Neighborhood Story

Burning Hot-spring! (1x26)

: 17, 1996

Shintaro has graduated from intermediate school and successfully enrolled in Yawaza with his big sister Mariko and the other Akindo members who decide to celebrate this milestone with a trip to a mountain resort. Everybody is galvanized by her euphoric expectations and his libido about the upcoming due to the expository concourse about the upcoming journey. Mariko is not thrilled about Ayumi's presence and is unwilling to behave toward her as a fellow Akindo member; the resultant divergent concourse exacerbates the bumpy bus ride to the Takaya Hotel where it is explained that there are none of the common creature comforts endemic to most lodging establishments. While Ayumi leads the girls through making the best of their assigned room, the boys decide to soak in the hot spring . . . right after they excavate it from scratch, that is; alas, although their co-ed bathing volition is extinguished, the boys find that the newly-excavated hot spring hits the spot after all their hard work. The all-natural dinner and the cacophonous concert of the manager that night gives way to having it explained that there is a couple from Tokyo residing in the mountains. Hitoshi and Shiori are wonderful hosts as they explain their prologue to the Akindo members who return to Tokyo with the lesson that happiness is ultimately within the perspective of the beholder.