Understanding (理解者 Rikai-sha) is the third episode of Hakuouki: Sweet School Life (Live Action). It aired on October 8, 2015. The story of Sweet School Life is set in the modern-day Japan with all the Hakuouki characters re-imagined accordingly. Instead of being samurai and fighting for their ideals, all the characters are now school teachers or students, and their day-to-day life is filled with more trivial matters, such as exams and school events. The Live Action version is meant to be a comedy with character personality enhancement, multiple references to the original story and light-hearted vibes overall.
Plot
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Chizuru is surrounded by fighting men, and Heisuke shouts that she should hurry up and run. While everyone is protecting her, she wonders whether their lives would be different if they lived in a different era. Hijikata is about to get attacked but Okita saves him. Hijikata thanks his comrade but Souji directly says the he does not like the vice-commander and does not need his gratitude. A few moments later, Okita sees Chizuru hiding in a corner and promises to protect her.
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Chizuru receives a picture of her and Souji
Everyone cheers for the maid cafe idea
Okita sends Chizuru their picture that he took on the roof, and she wants to thank him but decides to ask him about Hijikata-sensei instead. Okita wonders why she is curious but never replies back, eating his burger in a café.
Next morning Hijikata-sensei asks where Okita is, and Heisuke is shy in his presence as he still remembers seeing Hijikata-sensei with Chizuru the other day. He glances over Hijikata's papers and notices that there is a drawing instead of exam answers, which is why Hijikata is angry. Heisuke pretends like his stomach hurts and leaves. Meanwhile, in Harada-sensei's and Nagakura-sensei's classes students are brainstorming ideas for the event during the upcoming festival. Yamazaki proposes a haunted room, and Nagakura-sensei seems scared as he believes that real ghosts will appear. In Harada-sensei's class, Ibuki proposes creating a maid café for the festival as their class has a selling point - the only girl in the whole Academy - Chizuru. Everyone is thrilled while Chizuru is in shock.
Okita takes a picture of sad Heisuke
Heisuke finds Souji who skipped the class and Souji takes a picture of his sulking face. Heisuke asks why Souji hates Hijikata-sensei, but Souji only says that he does not need a reason to hate someone. Remembering how they practiced kendo with Kondou-san since they were kids, Heisuke wonders what is wrong with Hijikata considering that Souji likes Kondou, but Souji changes the topic to Chizuru and Heisuke's feelings for her. As Heisuke shyly denies them, Souji leaves and meets Kondou in the hallway.
At the same time, Kazama walks past the wall full of Chizuru's portraits talking to them and calling her his perfect bride. Shiranui jokes that their fingers were not the right size according to Kazama's belief but Kazama instantly disregards his own words from the previous episode and proceeds to think of a better surprise for Chizuru. Amagiri reports that Chizuru's class is planning a maid café, and Kazama is completely taken aback.
After the exam results come, there is a public list of people who are getting punished for failing. Chizuru hopes she will not find herself but she sees Ibuki who is on the verge of crying as he is on the list. As Ibuki comically leaves, falling down, Harada-sensei comes to praise Chizuru's success. He also makes sure she is okay with the maid café plan, but she seems on board with it.
Chizuru comes to the roof looking at her phone and remembering her conversation with Okita, and Souji appears behind her back asking her about it in a teasing way. As they talk about the festival events their classes are preparing, Okita suddenly claims that he hates Hijikata-sensei. Chizuru finds the feeling of hatred to be sad for the one who hates, and Okita explains that Hijikata stole something precious from him. He elaborates that Kondou looked after him since he was little, and Okita considers him a real older brother, but Kondou's closest relationship is with Hijikata-sensei. Okita makes Chizuru keep it a secret and leaves.
Sano finds Shinpachi in the medbay with Sannan looking after him. They start talking about the events their classes have chosen, and Shinpachi runs away screaming that he is afraid of ghosts just as Sannan is about to offer him Ochimizu.
Hijikata yells at the students who are about to be punished
Hijikata-sensei brings the festival applications to Saitou and Kaoru for review. Kaoru wonders why everyone is so into these activities, and Hijikata-sensei points out that being a student is not only about studying, with Saitou adding that such events help foster an ability to cooperate and combine their efforts. Hijikata leaves the applications and walks out to the hallway where all the student who failed their exams are lined up. He instructs them to clean the whole school until it is sparkling. As the delinquents are gone, Kaoru runs out of the classroom with a sheet of paper in his hand and lashes out at Hijikata that this must be prohibited. He is talking about Chizuru's class organizing a maid café as he cannot allow his sister to be a maid. Saitou, however, is sure that since it is a class decision Chizuru agreed to it, hence no problem with participation. Kaoru decides to run and talk to the class, hitting Ibuki in process and dislocating his shoulder, but Hijikata and Saitou stop him.
Chizuru's maid costume drawing
Chizuru is busy drawing a sketch for her maid costume and decides to call Hijikata-sensei to ask for advice. He tells her to make sure the costume does not expose too much and is not too colorful and also advises to add some buttons and ribbons. Chizuru points out that he is quite knowledgeable about details, and he is embarrassed as he looks at a maid magazine on his table but denies her words. He also mentions that chokers should be avoided as they look too sexy.
The episode loops back to Souji who is talking to himself and admitting that he does not want to lose to that person.