This episode synopsis may contain errors and mistranslations. Plot spoilers are also present. Please consider yourself warned.

Vito’s trial for drug possession has started, and the case is not going well. Kondou (his workmate and the actual drug pusher) has committed perjury and lied to the judge about his involvement in the case, claiming that Vito was completely to blame.

One of the police officers also involved in the drug case gave a testimony that linked Vito with the murder case from eight years before. With very little evidence to back Vito up, Shiori is at her wits end.

Outside of the courthouse, Hana overhears Kondou and another member of his drug ring discussing the case, and she is shocked to find out that Kondou really is the criminal responsible but is taking steps to make sure Vito takes the blame for it. Hana tries to convince Itou-sensei to take over the case, but he refuses since it looks like a no-win situation. She then offers to investigate the case in case she uncovers something the cops may have missed but Itou-sensei is still noncommittal.

Searching for evidence, Hana illicitly breaks into the bar-cafe where Vito and Kondou were employed. She finds the employee file where all the names and addresses of the bar’s employees were listed down. Hana copies Kondou’s home address with the intent to trail him.

While she is there, two of the three cops involved in Vito’s case walk in to check on the premises. Thinking that no one is there, they discuss the case and the mistake they may have committed during the investigation. Not wanting to jeopardize the conviction they were sure to get with Vito’s case, they both decide to refrain from incriminating themselves. Unbeknownst to them, Hana was taping the entire conversation on her mobile phone.

Hana makes her escape, and then tracks Kondou down to another club where he sells his wares. She is able to film him with her mobile phone in the act of slipping a small packet of drugs to a young female patron. Kondou chases after her and almost catches her, but Hana is rescued by Itou-san, Shiori, and a pair of cops she contacted again via her mobile phone.

With two new pieces of evidence — the voice recording of the police officers and the video recording of Kondou pushing drugs, Itou-san and Shiori are able to overturn the impending conviction of Vito, and secure him a Not Guilty verdict. Overjoyed, the entire staff of Matsumura Foods celebrate with an Italian dinner, but whilst shopping for ingredients Vito discovers that Hana already has a rich and successful boyfriend (or so he thought).

Life pretty much returns to normal for Vito. He continues to work for Matsumura Foods, but has become wary of Hana. To distract himself, he throws himself at his work delivering foodstuffs to schools and other institutions. However, bad luck seems to follow him where ever he goes, and the elementary school he had just made a delivery to comes down with a severe case of food poisoning. Vito is once again involved in a legal battle in which he had no hope of winning.

SMILE is living up to its name in the most ironic of ways — the show becomes more melancholic and depressing with every episode. I just hope that the finale will redeem itself as I find it increasingly difficult to watch the show without getting upset or feeling mistreated.

In this episode, we learn about Vito’s sad childhood. After his parents divorced, his Filipino father simply disappeared, while his Japanese mother entertained a string of suitors and paid more attention to them than to her young child. Vito was left to fend for himself, doing all the household chores, putting up with his mother’s negligence, and fighting off starvation. When he graduated from junior high, he left home to live by himself, earning a living working in factories and taking odd jobs.

It seems that this situation is not uncommon in Japan since it was also the subject of a number of movies like the Canne Film Festival Winner “Dare mo Shiranai” (Nobody Knows). I find it extremely sad and thought that in a way, I’m glad to have been born and raised here because I know no matter how difficult life is, my parents would never have neglected me the way the children in these shows were.

SMILE airs weekly Friday nights on the Japanese network TBS, at 10PM starting 17th April, 2009. For more information, please visit official website (Japanese only).