Like in a few episodes of GSD, I couldn't pick just six to adequately cover this episode...

Summary:
Suzuka and Yamato are stuck in Hiroshima, and unfortunately for Yamato, Suzuka has slipped back into "bad mood" mode. They lack enough money to go to a restaurant to wait for the train, and while an amusing drunk guy offers a love hotel as a solution, they don't have the money (or the will) for that "solution". Yamato then remembers his family, and borrows Suzuka's cell to call them. The plan is for Suzuka to stay in a hotel while Yamato goes to his house. Suzuka calls the team captain to tell him the plan, but then she hands the phone to Yamato. It's Honoka, and she explains that she was worried about what was going on. Yamato explains that she shouldn't worry, that Suzuka will be in a hotel and Yamato will go home. After the call, Suzuka asks who confessed, and inexplicably, Yamato says it was him (I seem to remember it as more of a mix), but when he starts explaining why, Suzuka gets irritated and tells him to be quiet, which makes Yamato mad, saying she's impossible to understand. They sit in silence until Yamato's dad arrives in his van, however, the father changes the plan. He forces Suzuka to come with them as well, claiming they can't leave a girl in one of these hotels alone. The next day, the whole family is at breakfast, which consists of the family making fun of Yamato while taking care of Suzuka. Yamato's dad says they can't leave until tonight, so Suzuka and Yamato will have to entertain themselves during the day. Yamato tries to talk to Suzuka after they leave, but she tells him to leave her alone. Later on, Yamato offers to let Suzuka stay overnight to see the fireflies (since she's never seen them), but she gets upset, telling him "Aren't you mistaking the one you should be nice to?" which upsets Yamato. He ends up calling Honoka, explaining that Suzuka did end up staying with the family, but that he doesn't have any odd thoughts in mind. After that, Yamato tells Suzuka they should get ready to leave, but Suzuka has changed her mind - she wants to see the fireflies that night. Yamato worries since he promised Honoka they'd be back that night, but they do stay and go to see the fireflies. Yamato takes her to the river where the fireflies are known to come, but there are none there. Suzuka teases Yamato about it, and Yamato explains that something like this happened before, when he tried to confess to a girl in junior high, but no fireflies came due to rain. Suzuka laughes and says he can't finish anything, which makes Yamato disgruntled as he says that he tried to confess to her at the right time. After an awkward moment, Yamato sees a firefly. As he goes to pick it up, Suzuka asks him to show the confession he would have made to the girl in junior high had it not been ruined. Yamato doesn't understand why, but he goes and takes a bellflower (a flower obviously shaped like a bell) and leads the firefly inside, making the flower flow. He begins the confession (ostensibly for the girl before, but sounding oddly like it could fit for Suzuka). As he does so, she accepts it and says in a serious tone "Okay, I'll go out with you". When he says not to make fun of him, she (with a sad face) says she wasn't making fun of him. Fireflies are all about now. In the end (after a moment), she tries to pass it off as a joke and asks why he took it so seriously. As they stand there, the fireflies drift upwards.

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My favorite episode of the series so far. At the beginning, we get some humor (the drunk and the love hotel bit), some bruised feelings spilling over, and more humor.

Suzuka acts a bit odd at times, and Yamato supposses it is because she is looking out for Honoka's feelings. That said, I'm not convinced that's totally it, but we're left to wonder.

The end scene really sells this episode - we learn alot about Yamato and we're given a VERY bittersweet moment with the faux confession, which Yamato presents really well. For a moment, we can see how this will all work out, how it should have worked out for them both. Suzuka brushes it aside in the end, but for a moment, we could see what she wanted in reality.

The last scene was beautifully done as few scenes in Suzuka have been done. The music perfectly set the scene, and we're left with a flood of emotion. But the scene can't last - these characters can't overcome their problems in one shining moment. But we have been given a moment that far surpasses the fireworks confession or anything else that has gone on. For a moment, we have seen a glimpse of hope for the two main characters; where they go from here remains to be seen.

Smaller thoughts:

• Did I miss something? WTF is up with drunk guy singing about carp and wearing his tie on his head? (I might be able to understand the tie on the head if you're REALLY drunk, although that would be one I haven't tried while drunk ..... salt and pepper shakers like marrachas... sure...)
• Well, I guess Honoka was right to be concerned....
• Yamato is really dense sometimes. When I'm in my "hometown", I don't forget that I lived there when I have a problem. That should have been the first thought in his head, even if it was an unappealing option
• Suzuka needs to stop these hot-cold bitch sprees. They don't help her character, no matter how much I might understand the sentiment behind them.
• I've seen fireflies many a time up north, and they NEVER swarm upward like in the last scene. That would be one cool effect if they did.
• I really can't get over how well that last scene was done. Few animes have captured such a bittersweet moment in such captivating style. It was beyond the norm for Suzuka, and I can only hope it continues like this. I've heard the manga scene was even better, but that seems hard to believe
• Now that I've hyped that last scene, some of you will find it disappointing. Oh well.

Based on the preview, interesting things are afoot with Honoka when Yamato and Suzuka return. Will this series go where few anime have gone before? (No, I'm not talking about a threesome!)