Seven of Seven: Episode 12 Commentary
Hot Summer Study Retreat! Heartstopping Test of Courage and Love?
It seems you can’t have an anime series without a beach episode. There has to be a beach episode, it seems. Sailormoon, Cardcaptor Sakura, Petite Princess Yucie, and even AzuManga Daioh have beach episodes. For Seven of Seven, there’s less focus on the beach, however, as Nana has to study, then take the Test of Courage. (Come to think of it, Sakura had a courage test at the beach in Cardcaptor Sakura, as well, which also involved students entering in pairs.)
While all the Nanas have the same bunny-print kimono, they each have their own individual style of swim suit, which says a lot about their personalities. I don’t know how Grandpa ever let some of them buy those. Speaking of outfits, if it’s summer, then why is everyone in Nana’s class wearing long sleeves and pants?
Hayashiba’s ghost story tells of a girl who let her feelings for the one she loves distract her from her entrance exam, causing her to fail and not get into the school where the one she loved teaches. Hayashiba is quite unaware that she’s basically warning Nana to get her act together, or risk not getting into the same class as Kamichika. Nana’s already at the bottom of her class, but can get a good score if she puts her mind to it (as seen in the Akane episode, as well as the final exams episode.) Nanarin is classic, flying from underneath the room, scaring the students up above.
During the scene where Nanapon raises from the fallen Nanappe, Nanapon’s “angry face” looks a lot like Nanappe’s. Actually, I thought that she was Nanappe until it showed Nanappe down below, then Nanapon join her from above. I wonder how easily any given Nana can look like another by emulating another’s prime emotion. I simply cannot see Nanasama with Nanacchi’s happy eyes and mouth, for one.
What a coincidence for Nana and Kamichika to be paired together. Never mind the predictable set-up, let’s consider it good luck finding Nana. This naturally gives Nana and Kamichika a chance for another long talk. He’s very assuring, telling that they need only contration to complete the written test. Kamichika takes photos to relax to help concentrate, which takes us back to the sketchbook girl. Does he relax because he thinks of her when taking photos. (He said he takes photos for her to use as art references, after all.) Or has photography become something he enjoys because it’s something he enjoys? (Since the story follows Nana, it’s unknown what kind of impact Nana did or did not have in saying it’s a waste for Kamichika’s photos to not be treated as art in their own right.) Kamichika talks about the desire for something letting one concentrate, such as trying to get into the same school as someone you like. He may be talking about the girl from the story, but the way he says it makes me wonder which school the sketchbook girl is going to. Yasaka Oogi, perhaps?
Nana takes the test alone and is able to concentrate. I get the feeling seeing the other Nanas inside helped, at least a little. The Nanas were here inside, and Kamichika was just right outside, having told her there’s nothing to fear. The amazing part is Nana’s test score. The test was probably easy enough so it could be finished in a timely manner, as there would be other students arriving to take the test, but it’s still an achievement on Nana’s part. With each episode, her study habits and test-taking habits are slowly improving.
Kamichika gets a photo of Nana, but mails it to her—guess there was no chance of him keeping it, although he probably has a copy of the photo he took of Nana at the Bon Festival (due to the rarity of seeing something like “nana” written in bonfire.)
I had wondered previously why Nana has the feelings she does for Kamichika, having been too shy to get to know him in the past. It’s becoming apparent, though, with as nice a guy as he is. He used his words to ensure Nana felt safe when she was afraid, and he carried her back to the shrine after she had fainted. He’d do this for anyone, of course, such as if it was Hitomi he’d paired with and if she was scared and fainted.
