The Story of Makoto's First Love
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| "The Story of Makoto's First Love" "誠の初恋物語"
("Makoto no hatsukoi monogatari") | ||||||
| Production company | Sunrise Yomiko Advertising TV Tokyo | |||||
| Airdate | September 3, 2003 | |||||
| Written by | Hiroyuki Yoshino | |||||
| Directed by | Masakazu Hishida | |||||
| Animation studio | Sunrise | |||||
In a shock twist it turns out Makoto has feelings.
Synopsis[edit | edit source]
Makoto is waiting in Rinkai General Hospital after injuring his hand in a rescue, and remembers a call from his father, the head of the Metropolitan Police Department, who has arranged for him to transfer to the police. He is torn - it's always been his ambition to join the police but he values his work as part of Machine Robo Rescue highly. He asked Police Robo what he should do, and the Machine Robo told him this will have to be a decision he makes himself. He is interrupted in his thoughts when a young doctor approaches him and tells him he should have his K-BOY switched off in the hospital, something she knows as she always forgets to turn her mobile off. As she treats him she introduces herself as Doctor Aki Saotome and nearly impales him with various medical instruments when she trips entering the room. Despite her clumsiness and youth, her supervisor explains that Aki is an excellent doctor before the pair have to run off to attend to emergency surgery. Makoto watches, fascinated as she performs the complex operation perfectly. He takes a shine to her, which she mistakes for a medical infection before they are interrupted by Katsura, one of her young patients she is organising a birthday party for. Makoto returns to Rescue Headquarters but is so distracted thinking about Aki that he doesn't even react to Taiyoh pulling his face around, only snapping to life when he gets a phone call from Aki arranging to meet him the following day. After listening in the others are confused, but thankfully Kai uses his computer skills to give everyone the dirt. Realising Makoto is about to go on a date the cadets help him get ready and see him off at the monorail station, with even the instructors and staff joining them. Satoko fusses away while the ever-emotional Miyajima sobs like a baby as he realises Makoto has a girlfriend before he does. Even Chief Bitou turns out to give him some advice on dating older women - though a furious Marie drags him away before he can pass on too many tricks of the trade. Only Alice stays away, decrying Makoto for being a stupid boy. He is relieved to finally get on the train - only to notice the Machine Robo holding a gigantic banner wishing him luck. When he meets with Aki he quickly becomes embarrassed, being forced to check for how to react in Ace's dating manual before managing to tell her she looks very nice. The others are spying on the date via a K-BOY, and Ace is sceptical at Makoto's decision to stray from the manual. The pair go to the mall and shop, all watched by the other cadets - though Alice briefly disturbs them to volcanically clarify that she is not jealous. Aki meanwhile explains that she and Katsura share a birthday and are planning to arrange presents, and Makoto asks how she became a doctor. She explains that when she was born she was predicted to have a life expectancy of 10 years, which motivated her to try and help others while she could, and having recovered decided to help as many people as she could. After Makoto catches her following one of her trips the picture shuts down, though Taiyoh is oblivious as to why. Later Makoto bids farewell to Aki but moments later she begins getting chest pains and collapses. Unaware, Makoto heads to a jewellery store to buy a necklace he noticed Aki looking at earlier as a present for her birthday the following day before heading back to Headquarters, barely registering an ambulance tearing past.
In a bed in the hospital, Aki realises her condition is worsening rapidly. Unaware, Makoto prepares for their second date, with Ace once again offering his advice and Taiyoh wanting to know what happened after the picture cut out - for which he is yelled at by Lin. Makoto realises they were spying on him and grabs Taiyoh before looking around and realising everyone else has scarpered. His fury is interrupted by an alert - there is a fire at the Tokyo Bay Second Electrical Generator, and Red Wings are launched into action. The fire cuts off the power to numerous sections of town - including Rinkai. At the hospital the back-up generator has kicked in as Aki visits Katsura, claiming she decided to give him his present a day early - a toy police car she picked out with Makoto. The boy presents Aki with a drawing he did of the her for her present, telling her he wants to be a doctor when he's older. While she smiles Aki is clearly struggling - as the backup generator fails and bursts into flames. An alarmed Makoto heads there in Police Robo. Most of the patients and staff are already out but Katsura tells Makoto that Doctor Aki is still inside. The rest of Blue Sirens appear and Alice refuses to let Makoto lose his head and rush in, and he realises she is right. Calming down, he remembers her comment about always forgetting to turn her phone off and calls her via his K-BOY. When Makoto tells her he will be rescuing her Aki informs him her illness is incurable and she didn't tell him as she wanted to enjoy the time they had. Her battery fails before she can give her location and she accepts death. However, while they were talking Alice has found a map of the hospital,Susumu has triangulated her mobile phone signal and Tsuyoshi has fetched Makoto's protective gear. Touched by their concern and properly equipped, Makoto goes in, but just as he reaches Aki the roof collapses, leaving only a tiny gap in the corridor. He is able to pull her clear just as further masonry comes down. As he carries Aki clear Hyper Police Robo smashes in a wall to create an exit, setting up a slide so they can move to safety. However, Aki's disease is too advanced and after telling Makoto to keep saving lives she dies happy. Red Wings and Yellow Gears attend her memorial, with Ace laying the necklace on her grave - Blue Sirens are attending to a traffic accident and Makoto has chosen to honour Aki by prioritising saving lives, winning newfound respect from Alice. Meanwhile Makoto's father informs Chief Bitou that Makoto has turned down the transfer to the Metropolitan Police Force as he feels he is needed more at MRR. His father is quietly delighted at his son's maturity.
Featured characters[edit | edit source]
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Machine Robo Rescue | Others |
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Quotes[edit | edit source]
"He needs more energy in his shoulders and arms. If that doesn't change he's going to strike out."
- —MRR's top pick-up artist Arias "Ace" Honoh critiques Makoto's dating technique.
Notes[edit | edit source]
Continuity notes[edit | edit source]
- Makoto stutters when nervous.
- Aki Saotome is a child genius and qualified as a doctor when 11, and is 13 at the time of the episode. She got her job at the hospital due to the same change in attitude towards children that made Machine Robo Rescue possible, though she is still the youngest doctor in Japan's history.
- Makoto and Aki play a Machine Robo Rescue arcade game where she plays an Aider Robo and he plays Police Robo. She wins by whipping him repeatedly with a hose. Steady on, Sunrise.
- At this stage it's hard to tell if Alice is specifically jealous of Makoto and it's some sort of chalk-and-cheese attraction or if she's just jealous that someone else is the centre of attention.
Real-world references[edit | edit source]
- Rinkai Hospital is not only real but actually looks very close to what's shown onscreen.
- The nameless disease might be a reference to the similarly vague terminal illness suffered by Ali MacGraw's character in Love Story.
Trivia[edit | edit source]
- It's not stated what disease Aki has, probably to try and take the edge off the grimness.
Foreign localization[edit | edit source]
Singapore
- Title: "The Story of Makoto's First Love!"
- Original airdate: ?
Home video releases[edit | edit source]
- DVD
