I've always thought Aiba had the most gentle heart. And being fat in Japan is definitely something that will be remarked upon. While I was teaching there, it was very common for my students and my Japanese coworkers to say something about. In particular, my students thought it was okay to make fun of me for being overweight. I weigh just as much as sumishiro-san did prior to her weight loss so I know her struggle. One of those students even told me that I'd never be married because I was too fat. Some Japanese, particularly men, can be really insensitive to larger women, even those who are maybe three or four kgs overweight.

It makes me feel.... I don't know. Wonderful, I guess, that my favorite person in the entertainment world is so accepting of all types of people. I knew I picked him for some reason, but the fact that these words came out of his mouth without any type of preplanning or prompting from the cue cards. Ah, Aiba. I love him more and more every day.