White Album Season 1, Episode 5: It's not only those who are close to you that get in your way. The less you know someone, the harsher you are.

1

Yes, maybe the button was already pushed by then.

November, 1986. Second-year student at Yunagi university, Touya Fuji, is having a nightmare one morning. The dream is about his girlfriend and newly-cast idol, Yuki Morikawa.

24 min

2

Do you believe in long-plotted encounters?

Yuki stops by music star-turned-studio president, Eiji Ogata's home, after finishing shooting a TV shoot. At the same time, Touya is paid a surprise visit by his childhood friend, and college classmate, Haruka Kawashima.

24 min

3

Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, back to back, and then... we don't have to take off our clothes.

Rina offers Touya a part time job "helping out her manager." Touya cancels his job as a tutor, more out of a desire to see Yuki than interest in the job itself.

24 min

4

Sometimes you feel like you understand someone beyond imagination. A lot of times it's the opposite though.

Thanks to Rina's intervention, Touya and Yuki are able to go on their first date in a long time.

24 min

5

It's not only those who are close to you that get in your way. The less you know someone, the harsher you are.

Yuki's manager tells Touya that their thoughtless actions are perfect bait for celebrity gossip magazines and subtly hints that he should break up with Yuki.

24 min

6

A good way to forget your troubles...How about getting involved in somebody else's?

Misaki's script was accepted by the Drama Club, but the Drama Club president, with whom she has a past, is forcing her to make all the props and clothes herself. The time limit is two weeks and Touya happily offers to help Misaki.

24 min

7

A mental image is something that needs constant building up. It crumbles easily.

Yuki successfully finishes the recording of her debut single, "White Album." Meanwhile, Misaki is staying at Touya's father's house, as the two of them work to make the props and clothes.

24 min

8

The less time you have, the more you can do. The more you do. Of course, love is no exception.

A mentally imbalanced Haruka is wandering the streets, and is harassed by two men. She's saved by Mana, who happens to pass by. Touya is spending his days working with Misaki, the work getting more and more frantic as the deadline approaches...

24 min

9

Memories don't need to be prettied up like a play. The minute you say them aloud, they're all lies.

The day of the big rehersal for the drama club play, Touya and Misaki finish the props and clothes. However, Tamaru insists that they change the color to "monotone."

24 min

10

Sumo Wrestling by yourself isn't lonely just because you don't have a partner. The eyes of the audience sting, too.

The injured Misaki spends a night at the hopsital, and finds herself rapidly growing closer with Akira, who stayed with her the whole time. Due to a secret agreement between the head of M&M Music, Itsuki Kanzaki, and Ogata Productions' Eiji, Rina is forced to change the venue she was going to perform her concert in.

24 min

11

Time won't take care of the feelings building up in your heart. It just labels them "forgotten."

Eiji reveals his secret agreement for the Christmas concert: a match to see who can bring in more fans. Rina interrogates Yayoi about a letter she discovered in the office trash can. Mana has gotten close enough to Haruka that the two of them are going biking together. Meanwhile, Touya is troubled over his feelings for Yuki, and reveals them to Yayoi...

24 min

12

“Restriction. Deception. Deprivation. Giving. Waiting is more trying than all of these.”

Touya reveals his relationship with Yayoi to Rina but she takes him to task, telling him it’s too dangerous. The next day, Rina goes to wait for Touya in the VIP room at the end of his work day at Echoes, but Touya leaves with Yayoi in her car.

24 min

13

Even though the glass was tipped over, didn't you notice? Not even one drop of water remained.

At long last, the Christmas concert begins, full of emotions and feelings. Touya shows up at the Yunagi Koukaidou for Yuki's concert.

24 min

14

I've never been able to tune properly. I keep thinking that it could sound better.

After the Christmas Eve concert, Touya's father collapses, due to a longstanding condition, and is hospitalized. The next day, Yuki goes to visit him but missed Touya on his way out. Itsuki Kanzaki, after blowing off the Christmas Eve concert, is scolded, and the missing M&M agency's star singer, Menou Akiyama, is discovered. Eiji then stands before a painting after winning the spoils of war in his "mobilization value" bet.

24 min

15

The things you can't find will destroy what's around you. Because they're not there, there's nothing that can be done.

After Eiji stops giving Yuki her lesson, she decides to stop by and visit Touya's father in the hospital. On New Years Eve, Yuki goes to Touya's apartment. The two bring in the new year kissing. This is how 1987 begins...

24 min

16

When I think back to my childhood, the embarrassment I feel is agonizing. Compared to that...

Touya's father planned to spend the New Year's holiday at home, but his condition suddenly worsens and he has to return to the hospital. Touya is saddened and disappointed in his father's condition. A few days later, a meeting is held at Ogata Productions. It is about the Venus Festival, a musical competition for young female singers which is held every February. Rina has never been given a chance to enter it before... The rule is set that each production company may only send one group or singer to the competition. Rina, realizing what was going on in Eiji's mind, suddenly declares she is going independence, and walks out...

24 min

17

There are lies one wants exposed. There are truths one does not want to believe in. There is one of each.

Upon declaring independence from Ogata Productions, Rina leaves. Yuki chases her in the rain and desperately begs her to return. Rina has made up her mind and will not be convinced to go back. After regaining her composure, Yuki reminisces about recording White Album with Rina... While this is going on, Eiji is paid a visit by Itsuki and a consultant sent to regain a picture that wasn't theirs to give away. However, this is really just one of Itsuki's plots... Eiji offers his Tri-Sad studio, but the price won't cover the painting...So what will Eiji offer to pay for it...?

24 min

18

Don't bugs have it too easy? They shut themselves away in their shells, and yet they're claustrophobic.

It is revealed, at a press conference, that Rina will be transferring to Itsuki Kanzaki's rival agency, M&MM. In the same press conference, Sakuradan announces that they are disbanding and that their vice-leader, Sarii, will be going solo. Yuki visits Touya's father in the hospital by herself. The two begin to discuss his son... Touya goes to the dressing room at the TV station to catch Rina after she finishes her last gig for Ogata Productions. Rina tries to put up a strong front, but melts in Touya's arms when he puts them around her. "Kiss me, Fuji-kun."

24 min

19

They usually say you move on to the next when you're bored with what you have. Although, I usually seem to be bored well before

Rina informs Yuki directly that her and Touya just kissed after showing up at her dressing room. To muddy the waters further, Touya joins Rina at M&MM as her assistant. After this devastating blow, Yuki tries to distract herself from the pain by biting her wrist as she hears Rina's painful words. The next week, as Rina and Touya begin their job at M&MM, Itsuki orders the two of them to sit in on Menou's recording session. At the studio, Touya makes the connection that Menou is the girl he met outside the Yunagi Koukaidou on the night of the Christmas Eve concert. Menou seems to care less about her actual album and lets Rina handle the recording while she chats with Touya...

24 min

20

Love is not rational. The lovers who said this were poets, critics, and philosophers.

Touya returns to his hometown, only to find Menou waiting for him. She's acting like she owns the place when a staffmember from the agency comes to retrieve her. Eiji determines that the picture of a girl he received from Itsuki is a forgery and continues his search for the real one. Eiji is having delusions about what is really in the pictures, but Yuki sets him straight. Rina, meanwhile, has a nearly empty schedule. With Touya at her side, she undergoes a bunch of voluntary training. And, of course, Touya and Yayoi's affair continues on...

24 min

21

I want to return to the fork in the road. I should have gone right instead. I've regretted every second since then.

A shadow looms over Touya and everyone. Rina's ex-manager, Hiraragi, is secretly filming Rina outside when Maruta calls out to him. Hiraragi was plotting his revenge against the Ogata Productions team, when Maruta thrusts himself in the mix. Touya is tutoring Mana in her room when her mother, Itsuki, happens to catch him in there. Mana learns that Touya is working for Rina while being friends with Yuki. This enrages Mana and she runs out of the house.

24 min

22

Worried you're not a good speaker? Try talking with your eyes. It'll make you want to talk in no time.

Touya goes all the way to Haruka's mountain house, in search of Mana, after she ran away from home. There he sees Haruka, getting back on the horse and practicing tennis again. Tamaru suddenly approaches Misaki and asks her to write an article for him. In return, he will not release the secret photos he has of Touya and Yayoi. Menou offers to save the day. She aggrees to stage a scandal to take the place of Touya's...

24 min

23

We hope to catch colds in order to be nursed and fed. We don't even imagine the pain we're about to endure.

Yuki spends all her free time practicing for her appearance in the Venus festival. At the same time, Menou is chosen to represent M&MM. Hearing this news, Rina stops by the recording studio where Menou and Natsuko are making their album. Touya's dreams of the distant past, while in the hospital... He sees a young Yuki there. He then passes away, never waking from this dream. While Misaki helps go through his things, to display at the wake, Touya tells stories of his father. He then bursts into tears and embraces Misaki. "This is only for today."

24 min

24

Night does nothing for you. The sun is what makes things fade.

Menou's scandal makes it into the public eye. At the same time, Eiji is accused of possessing forgeries andtax evasion. Menou stays in Touya's apartment to avoid the scandal. Touya cannot remember when or where he first met her. At the same time, Rina declares she will be taking Menou's place in the Venus festival. However, she will be singing Menou's songs and not her own. Yuki visits Eiji in his secrte hiding place and tries to console him, after losing everything. The two of them embrace. Yuki closes her eyes against his chest, and...

24 min

25

It's somebody else's fault. Not mine. It's all somebody's else's fault. And not at all...

"I'll always be your goddess." Menou is revealed to be the first goddess, and it's shown that her relationship to Touya goes far further back than anyone suspected.

24 min

26

And thus we sit together now, and all night long we have not stirred.

"The few months before Yuki moved were the first point of connection between us." Yuki's past, and the reason why she became an idol, are revealed.

24 min