[Discussion] Hotelier

I'm not sure exactly the details that were being given in the report that Mizusawa received (specifically what they said about how Kyoko is supposedly his sister), but I remembered there was an important detail about Kyoko's family that was revealed in episode 1 but never expanded.

Around 42 1/2 minutes into the first episode we have a flashback where Ogata is talking to Kyoko at her starting point. The subs are:

"You found out they weren't your real parents... so you left your house?"

Was Kyoko was adopted by Mizusawa's parents instead of being any kind of biological relation to him? Or was she given up by their parents the same as he was and only adopted by the Odagiri family later? Depending on what that report was telling him, it could make a big difference.

Take it with a few tablespoons of salt, but it's at least enough hope to get me through till we have the subs.

In the Korean version, Mizusawa's sister works in the kitchen of the hotel. I thought that in the Jap version she would be the one who was involved in the "plate collision" in episode 1.

That's actually a big relief for me! Whatever else happens to the kdrama characters, I'm glad to know that they're NOT brother and sister at least in that version.

Also, in episode 3 she told Mizusawa a bit about her "father and mother". Then she added that her family was complicated, but didn't explain futher. So I'm not sure which direction those two clues are supposed to point us, but it could be a set up for a "misunderstanding". Maybe...

That promo pretty much avoids the spoiler from this ep as much as possible. Suddenly, we've got Akane threatening suicide with a knife and the unknown man holding Kyoko at knife point. It must be the knife episode!

Now personally, I just don't know why Ogata's the one on the roof trying to save Kyoko. I thought episode one showed conclusively that Mizusawa was the guy you'd want when facing a man with a knife.

Back on the subject of the potential incest plot... who else finds it kinda interesting that Kyoko's potential love interests are:

Ogata, whom she told in episode one that she'd always viewed him like a father....

and

Mizuswa, who is potentially her brother.... ?

I think this thread could use a little hard alcohol right about now! Or maybe that's just me.

I'm such a silly baby! How could I forget what I was always wondering about? I was always thinking: "How come those were not Kyoko's real parents, and it looks like she ran away from home when she found out, but she is still talking about them to Misuzawa as if they were?!" And: "How come Mizusawa says he followed his father to America, presumably as a teenager, and since then never returned to Japan, but then he confesses he'd been abandoned by his parents when he was a little kid?". Those two details kept bothering me and I was on the lookout for more clues all the time but see: at the first red herring of a sign of danger, I forgot all about it and fell into the scriptwriter's trap like they wanted me to!!!

You're right, it's very interesting that Kyoko's love interests are a father-figure and an older-brother figure... And I'd welcome some hard alcohol right now, you bet!! Now, still, if her real father abandoned her and her adoptive father died when she was so young, her feelings toward Ogata-san would be quite understandable. Somehow it suits her character to find love with a mature man, who can be the equal to her spirited and strong personality! Anyway, she is young, but she's not a child, like Yosuke is. Btw, I hope he does some growing-up before the end of the series

But to come back to Kyoko, the one who really suits her I think is of course Mizusawa!! Could she be happy next to the always restrained Ogata?! I think not. She might admire his calm and reserve now, but in time it will start to get on her nerves, I'm sure

Speaking of favourite scenes, I particularly loved the one when Ogata asks Mizusawa to leave Kyoko alone, because "you can show your love also by not speaking, and keeping your distance" -- and Mizusawa meets him with "Are you talking about yourself?" Ha-ha!! Ogata was pwned, if you'll excuse the language!

I love Mizusawa so much for being so open about his feelings!!

First of all, I must say maths is not my strong point at all so please forgive any blatant silliness! But, if I understand you correctly, what you're saying is based on the assumption that the father Mizusawa accompanied to the States was his biological father, who afterwards abandoned him and maybe had another child... presumably Kyoko, but actually not her, 'cause she's too old for that.

Did I get it right? But if indeed he went to the States with his "father", as a teenager (I think your maths is spot on here, he must have been 15 at the time) it must have been an adoptive father, because he talks of having been abandoned as a young child. And the flashback scenes at the park do show him as a young child, looking very sad and abandoned to me!

So what I think is this (again, hoping that all the "boku no imouto" is a big misunderstanding and will prove not to be true after all!!!): Mizusawa is the biological child of the Odagiri family, who abandoned him when he was at the most 6 or 7 years old (maybe because they were very poor?). Later on, a Mizusawa-san adopts him, and finally takes him to the States. The Odagiris, doing better now, and regretting having given up their child, end up by adopting another child, a little girl - Kyoko. That would fit in with the "You found out they weren't your real parents" scene. Mizusawa now finds out that his real parents, the Odagiris, had another child, Kyoko, and that scares him out of his wits. But what he doesn't know is that Kyoko was adopted.

How does that sound to you, minna-san?

Also, I'm thinking that Kyoko may have been adopted by just his mother with a new husband. If Mizusawa wasn't adopted and taken to America until he was around 15, he should definitely have memories of his family name originally being Odagiri, which doesn't match with his reaction to the name Odagiri in the documents. So I'm think that his parents split, and his mother remarried Mr. Odagiri and adopted Kyoko later. It makes more sense as to why he was suspicious and nervous only after seeing the name Odagiri in the documents. And why he wouldn't consider it to be a normal name for him to find there.

So I'm thinking he believes Kyoko to be his half-sister, technically. But from the line about her finding out they weren't her real parents, I think she'll turn out not to be related to him at all.

Part of my hunch also comes from the conversation with Mizusawa in episode 3. If they were trying to foreshadow Kyoko really being his sister and the Odagiri family only adopting her later, she should have told him then that she was adopted so this document could confirm his worst fears. The set up seems to be the opposite since she didn't tell him about her parents not being her blood relations, so that information can be revealed later to resolve the crisis.

I'd love to hear everyone else's thoughts.

OMG! very very bad cliffy. hmm, actually , my thought is the same as Liantasse. He must be abandoned in that park in his young age. Then he was adopted by the father who brought him to America. So, he don't know anything about his real parents after that and therefore, he's surprised that His parents had another child.

the hug from behind was used numerous times in dramas but this is the first time i was truly touch, very sweet^^ (since i highly doubt there'll be kissing scene in this j-version so hugging's fine )

Kyoko is his half-sister!

they might not be related

While he is kinda immature, Yosuke earned some major love points from me in this episode. It was really nice to see him going to bat for Akane and expressing his faith in her to his mother. While Ogata has done that for Kyoko before, I don't remember him doing such for Akane so far. Yosuke does have a good heart, and he acts from it instead of bottling it all away. So he seems like he could become quite a good man in the future, if he could only apply himself to the task.

I can understand Akane's wariness of money and connections because of the example set by her father, but she seems to have no qualms about seeking help and shelter from people who she believes are not rich. For example, when she sought out Ogata after running away. She was still using a connection to get what she wanted. So unless we see Akane actively pursuing a course of her own without connections, her part of that conversation won't ring true to me. It would have been more natural sounding if she had rejected his help simply because she wanted Ogata's help instead.

I suppose it'll all depend on what else they have planned next though.

Oh, yes, Ryoko-chan, you are right about Yosuke! I am really curious how things will work out: it seems we have two love triangles, with Ogata as a common point between them Will he be the one left out in the end?!

I just loved the part about the Murakami couple!! They were sooo cute! That was wonderful acting from the two actors: their surprise and childlike happiness at the wedding-anniversary ceremony made me smile through tears all the time!!

It's great how they are getting help from people like this couple and the client Ogata saved nearer the beginning! It's like a perfect illustration to a Romanian proverb: "Bine faci, bine găseşti" ("Do good, and you will find good")!

About "the twist", Ryoko-chan, you were so right: Mizusawa's mom married Mr Odagiri. It's so sad, though, for him to find out that both his parents had died... Not to speak about the evil crazy "something else" that he found out!! But by now I'm quite sure it'll be like we worked it out Please God let it be so!

Who else loves Komoto Masahiro as Kikuchi?! He's sooo good! I particularly love the way he rolls his eyes and leaves the scene whenever he feels Mizusawa's about to display some more of his affections towards Kyoko!!

Oh, and grrrrr that bad, bad Iwama I just hate him and that Goto woman! Contrarywise, Ueda-sempai totally won me over in this episode!! She has hidden talents! Never expected her to know how to play the organ!

Ah, and Ms Morimoto's-Right-Hand? Or should I say Guardian Dragon? I think Morimoto's just lost her, with that horrible, horrible slap. Say bye-bye, Morimoto, you've now got a fearsome enemy right by your side!!! At least, I hope he does!

All in all, I have no idea how I'll be able to wait for the next episode! I held out so long for this one in hopes I might watch it with my own imouto tonight but she can come over only on Friday... That only means I'll watch it again then!