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Healer Girl Episode 8 Review – Quick Summary
In Healer Girl episode 8, “I Love Maids • You’re Fired,” Reimi invited her friends Hibiki and Kana over for dinner. Of course, Reimi did not cook, because, well, they’re her friends. Instead, Reimi’s maid and long-time protector, Aoi, took care of the meal. Aoi did everything around the house – laundry, household cleaning, even delivering Reimi’s lunch if she forgot it. But Aoi had a secret that would rock Reimi’s world to its foundation. And one day, Reimi accidentally came across the shocking truth. Can their lives ever be the same?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Healer Girl Episode 8
This show makes such great use of stylized art to add impact to a punchline! Also, Marina Horiuchi, Reimi’s voice actor, did a great job. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
For this episode’s climax to have the maximum emotional punch, we had to see just how important Aoi was to Reimi. Further, we had to see that Reimi knew that cost of not having Aoi around. That made Reimi’s decision all the more impactful.
Perhaps the least emotionally impactful aspect involved mundane household tasks. But those tasks are important. They affect how comfortable we are in our own home. Ever live in a house where there’s old laundry piling up? Where dishes aren’t washed? Or where meals aren’t prepared?
Any one of those things could suck big time.
Healer Girl deftly used humor to drive home the point. As usual. This show has remarkable comedic timing.
Reimi had just said she could handle the household chores, no problem. Then we see a cut to the next day, in the clinic, where she’s holding her head in her hands.
“I wasn’t expecting that much lather!” she said (05:51), shuddering in horror at the memory of her attempt to wash dishes.
I have to admire her honesty in admitting she had room to grow!
Best in Show Moment for Healer Girl Episode 8
Kana and Hibiki did not need to say a word. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: Fake Drama is Fake – and Healer Girl is Not Fake Drama
I don’t like sappy. That may come as a surprise to you, because I think I have a reputation of liking pretty much anything. Maybe that’s the impression I give by choosing to celebrate anime. But in my heart of hearts, I’m a picky old bastard, and there are some things I detest.
I hate sappy moments that come off as saccharine-sweet. They are pretty much at the top of my list of Things Which I Do Not Care For. Okay, it’s on the suitable-for-work version of that list. The not-suitable-for-work version of the list might make Cthulhu uneasy, so we’ll just skip the contents of that list, shall we?
Healer Girl is not sappy. It is not saccharine-sweet. Instead, it more than met my very high expectations of what a powerfully emotional moment should be. And it prepared us for that moment with consummate skill and precision.
Aoi had done so much for Reimi that the young Healer’s apprentice could not bear that idea she was holding Aoi back. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
We knew what it would cost Reimi to force Aoi to follow her dream. When the episode showed us how Aoi stood up for Reimi’s dream to become a healer, it did two things: it guaranteed our sympathy for Aoi, and it showed just how important her support had been to Reimi.
Most shows would have gone sickly sweet at this stage. Healer Girl stayed true to its characters. It put Reimi and Aoi on a collision course. Reimi, with her profound commitment to the idea that everyone should be able to follow their dreams; Aoi, with her absolute dedication to Reimi’s development as a singer and as a young woman.
Delivery: Kana and Hibiki, There for Reimi, on Her Terms
Their two drives collided; Reimi tried to kick Aoi out. Then Reimi realized that could not work, so she enlisted the help of her friends to convince Aoi that it was okay to pursue her dream of becoming a pianist. Why? Because Reimi had friends. Reimi was on the right track. And she stressed that it was because Aoi had put her on that track. But now, it was Reimi’s turn to repay the favor.
After convincing Aoi she would be okay, Reimi watched her walk out the door. The Healer apprentice stood in the entryway, her back to Kana and Hibiki. Reimi, her voice strong with conviction, tried to put a brave face on Aoi’s departure. She said having a personal maid could be suffocating.
“I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders,” she said (20:11). “This is for the best.”
Reimi wanted to stand proud and not cry. But some pains just need expression. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Her friends knew what she was doing. Without a word, Kana and Hibiki came up behind Reimi. They placed their foreheads on each of Reimi’s shoulders, and they let her cry herself out. They didn’t force Reimi to face them. They let her grieve on her own terms, in her own way.
Spending time with these characters pushes back the darkness, just a little. And for that, I’m happy to celebrate it and its little moments with you. I almost feel like I’m being greedy for saying so, but I hope you find moments like this to be uplifting, too.
What did you think of Reimi’s plan to convince Aoi she could leave? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Healer Girl Episode 8: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: Healer Girl – Episode 8 discussion
- The Magic Planet: Some Very Brief Thoughts on Episode 8 of HEALER GIRL
- The Yuri Empire: Healer Girl Episode 8: Da Maid
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!
