Spoiler: show
Its fall! We roll into the third season, weather wise, for Kobato. Kobato and Ioryogi are out walking when they see a giant tree that has changed color and are in awe. As they walk, Ioryogi once again reminds Kobato of her wish and the time frame she has. Kobato looks at the bottle and there is suddenly a lot more than last time; it’s almost half full. Man has she been busy. At the nursery the children finally start acting like children and get in a fight over toys. Sayaka talks to Kobato about the incident and how Fujimoto was sad and they take a field trip with all the kids to the giant ginkgo tree they saw at the beginning. They laugh and play until a construction crew comes in and tells them the tree is going to be cut down. This bothers Kobato and she gets up early to go to the tree to try to stop them from cutting it down. When she gets there Kohaku is there admiring the tree. We get a montage of people walking by all noting that getting rid of the tree is unfortunate, but if it’s for the sake of the town it’s ok. Kohaku walks up to the tree, touches it, and is able to understand the tree. It seems the tree is fine with being cut down but Kobato doesn’t like it still. She starts trying to dig the tree out but Kohaku stops her and they sing while understanding the tree’s feelings. As they finish singing the tree falls over and Fujimoto rushes in and grabs Kobato Later that night it seems Kobato has a new Konpeito from….the tree of all things! It seems her song was able to help the tree move on in the end. The next day at the nursery we see that the children have made art with the leaves from the tree and Fujimoto is making new building blocks for the children to play with.
Episode 14
Spoiler: show
It seems today Kobato is going potato picking with the nursery. While gathering a few potatoes they see a child picking some in the back of the field. Fujimoto goes to talk to him and the child runs off. Back with everyone else it seems Kobato has dug up too many potatoes and Fujimoto picks on her. Back at the nursery they cook them up and enjoy eating them. They take the extra potatoes that Kobato has picked and take them around the neighborhood for the residents to have. They stop by the house of the old lady who took in Milk the cat and they find the boy who was stealing potatoes earlier. It seems our thief is named Keita. It seems he has run away from home to find his old home he lived in before, but he cannot find it. In Kobato’s infinite happiness she decides to help him find it. After searching for a while they finally find his old house but he doesn’t want to go in. It seems he lives with his mother and her parent’s house and his grandfather is a bit strict and Keita doesn’t like it. They cheer him up by showing him his grandfather cares for him and head to a train station to send him home. When they get there he finds his grandfather calling his name and looking for him. It seems Fujimoto found Keita’s home number on his back and called his mother. Back at her apartment they see a new Konpeito from Keita and in one shot the bottle looks a quarter full and in the next three-quarters full. Oh well.
Episode 15
Spoiler: show
Its night time and Kobato is making decorations for the nursery. She is cutting them up to make things but it turns out she had origami paper. Doh. The next morning Kobato brings the paper to the nursery and she apologies for cutting up some of the paper when Sayaka grabs her chest and passes out on the floor. Kobato knows a doctor and rushes off to get him. She runs to Shiochiro who is Kohaku’s friend. He checks Sayaka out and it seems she is over worked and has some stomach problems and of course Sayaka hears all of this. Later that day the children all get together and start to fold origami. One of the children mentions folding a thousand paper cranes to make a wish for Sayaka to get better. This spurs everyone to teach Kobato how to fold them and they start cranking them out. They manage to do so by the end of the day and all the children head home and Kobato stays to check on Sayaka. She wakes up and feels bad about what happens but Kobato tells her not to feel like that and Fujimoto walks in to check on both of them. Fujimoto sends Kobato home and he stays with Sayaka. We see a small talk with Kobato and Ioryogi and me mentions something about Kobato’s lost memories. This is interesting. Kobato goes to ask the persocom twins about what she can do to help Sayaka. They tell her to make rice porridge and she goes to the school to make it or rather try to make it. Fujimoto catches her and teaches her properly to make it. Kobato is worried that Sayaka will die because of this and he reassures her that it won’t happen this time. The next day Sayaka is up and about as a mysterious man watches them greet the children. Wait, I’ve seen him before when he called the school and Kobato picked up. How does the debt-collector fit into all this? Hopefully we will find out soon.
Episode 16
Spoiler: show
We start out as Kobato leaves the nursery for the night and heads back to her apartment. On the way there she runs into the twins and they tell her about their school bazaar and Kobato has an idea to sell something to help the nursery out. The next day Kobato tells Sayaka this idea and Fujimoto points out that this is a small place and Kobato is sad and apologizes for the idea. She runs out to sweep and Sayaka comes outside to agree to the idea of a bazaar. The next day it seems the children’s parents have given the children things to add to the bazaar. Kobato hangs up signs all around town and when she leaves the nursery the debt-collect is there and talks to Kobato. It seems he isn’t extending the deadline for repayment and if the money isn’t there he will destroy the nursery. Back at her apartment she talks out loud about our debt collector and we learn his name is Okiura from Fujimoto who presses her about the incident. He once again tells her to not tell Sayaka about this and goes to the roof to call Okiura and tells him to leave her alone. The day of the bazaar the weather isn’t very good as it is about to start. Ioryogi hops out and says he will be back with something that will sell really well. They start setting things up and no one comes at first and it rains even though they hung up weather dolls. It’s a slight rain and Chitose and her twin daughters show up. It seems that the posters Kobato put up have been taken down oddly. Kobato runs off to tell everyone the bazaar hasn’t been cancelled. The weather starts to clear up and people start showing up. Oddly enough it’s all people who Kobato has been dealing with over the past 16 episodes; which it turns out to be quite a lot. Our episode ends with a shot of Kobato running down the street yelling for people to attend the bazaar.
Episode 17
Spoiler: show
This episode picks right up where the last one ended with Kobato running around and eventually tripping over Ioryogi; who seems a little beaten up. We get a flash back of Ioryogi leaving last episode to bring something to sell, which seems to be just a ploy to get away and eat Baumkuchen. It seems its Happy Hour there and they are quite busy. We get a shot of Ginsei taking the bread to characters in Tsubasa Chronicles; ha ha it’s another clamp show just like this one! Back at the bakery Genko, Ioryogi and the bird talk about their situation. Ioryogi leaves the spirit world only to be hit by a random soccer ball, taken by a blanket into the sky and attacked by crows. He falls from the sky and almost lands in a pond but uses his fire breath to almost get out of it before he falls in at the edge. While walking it starts to rain and he hops into a dryer at a Laundromat to dry off. After this Ioryogi finds himself to be lost and tries to find his way back to Kobato. While on his way back he sees a giant black Modoki from Tsubasa Chronicles. It seems like it’s an amusement park with that as its mascot. He goes there to find a delicious sent and gets picked up as a random stuffed animal and gets placed as a prize in a carnival game. A person appears and attempts to get him as a prize but Ioryogi moves back and forth to avoid getting hit. This turns into a giant gag of many people trying to hit him before he finally does get hit but doesn’t fall over. Then all the people hit him and knock down every prize but him but he finally falls down when a little boy hits him but Ioryogi takes this chance to flee. At this point Kobato runs into him and we catch up with our story. Kobato fills him in that the posters had been torn down as they head back to the nursery. Kobato gets back to see all the people there and is thanked for everything by Sayaka. Our episode ends with Kobato walking home and Ioryogi mad that he didn’t get to eat his cake because it was sold.
Episode 18
Spoiler: show
It seems to be getting colder now as Kobato and Ioryogi can see their breath as they walk. It seems to be close to Christmas as the nursery as they have decorated Christmas trees. Ioryogi once again tells Kobato about her time limit, which is one season left. We also see her bottle, which has more white Konpeito in it; from healing we didn’t see her do. It’s about three-quarters full now. At the nursery there is a thug standing outside the gates which causes a few of the mothers to not take their children there. It seems that one of the children won’t be coming back because of the thugs and it’s the third child this month. Fujimoto’s friend, Domoto, brings over a box of Christmas decorations for the kids to hang up. On the roof Fujimoto and Kobato talk about how things are as Kobato is sad that Sayaka is sad. Fujimoto tells her to leave things alone but she goes to the street to talk to the thug. She tells the thug about all the happy memories she has and he mentions that the real person to worry about is Okiura’s father. The thug walks away but collapses in pain and pushes Kobato back when she gets too close. Domoto calls an ambulance and they go to they go the hospital with him. Fujimoto gets a call from Domoto who tells him the thug had appendicitis. Fujimoto calls Okiura to tell him the news and he is told to leave the nursery while he can. The day ends and Domoto and Kobato walk home and make a stop off at the park. They talk and Domoto says he likes girls like her, which in some roundabout way cheers her up. We get a small scene with Fujimoto and a flash back to him as a child crying in the snow. Back at her apartment Domoto is about to ask Kobato on a date when Fujimoto appears and Domoto doesn’t ask her. Our episode ends with Domoto walking past Fujimoto. I did not expect this!
Episode 19
Spoiler: show
We start this episode with the flashback of a child Fujimoto crying in the snow. The cause of this is the Christmas decorations the kids have put up in the nursery. Kobato falls into him and knocks him out of it. Later that night, Kobato goes to walk home and it seems Domoto is there to walk her home. He wants to buy her a gift and while they walk they run into Fujimoto who is working another part time job. He is still a little mad at Kobato so they don’t say anything to each other. When they get to her apartment Domoto asks to walk her home again and she agrees. On her way back to the nursery the next day she runs into the twins who invite her over to their house for a Christmas feast and while talking to Chitose Kobato learns that on Christmas Eve, Fujimoto’s mother passed away. Kobato heads off to the nursery and they have their Christmas party. Fujimoto dresses up like Santa but the kids recognize him. Kobato says that it really is Santa and they get their gifts and eat some cake. Ioryogi heads to the bread shop to have some cake himself. Kobato goes to head home and is overcome with sadness for Fujimoto’s situation. She talks about it with Domoto and he figures out a gift for her finally. Domoto goes to Fujimoto’s part time job, gives him an envelope, and tells him what is going on with Kobato. He will watch his job and Fujimoto is to go to her, which he does. He explains that Kobato doesn’t need to feel sad and the present Domoto gave her is the chance to make up with Fujimoto. Kobato dances in the snow, now cheerful, and sings once again. Our episode ends with Kobato singing and Ioryogi saying to his friends that no matter what happens, he is going to have to leave Kobato. What does this mean?
Episode 20
Spoiler: show
It’s now February around Valentine’s Day. Kobato, knowing nothing of the holiday, wants to have a Valentine’s Day party at the nursery and Fujimoto tells her what the holiday is really about, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to have a party. To help with this Kobato works part time at the cake shop, Tirol. While bringing in the sign from the cake shop, a blue light glows from around the corner, and 4 Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles characters appear. One of them happens to sound like Ioryogi. They all talk in a nearby park and they introduce themselves and Kobato and she lets them stay at her apartment. The next morning Kobato has to head to Tirol to work and the travelers divide up to help out Kobato. Syaoran goes to Tirol to work with Kobato while Fye and Kurogane head out by themselves. While at Tirol, Kobato and Syaoran talk about his traveling and what destination Kobato is heading for. Kobato thinks about Fujimoto. They head back to her apartment and it seems that it is time for them to jump to the next world. Hopefully it will bring them home. With the same blue light that brought them there, they head off to another place. The next day at the nursery it’s time for a Valentine’s Day party. While at the party Ioryogi gets a message from a heaven’s bunny to remind him the time limit is coming up as our episode ends.
Episode 21
Spoiler: show
Our episode starts off with Fujimoto coming home to find chocolates on his door probably left by Kobato. At the nursery the children ask Kobato who she gave her best chocolate to when Okiura walks up. He is here to tell Sayaka that there will be no more negotiations. Fujimoto bursts in and Sayaka says she will shut down the nursery. Fujimoto goes to talk to the thug that Kobato helped save and he tells Fujimoto that Okiura’s father was the person who pushed the debt onto Sayaka’s father and because of the debt he worked himself to death trying to repay it. It also seems that Okiura is dealing with this because if his father dealt with it things would not have lasted this long. Now it’s time for graduation from the Nursery! It’s a short scene and we cut to that night where Kobato is having dinner with Chitose and her twins. Kobato is very upset over the situation. Kobato then talks with Chitose about how Okiura could do something like this. I guess the following day Kobato finds our nice thug and follows him to Okiura’s headquarters. She is shoved outside and waits outside for hours and even in the rain. After an unknown amount of time Okiura comes outside to talk to Kobato. She pours her heart out to him about her love for the nursery and his love for Sayaka. After doing so Kobato passes out most likely from standing in the rain for hours. We cut to Sayaka and Fujimoto as he tells Sayaka the truth about Okiura and how they should be together; when Okiura walks in with Kobato. When Kobato wakes up, she urges Sayaka to go after Okiura, which she does, and they hug. Kobato gets another Konpeito from this and our episode ends with Ioryogi saying that she shouldn’t forget her wish.
Episode 22
Spoiler: show
We start off with an odd scene of a small child listening while a man who looks similar to Fujimoto plays the piano; then Kobato wakes up. Kobato heads to the nursery where Sayaka is packing up the place. Over tea Sayaka tells Kobato she is fine with the closing. That night Kobato tells Fujimoto that some of his stuff is still at the nursery, but it seems his heart has closed once again. However on his way to work he goes by the nursery to check on his piano but leaves when he hears Kobato. Later that evening Kobato and Ioryogi talk and he mentions that Kobato isn’t aware of her own feelings towards Fujimoto. We finally reach the day in which they are going to tear down the nursery. Once they have everything out the children show up to say goodbye to the nursery. At the bakery Ioryogi and his friends talk about kidnapping Ushagi, who ever that is, to do his plan. We get an odd scene of Kobato floating in nothingness and a formless Iorgi telling her he will be with her. While working Fujimoto day dreams about the kids at the nursery and zones out and maybe skids into another car. I don’t know the camera panned up. It seems he did hit the car and now has his arm in a sling. Kobato and Fujimoto walk home and Kobato tries to talk to him. Fujimoto thinks Kobato is taking pity on him and gets mad at her. As Fujimoto walks away the heavens bunny messenger appears and gives Kobato a flower and points to the moon. Ioryogi appears and tells Kobato that the bunny is telling her she has until the next full moon to get the rest of the Konpeito. From Ioryogi’s friends we learn that something he did dragged Kobato into his battle or fight with heaven; apparently with some bad consequences. Ioryogi begs the messenger for more time for Kobato but the answer is no.
Episode 23
Spoiler: show
We start out with Kobato waking up Fujimoto to help out while his arm is broken (maybe) or in a sling. It seems Kobato is following Fujimoto around every single day in the hopes of helping him. They head to a park and rent a boat out on a pond. Fujimoto says he can’t calm down with Kobato all over him so he goes and takes a small walk. Kohaku comes up and Kobato tell her that she has decided on her wish. We get s small scene with Fujimoto walking by the former nursery, now a whole in the ground, and we get back to Kohaku and Ioryogi who is upset at Kobato and her current attitude. She has chosen her wish and it might not be the one Ioryogi wants. Kobato catches up to Fujimoto at the nursery and they talk. Kobato says Fujimoto is important to her. In a final scene with Kohaku we learn that she made a choice to be with Shiochiro and is happy. Back outside her apartment a flower falls from the sky, she catches it, and it disappears. Kobato tells Fujimoto she cannot be with him tomorrow, since her time is up, and he remains slightly distant to the end. Kobato says goodbye to Chitose after giving back the items Kobato borrowed from her. In a flashback we learn that Kobato has decided to help out Fujimoto and not collect the rest of the Konpeito. Kobato gathers her things and leaves. Kobato tells Ioryogi that to be by the side of someone you truly care about is not painful at all. Fujimoto gets back late and find out that Kobato has left and runs out to look for her. Kobato goes back to the playground where she first appeared and waits for Ushagi. The amount she has isn’t enough and Ioryogi jumps up asking her not to be gotten rid of. Just as Ushagi is going to teleport her or something Fujimoto appears. He is quite unhappy that Kobato is leaving. Ioryogi takes this time to speak up to tell the truth. Apparently Kobato has a blue crown on her head, which is why she always wore a hat, which means she is dead. Her soul doesn’t belong to any of the 4 worlds. (human, angel, demon, spirit) He also tells Fujimoto that she decided to spend the rest of her contract with him instead of gaining Konpeito. Kobato confesses to Fujimoto and he says “don’t go” and suddenly the light beam about to take Kobato away shatters. Out of Fujimoto’s chest comes a large piece of Konpeito that accumulates the others and fills the jar but only with Fujimoto’s piece. Ioryogi begs Ushagi to reincarnate Kobato but she will not. Fujimoto goes to grab Kobato but she turns into flower peddles and vanishes. We have one episode left…what could happen now?
Episode 24
Spoiler: show
We start with a small recap of last episode but with one new item. Before Ushagi leaves she removes all trace of Kobato from pictures and I think people’s memories. We will find out if I am correct. Fujimoto wakes up in his bed hearing loud noises from next door, which turns out to be the twins. It seems to be a month since Kobato left. Fujimoto wants to keep the room open and empty and it seems strange. As we follow Fujimoto he seems to want to remember Kobato but there is a whole where she once was. He dries by the old nursery to see the children there and Sayaka. It seems she wants to start up the nursery again, but in a different area. She is also worried about him since it seems he has been down lately for some reason. As Fujimoto gets back to his apartment, it starts to rain, and he pulls his clothes in. As he takes in his jacket a piece of Konpeito falls out. It sparkles and he remembers Kobato but the picture he has doesn’t have her in it. He runs to many of the people Kobato interacted with to see if they remember and they don’t. Fujimoto runs to Kohaku who does remember her. Kohaku tells him that Kobato died in an in the past and her wish was to be reborn across time at the side of the person she loved. Kohaku tells him that she has been Shiochiro sides over countless years; each time he is reborn. We jump to 4 years into the future and Fujimoto has become a lawyer. He gets a job to go to a small area to check on land owned by someone who has recently passed. He begins to check out the house when he finds a piano and begins to play the song Kobato always sang. While playing he thinks about Kobato and all the times they shared. When he finishes he hears a girl singing and sees the granddaughter of the man who passed away and it seems she is Kobato. After finishing the house Fujimoto gives this Kobato the piece of Konpeito that fell from his jacket and she sings the song while he plays the piano. While singing she has flashes of memory from before she disappeared and is enveloped in a bright light and stops singing. Fujimoto asks if she is ok and Kobato tells him about the place she wanted to go, the person she wanted to be with the most, she spins around and tells Fujimoto “I’m Home!” They hug as Kobato’s song takes us out of the anime. As our credits roll we see that Ioryogi stayed in the human world to watch over Kobato, the kids from the nursery grew up just fine, Sayaka opened a new nursery, Domoto became a doctor, and the other people Kobato helped are doing just fine. Our series ends on a picture of everyone from the nursery with Kobato back in the center of the picture. I have to admit that I enjoyed this series more than I thought I would. How’d everyone else like it?
