Rie was one of Taeko Okajima's classmates in Only Yesterday.
History[]
Rie was one of Taeko's classmates in elementary school. She started her period when she was in fourth grade and her mother had her skip gym class whenever she had her period.
When she was in fifth grade, Rie told a boy named Nakayama, whom Rie had a crush on, about periods even though she had asked him to keep it a secret but he told all the boys about it anyways. The other girls found out when the boys started asking during lunch about why they were buying "towels" from the nurse. Rie was cornered and scolded by the other girls for telling Nakayama and worried about what the boys could do now. The boys at their class started thinking that all the girls had their periods and becoming obsessed with the subject so the boys, not knowing what a menstrual cycle really was, constantly bullied the girls by doing things like calling them names, asking them if they had their periods, flipping up or looking up their skirts to see their "special undergarments" (i.e. pads), while the embarrassed girls rataliated by hitting them with brooms and became mad at Rie for unintentionally starting the whole thing.
Rie tried to apologize whenever she and Taeko were assigned to do chores together but Taeko was horrified when Rie told her that she could skip gym class when she had her period since the boys could assume that Taeko also had a period if she ever skipped gym class and therefore she could be bullied and to make matters worse Taeko's mother made her skip gym class later on after she catched a cold and was forced to sit alongside Rie and watch the other kids play. At one point Rie saw a ball rolling towards her and tried to grab it but one of the boys yelled at her to not touch it since she could make him "catch her period" but she just laughed it off.
After gym class was over, Taeko and Rie were doing chores when a boy called them the "Period Pair", which made Taeko angry but Rie again laughed at the silly name before the girls walked away, leaving the boy confused at Rie's reaction. Taeko commented to Rie about how she was so calm about the subject and Rie told her it was because her mother had told her that a period was nothing to be ashamed off.
Rie makes a brief cameo along with the rest of her classmates who represent a grown up Taeko's childhood memories/conscience who helps persuade Taeko to return to the farm she spent the summer in and presumably start a relationship with one of her sister in laws' cousin.
Appearance[]
As a child, Rie has short, chin-length black hair with bangs and wears a white blouse with a pink neckline, a blue jumper and beige shoes with pink socks. She seems to have a heavier set than ten year old Taeko. She usually has a bored or sad expression on her face.
Personality[]
She seems to be shy and introverted but is still able to handle her male classmates' bullying by laughing off their attempts at making fun of her.
Family[]
- Unnamed mother.
Trivia[]
- The name Rie has many meanings, among them is "logic", which fits her due to the smart way she handles the boys' bullying.