Orange - Episode 6 (Review)

By: Mithrandiel[yasr_multiset setid=11] The school festival has arrived, and budding lovebirds Naho and Kakeru continue to investigate their feelings for one another while their excited friends look on.Kakeru grows more bold as he asks Naho about which of the guys in their group she would want to ask her out, until Azu and Takako turn the tables on him and ask him the same question. Of course he declines to answer, leaving the awkward teenagers alone with their mutual feelings for one another.Naho and Kakeru are both excited to watch the fireworks together, but each face their own obstacles as the night approaches.Kakeru is still unsure of whether or not it's okay that he likes Naho, given Suwa's feelings for her. Suwa once again demonstrates his status as ultimate bro and all-around awesome guy as he encourages Kakeru to move forward -Meanwhile, a still bitter Ueda attempts to sabotage Naho's date with Kakeru by assigning her a meaningless task to make her late for their date. Luckily, Azu and Takako come to the rescue again and send Naho on her way.Rushing to Kakeru's side, Naho watches the fireworks with him as he shares the importance of their time together.Following a perfectly memorable and happy evening, Naho gets a gut-punch the next morning as she reviews the letters she's received from her future self.As was discussed in the previous episode, Kakeru's death wasn't actually an accident after all. It was a suicide. The letter goes on to explain that his biggest regret is not being there for his mother the day of the welcoming ceremony. Naho discusses the details with him and finds out that she was transferring hospitals and that Kakeru was supposed to help her with the transition. When he was invited out by Naho and her friends, he was so happy he messaged his mother to let her know and expected to be able to apologize for it later.He never got the chance.He goes home shortly after their conversation, and Naho is overwhelmed at the task of saving Kakeru. She begins to confide in Suwa when he asks her if she "got one". When she asks what he means, he drops a bombshell to end the episode -That's right! Suwa, and likely the rest of the friends are all receiving their own versions of letters from the future to help save Kakeru. This would explain why certain events were being changed in real time, as they are all adjusting their actions to help save Kakeru.Whew! This episode was a powerful one, and well-constructed. While the "awkward teenagers unable to ask each other how they feel" trope may get old quickly, Naho and Kakeru's relationship is certainly evolving and getting closer to an authentic romance.The drama surrounding the topic of suicide is poignant and in good taste. Kakeru's mother apparently had some psychological issues that complicated her condition and ultimately led to her suicide, but he never demonstrated any obvious signs of depression to his friends. Despite carrying the heavy burden of regret regarding his mother's suicide, Kakeru goes through life like normal while battling his demons silently.His friends, on the other hand, have the immeasurably valuable tool of hindsight. They are living out the dreams of many others who have lost loved ones to suicide - the opportunity to see it early and help circumvent it if possible. I think that from here on out it will be very interesting to see where the show goes as the friends navigate Kakeru's own regrets and struggles in an attempt to save him.While we certainly got an interesting twist on the letters, I'm still genuinely interested in finding out how they're being transported. The time-travel element continues to be handled  very subtly by the show overall, a side-element that piques the viewer's interest just enough to make the slice-of-life drama that much more impactful.We'll see where the show goes from here. It remains firmly planted near the top of my weekly watch list!