silent: Episode 7

silent has become one of my favorite non-BL Series of the year. Yes, I came for Meguro Ren but stayed for the intricate way the story of these characters’ lives is unfolding. Over the past six episodes, I have grown to love and adore this entire cast, and even though there wasn’t a huge explosive drama, this week’s episode took a deep dive into the personalities of these already complex and captivating characters.

Picking up right where the last episode left off we watched Nana, in the process of a total mental breakdown over her feelings for Sou storm away in the hopes that Sou would follow her. However, she turns back just in time to see him rush after Tsumugi, which had to break her heart, even though (as she stated later in the episode) she fell for Sou herself, it wasn’t him. He never gave her any indication he thought of her as anything more than a friend. However, that heartbreak has already started to mend and the two are rebuilding their friendship to something I am sure is going to be even stronger than before. There’s also a budding friendship between Nana and Tsumugi, which I am hopeful does not end up in a Yolanda Saldivar sort of situation.

Tsumugi also kind of stepped into it with Sou as she asked him about why he doesn’t speak anymore, not because she needs, or even wants him to, it was just purely out of curiosity. Though he tried to act tough, she knew the comment upset him. Though it did hurt when she learned that he’s called Minato’s name, but not her own. However, the moment, just before he was about to speak to him, she shook her head. He doesn’t need to do it for her, only if he wants to do it for himself. The episode ends with him embracing her.

Away and unaware of the theatrically Sou’s life has stepped into, his mother Ritsuko (Shinohara Ryoko), and sister Moe (Sakurada Hiyori) are having their own issues. Ritsuko is upset and concerned about the fact that Sou is speaking with his old high school friends and she doesn’t think he should be doing it. He’s just started to settle into his silent life and she doesn’t want anyone to disturb that. She doesn’t see the way Sou is blossoming and returning to his old self. Moe does, and she thinks it’s very selfish of her mother to want him to stay quiet and alone – which, in my opinion, Moe is right.

The last button of the series reveals that there is a history between Nana and Haruo Masaki (Kazama Shunsuke) the man teaching Tsumugi sign langue.

However, my favorite moment from the episode (and maybe the series as a whole) was watching Sou interact with a young boy at the library, who needs his help getting a book he can’t reach.

Minato was only featured for a split second in this episode, but it was nice to see him smile.