クジマ歌えば家ほろろ

Oh boy... its been a fun season but their time is running out and Kujima will have to go home soon... It doesn't seem like Kujima wants to leave the family, but it seems this is all instinctual to him so he doesn't have much of a choice which makes even more tragic. Also a quick refresher since I was a little confused, Kujima is 3 years old. It looks like for the first 2 years he stayed with Maxim and it was only recently he made his first migration to Japan. The post-credits growth chart kind of threw me off, but the flashback does show he was with Maxim for a solid while after growing into his big mode. Maybe Suguru can follow up on his request to join him to Russia now that his exams are done with?

A lovely episode in an utterly lovely show. So it seems fitting to note that this show has some of the loveliest music of any show this season. It looks like Manami Kakudo (who sang and apparently wrote the ED) also provided the often classical or jazzy sounding score) is also a jazz marimbist (looking at Youtube). She looks like a keeper. One of her earliest videos (11 years ago) is quite amazing -- unconventional percussion and whistling only:

Damn, they covered that plotline of him leaving and resolved it, just for it to inevitably happen for a whole different reason a couple episodes later?! Lol. The ephemeral migrating with the seasons reminded me of Snufkin from Moomin and how that gave his friendship with Moomin a mono no aware/wabi-sabi-type Japanese aesthetic and sensitivity. The obvious answer for Kujima's case here would maybe be go somewhere to scratch the itch that is his instinctual nature and just come right back, but I think there's an interesting worldly angle here about him being scared he'll grow attached to another person/family wherever he goes and never come back. I kind of just assumed he had been living with Maxim for up to a decade because of how much he changed physically and the Koudas were being framed as his second family, but another comment here reminded me he's actually only 3 years old. So if he can form these tightknit bonds within 1-2 years with people, then that could weigh on his mind in regard to feeling fated to continually move on (though realistically, I think most bird migrations are back-and-forth to the same 2 places, lol).

Kujima and Arata!! I absolutely seeing these two together!! LOL, they both forgot and talked and Suguru's comment about them was also pretty hilarious lol Kujima is a such lil brother, it's nice to see him wanting to help his big brother! This is always nerve wrecking, u got this Suguru Kujima ballerna dance!! I forgot he could do that earlier, SUGURU PASSED!! YAY , it was so wholesome to see him genuinely smile after all of his effort, he deserves that sushi conveyor belt Greedy, angry Kujima, he sickens me lol Whats this? Wide eyed Kujima scares me, Kujima and Cats! so adorable, Sneaky Kujima, he aint slick with that!! Oh... I forgot he was only here for a while, I am going to miss him Baby Kujima with Maksim, SO CUTE!!! Teary eyed Kujima makes me sad too💔💔 I forgot that Kujima was only staying with them for a year, he really became a lil brother and a part of their family. It was sad to see Arata getting upset at that, i thought maybe it was just cat fur or feather but the latter was like an omen for the inevitable parting This anime along with food diary quickly became my favourites of this season, i really am going to miss Kujima and his silly lil antics, Only 2 more eps left.... its been a fun and wholesome show, Kujima growth evolution chart at the end was also nice and wholesome

Y'all are gonna think I'm crazy, but this became my favorite of the season today. I didn't know I was so invested in Suguru's exam until I started bawling, and then I just kept bawling as Kujima started to molt. The fluffy feathers, the voice acting all around, the music, Kujima just hollering at the ducks in the mornings - I still don't really know what the hell is going on, but it's iyashikei as fuck