Poco's Udon World

Episode 10

Rinko's character arc enters its next phase in an emotional Poco's Udon World. Despite giving off the impression of being one of the more emotionally-composed adult characters, Souta's big sister is experiencing a personal crisis. While this crisis may not have the same supernatural bent as her brother's situation, it's every bit as anxiety-inducing. As we learned in episode 4, Rinko didn't view herself as the parental type, but now that she and her husband have a child on the way, she's going to have to do some quick learning.

While cleaning the house in preparation for the anniversary of their mother's death, the Tawara siblings, kept company by Poco and Nakajima, suddenly realize that lunchtime is nearly upon them. Much to everyone's surprise, Rinko insists on preparing the gang's afternoon meal. However, when Rinko's culinary creation fails to please even Poco's palate, her brother thoughtlessly advises her not to bother with cooking if she can't do it, prompting her to leave the house in a huff. (Since women being unable to cook is a joke that got old in anime ages ago, the boys' comical reactions to Rinko's lunch aren't particularly amusing.) After Nakajima catches up with her, Rinko reveals that her sudden desire to improve her cooking skills stems from the fact that she's pregnant. This causes a host of parenting-related anxieties to surface in the nervous mother-to-be, as Rinko reflects on the aftermath of her mom's death and opines that she'll never be as good a parent as the late Mrs. Tawara. Although she appears to be more confident by episode's end, it's clear that Rinko is deeply affected by the loss of her parents, and it's doubtful that those anxieties are going to go away in the near future.

Just as the show began with Souta regretting the way he left things with his father, his sister is now reflecting on the toll their mother's death took on her development. Despite longing to be a parent when she was a child, she wasn't particularly keen on the idea as a young adult, as she felt that her mother passed away before imparting all her motherly wisdom. It's also telling that she didn't even think children were cute until she met Poco. While it's not unnatural for some would-be parents to be uncomfortable around kids until they have their own, Poco making Rinko more comfortable with the idea of having children certainly has significance. He seems to have come into these siblings' lives for a reason, regardless of whether or not he's consciously aware of it.

Now that he's agreed to start attending marriage meetings, it looks like even Nakajima has decided to start making some life changes. An episode that centers on one of his omiai would surely be entertaining, but with the show wrapping up, I doubt we'll be so lucky. On the subject of Souta's surly best friend, it's noteworthy that his unrequited crush on Rinko remained unrequited. Were these two to somehow become a couple, it would take away from the show's realism and melancholy.

With only two episodes left, our thirty-something-age heroes continue to make sweeping life changes. Whether or not these changes will help them find the happiness they seek is still uncertain, but Souta and company are now more confident about taking those risks with possible big payoffs. As Poco's Udon World has shown us time and again, nothing lasts forever—and change is an inevitable part of personal growth.

Rating: B+

Poco's Udon World is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Amy is a YA fantasy author who has loved anime for over two decades.