This episode shed some light on Teika’s backstory. He’s the youngest of three brothers, with the first two, Masana and Shinra, being much older than he is. Both brothers are important trustees at the school, and they have super high expectations for Teika: he is to become the Artista Prince, and his success will become the Ichijoji family’s first step into the global market. Perhaps they’re thinking of making an idol singer out of Teika?

Regardless of whatever plans they have for him, Teika’s older brothers are essentially smothering him as an individual, and this episode makes that fact crystal clear. Teika knows it too, deep down inside, and being around Kohana makes this suppression painfully obvious. His awareness of this inner struggle is highlighted by the scene where Teika watches Kohana practice her ikebana at night. My heart really goes out to Teika, and also to Aoi, who knows Teika well enough to know that something is going on inside Teika’s head but feels unable to help because his former friend keeps pushing him away.

However because Japanese culture dictates that Teika should do what his older siblings instruct him to do, he tries to shove his doubts and personal feelings into a box. If he can only sing well enough and win Artista Prince, then his family will be even more successful and he will make his older siblings happy. But what will happen to Teika then?
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There are also some interesting contrasts between Kohana and Teika’s respective pasts. The one that comes to mind for me is that Teika sings because it’s what he’s been trained to do his whole life. He’s been raised being told that he will sing and make his family successful, whereas Kohana’s mother showed her how to do ikebana out of love. That is why Kohana’s Arte light is warm and clear, while Teika’s sparkles are beautiful but sad.

This episode also takes us right up to the eve of the Hoshi Festival, which was a bit of a surprise to me because I thought the series would drag the lead up to this pinnacle event a bit longer. I’m guessing there will be some drama or events which take place during/after the festival that will fill up the last third of the season.

I also really liked this episode because it highlighted some of Kohana’s strengths, namely that she is especially sensitive to seeing the sparkles of the people around her, and she has a knack for drawing out people’s strengths.

The scene where all the guys (except Teika) ask Kohana to pick them as her choice for the final dance at the festival was pretty funny, though I felt a little bad seeing Kohana so flustered. She’s apparently had very little experience with the opposite sex, and so to have five very handsome bishounen suddenly giving her romantic attention is understandably a little overwhelming.

The only downside to this episode, in my opinion, is that this episode struck me as more progression to Kohana and Teika being Magic-kyun! Renaissance‘s main couple. I don’t ship those two together, but I know that they will probably either get together by the end of the season (or at least be very close), so I’m resigned to that reality. And as we saw from the preview for the next episode, all the other guys asking Kohana to pick them for her final dance will probably be moot because I’m willing to bet that she’ll end up with Teika for the last number. *pout*

So now that all the preparations for the festival are complete and everyone’s ready for the grand event to begin, what will happen next? Will Teika step back to let Kohana shine during their Artista presentation during the festival, which is contrary to what his brothers told him to do? Will everyone on the festival committee be able to successfully weave together their artistas under pressure?