From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke – Episode 9 Recap & Review

Making Choices

Episode 9 of From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke titled ‘Bonds’ begins with Kazehaya telling Sawako that he has been in love with her since the day he met her. But he got greedy when he was with her and was worried that he would hurt her making him avoid her. She says she belongs to him and wants to do everything with him whether it is fighting or being happy. She realises that relationships are not easy but she is fine with it.

On New Year’s Day, the kids go to a shrine and eat a meal together. Yoshida is shocked that Yano is dating Kento. They see Pin passed out and jokingly wonder how he is fit to be a teacher. Turns out he was scouted to be in a baseball team but gave up to be a teacher. 

At school, Sawako meets Kazehaya’s dad who is strict and straightforward but he immediately likes her. She tells the girls who point out that he is fierce and for him to like her, they joke that he must have accepted her as his daughter-in-law which makes her blush.

Pin starts taking career counselling sessions and the first student is Sawako. She wants to be a local civil servant or a social worker and he asks her to dream big. Yoshida writes down Ryu’s ramen shop for her career options but doesn’t really know what she wants.

Yano wants to apply to a university where she is guaranteed to get in but Pin tells her to take risks. She says he played it safe and became a teacher instead of a baseball player and he hints that there is more to his story. Meanwhile, Kento is excited that Yano will be going to Sapporo University and jokes that he will follow her there. He suggests that they should live together and get married one day and she smiles.

The girls talk about their plans and Yoshida and Sawako don’t know what to do. They are shocked that Sawako won’t study further as she has good scores. Yoshida is sad that Yano is going away and Sawako is sad as she used to think that everyone would be together forever.

While they hang out at Ryu’s ramen shop, Yoshida works part-time and Pin jokes she is a perfect fit. Sawako asks him why he chose to be a teacher and if it was because he respected a teacher of his. He jokes he would rather be envied than respected. He adds that he likes hanging out with them because they are unpredictable and fun.

He then tells Sawako that he believes she is built for much bigger things and she shouldn’t give up easily. He tells the three girls that regardless of what they choose, they should be happy. At home, Sawako recalls Pin’s words and tries to figure out what she is good at. She remembers everyone being happy when she was teaching them during their study sessions. 

The next day, during the PTA meeting, Kazehaya’s dad is furious that he wants to take over the family business. Kazehaya hangs out with Sawako later who asks about the meeting. He says that he would be happy to take up the family business but nothing he does pleases his father.

When he quit baseball, his dad said he just half-asses everything. However, Kazehaya quit because his mother was sick and he wanted to be with her in case something went wrong. He realises he wanted to take over the business to become his father’s equal. Sawako says his father just wants him to do what is best for him and Kazehaya tries to understand his dad.

He then asks her what she wants to do and she says she has the desire to teach. He says she always tries to help people understand what they are unable to see and so she will be a good teacher. Elsewhere, Ryu’s dad Genji is surprised to see Yoshida helping out even after her shift. She asks if he would hire her full time and he says she is always welcome. He says he is getting lonely and it is reassuring that she will be around. 

As she leaves, she meets Ryu. He notices that she stopped studying hard after middle school to help with the ramen shop. She says she wanted to get into their current high school and he thinks it is because the high school is Toru’s alma mater. She is annoyed as she says it was for Ryu. If they went to different high schools, she wouldn’t be able to cheer for him and support him and he thanks her.

As for Kazehaya, he and his dad again start bickering at the dinner table till his mother stops them. His father thinks he is using the family as an excuse because he has not thought about his future while his mother seems to understand him.

During Yano’s PTA meeting, Pin notices that she is still playing it safe as she can get into better colleges with her grade. Her mother says she always did what she wanted even if it came with frustrations and Yano is inspired. She tells Yano to think it through and see if there are any other schools she wants to go to.

At the sports shop, Kazehaya’s father is coaching the little league and he watches them from afar. He then goes through different college brochures to see if he can study business to help his father better. He tells Sawako that he may try majoring in sports science and she is happy as they can apply to the same college.

He believes he will be at home forever and he doesn’t mind but he believes she is meant for bigger things. He says she should leave and she says it is not an option to leave her family and him. She hopes to stay with him in their hometown forever.

It cuts to their last year and the girls discuss what to do next. Yano is not sure but she always wanted to go abroad. During her next session with Pin, she asks if he ever struggled. He says he did while choosing his career but it was exciting. She shows him a brochure of a college in Tokyo and he encourages her.

He says she is a kid and it is okay to behave recklessly sometimes. She goes through the brochure again alone and Kento spots her. He goes to greet her but is surprised when he sees her with the Tokyo college brochure. Hurt, he walks away.

During Sawako’s turn, Pin is disappointed as she picks a local school that will just give her a license in teaching. He suggests she get a degree from a college in Sapporo if she is serious. She then goes to Kazehaya who has fallen asleep and holds his hand while looking conflicted.

The Episode Review

All of their career choices and decisions represent their personalities pretty accurately. Sawako does not think much about the future and just assumes she will be with her loved ones all her life. Even when she figures out her options, she compromises to always make others happy. But we have a feeling that will change as everyone will encourage her to leave and indeed go to Sapporo.

Yoshida who lives in the present is happy with the simple things like being with her family and Ryu. Family is her biggest priority and that is evident in the way she includes Ryu’s family in her future with the restaurant scene in episode 9 of From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke. 

Yano the super smart and responsible one of course has big plans for herself. But because she is sometimes a little too mature, she is worried about risks and tries to play it safe. As for Kazehaya, his father thinks he is not serious about his future but he genuinely thinks that his best interest lies with his family. Pin sees through all of them accurately and gives them the perfect advice to help them go down the paths they are meant for.