Episode Title

Tomomi Ikaru!?

[Tomomi Gets Mad!?]

Air Date

1993.10.22

• Synopsis by George Robbert, 1994.11.25

Soon after, Tomomi runs out the front door with a still sleepy Mikage in tow. They make it to the train station just as the train is arriving and barely make it on board. Then, Tomomi screams and runs off the train. When a confused Mikage asks her why, she replies that she forgot the laundry.

Back at home, Tomomi hangs out the laundry she put in earlier. No sooner has she finished that and come in, than the phone rings. It's her mom. She forgot her shop's account book and asks Tomomi to please bring it to her. No sooner has she hung up the phone, than the doorbell rings. It's the old lady from next door, quite distressed. It turns out her cat is missing, and she's on the point of tears. When she breaks down begging for help, Tomomi agrees to go to this extra trouble.

Tomomi runs off searching through the park for the cat. She finally finds it under a bench, only to have it run off over and past her. A chase ensues, and Tomomi pursues the cat through the park and on an agile run atop some walls, surprising some neighbors in the process. Finally, she finds the cat headed into another yard, and tries to convince it to head home; ``Grandma's worried.'' The cat, of course, ignores her and runs into the yard. Tomomi looks in and understands why the cat is not at home. He's found a friend and the two are spending time together.

On the way to the train station, she drops off the account book at her mom's beauty shop. At the station she finds that service has been interrupted by an accident. She heads outside and hails a taxi. As they drive off, she asks the driver to hurry, but he's doing the best he can. As luck would have it, they get stuck in a big traffic jam. Tomomi gets out, saying she'll get out and run from here and heads off across a pedestrian bridge.

As she's running, a man chasing a pickpocket comes running toward her. She tries to stop the thief, but is run over. The man asks Tomomi, who's flat on the ground, if she's ok. In response she gets up and runs after the thief. She's out of breath when they finally catch him. The victim thanks her, but she says she's busy and runs off on her way.

Tomomi waits impatiently at a stoplight, running in place. This time she's interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. It's a missionary. ``Mankind is falling to ruin in a great abyss. If you wish to be rescued, you must read this book. It's only 2500 yen a copy.'' This is too much for her, and Tomomi is almost hit by a car crossing the street to escape him.

At school, everyone is preparing for the upcoming fall festival. In the science building, Noda, Mikage, Yamagishi, and Daijouji are sitting around a table with no inspiration or energy. Tomomi comes in apologizing for being late. Daijouji berates her for this. ``We don't have much time.''

They've got to decide what their group is going to do for the festival, and they haven't come up with any ideas yet. ``We're relying on you,'' says Yamagishi, putting down the thinking ability of the others. Daijouji and Mikage take exception to this, and show their displeasure on his cheeks. It falls on Tomomi to suggest doing a coffee shop. She describes the one she imagines, a quiet place where you even get to choose the cup you like from a selection of fancy ones. Everyone else agrees that this is the plan. Daijouji makes her agreement into another dig at Mikage. Yamagishi wonders where they're going to be able to get cups like that. Tomomi says that a customer of her mom's has a collection that they could borrow. Daijouji comes up with the idea that they can all make their own aprons to wear. Tomomi takes it since it's the only one she hasn't come up with Noda isn't too keen on this idea, but Yamagishi points to that it's cooking so it's only common sense.

Later Daijouji shows up with the patterns for the aprons. Noda is worried about his ability to do this, then has an idea. He catches Tomomi alone and asks her if she could please make his apron for him. She agrees. Mikage comes up asking about the menu as Noda runs off. She wants to know what he and Tomomi were talking about. Tomomi explains he asked her to make his apron. Mikage is mad at Noda for doing this and berates Tomomi for doing things for the fellows when they ought to learn to do them for themselves. She's ready to go off and give Noda a piece of her mind about this, but Tomomi stops her saying that it's no big deal to make another apron like this. ``In that case,'' counters a smiling Mikage, ``you can make mine too.'' Tomomi is surprised and not pleased with this, but has just lost any excuse for not doing it.

The five are having another planning session, with as little energy as the first before Tomomi got there. Daijouji wonders what they'll serve to drink: ``coffee, tee, milk...'' Mikage suggests her ``special juice'' that will give you energy. ``Who'd drink that?'' counters Noda. Tomomi then brings up what else to serve: ``cake, and cookies.'' Mikage wants to work on these since she loves cake. Tomomi brings up her ``skill'' at cooking. The others agree with this assessment, which doesn't exactly please Mikage.

Tomomi and Mikage are at home. Tomomi is making cookies in the kitchen while Mikage is drawing up some pretty menus. The phone rings and Tomomi asks her sister to get it. She says no, she's too busy. By the time an annoyed Tomomi answers the phone, the caller has hung up. No sooner is she back to the cookies, than the phone rings again. This time she gets it. It turns out to be Yamagishi. He's out buying the tableclothes for their coffee shop and needs some help picking them out.

Tomomi washes up to go help him, and asks for help teleporting from Mikage. She isn't so keen on offering help, but Tomomi grabs her finger and teleports anyway. As often happens in cases like this, her aim is a little off. Tomomi appears above a lake and falls into it. When she arrives at the shop, Yamagishi says she's late, and then asks a dripping Tomomi, ``what happened?'' She explains that there was a sudden shower. Yamagishi looks outside and is confused to find it a dry sunny day.

It looks like he really did need Tomomi's help in picking out the tableclothes. She finally finds some the right size and color, and they head up the cashier, where Yamagishi finds that he left his wallet at school. Tomomi sighs, and runs off with him to get it. They run back in with the money, only to find that the tableclothes that they wanted were sold just a few minutes before. The sales clerk does point out that they have some more at the shop near the next train station.

A tired Tomomi arrives home, only to be greeted by her mother saying that she forgot to finish the laundry. Tomomi apologizes, but mom says it's ok, and reminds Tomomi that she still has to go pick up the cups, though she realizes she's busy. Mikage is none to sympathetic in her response to Tomomi's plight. Mom gives some thoughts of encouragement to Tomomi as she's ironing, but Tomomi is already headed out the door before she could hear them.

She arrives at the shop only to find that it is already closed, but then realizes there's another entrance.

Tomomi staggers into school with the large box. It's heavy enough that she falls with it on top of her while changing her shoes. Kageura comes by at this point and picks the box up off her and asks what she's doing here. Tomomi grabs the box and heads off, explaining they're preparations for the coffee shop. Kageura asks her to wait because he wants to talk to her.

In his office, Kageura shocks Tomomi by taking off his lab coat. It wasn't what she thought, there's a big tear in the back of his shirt and he asks her to mend it. She asks, ``why can't your wife do that?'' and while he is giving a long explanation [read excuse] she leaves saying, ``Please do it yourself.''

Tomomi meets Yamagishi coming down the hall telling her she's late. She dumps the heavy box on him as he explains that Mikage and Daijouji are already arguing.

They enter the room to find Daijouji and Mikage arguing about the aprons and the menu. As they start into ``What?'' ``What you mean What?'' ``What do you mean what do you mean what?'' Tomomi's mouth starts to twitch. Noda, on a ladder hanging streamers asks about the aprons. His walking over and asking about his is the last straw. With a yell of ``Cut it out!'' she launches a rack of test tubes into the air, tosses a plant around and fires the contents out of a flask like a rifle bullet. Everyone is frozen in shock at this.

Tomomi then tells them they're only concerned about their own thing, not helping, and starts giving orders (which get instant obedience). She tells Mikage to finish the menus, and Daijouji to help with the cakes. ``Noda and Yamagishi! I'm not setting you free,'' she says and tells them work on the unfinished aprons. ``Does everyone understand?'' They do.

That evening, all of the coffee cups are ready and set out. Everybody is working as Tomomi arranged them. Noda and Yamagishi are sewing their aprons and complaining, as does Daijouji while making the cakes. The fellows figure out how much they had all asked Tomomi to do. Daijouji claims that she hasn't added any to Tomomi's workload today, but the others lay the blame for the aprons straight at her doorstep. Kageura comments he contributed too. They're all surprised when he says he asked Tomomi for some help sewing. He's sitting in the corner working on his shirt. Tomomi comes in, catches them talking and yells at them for slacking off.

At the festival, the ``Miracle Cafe'' coffee shop is a success. The tablecloths, aprons, and cups are all set up nicely, and everyone is doing their job well, even Daijouji with the cakes. Noda talks with Mikage while she fills some cups. He says he was surprised at Tomomi's explosion. Mikage replies that they were bad and she couldn't help it. Tomomi comes up and takes the tray, telling them, ``let's see if I get mad again?'' The two are surprised and embarrassed at this. A busy Tomomi heads off happily serving folks in the shop.

similar web pages