You’re so spoiled.  Why do I feel like Tendo giving in to you, the Nanases of the blog?

C. Her clumsiness?

Nanase: [Moiri] is so pretty and talented. Everybody could easily see. Me, on the other hand, I’m slow at work, I get drunk easily and I fall asleep all the time. I’m not good at anything. I realized you and I are in different leagues.
Tendo: It’s too late for that. The fact that you and I are in different leagues was established a million years ago.
Nanase: A million years ago?
Tendo: You’re not allowed to cry alone.

You already know that one of the things I consider in a good drama is the dialogue. I like it when the characters converse a lot in the drama because they end up revealing thoughts and feelings about something that they may not even be aware of themselves. I’m watching for the SUBTEXT, and not only the text, because there are times when the meaning of the words is under the surface. The spoken words themselves do not spell out the heart of the matter but only portend or foreshadow it.

Now, this dialogue between Nanase and Tendo happened in the beginning of the episode. And we see the three points played out in the full hour. What are the three points? Well, to me, they’re —

one, she supposedly isn’t good at anything,
two, they’re in “different leagues,”
and three, she isn’t supposed to cry alone… or feel lonely.

Now, when we look again at Nanase’s exploits, we’ll find that the “bad” things that come her way aren’t really her fault. Like when she had tea thrown at her – that was entirely Kamijo’s fault. Or when her sweater unraveled – that was bad luck that it snagged on a screw. And when the ice cream got smeared on her nose – in general, street food is messy to eat.

She magnifies her faults partly because of insecurity, and partly because she thinks she needs to justify her existence in his life. She has to be useful.

So when she found out that Tendo went home sick, she immediately geared up for battle.

lol. I really find it funny whenever she’s spoofed as a warrior.

Her colleague scolded her for failing as a girlfriend, but that wasn’t her fault either. He purposely didn’t want her to know and create a fuss. She went home to make him porridge.

Tendo: I told you I don’t need it. (trying to be the tough guy again)
Nanase: You have to eat something. (ignoring him) Where’s Ryuko?
Tendo: She’s staying at a hot spring inn for two nights.
Nanase: I see. (this tells her that he had no one to watch over him, but her) I told you, you work too hard. What an unhealthy devil.

I think I like the Kissasian version. She chided him, “The Devil neglects his health.” lol. He calls her “Baka,” she calls him, “Mau.”

Tendo: (looking at her) Why do you look so happy? (he thinks that she’s gloating that she’s right about him working too hard)
Nanase: Sorry. I’m not used to seeing you vulnerable.
Tendo: You’re weird.

Yes, it is rather weird from his perspective. Why should she look happy seeing him vulnerable? He doesn’t get how much his “calm and collected” conduct can intimidate her.

Nanase: But I’m happy. I haven’t spent much time in the regular wards lately, so I miss taking care of sick people.

I like the Kissasian sub better, She told him, “But I’m happy, because I wasn’t able to be in the ward recently, getting to look after you like this.” This is her subtle way of telling him that she likes looking after him because he’s her boyfriend who needs her attention.

D. Kamijo

Between Nanase and Kamijo, I don’t think that there’s any misunderstanding about Kamijo’s place in her heart. He knows that he has no chance with her, and that his feelings aren’t reciprocated. When he hugged Nanase, he did so like a child who was anxious about the success of the medical procedure, and depressed about his life. She didn’t see his hug as a threat and she patted his back in comfort.

But Tendo doesn’t know this. As Fern says, Kamijo “recognizes Tendo’s body language in regard to Nanase.”  To me, Kamijo decides to provoke Tendo out of envy. Couldn’t Kamijo curse his fate for giving him a weak heart because he did have a large fortune, but he could lash out at Tendo because he had everything he didn’t have: a profession, reputation, abilities, and Nanase. rosty

Kamijo: Hey, Dr. Tendo. Are you working late?
Tendo: Yes.
Kamijo: It must be hard being a doctor. You don’t get any time off. Oh! That must be why Nanase had so much fun when I first met her. We just brought some clothes and ate a candy apple. But it felt like a date. Hey, I’m sorry I’m always taking up her time.

He isn’t really sorry that he’s taking up “Tendo’s girlfriend’s” time. He wants to give the impression that he’s a fun guy who can go out on dates despite his illness.

Then again later, he tries to enrage him.

Kamijo: What do you like? (he was asking what made Tendo fall in love with Nanase)
Tendo: (glaring at him) Pardon?
Kamijo: What do you like about her? Just so you know, she was friendly towards me first. It’s always the quiet ones that flirt with me. Wagging her tail all excitedly.

Ugh. This was so crude. In kdramas, the lead male would have grabbed his collar or decked him, but Tendo just gave him that Frosty the Snowman glare.

Kamijo: Does it make you wonder? No matter when you call or what you ask, she’s always so happy to oblige?

I don’t think he could make Tendo doubt Nanase’s professionalism. Tendo knows that Nanase is happy to oblige a patient, but she does it because she’s a nurse, not because she’s a flirt.

Also, when we think about this, all the male patients featured in this dorama, had formed an attachment to Nanase. First, there was the rice cooker guy. Tendo saw how Nanase got his appetite back. Then, there was Nanase’s stalker. After that came the head chief’s son. He bonded with Nanase, too. And now, Kamijo.

Tendo has seen how involved Nanase gets with her patients. And he also knows that Nanase has always liked him, so his jealousy is something he doesn’t want to acknowledge. He knows it’s an irrational feeling, but he can’t help it.

Tendo: …But that’s all. You, on the other hand, were way too nice to this crazy kid.
Nanase: Huh?
Tendo: Dedicated nurse, my ass. (lying down) I hate it. (closing his eyes) That’s it.
Nanase: Was that…could that have been jealousy?
Tendo: Go home already.

I think he’s embarrassed with himself for feeling this way. He didn’t want to dwell on it because his jealousy wasn’t a reasonable, “cool and collected” emotion. Nanase was just doing a job and Kamijo was deliberately needling him. He said his piece — he thought she was being way too nice, and he hated that — and he declared the discussion close.

But I think this was a learning lesson for him, too. He understands Nanase’s jealousy now. He couldn’t understand Nanase when she compared herself to Miori and cried because she didn’t think she measured up. He didn’t get it because he didn’t often find himself in a situation where he didn’t come first. But after Kamijo, he understood her “hidden” question about Minori. If you notice, Nanase didn’t have to say anything more than Minori’s name, and Tendo understood what she really wanted to know.

Nanase: Umm…can I ask you something?
Tendo: (not answering)
Nanase: About Minori.
Tendo: Minori’s death… The pain and fear of losing someone close to you is still there. It will probably never go away. And as a doctor, I should never forget about it either. But that’s all.

He got the “subtext” of her question because he now understood jealousy. If Nanase had brought up Minori earlier, he probably would’ve thought she was prying.

Tendo isn’t a perfect character. I warned you, right? His character is a popular trope, the tsundere. But his re-formation, or repacking as an emotionally responsive hero, is much better developed and presented than other tsundere male characters.

E. The amusement park date

This reminds me of the parable of the two sons from the bible.

For those who aren’t Catholic/Christian, here’s the story. There was a man with two sons. He told the first son to go to work in his vineyard, but the son declined. “No!” But soon after that, he repented and did as his father told him. The man also approached his second son and told him the same thing. Unlike the first son, the second son said, “Yes! I’ll go!” But he didn’t go.

So Jesus asked which son did his father’s bidding. The first, of course.

Blasphemy aside, lol, I thought Tendo resembles the first son. His first reaction is always to say no, but he repents soon afterwards and ends up going anyway.

It’s obvious he isn’t keen on going to the park. If you rewatch that scene, he was actively listening to the conversation. When Ryuko said “Here these tickets are for you. I won these at a darts competition,” he commented “Where did you even go drinking.” When Ryuko ignored him, and continued saying, “You two should go out on a date to a botanical garden…I think,” he said nothing. But when Nanase observed that the tickets said, “amusement park,” he looked up from whatever he was doing in the kitchen. Ryuko blithely answered, “Oh does it? It doesn’t matter. They’re all parks anyways. It’ll be fun!” It was then that Tendo put his foot down, “I don’t have time for that.”

I don’t think he would have minded going to a botanical park, but an amusement park wasn’t something he envisioned visiting on his day-off.

But like the first son, he went anyway.

Nanase eagerly waved at him when she saw him. And his first comment was, “You look happy.”

😊 I think this is cute because he’s learning to be attuned to her moods.

Remember when he stepped out of the elevator, he knew right away that she’d been crying.

He brought her inside his apartment and asked her “What’s wrong?” This time, he saw her waving at him from afar and he stated the obvious, “You look happy.” Then, when he was sick and she scold him for working too hard, he studied her face, and asked her why she was so happy. Considering that he wasn’t the type to pay attention to her before, this was a step in the right direction.

Likewise, it’s cute too that Nanase’s learning to read him, too.

1. For instance, she knows that he may be grumpy, but he’ll give in to her anyway.

Tendo: I hate crowds.
Nanase: Oh, please don’t say. We’re already here. I made a plan to conquer all the rides.
Tendo: Conquer all the rides…
Nanase: Let’s start going. The first ride is the mad-tea cup ride.

2. She knows that his bark is worse than his bite.

Nanase: What’s with that string?
Tendo: Your back.
Nanase: (checks her sweater) What?! No way. How?
Tendo: (showing the string) You’re really something.
Nanase: I’ll take that as a compliment.
Tendo: It’s not. (Meaning, it’s not meant as a compliment.)

3. She’s learning to read his body language.

Nanase: Isn’t the amusement park so fun? (notices his crossed arms) Are you okay?
Tendo: (glaring at her) Of course I am.

No, he isn’t really fine. He was grimacing as he sat down.

4. She’s learning to tease him, and that her favorite ice cream flavor is his lips. lol.

Tendo: (noticing the ice cream smudge on her nose) Hey. I’m not getting that.
Nanase: Getting what?

Tendo wipes the smudge on her nose, realizing too late that he said he wasn’t going to wipe it.

I don’t know if he’s exasperated with her or himself.

Nanase: (smears her lips with more ice cream)
Tendo: (kisses it off, to her shock)

I like the shots here. The contrasts couldn’t be more detailed.

Nanase: looking angelic in white clothes. Hair tied back. Smiling. With messy ice cream smudge. Staring straight at the camera.
Tendo: looking like a devil in black clothes. Hair disheveled. Frowning. Looking at her messy face with distaste. Side-eyeing the camera.

I like this look. What do you think was running in his head here?

I found the clip, @agdr03!

I thought this kiss delivered. I’ve seen comparable kisses in kdramas, notably the coffee cream kiss in “Secret Garden”

To me, the “Secret Garden” kiss was a flop. One, Ha Jiwon couldn’t pass off as an ingenue even if she dilated her eyes as wide as saucers. Two, Hyun Bin nagged too much; he murdered the romantic ambiance. Three, the end result was different. Ha Jiwon looked disgusted — as she should.

In LLF, not a word was said after Tendo wiped off the smudge on her nose so Nanase was surprised by his kiss and was pleased with it. The seduction was all played in the head.

5. She learns his weakness: he’s scared of heights — and he’s poor at statistics.

Nanase: Wow! You can see so far into the distance. Look, sensai. Huh? What’s wrong, sensai?
Tendo: Don’t move!

That’s good to know that he also shouts when he’s nervous. When a situation is beyond his control, he clams up.

Nanase: Eh?
Tendo: Don’t you date move.
Nanase: Don’t tell me sensai…are you afraid of heights?
Tendo: As if I am. Baka.
Nanase: Oooh.
Tendo: I said don’t move. Sit down.
Nanase: Sensai. You once said this, right? There isn’t even 0.0001% chance that something will happen between us.
Tendo: Did I say that?
Nanase: You did! But that means this is that 0.0001%. Me and sensai. On a ferris wheel date at an amusement park. This is a 0.0001% miracle.

Yes, it’s a miracle alright. It’s also a miracle that she got him to hang around till nighttime considering that he disliked being there in the first place.

If you want, you can think of the amusement park, ice cream smudge, and the ferris wheel as metaphors of their relationship.

There was 0.0001% chance he was going to the amusement park because he hated crowds. There was no way he was going to wipe off that ice cream smudge on her nose. And there was zero chance he was riding the ferris wheel as he was scared of heights.

But there he was, doing things he once thought were unthinkable and impossible.

F. And finally, the kiss

Contrary to expectations, I’m not doing an analysis of the kiss technique. Perhaps another time…

Tendo: Exclusive nurse, my ass. (lying down) I hate it. (closing his eyes) That’s it.
Nanase: Sensei, is that? (crawling quickly) Could that be…jealousy?
Tendo: That’s enough. Just go.

Nanase smiles to herself. She’s satisfied to know that he’s been jealous all this time. She thought he didn’t feel a thing because he was so cool and collected. She gets it now that Tendo was pretending. She kisses him.

This is cute because back in Osaka, she wanted to kiss him while he was sleeping. She thought he looked like a prince, like Sleeping Prince, and she was the Princess to wake him up. But she became shy at the last second, and pulled back. This time, she kissed him.

Nanase: (shyly) This is for treatment.
Tendo: Tsk. You’ll catch my cold.
Nanase: I’m an idiot. So I won’t.
Tendo: Baka.

Nanase smiles again but she doesn’t notice that he’s moved his hand to hold hers.

Tendo: I’m going to sleep. Go home.
Nanase: (glances at her hand and notices his hand holding hers) I can’t go home.

But he’s already asleep (or pretending to sleep).

To me, Tendo’s “different leagues” kiss and Nanase’s “treatment” kiss are like bookends to their problems about jealousy. How should they resolve their feelings of jealousy? For Tendo, he kisses her to show her that despite her weaknesses, he sees her as the woman perfect for him. She’s the one he wants. For Nanase, she kisses him to show him that he didn’t need to work so hard to be cool and collected for her. She likes him when he’s vulnerable and weak, sulking and clingy.

Their kisses were meant to soothe their jealous feelings because they accept each other for who they are.

***********

Episode 8 tomorrow!