Episode 7
Pending Train Episode 7 brings us back to Professor Hasumi’s office, where he considers the possibilities of time travel. In the future, some of the passengers from car 6 request a move to car 5. After explaining his lie, Yamamoto disappears, leaving car 6 to the more aggressive passengers.
Yonezawa narrates why they’d want to make the move – they have the cool Shirahama and the cutie Yonezawa, of course. And Kayashima wants to know why he’s not part of the story. Uuuhhh… the mysterious Kayashima? High schooler Kazuma chuckles at the whole interaction, clearly looking up to Kayashima too.
Kazuma stumbles over his dictionary, zipping to his backstory of high school life and getting to know Koharu, who could always see through him. While Shirahama shares Yamamoto’s notes and they start to think about what the glowing rocks could do.
Everyone gets excited when Akashi appears with news of a hot spring – and a source of salt. Unfortunately, car 6 has ‘claimed’ the land. Kayashima volunteers to go speak to car 6, knowing it’s too dangerous to risk Shirahama after the brawl.
Like a lamb to sacrifice, he heads out alone. But Yonezawa and Kato insist on following, to keep his hot head in check. They’re horrified to hear him ask to join the other car as Kayashima offers his scissor set as an inducement.
Tanaka talks to his puppet Meepo, noticing the beginnings of a storm. While car 5 rebuilds and expands to include their new members, Shirahama and Hatano chat, she casually mentions the waitress he’d noted. But before they get very far, Yonezawa shows up seeking Shirahama.
Car 6 comes bearing gifts and agrees to let them take salt from the hot spring at will. In flashback, Kayashima bets his scissors with a prize of rights to fish and claim salt for car 5. While Yonezawa and Kato report the news, Kayashima’s gone fishing.
Shirahama finds him at the waterfall, wondering why he left. Was it to clear a path for him and Hatano? Shirahama believes he’ll get back to the girl who’s waiting for him. Conversely, Kayashima hopes his brother isn’t hanging around waiting for him.
Meanwhile, Tatsuya’s just been caught stealing from his boss’ wallet. She’s sanguine, asking what he’ll use it for – to buy information about his brother? She explains how useless that would be.
Kayashima returns to car 5 with Shirahama but remains outside. Shirahama tells everyone about the glowing rocks – someone from car 6 had thought it came from a meteorite and that the aurora is a sign of a disturbance in the magnetosphere. Kato sketches it out for everyone.
At home, Professor Hasumi is coming to a similar conclusion, noting the supernova that may have created a black hole with the tunnel acting as a wormhole. At car 5, Kato recalls Professor Hasumi’s postulation that a wormhole could make time travel possible. Kazuma instantly gets it, demonstrating a wormhole for the rest.
The new possibility of going home brings mixed feelings, some are now settled with the idea of starting fresh. Rena is quick to remind everyone of the pending disaster – and that they’re the chosen ones, given the chance to live on. But they don’t even know if they’re still on the same planet.
The next day, several groups head out to see what they can find. Kazuma can’t wait to get back to normal life, but Koharu tells him she’s pregnant. Following his own map, Shirahama digs out what he believes is the bicycle belonging to his girl.
As a storm whips up, a distraught Kazuma confides in Kayashima. Together with Hatano, they look for Koharu, but Hatano hurts her foot so she and Kayashima take shelter. She pushes him until he admits that he’s scared because people always leave. Then comforts him with a hug.
Everyone heads to car 5 to take shelter, including Tanaka. He opens the rear door only to have Meepo swept from his pocket into a vortex at the end of Pending Train Episode 7.
The Episode Review
Seven episodes in and car 5 is getting antsy, wanting answers and to figure out how comfortable they should get with a new future. There’s a constant push-pull as characters come to their own conclusions and try to make peace with whatever comes next. If they make it back, can they do anything about the future they know is coming?
Rena makes a reasonable point in Pending Train Episode 7. They were either selected or lucky but if the past detonated, here they are. Mankind. It’s the only future as far as we know. With this colossal thought, things get a little preachy as everyone considers what might happen if they’re destined to remain.
As Kayashima tries to separate himself, Tanaka accuses him of being just like himself, noting that being alone in the forest could be paradise. Although Kayashima considers it, he’s still a sucker for human company, unable to stay away when someone needs his help. But that comforting hug from Hatano – if it’s not what he thinks it is, could this be his final straw?
Who’s your favorite passenger now? Has it shifted since the first couple of episodes? Let us know in the comments below.
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