Marimite 4th 08: Another Year, Same Drama

Sachiko invites the roses and their petite-soeur to her home for a female-only New Year's Party....
EPISODE 08: The Other Side of the Clouded Glass
More Screencaps from Maria-sama ga Miteru 4th Season 08
New Year's Day is coming up but Yumi is still not over what happened with Touko. By Sachiko's orders, all of the roses are tiptoeing over the topic. Meanwhile, Yumi spends Christmas break moping around the house when she gets an invite from her beloved onee-sama. It looks like Sachiko and her mother are hosting a female-only New Year's Day party at the Ogasawara Mansion. She invites Yumi and the other girls -- yes, Touko included -- but warns Yumi that Touko might not even come. At the invitation, Yumi brightens up considerably.
On her way to Sachiko's house, Yumi buys some street vendor foodstuff presumably for Sachiko's mom, before she takes the train. Noriko ends up on the same train and she and Yumi have a heart-to-heart talk about the Touko situation wherein the younger girl reveals that Touko does not really hate Yumi. Big surprise for Yumi there.
At the station, Shimako catches up with the two of them and together they make their way to Sachiko's house. This is apparently the first time that Noriko's ever been to the Ogasawara Mausoleum -- err, I mean, Mansion -- so she goes slack-jawed at the sight of the massive gates alone. Sachiko is a hot mint grin kimono greets them once they are inside. They then make their way to the foyer where Rei and Yoshino with Sachiko's mom, Sayako, are waiting.
Dinner and some non-alcoholic drinks are served. Then, someone rings at the door and Yumi looks up hopefully, only to find out that it's only the sushi guy. She realizes then that Touko is never coming. Everyone just looks at her with sympathetic faces. Later, Sayako cheers everybody up with some traditional Japanese games. Shimako with her Buddhist background shines in the first game while the Rosa Chinensis family goes for the win with a sort of "dare" game.
However, even though Yumi is having fun and thinking that she is fortunate to have such good friends, she feels that something is missing. Yoshino provides it for her: the missing part is a petite-soeur. According to the Rosa Foetida en Bouton, Yumi has been building this imaginary room in her heart for a petite-soeur but since Touko rejected her, it means that room is now empty.
Yumi reflects on Yoshino's little speech while she is in the bath. Later, when the girls are preparing for bed, Yumi does that paper thing that Sachiko did in the prior seasons -- the one where she would write down something on a piece of paper and slip it under the pillow as a sort of good luck charm so that the first dream she will have on New Year's Day is a good one. Everyone mimics the tradition. But that night, Yumi's dream is anything but pleasant: it's Touko but she's standing behind a clouded glass and no matter how mcuh Yumi tries to wipe it clean, the glass on Touko's side remains foggy, making Yumi unable to see her clearly.
The next day, everyone says their goodbyes. As Yumi is making her way home, she thinks about Touko and considers asking Kashiwagi for help on the matter. But she checks herself, sensing that Touko won't appreciate it if she went around her back. At the opening of the new school year, Yumi and Shimako are in front of the Maria statue when they see Touko approach. There is a tense moment as Touko stares down a nervous-looking Yumi. But then to Yumi's surprise, Touko smiles and greets her "Gokingenyou" as though nothing ever happened between them. Too shocked to say anything else, Yumi can only greet her back, all the while thinking that Touko has totally forgotten the whole incident.

COMMENTS:

Well, it looks like the next episode is gonna be about Rei and Yoshino so I guess Yumi's going to be depressed for a while. Especially since Touko doesn't seem to be in any better mood in the previews.

What I thought about this episode? So-so. I mean, yeah, kimono and that "take-off-your-clothes" scene with Sachiko and Yumi, while admittedly hot, didn't do a thing for me.

Maybe I'm just tired. It's 12:35 a.m. today and I've got an early day tomorrow (or should I say today?) and the thought of early days always make me feel tired. It's a psychological reaction kind of thing.

But I gotta say, I don't like to see Yumi so depressed. I like her better when she was acting all giddy and disgustingly cute around Sachiko.

Also, Shimako and Noriko need to have a sub-plot. I don't care what it is. It's just that it's so sad to see the White Rose relegated to side character status. I mean, this is Sei's Rose family for god's sake!