Beyond Goodbye – Season 1 Episode 8 Recap, Review & Ending Explained

Beyond Goodbye

Episode 8 of Beyond Goodbye begins this finale over in Hawaii. Saeko has decided to head out and hang with Hiro. She’s been staying here for a while but she’s also on a coffee odyssey, looking to explore her horizons and grow the business.

However, she receives a phone call that changes everything, followed by a visit from Kazuma. We’ll circle back to that phone call but for now, Kazume has decided he wants to stay with her for a few days, believing this is Yusuke speaking and not him. He explains that he’s had a good update on his health and apparently he’s going to live a long, healthy life. That also means though that he’s going to lose all the memories for Yusuke from his life. He wants to be here to cling to those final few days before saying goodbye to him properly.

Hiro believes this is a good opportunity for Saeko to say goodbye properly and thinks she should go for it. The pair spend time together, cooking and eating, while Kazu realizes that he’s very much been Kazuma all day and not Yusuke.

That night, we get context over the phone call and who was ringing. It turns out it was Miki. She brings up the truth about Kazuma’s health to her and how he’s going to die. Kazuma was adamant in wanting to see her one last time before passing away. She’s doing this because she loves Kazuma and has accepted this. She also wants her to suffer like she has. Oh, and apparently she gives her blessing for them to kiss, given the context of their conversation, but explains that sex is off the table as it will cause his heart to give out.

Kazuma can sense that Saeko is not herself that night and she struggles to hold back her sadness. That night, Saeko rests her head on Kazu’s chest and falls asleep that way, struggling to hold back her tears. The pair don’t kiss again or end up romantically linked, so there is at least that, and Saeko sees him off at the airport.

Whilst there, Yusuke’s memories come though as he brings up how he felt that day in the airport when Saeko and Yusuke first met. He wanted to make her smile and cheer her up, hence why he played that song. However, midway through playing, he struggles to continue and it seems like the final memories of Yusuke have gone and we’re back to just Kazuma instead. It’s a nice way to round out this character, and the pair shake hands and part ways.

Kazuma flies back home and returns to Miki. She’s happy to see him and the pair run to one another, hugging tightly. Kazuma is back it seems, and he decides to spend the remaining time he has with his wife. Unfortunately, he passes away in the orchard some time later.

While Kengo and Saeko make a pact not to fall for the same man again, the latter eventually returns to the factory and decides to work with Shinoda once more. However, she receives a message from Miki midway through the train ride home. She’s busy apple-picking in the orchard and offers her a chance to come join. She’s intrigued and Saeko shows up.

Miki explains that she owes a debt to her and this hard labour is a way of making her repent for her actions and also bridge the gap between them. This favour is an annual one – once a year she wants to see her, as a way of experiencing a bit of Yasuke and Kazuma in her.

The Episode Review

So in the end, Miki seems to suss out that Kazuma and Saeko may have done something together (alluding to the kiss several episodes back) but it’s not initially clear whether she believe they went all the way. In the end though, Kazuma passes away and his memory lives on through those that have been left behind.

There’s at least some attempt to give Miki a happy ending, as Kazume returns to himself after being “infected” by Yusuke and knows that he really does love his wife. This is at least something, but it’s also a rather horrifying way of showing fantastical side effects to getting a heart transplant!

Miki is unusually perky after his death which is a bit weird, as it doesn’t quite align with the woman we’ve met and seen through the show’s run-time. She’s easily the best character here because the moral compass for both Kazu and Saeko are completely skewed. I’m not sure who thought it would be a good idea to put an “emotional” kiss in the middle of Kazuma and Miki having marital issues but there we go.

However, Miki is ready to bridge the gap and try to experience a bit more of Kazu through Saeko, which is at least my interpretation here. There’s not really room for another season, but conversely, the show doesn’t do a good job of alluding itself to a resolute conclusion. Kazuma is definitely not here now though but can you imagine if his heart ends up in someone else and then we have Yusuke, Kazuma and someone else all wrestling for control inside a third individual. And then the cycle continues from there?

But in all seriousness, Beyond Goodbye concludes with a pretty disappointing second half, which is a shame because the first half was so endearing and well written.