I'm sorry Akira but Ohsugi is fine and he totally backstabbed you too!
Minnie: I’ve been gone all day because well, I went to City Walk to watch Star Trek. I know it’s been out a while but I’ve been busy. After seeing it, I am really upset about not knowing more about Star Trek earlier. I know names. I know that it’s in outer space. That’s about it. Am I going to be obsessed with Star Trek as I am with Death Note or Harry Potter? Unlikely. Will I look up more info on it? Yes! XD Oh wait. This is a post about Eden of the East isn’t it? Why am I talking about Star Trek again? 
On to the episode and hopefully, a lot more Sakira~ Gosh, I love that couple. ^___^
Minnie’s Overall Rating for Episode: 7/10
Minnie’s Anticipation for Next Episode: 8/10
Thoughts: I hate Ohsugi. I don’t hate him because he caused Akira a billion yen for his safety and then backstabbed him without knowing it. I don’t hate him because he’s being a hater on my Sakira pairing. I don’t hate him because he’s such a sore loser about the whole Saki showing little interest in him. I don’t hate him because he’s not manly at all and can’t move on. I don’t hate him because he refuses to show up to meetings with his Eden of the East group because of one person. I don’t hate him because he called Akira a criminal. Why do I hate him then? I hate him because he thinks Akira will hurt Saki! BASTARD! Akira will never ever hurt Saki. He went out of his way for Saki with the detective. He went out of his way to save SAKI’s friend. He is helping Saki’s group succeed! And now Ohsugi thinks he will hurt Saki? Evidence where? Idiot! You’re jealous! Why can’t you admit it?! I will even let you get away with saying Akira stole Saki from you but him hurting Saki?! *throws tomatoes everywhere* *breathes in* I’m done. Sorry for the rant….
In-Depth Fangirling:
Is this some delicious Shiratori fanservice for us? I hope not. I really hope that this dream is foreshadowing something in the future or has meaning of some sort. If it’s just here to show Shiratori breaking Johnny well… we already knew that a few episodes ago. What an interesting dream though. Akira, why is your mind on Johnny all the time? 
A bit of Sakira for us fans~ I’m sad that Saki has to lie to Akira about the whole Shiratori and wings thing. Maybe it’s because Saki has a hard time accepting that the beautiful, older lady was bandaging Akira up without any clothing on? Maybe? That must be it! She doesn’t want to admit to Akira about her feelings when she saw him with Shiratori. Blah! I’m tired. Help me Sakira fans? 
As much as I hate Ohsugi, I have to agree with him on this one. He could have done anything… anywhere… yet all his friends overreacted and assumed the worst. Still, it doesn’t help that he didn’t show any appreciation to any of them for going out of their way and at the risk of their own lives to save him. Ungrateful bastard.
Yes, you were drinking over your poor, little heartache while everyone was running around to rescue you! Why are his friends feeling bad about it in this picture? Okay, Ohsugi, you can stop now. We all know you’re sad and heartbroken and stuff but can you grow up a little? Why are you lashing out on your friend for assuming the worst? Friends do that. Couples do that. It’s natural. Gosh. He must still be in hangover or something >__> 
Ohsugi! I know he’s a bit careless for not taking you home that day but at least he’s been more helpful these past few episodes than you are! And what is with that attitude and temper? You act like you’re the only one with problems. You act like everything revolves around you because you’re the most important member of this Eden of the East team. What do you even do? How come you’re calling all the shots?
Jealous much? It’s showing. Let’s see. What do you do on this team so far? Nothing. What has Akira done? I don’t know. Make a nice business deal with everyone and offer his help? Help Saki out multiple times? Play with Micchon so she can lighten up a little? Try to get along with everybody? Help the world with his money? Oh yeah. He tried to rescue you. Of course none of that means anything…
Poor work ethics is poor work ethics. How about when Eden of the East succeed global we don’t give him any of the profit? How does that sound? He didn’t do anything and he doesn’t even want to show up for meetings now because of one person and his *gasp* manly pride. How does that sound? Even better, let’s just forget him unless he manages to get drunk in the alley again. Actually, if he does, let’s search for his bag instead. It’s more useful than he is. >___>
Is it just me or is Akira looking better and better? Even Saki is staring… o___O
Ohsugi wishes he has a nice body like Akira. Look at that jealous look on his face. It’s so pathetic. Maybe if you actually help out a little and not cause trouble for everyone, you will become more reliable. Then, you might win Saki over? Maybe? Besides looks, do you have anything over Akira? Hm. Let’s think about it for a second. Nothing. Oh wait. You know Saki longer than Akira but I bet you didn’t know she had a crush on her brother-in-law. She told Akira that. There you go. Years of friendship that don’t really matter when it comes to relationships thrown out the window. Anything else?
I like how when Akira talks, Saki is listening to his every word. Remember that train scene? She didn’t look like she was listening to Ohsugi at all. All she did was stare off into space and nod a couple of times. Instead of hating on Akira, maybe you should learn a thing or two from Akira?
The real question is- why do you want to know? The sad part is Ohsugi didn’t even want to know more Akira because of the Eden of the East group. He did it out of pure jealousy over Saki. If Akira were a suspicious character but not interested in Saki, I bet you anything Ohsugi wouldn’t give a damn. >__>
Poor Shiratori. She’s wasting so much money. At least, she’s a better character than Ohsugi…
^______________^ I love Akira. Yes, I’m bias. I’m jumping between hate and love in this entry. XD Please don’t mind me! <3
I don’t know why but wouldn’t these two look extremely good together as a couple? Forget the chemistry. Forget the interactions. Forget all that happen between them. If I look at this scene alone and how they look together, I would totally love them as a couple. I think it’s the contrast in hair color and clothing. ^^
This Itazu has a nickname that I can never come up with and I’m the Queen at making random nicknames for all my friends! ^_^
Nice way to act cool like always Akira. XD But you’re acting a bit too suspicious. Such a cutie~
Micchon makes the cutest faces. >//////< I love it! ^___________^ 
Why does Saki look so happy with Akira around? 
She also looks very happy to accompany Micchon and Akira to Panties. I love how Saki volunteers herself to go with them when she didn’t have to. Of course, we all know it’s because she wants to stay with Akira to keep an eye on him. ^^
For some reason, I have a feeling that even if Akira is a swindler, he won’t leave a gap. Or at least not one that anyone can see just because he’s Akira and he’s smart like that. ^^
Akira has been around and with so many names. So many people know him or at least know his names. I don’t know about you guys but this mysterious factor makes Akira hotter. XD More on the positive side, it means that Akira is an outgoing person even before his memory wipe. I am hoping that Akira wasn’t that different before episode 1. I really do. He’s awesome the way he is. ^^
First, they look at Micchon to show respect…
Then, while Micchon is explaining the situation about Panties, they immediately turn attention to each other as if asking each other mentally for something. I was so gleeful when I saw this. I know I’m a crazy shipper and probably no one else saw this but me. Seriously though, it’s so cute! Okay. Stop with the fangirling for a second. This Panties guy sounds amusing already with that line alone. I totally want to tell my mom that since my only pair of slacks blew away, I would stay home for the rest of my life. XD
PERFECT COUPLE. >////< I love this shot so much I forgot what I originally wanted to say when I took this screen shot! <33333333333 Sakira ~ !
Is it just me or is Saki taking more peeks at Akira than usual after the whole Shiratori thing? =3
I like this scene and this angle a lot. This talk about how they may be the dangerous ones got me thinking about how Akira might be the same… it’s kind of scary yet exciting at the same time. I can’t wait to see how this story unfolds within 3 episodes ^_^
I know this is a trivial question but where did Saki get that coat and scarf? Wasn’t she wearing pink earlier? o_O I’m so lost. Can someone explain this to me? Thanks! More importantly, Saki looks pretty in a scarf and Micchon looks so comfortable in her clothes too~
Oh right. Saki is just here because they want her to check on Akira’s mail… cell phone… riiiight. Saki, us fans know why you’re actually here. 
These two should be sisters. They are so cute together. Oh oh! How about Micchon be the daughter and Akira be the daddy and Saki the mommy? =3 XD In all seriousness though, Saki seems like a good sister figure. Well, I wouldn’t mind if Micchon be the older sister and Saki the younger one… ^^;;
Straight to the point. I like this guy. 
I think I already mention that Micchon make cute faces yes? Akira, you should move closer to Saki secretly~ It’s too bad that thanks to the plot, Saki and Akira can’t go buy those magazines together and leave Micchon behind instead… Wait. That’s actually not safe. Never mind!
Akira proves to us that he is still the same smart character from a few episodes back. Here, he is trying to lure Panties out with interesting information about himself. You know what they say. You have to tell someone something about yourself first if you want to know somebody better. Akira really knows how to socialize… that persuasive person that he is. XP
………… Panties know something we don’t! Explain please?!
Can someone do me a favor and shoot Ohsugi, the ungrateful bastard? Sigh. I understand his concerns. I really do. Akira really is a suspicious character. BUT I am not forgiving you! Akira has done everything in his power these past seven episodes to win the audience over with his charm and intelligence and bravery. You haven’t done anything but look like an emotional idiot, Ohsugi. What an annoying character you are and what a Sakira hater!
Next episode, what will this guy do to Micchon?! He seems like a nice character at least…
What an interesting shot… and conversation… what does it all mean?
I believe my rant up there about Ohsugi is enough for today. I’m sorry for all the bashing and fangirling mixture for this review. Like always, if you don’t agree, you may disagree but if you say it in a rude manner, I will either ignore you and delete your comment. Fangirling is fun. I enjoy doing it. If you don’t like it, don’t read my post. I’m not going to mention names but you know who you are. For everyone else, thank you for reading my Eden of the East posts (especially those who follow them). I spend hours on these so I hope we can fangirl together. ^_____^
P.S. Someone needs to make a Sakira fanclub somewhere… T__T
I liked Star Trek.
And, I’m going to be not as big a fan of Akira as you (while I do know where your coming from), and say: he’s just acting for what he think is right, and safest for Saki. It’s not his fault he has NO CLUE what’s going on about the Selecao and that stuff. And why Saki MUST be with Takizawa, especially after this episode.
As a follow up… I don’t like Ohsugi. I don’t like how he’s acting so emotional, but I do understand it… I think.
As for his actions reguarding trying to split Saki and Akira, I don’t fault him whatsoever.
Sheesh. Ohsugi is so ughhh. I can’t stand him being pessimistic and tsuntsun also because he’s in the way of Sakira! D: But then again, it’s not really his fault that he’s such a clueless guy who goes on overseeing things. *shrugs*
Aside from him being an Akira-hater, I’m annoyed at Ohsugi for being such a baby about everything. So Saki likes someone else, so what? Although, I am curious as to what he saw. It looks like the part of the mall where Akira “hid” the 20k NEETs but I’m not too sure.. I’m thinking it’s a different one? Maybe even more proof concerning Takizawa and Careless Monday? If so, then instead of his attempt at ruining Takizawa’s image, he helped him instead (in regaining his memories)..
Oh, and do you think he might kill Takizawa later on?? Given his obvious dislike towards the guy and a certain future episode title I saw somewhere.. Do you think he would do it? CAN he even do it? :/
(And sorry if this isn’t allowed, since it is a bit spoilerish. Please delete at will.)
I think things were all okay until I saw that female Selecao member spread her wings from the building. o_O.
Grrr Ohsugi. He’s done nothing but get in the way of Sakira ever since he showed up in this show. Calling her consistently and making Akira think he’s her boyfriend, asking Saki out on a date, making everyone think he was captured by a serial killer, making Saki feel guilty, and now he’s trying to make Akira into a criminal!! But you know what? Even if Akira was a criminal in the past, Saki would still love him, because she met him post-memory wipe and to her that’s his true self
!
Anyways, a good episode! Did you rate it 7/10 because it wasn’t as exciting, or because it was so Ohsugi-centric? Just curious.
A turtle-neck with a hoodie! Only Akira could make that look sexy. Saki thinks so too, that’s why she can’t stop staring lol. His clothing is darker now, which really complements her pastel and beige kind of outfits. Along with having amazing chemistry together and a lot of interesting experiences to build up a relationship, they’re also a pleasing pair to look at.
I found the glint in Akira’s eyes at the end of the episode to be almost bad-guyish. Like he was using the EoTE group for their technological connections or something. Which he might be on some level, but only to help save the world, I’m sure.
Panties’ glinty eyes shot made me laugh though. He somehow reminded me of a hamster and I couldn’t help myself
.
I apologize, and I hope I’m not being rude here, but I can’t resist not to comment on that:
At least, she’s a better character than Ohsugi…”
“Poor Shiratori. She’s wasting so much money.
So you believe that being a mass murderer, who murders by one of the most gruesome possible way to murder can be considered better, than a character who’s only fault is to be infatuated and with a girl (and jealous about her possible BF), who’s not confident enough to clearly say him “Not interested”?
Since when is being jealous and being infatuated, is a bigger crime than mass-murdering?
*Edit* … to be infatuated with a girl. (The “and” is unintentional).
To Koala: Point taken and of course after all this, Sakira must happen. ^^ It’s too teasing~
To kirapika: I can see you don’t Ohsugi either. For me, it’s not that he’s clueless; it’s that he can’t control his emotions. Despite him being the same age, Saki manages to always act mature in situations like this but Ohsugi fails to do so. I am not going to take the girls are more mature argument here because at this age, he should know better. In conclusion, clueless is okay; not thinking thoroughly (?) is not okay.
To Trei: Ohsugi really is a baby. I agree. About the rest of your comment, I am also interested in that too. What could have before mind wipe Akira could have done to cause him to call his group and say all that stuff? Hopefully, they won’t leave us hanging and answer in the next episode. Also, if it’s really that area in the mall, why haven’t Akira check it out if he wants his memory back so badly? I’m pretty sure getting his memory back won’t be that easy =/ If Ohsugi does kill Akira, all Eden of the East fans will mass murder him with our fanart and fanfiction. ^__^
To foomafoo: A moment of disbelief yes. foomafoo, where have you been?!
To NocandNC: Your paragraph on Ohsugi basically summarizes it <3 I hope Saki will also stay true to Akira no matter what but you never know with these kind of anime.
I gave the episode a lower rating than normal because it was Ohsugi-centric and it was a build up episode. ^^ Both of the characters look amazing this episode! I’m like YES when I saw Akira change clothes! It’s about time he had a change of wardrobe. ^^ And it looks so nice with his skin like you said too~ The glints in the eyes made me think of Death Note <3 so I was happy and slightly curious about what will happen. Now that you mention it, he does look sort of like a hamster? XD
To izmosmolnar: One, it’s not rude so thank you for that and two, it’s a valid question. No need to apologize. You have stepped in territories that will make me go on a rant for hours if you asked me this question to me in person. Hopefully, I won’t write an essay in regards to your question but if you find this answer too long, you can just ignore it. XD My answer:
You see. I’m a writer first and an anime watcher/everything else second. When it comes to making characters or liking a character based on how interesting they are, it does not matter if they morally good or morally bad. In fiction nowadays, most characters are not even black and white anymore! They are mostly gray so that they don’t seem too righteous or too villainous. Most good characters can do horrible things and most bad characters can do good deeds too. These are the rules of making 3-dimensional characters.
In other words, whether you find a character interesting or not does not matter if he or she are on the good side or not. Here is a classic example for me. In Monster, the main villain is Johan. At the mention of his name or even at the sight of him, I cringe because I know someone is going to die or at least he will attempt to murder someone. But do I list him at the bottom of my list? No. Actually, he’s at the very top of my list (3rd place actually) because he is very interesting. You can’t help but notice him. You can’t help but remember his name. There are a lot of characters in Monster that I don’t care about and I don’t care to remember their name. They just didn’t make an impact on me. Johan did, even if it’s in a twisted way possible. And look at it this way- Johan killed a lot more people than Shiratori did and without even a righteous justification like her. But he is one of the most well-written, beautiful villain I have met in a long time (my writer instincts go insane just thinking about him) and I am still waiting for a new anime with a villain that will give me that Johan feeling again. It’s too bad Shiratori fall short by being a sympathetic character.
In summary, you need to remember that liking/finding a character in anime/tv shows/cartoon/fiction is never the same as in real life. Half of my favorite anime characters of all time I would never even talk to in real life. In fiction, it all changes. You can like crazy characters like Morita from Honey and Clover. You can like a mass murderer like Shiratori. Why don’t I like Ohsugi? There’s a million Ohsugi in the anime world. Sure, they don’t look the same or act completely the same but they’re similar enough. Ohsugi is a bland character. We know nothing about him aside from his crush on Saki. Shiratori has so much more going for her (we know a hell lot more about her in two episodes or so than him in seven) so yeah, she’s more interesting. For Ohsugi, he has two roles. A character that is created just to be a wedge between Sakira? A plot device? Sorry. Not interesting. I hope you can understand where I’m coming from.
Sorry again if I ranted too much. ^^
What appeals to me about having Ohsugi in the story is that he’s the conventional guy fitting into social norms. He might as well be the pinnacle of the anti-NEET, a future salary-man who will work hard and capably rise through the ranks. He’s in love with Saki. It’s as though he represents Society and how things are supposed to be.
Akira is the opposite, unconstrained by social norms and mores. Without having earned it, he has a lot of money and the amazing Juiz at his bidding. He has no past. He is not part of an established family — there’s no context for him to acting out of respect for his ancestors and keeping his family name in good standing. Even worse, he seems to use any made-up name that suits him. On the face of it, he is asocial … and possibly dangerously antisocial. You can’t really guess what he might do.
The plot in episode 8 brings Saki to this wonderful crossroads. Go straight, make the conventional choices, marry Ohsugi, and fit in. Or veer off and share a future with Akira, possibly choosing disaster? On the face of it, these are the two opposites. If she is governed by social conventions, Ohsugi is the appropriate choice. However, many of us are hoping, she will be guided by her heart towards the more dangerous choice.
Do you own a blog, Faded Love? If you do, I won’t hesitate to read your blog entries on your thoughts on these episodes. I never thought of it that way and I am sort of sad to say that I should since I’m a writer and all. I love the way you state it. The thing is Saki already seems bored in Ohsugi’s presence and we see more often than not, excited around Akira. It’s that thrill of meeting someone new and slightly dangerous. But when it comes down to it by the end, who will she choose? Or more like which direction will she choose? I like to say that she will either choose her old lifestyle with her family or Akira instead of Ohsugi vs Akira but it’s basically the same idea I guess. Thank you for the comment!
I agree with some of your points. However I believe, it is a bit misleading then, since “better” means superior (greater in excellence, higher in quality, more desirable etc) which I would never say on Diana if we compare it with Oosugi.
Maybe it’s because I’m a male, and I’m shivering on the thought about her perverted fetish, and by frequently doing that (I kinda mean like she sickly orgasms on such gruesome things while her “partner” is on the verge to die), IMHO she shouldn’t be never considered “superior” than Average Joe Oosugi, who couldn’t even harm a fly directly.
Unless Saki tells him to piss off, I reckon he is behaving like a huge percentage of the blindly in love normal males in the real world, while on the other Diana (even before she became a Selecao) commits far “worse” (note: it is the antonym of “better”) things than 99.x% of the ladies around the world.
I wouldn’t have said anything, if you say like “I still like her better than Oosugi” or “Diana is still more entertaining than Oosugi” or “Oosugi is still much more disappointing”, but phrasing it like “Diana is better character than Oosugi”, kinda implies like one could consider her more human than Oosugi, despite that the former probably has multiple severe unstable mental issues while the other is your Average Joe.
. I hope you can understand the gist of what I’m trying to say.
I know Oosugi is boring, because he doesn’t stand out in anything (+harms SakixAkira pairing), and Diana is a lot more interesting and original from a lot more perspectives, but that doesn’t necessarily means she is a “better” human
Yes I can understand what you’re saying and I apologize for my wording. It can be misleading and this is not the first time I have done such a thing. I don’t mean it to be she’s a better human being because you can’t really compare people like this. However, since it is a word of fiction, you can of course like certain characters better than others based on how unique and original they are and such.
I guess in summary, here it is: I like Shiratori better as a character than Ohsugi because she’s more interesting.
What a long comment up there Minnie. I pretty much agree with everything you said in regards to characters but you don’t have to be a writer to know that. Maybe that is why I still love Quinn so much.
Anyways, this episode is slow and boring compared to the last one but I have a feeling the next episode will make up for it. Good blog entry like always Minnie!
Thanks, Minnie, you are so thoughtful. I am blogless, for better or worse. On Saki, yes, that’s the way I see it also: “… which direction will she choose?”
To izmosmolnar, am agreeing that Ohsugi is probably pretty boring, though not a bad person. I see that as part of his chosen path, more than his personality per se… perhaps.
I also think he is having some wonderment over why he’s not winning over Saki. He’s doing everything right, so why isn’t this important piece of his life falling into place? He’s thinking, “I’m doing everything exactly right, exactly to plan and the problem here is… Akira!”
And I never tire of Akira. The man is a marvel. For example, his first words after being wounded and gaining consciousness? “How is Ohsuga??? ”
Saki, please get a move on here.
@Minnie, things are getting harder on the real life so I think of going into an indefinite hiatus. I’m afraid to start of something I won’t be able to finish so I’ll posting every now and then if I’ll have the time to spare. Good luck to the Brigade
@topic, Ohsugi might just be frustrated since Saki preferred someone she just knew when Ohsugi must have been around since their college years. Seems unfair to me as well
Although, he can also blame himself because he didn’t do immediate action XD
Yuusha-Oh Pantsu!
Don’t think Itazu will be doing much yelling over the next three episodes, though. Sounds a lot like his Viral voice.
There is this most wonderful obsession in Japan and in the Far East generally with high quality 2-channel audio. For those who might care (possibly only one of us o.O) here’s a shot in the East of Eden office of what I think is a classic Denon turntable: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3371/3579749479_371d83e7ed.jpg?v=0 It’s a vintage item I think judging from the wood plinth and that large headshell on the tonearm. Beautiful. I keep looking for shots that might include their collection of vinyl LPs.
Here’s another screen shot. I’m not sure what all of this electronic equipment is, but notice the “SALE Y3,000″ price tag on the device in the background? http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3595/3580561602_0c3b93113c.jpg?v=0 Actually there are a number of items in Eden HQ with “Sale” tags hanging on them — like on the floor lamp and the rice cooker(?) in Minnie’s frames above. What’s that about? Did I miss something?
To Faded Love: I wonder if they’re selling those to pay off a couple of bills? Thank you for all that info!
Being blogless can be fun too. XD Though if you do make one, let me know
Anyways, thanks for pointing out that the first thing Akira says after he wakes up is if Ohsugi is all right. If only Ohsugi knew about it… would he still be as jealous crazy?
To foomafoo: I am SOOO sorry to hear that! I hope you come back soon and less busy.
Good luck in whatever you’re doing though!
To Shay Guy: LMAOOOOOOOOOO! :p
Hmm…although I am an Akira fan, I actually kind of don’t hate Ohsugi as much as you guys seem to. Yes Ohsugi did do all of those backstabbing-like activities. But you have to realise human nature often prohibits us from perfect rationality, and so Ohsugi’s awareness of Akira may be limited. He probably doesn’t have all the information he needs to make any informed conclusions, and so he bases himself off of assumptions of Akira being a bad guy, trying to steal Saki etc. Well, maybe I am just a bit open-minded.
But here’s an amv I saw recently that was very pro-Ohsugi/Saki. o_O
http://www.dynamictube.com/youtube/micchon/ohsugi-belongs-with-micchon=C-XJzWmgbWw.html