Happy Birthday, Part 1

Happy Birthday, Part 1 (Happy Birthday 前編, Happy Birthday zenpen) is the 46th episode in the Sket Dance anime series.

Summary
It starts with man who looks like Bossun, yet viewers find out that he is Ryōsuke, Bossun's father. In the present, Bossun recalls finding old tapes and learns about his father. When Akane comes home, she finds Bossun watching the tapes, so she quickly locks them up. Desperate to know the truth, Bossun goes through the photo albums. What did Bossun uncover about his father and Akane's secret?

Plot
Ryōsuke verbally abuses a cat after losing his wallet. Then, Haru and Akane arrive. After Haru has left, Akane asks Ryōsuke why he had 50,000 Yen in his wallet. Ryōsuke explains that he was saving up to buy a camcorder. When a young child, Taisuke, tries to catch the ball in the street, Ryōsuke rushes to save the child from the car. When Taisuke cries, Ryōsuke offers the boy Haru's candy. Shortly afterwards, Akane warns Ryōsuke not to risk his life. Ryōsuke comments that he does not care. Then, Akane tells Ryōsuke not to act that way in front of Haru. Ryōsuke apologizes and lets go of the super ball. It hits an elderly woman. Ryōsuke gives the elderly woman a piggy back ride to her home. Mamoru thanks Ryōsuke and offers to pay Ryōsuke with a million Yen. Even though Akane's eyes light up, Ryōsuke declines the reward. Afterwards, Ryōsuke comments on how the elderly woman gave him a "Joint Man" doll. Ryōsuke explains that he wants to leave something of him behind to show that he enjoy life. Akane playfully teases him and comments that he cannot raise enough money in a short time. When Ryōsuke mentions he would sell the doll, an Otaku offers to buy the doll from Ryōsuke.

When Akane has the man pay for the doll, Ryōsuke notices the Otaku has the same wallet as him. The Otaku reveals that he has bought the camcorder with the money and gives Ryōsuke the camcorder. In Bossun's past, Bossun watches Ryōsuke's video tapes. When Bossun was 14, he finds some video tapes in his mother's closet. He catches a glimpse of his father with Akane and Haru. As Bossun watches up to the fourth video, Akane enters the room and finds out that Bossun has viewed Ryōsuke's tapes. When Bossun asks Akane about his father, Akane replies that he was a worthless man. Once Rumi comes home, she asks Bossun to buy some dessert. While Bossun comes home from the store, he thinks back and gets suspicious. At home, Bossun cannot find the tapes, so he searches through the photo albums. He suspects a whole photo album is missing since there is not much photos of Akane and Ryōsuke together. When Bossun is about to give up, he finds a photo. During dinner, he asks Akane why she wasn't pregnant on September 13, 1994 after revealing a photo. He asks Akane if she was his true mother. Akane reveals an album where Bossun and Rumi learn about Bossun's true parents.

Akane explains that she has met Haru and Ryōsuke back in high school. Both Haru and Ryōsuke were raised at an orphanage. Ryōsuke informs Akane that Haru and him are leaving the orphanage. He remarks that he is lucky to have everyone's support and states that he wants to help others. Akane apologizes to Bossun. When Rumi asks Akane about what had happened to Bossun's parents, Akane explains everything. Back then, Akane rushes to get Haru to the hospital. At the same time, Ryōsuke rushes to get to the hospital, but he dies up when Ryōsuke gets hit by a car. Haru has also died in car accident. Upon learning the fate of his parents, Bossun runs away from his home, all frustrated.

Gallery
Please check out the episode's image gallery!

Cast and Credits

 * Akeno Watanabe: Akane Fujisaki
 * Yuki Kashiwagi: Rumi Fujisaki
 * Hiroyuki Yoshino: Ryōsuke Kirishima
 * Masumi Asano: Haru Kirishima
 * Hiroyuki Yoshino: Yūsuke Fujisaki (Bossun)
 * Yuuka Nakatsukasa: Mamoru's Grandmother
 * Mitsuhiro Sakamaki: Mamoru
 * Kentarō Tone: Otaku man

Anime and Manga Differences

 * Manga Exclusive Scenes: Orphanage scene is extended and shows Ryōsuke and Haru interacting. The day where Akane drives Haru to the hospital has Akane crying at the joyous event. This causes Akane to get into a car accident. The driver she crashed into is the doctor from the hospital.
 * There's no soccer ball in the manga version of the event where Ryōsuke was killed in a car accident.
 * The photo albums in the manga and anime are different.
 * Bossun's birthday: In the manga, Bossun was born on 1992. In contrast, this is changed to 1994.