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Smile Down the Runway
Episode 12

by Lynzee Loveridge,

How would you rate episode 12 of
Smile Down the Runway ?
Community score: 4.4

I expected a shake-up in the season finale of Smile Down the Runway, but the episode played out like a bombshell with our boy Ikuto picking up the pieces of his ego.

The episode opens with a reminder to the audience that Toh is hoping to beat his grandmother's 40-year-old record and get over 52 buying inquiries for his collection. It's his last show for Geika and thus his last chance to prove himself as a worthy artist to succeed his grandmother and launch his own brand. Toh has already garnered a name for himself in the fashion world just by association, so he decides to make a statement with his opening look: a model in a white t-shirt wearing his own logo. The design is simply his name, but it's meaningful by showcasing his mission to distinguish himself from his grandmother and her Aphro I Dite brand. Now, if I was an audience member just watching the runway show I'd probably find the choice self-centered; good thing he follows it up with some truly stunning designs.

I'm not sure if this is a reflection of putting a shiny coat of paint on the final episode, but Toh's (albeit brief) runway show includes some of the best looking designs so far when it comes to detail and print. His entire concept is to marry ready-to-wear with couture, displaying to looks side by side to see how the magazine editorial look can be streamlined into everyday clothing. It's a really good concept, especially as a presentation to buyers who want to stock clothes that will sell to a wider clientele. That said, I personally thought his ready-to-wear was a little too "ready" compared to the louder, more visually interesting designs he showcased.

After Toh the competition is over and all the designers are called behind the stage where a staffer will announce the top 10 who will proceed back onto the runway for their round of applause. At this point, I was actually not sure who would win. Kokoro's collection was innovative, Toh's was technically masterful, and Ikuto's showed an expanded worldview and skill set. All three characters had personal stakes in the results as well, with Kokoro hoping to prove herself to her manager and finally get her blessing to pursue a career in design, Ikuto's hope to surpass Toh and prove he can be a designer, and Toh's hope of staking his own claim in the fashion world.

So when Kokoro and Chiyuki were announced the winners, I really couldn't be upset. I really enjoyed their presentation and last week's episode was the first time I gave the show five stars. Both girls really pushed it to the limit and I wanted Kokoro to finally have the confidence to be happy in the pursuit of her dream. It couldn't have happened to a better pair. Ikuto, on the other hand, didn't exactly take the news well, but the big shake-up wasn't that he didn't get first. It was that he didn't get second, third, fourth, or even the top 10. He placed ELEVENTH. He was nowhere near approaching Toh's level but that's obvious if you go back and watch both of their presentations. Ikuto is 17-years-old and Toh is in college. He's had access to nation's best fashion design education and he grew up in the workshop of a famously successful designer. It would be a huge suspension of logic to think that he'd be able to defeat a seasoned veteran like Toh.

Then there's the additional wrinkle that even if Ikuto had won, he still wouldn't have beaten Toh since he withdrew from the competition after his collection finished. This seemed to me like a bit of altruism on Toh's part--he was going to win if he didn't withdraw according to the judge's votes--but he wasn't competing to win the prize, just to sell his clothes. Why not let another student take the prize money and Paris trip since he can just tag along with his grandma anyway?

So Ikuto cries, like an embarrassing amount, until one of Toh's patternmakers pulls him aside and chastises him for not originally agreeing to help with Toh's collection. Now, I don't really buy this point, or at least not the way it was communicated. If you'll recall, Toh framed his request for Ikuto's assistance as Ikuto's purpose in fashion because he can't possibly design clothes successfully and also held his mother's hospital bills over his head. He's still an asshole even if half of his point was right: Ikuto would be a great patternmaker and he doesn't have the experience or skill to design on a professional level yet. This much is pointed out in his post-runway critique where the judges essentially told him he wasn't innovative enough and didn't express a personal view in his collection, instead relying on cultural notes from other countries to do the heavy lifting.

Which, I can't imagine he could really argue. I'll be forever pointing out that he designed striped pajamas for a model/influencer to wear on Instagram. He simply needs more experience and he needs to put his time in to get it. He needs to devour trends and collections both classic and current, something beyond Hajime's red dresses. Fortunately, his efforts weren't all for naught as Ikuto gets the invitation to apply to Geika for college and the opportunity to intern at Aphro I Dite where Hajime and Itoh are both heading. His story is only just beginning, after all.

And then there's Chiyuki who made it out of this whole experience both alive and proving herself. And dang, she deserves it. I was pretty hard on her in the season premiere because she came off like a privileged snob but don't let anyone say that this girl didn't work her ass off to get to this point. She swallowed her pride, put herself out there again and again, and in the end got herself an exclusive magazine modeling gig. I hope her career keeps launching her toward that Paris runway.

Rating:

Smile Down the Runway is currently streaming on Funimation.


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