With You and the Rain

Episode 10

I'm not sure I've seen an episode of anything that captured what it feels like to be a writer as well as this one did. It not only tackles the difficulties of inspiration and writing even when you'd rather be doing something else, but also the things people assume about writing professionally. The group of old classmates Fuji meets on the street manage to hit all of the buttons writers are familiar with: you read so much, it's not surprising you'd become a writer, how nice to do what you love for work, you get to set your own hours…you've probably seen or heard them all before, and maybe even said them to a writer you know. And on paper, yes, those do sound pretty great.

But as Fuji shows both last week and this, it's not the way it really works. Not having set hours means that you have to set your own, which means talking yourself out of taking that walk or nap. Doing what you love for work is great, until you realize that it means that you aren't just doing it for love, but because you have to or you can't buy groceries. And being a reader and a writer are two completely different things – look no further than Fuji struggling all day to get a word down on the page and how smoothly and quickly she devours a stack of books. And that's not even getting into the idea that some people write not because they love to, but because the words percolating in their brain need to get out somehow. Writing is a necessity, not a joy sometimes.

Fuji's remark that maybe she never should have written that first book is a distillation of her worries. If she hadn't done that, she wouldn't be in the position she's in now, with a novel to write and an animation script she doesn't know how to start. And that's not even getting into the sheer horror of thinking about people actually reading what she's written, something touched on in episode nine. It's a carousel of anxiety, which she pretty much admits to Ren over cake.

That's why it's so important that she has Kimi. It's striking how much he's helped her to relax. Contrast Episode One Fuji with Episode Ten Fuji: she's still generally quiet and contained, but this week she plays a trick on her old elementary school friends, runs and plays with Kimi, and acknowledges her stress-eating. Because of the decision to bring home a tanuki she found, Fuji has someone to help her safely navigate her life. He may be able to communicate more easily than other pets, but he's still a nonjudgmental presence who helps Fuji to feel calmer. She really might have turned down the animation script request without him around.

Kimi, too, is changing. When he first became Fuji's pet, he didn't seem to know whether to act like a dog or a cat, even if he was pretty clear that he wanted to be a dog. Now we see him engaging in much more canine behavior, romping, carrying balls in his mouth, and snatching food from the table. (Well, hot milk with honey. Close enough.) His body language, from the hanging tongue to the wagging tail, is also more doglike, showing how he, too, is adapting to his new life and finding joy in it. Fuji and Kimi complement each other.

In all of this, the episode also still finds time to demonstrate the one unspoken perk of being a writer: working from home and the corollary delight of having your pet appear on Zoom calls. Sometimes you don't have to spell these things out to show how wonderful they are – the increasing crowd staring at Kimi's puppet act on screen says it all.

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With You and the Rain is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.