own selfish desires. A thoroughly abashed Kousaku tries to take all the blame, which Ishizaka is quick to agree with, leading to an argument with Kojima. Essentially, everyone treats Kousaku as some sort of idiotic creature who cannot help eating food when he's anywhere near it, and so should not be left alone. It's very sad. He tried so hard to resist temptation, but lovelorn misery pushed him over the edge.

Sister Angela is furious (in a restrained way) with Kousaku and walks out, and it takes a pep talk from Mitaka to persuade Kousaku that perhaps he can lose the weight in time for the match after all. He opens the locket to find...a photo of Seiko making a peace sign?

An invigorated Kousaku throws himself back into training and working up a serious sweat. I suspect hanging out for extended periods at my local branch of Woolworths would have the same effect. He passes the weigh-in, though only just, and promptly falls off the scale from hunger. Seiko and Mitaka ruffle his hair like proud parents, and offer to take him for food. They make an adorably cute family. Let the boxers adopt Katsumi - he'll fit right in - and his mother can adopt Kousaku instead.

Kousaku fervently hopes that the woman of his dreams will turn up to watch the match, which she does, as Katsumi, who has suddenly become an ambassador for the forces of good, goes to invite her. Yoshihiko is also going to watch but gets into one of those really stupid fights with some random thugs, getting Katsumi and Sister Angela involved. She does her best to save him, but the thugs are thrilled to have a nun to play with, especially a pretty one, and Katsumi-the-pacifist runs to fetch Kousaku to help.

Yoshihiko, to his credit, tries to help Sister Angela, but can't even help himself. Maybe the height difference was too much for him. Kousaku arrives, pretty much ignores the thugs completely so he can apologise to the Sister, then gets beaten up by them. Horribly.

It's not that he can't take them. But just as he's about to return fire, Sister Angela commands him not to hit them, and there's only so much grappling he can do. As stated earlier in the episode, a pro's punch is a deadly weapon. Kousaku can't hit amateurs, not if it can be avoided, and after all the punishment he takes in training, getting beaten up by a few idiots is nothing. He makes it back in time for the match, having defended his lady and a couple of kids, and little does he know it but Yoshihiko, Katsumi and Sister Angela now all think he's cool. Of course, he only cares about the opinion of one of these people...

A much better-behaved Yoshihiko thanks everyone for taking care of him, and vows to return to the gym when he graduates. Everyone's good impression lasts just as long as it takes him to say he's taking back all the new equipment. Cue lots of wailing. They'll kill him if he ever dares to show his face around there again.

Katsumi's school is clearly a hotbed of bullying. Why do I get the feeling we're leading up to him deciding to do more than just walk on by?

Kousaku is energized and joyful as he runs, not slowing down even when Sister Angela rides away from him. The poor girl's troubled, wondering why her heart gets confused when she sees Kousaku. Now, anyone who watches him eat would probably develop a case of heartburn, but I'm sure that's not what she's referring to...

Obligatory Kame commentary: Kame nearly made me cry this week. While stuffing his face. Misery and food are a winning combination, clearly, as I wanted to stop him comfort-eating and give him a big hug. He was so angsty!

Best scene: Any moment where Kousaku is completely oblivious to Yoshihiko's attacks. I love that kind of physical comedy. Runner-up place goes to the gym guys not registering that Seiko is female and therefore would like them to get the hell out of the room when she wants to change clothes.

Conclusion: There was a lot about fighting this week, but not specific matches, more like the theory behind it. Combine Yoshihiko's bratty attempts to effectively ruin Kousaku for his own purposes (I know he didn't mean to, but still...) with Kousaku's obsessive love for Sister Angela, and you end up with a much darker episode than the previous two. If Kousaku was out and stalking with a vengeance before, now he's internalising it all, curling up and crying in the dark and so on. The guy's got some serious problems, and I find this completely heartbreaking.