Asura – Season 1 Episode 3 Recap & Review

Life and Death – Which One is the Tragedy?

Episode 3 of Asura starts with Sakiko fainting while at work. Hiroo had brought his classmates for coffee at the cafe so he called Makiko. It turns out that Sakiko has been starving herself since Jinnai is trying to lose weight for a boxing match. Sakiko does not want Jinnai to do it alone, so she too stops eating. Makiko takes Sakiko home, and they are confronted by an unpleasant surprise. Jinnai has a girl over, and while Sakiko is starving to support him, Jinnai and the girl have enjoyed a bowl of ramen. Jinnai is not remorseful when Makiko asks him to apologise and blames Sakiko for being self-centred. 

While having supper at Makiko’s house, Makiko suggests that Sakiko break up with Jinnai and go back to stay with their parents. However, Sakiko thinks that it would not be a good idea. Fuji has stayed in that house with Kotaro as a dutiful wife for years, while aware of his infidelity. It will not be a good idea to go there after Jinnai cheated on her, too.

Elsewhere, Katsumata keeps Takiko company at the library. Later, he takes her to a secluded park and burns all the materials he has gathered about Kotaro’s affair. Katsumata feels uncomfortable with the fact that their relationship started because he was investigating Kotaro. They set a fire that goes out of hand, so they are arrested for minor violations. The police call Makiko’s residence and Takao manages to convince the police to release Takiko and Katsumata.

While Sakiko is at Makiko’s place, Takao talks about how Jinnai losing the match might have affected his ego as a man. Takao says that Jinnai might have been acting out to push Sakiko away since she supports him too much. Makiko tries to make Takao not encourage Sakiko, so she talks down to Jinnai to make Sakiko agree to break up. However, Sakiko decides to go back to Jinnai. Sakiko wants Jinnai to keep fighting and not give up. She wants them to make it someday to prove wrong to all those who did not believe in them.

Next, Takao leaves for a two-day work trip. However, he calls home accidentally, asking someone else to meet up for lunch before the train leaves. Makiko’s suspicions are confirmed that Takao is seeing someone else, and he lied about the work trip. Later that day, Tsunako and Makiko visit Fuji to help with cooking. Makiko tells Fuji about the affair, and Fuji advises her to stay quiet. Fuji thinks that talking about it world only worsens the situation. Makiko hopes she can stay as strong as Fuji, saying that it is the only option that women have.

Makiko and Tsunako have luck together at a cafe after helping Fuji. They are amazed at how Fuji can be able to live with  Kotaro for years aware of his infidelity. They are astounded by how she has risen above the hate and resentment. Tsunako tells Makiko that she is just like Fuji. They both have a big heart.

After parting ways, Makiko finds herself wandering to the apartment where the mistress and the son live. Earlier that day, Kotaro had lunch with them and is now accompanying them to the arcade. Makiko runs into Fuji outside the apartment. Fuji suddenly collapses and is rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Toyoko, the wife of Tsunako’s boyfriend, confronts Tsunako at her house. Toyoko knows her husband is with Tsunako and she asks Tsunako to give him back. Suddenly, Toyoko pulls out a gun and points it at Tsunako. The boyfriend, seeing things escalate, comes out of hiding. However, instead of protesting Tsunako, he hides behind her. Luckily, Toyoko only used a toy gun to scare Tsunako. After Toyoko leaves, Tsunako gets a call about Fuji’s hospitalisation.

The girls and Takao stay at Fuji’s bedside while Kotaro is having the time of his life with the mistress and her son. The mistress mentions wanting to get married, and Kotaro wishes her the best. Kotaro rushes to the hospital later. Makiko loses her cool and confronts Kotaro about the affair. Takao defends Kotaro, saying that him having some fun outside with another woman is not wrong because he worked hard all his life to provide for his family. Takao thinks that Makiko has no right since Fuji has already forgiven Kotaro and has not mentioned the affair. Makiko gets even more angry saying that Kotaro was not forgiven. Fuji was jealous, sad, and broken. She could not put her hurt into words, and that is why she fainted in the mistress’s apartment.

Sakiko thinks that the girls are wrong to blame Kotaro. It turns out that Sakiko made up with Jinnai and they are engaged and expecting their first child. The episode ends with a jump to months later based on Sakiko’s pregnancy with the family gathering around Fuji’s grave.

The Episode Review

Given that the series is set in 1979, there are a lot of triggering themes in this episode that might not exist in today’s society. The episode focuses on women being forced to relent and bottle up their emotions since they are indebted to the men. The notion is seen through Takao’s comments when he tries to make Sakiko realise that she is partly to blame for Jinnai’s cheating.

Also, at the hospital, he holds back Makiko from confronting Kotaro, saying that Kotaro deserves the chance to have an affair since he worked hard all his life to take care of his family. Makiko choosing to accept Takao’s probable infidelity just because women have no other choice but to accept whatever their men give them is quite frustrating.

The pacing of this episode is somehow off. The writers do not take the time to fill in the gaps from the time Fuji is taken to the hospital to the ending scene with the family at the grave, and hopefully, they will try to do it in the upcoming episodes. Did Fuji die at the hospital that day, or maybe later? Did Kotaro and the mistress end their relationship since she mentioned wanting to get married? How is Jinnai and Sakiko’s life? Is Makiko still choosing not to ask Takao about his mistress? Did Tsunako break up with her married boyfriend?