" Ore wo suki ni naru..." (You will fall in love with me.) Halu told Aki on their first date. That is a foregone conclusion, based on the sparks flying between them in the first episode. How they will fall in love with each other is what the audience are after. (And a warning to the audience as well - because one will definitely fall for the rakish and charismatic Halu. Ok, someone please give me some oxygen!!)

Satonaka Halu is the captain and star player of the ice-hockey team called Blue Scorpions. He's the star, the leader and the idol of his fellow team-mates.  In a way, you see Halu and Kimura-kun as one. They were born to shine and to lead and are competitive as hell.  Girls scream when they see him and guys just want to be like him.  But that's where the similarity ends.

Kimura-kun fits into this role well, mainly because he's a natural sports person and he doesn't look a hair out of place in the rink.  Although he claims to be just able to skate, he moves and looks like a pro in the rink. As much as his team-mates idolizes him, Halu has an idol of his own -  his coach,, Anzai-san. When Anzai-san passes away, it was as if Halu's vision of the game was shattered. And it didn't help that Halu did not like the new coach from Canada , who was here to replace Anzai-san.

Anzai-san knew that Halu is a brash-headed fellow and still immature in his thinking, with every event in his life affecting his match performance. But he knew that Halu would make it big in the game. Halu promised Anzai-san that he would not get serious in a relationship and will concentrate on his career. Anyway, to Halu, relationship was but a game to him.

That is, until he meets Aki.  It was after a game, at the "Face Off" bar. Aki was brought to the game and the bar to meet guys by her 2 friends, Chika and Yuri. Aki was still waiting for a boyfriend who had left for New York 2 years ago, and never as much as to even call. Halu saw Aki then and was mesmerized.  Yet, he knew he shouldn't get involved with a girl like Aki - someone who looked like she had very traditional values.  But I guess the saying "opposites attract" is true here.

It was funny the way they met. Halu got his team-mates to beat him up outside the bar, just as Aki was leaving. After he got the attention he wanted from Aki, all he got from her was her email address. And if Aki's friend did not reply his email on her behalf, perhaps Aki would not have gone on that first date with Halu.  She is definitely attracted to Halu, but yet she is wary of him, and afterall, she hadn't forgotten her boyfriend yet.

After Anzai-san's funeral, Halu walked all the way in the rain to Aki's house and fell right at her door-step, with a running fever. And there on her couch, he slept like a baby that night. The next day, he made a proposal to Aki. It was a perfect idea to him.  He didn't want a serious relationship and she was waiting for her boyfriend to come back to her.  When she's lonely, he could keep her company.  She asked him, "that's a good deal for me, what about you?" His reply was that he slept well the night before, with her by his side. Aki was slightly amused and impressed by his perfectly charming reply and teased him, "well, you might really fall in love with me." And Halu shook his head. She countered, "I won't be bothered with you when you are lonely." And he said, "I've never been lonely, not even once." As Halu said that, his eyes revealed the deepest loneliness anyone could feel. Aki probably saw that. And she agreed to his "game". "Well, since we are fated at least by our names..", she rationalized. (Aki = Autumn, Halu = Spring)

And there you see 2 people made for each other falling for each other and yet using the "game" as a shield to play down the depth of the relationship. And I wonder when Halu would wake up from his self-denial, even as his eyes searched the crowd for Aki and to go into the rink with confidence when he finally spots her and hears her calling his name "Halu" amidst the screaming crowd of girls. And that was the first time Aki called his name, something he had wanted her to do for some time.

Aww, c'mon Halu, and you're telling me you won't be falling for her? Usotsuki! Haha. Well, I'll be rubbing my hands in gleeful anticipation to see how Aki brings the proud Halu to his knees. And uh oh, I myself will probably be down on my knees going "Halu Halu Halu."  

- Surf, Jan 19 2004 .