Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts
Healer Girl Episode 12 Review – Quick Summary
In Healer Girl episode 12, “We’re C-Rank Healers!“, Kana heads to the United States for her internship. Hibiki interned at the local hospital where she had sung before, and Reimi… Well, Reimi interned with Sonia. You can imagine how well that went. Or maybe not! Later, Kana was supposed to come home to Japan, but her cryptic message filled Reimi and Hibiki with fear. What had happened to their friend? Why wouldn’t she answer? Would she say in the US forever?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Healer Girl Episode 12
I wish I could take Kana to task, but, well, she’s kinda right. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
As a native of the United States, it’s interesting to see how Japan sees us. This episode gave us a humorous glance. Well, maybe not so humorous!
Kana had just arrived in the United States. She stood alone in the airport, and she seemed unsure what to do or where to go. That’s not surprising, right? It’s her first trip abroad! It’s also not surprising that she freaked out when someone grabbed her shoulder from behind.
Panicking, she said (00:14), “Wait, don’t shoot me! I don’t taste good, either!”
I wanted to say, “Not cool, Kana! That’s stereotyping.”
Then I looked at the news.
Seems I would have owed her an apology!
Best in Show Moment for Healer Girl Episode 12
The joy of healing little Kana changed Ria’s life. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: Healer Girls’ Quiet Joy of Life
I’m going to miss this show. Series come and go. I mourn the passing of some; feel a sense of relief when others end. In rare cases, even as old as I am, I still experience a sense of loss when a series that emotionally touched me ends. This show’s ending hit me harder than most.
I’m not sure if it’s the beautiful friendship Kana, Reimi, and Hibiki shared. I’m not sure if their authentic dedication to healing. It could be the harmony and symmetry of Ria’s reason to be a Healer compared to Kana, Hibiki, and Reimi relieving the little girl’s distress on the airplane. More than likely, it’s the sum total of that plus the healing music and the animation and the adorable little avatars.
Anime like this doesn’t come around very often. I’ve seen Iyashikei anime before, and I’ve enjoyed them. But none of them have lived up to the genre’s promise like this one has.
Ria had expelled the girls so they could go on their internships. But it’s a sign of this show’s warmth that she felt bad for how Reimi had interpreted it. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
In a sense, its ending felt almost painful. It reminds me of what could be, if we would just treat ourselves better. Which reminds me of how we actually treat each other. Which reminds me of my inability to affect that at any large scale.
But for twelve episodes, this show took me away from the war. It gave me 23 minutes a week where I could put down the broken sword and the shattered shield. It gave me 23 minutes where I could just breathe and dream of a better world.
Delivery: Ria’s Cycle of Kindness
My favorite moment in this episode closed the season’s dramatic loop. Ria hadn’t even told Shouko why, of all the talents and skills she possessed, she had decided to become a Healer.
It was because of Kana.
We’d seen Kana’s perspective of that flashback before. Kana had been struggling to breath when a young blonde woman had sung for her a song of quieting. Kana had been ecstatic at the sudden relief. She had enthusiastically thanked Ria.
In this episode, we saw what happened from Ria’s perspective. We saw her reaction. Remember how Rias disappeared quickly after easing Kana’s discomfort? There was a reason for that. Kana’s joy had struck Ria’s heart so hard that it drew tears.
What a perfect image to end the series. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
“I’m so happy… So happy… So happy!” Ria sobbed as she retreated to her seat (16:47).
The joy of relieving someone’s pain completely changed the direction of Ria’s life. Without knowing it at the time, she had paid it forward, because the joy of being healed put Kana on a similar trajectory. The symmetry was as beautiful as the song that closed out the episode – and of the final shot saying, “I feel you, I heal you.”
I’m going to miss the hell out of this show.
What did you think of the reason Kana didn’t respond to Hibiki or Reimi’s texts? What were your favorite moments in this episode? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
Healer Girl Episode 12: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Healer Girl – Episode 12 discussion – FINAL
- The Magic Planet: (REVIEW) To Heaven & Back on a Song: The Soothing World of HEALER GIRL
- The Yuri Empire: 467th G-View: Healer Girl
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Healer Girl Episode 1: Kana Fujii, Healer (Apprentice)
- Healer Girl Episode 2: Can I Take a Picture? Or Maybe a Video?
- Healer Girl Episode 3: Cleanup, Run • Run • Run
- Healer Girl Episode 4: First Steps, Horror, and a First Job
- Healer Girl Episode 5: Blue Skies, Green Mountains, River Battles and the Galactic Station
- Healer Girl Episode 6: Become My Servant • Russian Food and Sweet Dreams
- Healer Girl Episode 7: A Culture Festival Full of Surprises
- Healer Girl Episode 8: I Love Maids • You’re Fired
- Healer Girl Episode 9: The Best Guarantee • Buy the CD
- Healer Girl Episode 10: Halloween • Masquerade • Butterfly!
- Healer Girl Episode 11: Sharks and Training Camp! Let’s Climb Together!
- Healer Girl Episode 12: We’re C-Rank Healers!
