Month: March 2013

“The Last One”
“Saigo no Hitori” (最後のひとり)

Kyousuke tells the Little Busters that their first baseball game will be against a team composed of captains from other sports clubs. Most of the team is ultimately excited about the match, save for Riki and Rin. In addition, Masato points out that they still only have eight members, but Kyousuke reassures them that they will eventually have the final member. Later, Riki, Rin and Masato spot Kengo talking with Miyuki Koshiki, a former member of the archery club who was forced to quit after she lost an eye during an accident. Masato brings this up during lunch, brewing speculation from others about their relationship, but Miyuki points out that she was just asking him for advice. Later that day, Riki and the others learn Miyuki went up to the edge of the roof, prompting him, Rin and Masato to rush there against orders to stay inside the classroom. Three teachers try to dissuade her, but Miyuki slips and falls in the commotion, just to be rescued by Kengo in the nick of time, although he breaks his left arm and is suspended from the kendo club for a semester. Kengo decides to join the Little Busters, and after several tries, manages to hit a home run with one arm. With the Little Busters team complete, Naoe cannot shake the suspicion that Kyousuke was aware all this time that Kengo would eventually join them, as if he knew in advance what would happen. Continue reading “Little Busters! – Episode 25”

“If You’re Happy, Rin-chan, Then I’m Happy Too”
“Rin-chan ga Shiawase nara Watashi mo Shiawase dakara” (鈴ちゃんが幸せならわたしも幸せだから)

Riki and Rin are by the side of the river when they receive another mysterious letter telling them to do a puppet show, and soon spy some kids having an argument. A girl was going to put on a puppet show for her friend, but the panda doll she was going to use got damaged. Wanting to clear the task, Rin tells the kids she will put on a puppet show the next day. Rin initially gets help from the rest of the Little Busters, but after Kanata calls curfew and sends them back to their rooms, Komari secretly comes over to Rin’s room to finish the preparations until the following morning. Rin takes everything back to the spot by the river where she tells Riki that she should try hard to do the show by herself because Komari helped her so much. The five kids from the previous day show up and Rin puts on the show for them which they all enjoy. Rin goes to see Komari, but initially has trouble finding her until she finds her up on the school roof. Komari congratulates Rin for a job well done and tells her she was wishing on a star for success. Komari says the star-shaped hair ornament she wears is also a wishing star that may grant her wish, and when Rin points out that she has two, Komari says that the other star will be for granting Rin’s wish. Continue reading “Little Busters! – Episode 24”

“For What You Find Important”
“Anata no Taisetsu na Mono no Tame ni” (あなたの大切なもののために)

As her friends in Japan learn that an uprising started in Tebwa following the failed rocket launch, Kudryavka meets her grandfather where he is in hiding and learns that her mother survived the explosion. As her grandfather leaves to pick up her mother, Kudryavka is captured by the rebels and imprisoned in a cave. As her friends keep wishing for her safe return, Riki holds on to the gear she left behind, a memento of her mother’s, and it mysteriously appears in Kudryavka’s hands, which she uses to break free. Some time later, the uprising is quelled and Kudryavka reunites with her mother for a while before she returns to Japan and rejoins her friends. Continue reading “Little Busters! – Episode 23”

“I’ll Definitely Come Back”
“Watashi, Kanarazu Modotte Kimasu” (わたし、必ず戻ってきます)

No news comes whether Kudryavka’s mother is still alive, and travel is restricted to and from Tebwa to reduce risk of contamination from the exploded rocket engine. However, the Tebwan embassy sends Kudryavka a plane ticket so she can go to see if her mother is safe. Kudryavka is conflicted about going back to Tebwa because she had come to Japan to escape having dropped out of Tebwa’s aviation school after half a year. Initially, Kudryavka decides to stay and throws away everything she had related to space, but Riki recovers the items and brings them back to her. Riki tells her that she can just be herself in chasing her dream of space, even if she cannot become an astronaut. Kudryavka admits that she wanted to see her mother and decides to go back to Tebwa. Before leaving, Kudryavka says goodbye to her friends. Continue reading “Little Busters! – Episode 22”

“50 Nautical Miles of Sky”
“50 Nōtikaru Mairu no Sora” (50ノーティカルマイルの空)

After another training session, the Little Busters join up to clean their clubroom. Later in the night, Riki comes across Kudryavka and assists her with a traditional ritual of her country, Tebwa, which was once part of the Soviet Union. During the ritual, Kudryavka tells Riki about her mother and how she spent little time with her as she was preparing herself to become an astronaut. Kudryavka also tells him that her name comes Laika, a Soviet space dog who became the first animal to orbit the Earth. When the day finally comes for her mother to launch into space, Riki goes to look for Kudryavka to watch it on TV with her. When he finds her outside, she feels that it is better not to watch it as her own manner of wishing good luck. However, Riki and Kudryavka later learn that the rocket exploded on launch, and that mission control has lost contact with Kudryavka’s mother. Continue reading “Little Busters! – Episode 21”