Grandpa & Grandma Turn Young Again episode 10 brought us another laid-back episode. And while little happened in the way of Shouzou and Ine’s changes, we were treated to the start of another romance.
Ordinary Time
With racing scenes, Halloween, and guns, Grandpa & Grandma Turn Young Again episode 10 seemed less like a representation of a quiet Japanese village and more like whatever happens in the good ol’ US of A. But that’s life; there are a few really high moments, but most are ordinary. However, ‘ordinary’ is something that actually changes a lot. Most of what was considered normal 50 years ago has not stood the test of time. As Ine expresses how beautiful it is that now people can choose how to live and who to love, she lets Mino know that she should take full advantage of that.
The Memory Embedded in Places
As Mino and Shouta-kun get caught in a downpour, they take shelter in the jinja where Grandpa and Grandma met. Showing all the awkwardness of a mutual first attraction, Mino and Shouta keep their distance, even though they both wish the other would make the first move. But no one does so—that is, until a lightning strike forces Shouta to protect Mino, and to their surprise, that lightning strike reveals a glimpse of the past.
Maybe it’s divine intervention from the god that inhabits the jinja, or perhaps something more abstract, like a memory embedded in place. Whatever it is, Mino and Shouta get to live a shared experience with Ine and Shouzou firsthand. And as it turns out, it’s a raunchy memory. When Grandpa and Grandma were younger, choosing a partner based on love was rare.
Since both of them were being forced to marry someone they didn’t want to be with and were prohibited from seeing each other, they took desperate measures.
Given that the god associated with the jinja that Mino and Shouta were taking refuge in is grateful to the Saitous, the vision they’re showed could be it’s way of thanking the Saitous even more for all they did for it. After all, granting prosperity to their family line also grants prosperity to them. And it does serve to intertwine Mino and Shouta further. But this is just conjecture as of now.
Grandpa & Grandma Turn Young Again episode 10: Love Blooms & Wrap-Up
I consider myself lucky that I got a lot of leeway during my teenage years. While most kids my age had a curfew of 7 p.m. I was happily crossing international borders to attend grindcore shows. That freedom really changed how I look at things, and honestly, I’m forever grateful for it. The trust my family placed in me as I battled some pretty heavy demons let me see and do things that most people that age wouldn’t. But there’s a downfall to everything, and one of the biggest that came from that is how I view romance.
While I can write away when it’s about hypothesizing about the paranormal and strange aspects associated with this show, normal episodes like this are a harder sell. I agree with Mayoi Hachikuji when she says, “I know love. The convenience store was selling it for 298 yen.”
I think love is like a sunset. It can show you something so beautiful that it will forever change your life. It can be a spiritual experience unlike any other. But, at the end of the day, it’s something really easy to come by; you just have to know in which direction to look and how much it’s worth.
Because of that, I find the ‘will they, won’t they’ dance in rom-coms exhausting. But, the representation of it in this story is refreshingly less tedious. Unlike the dense, over-the-top characters often found in rom-coms, the protagonists and supporting cast have a reason for their apprehension and embarrassment, making for a more relatable and engaging watch.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
©Kagiri Araido, KADOKAWA/ Grandma and Grandpa Rejuvenate Production Committee
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