Sounds of Winter episode 5 arrived on February 11 in Japan, shifting focus to Ayana’s university days and the complicated relationships that shaped her. The episode, titled around Tsukuda Takeshi, explores how Ayana’s college years brought both new love and tension with her closest friends.
The Japanese drama continues its unique format of introducing a new character in each episode, blending past and present timelines. Episode 5 follows last week’s installment that centered on Ayana’s university ex-boyfriend, Kobayashi Niko, the best-selling author whose talent both connected and divided them.
What Happens in Sounds of Winter Episode 5
Episode 5 introduces viewers to Tsukuda Takeshi, played by Hosoda Kanata. Takeshi is revealed as Ayana’s admirer during her university years, and the episode traces how their paths crossed and what their relationship meant for Ayana’s personal growth.
During Ayana’s time at university, she navigated not just academic life but also the complexities of young adulthood. The episode shows her balancing studies, friendships, and the attention of someone who saw her differently than others did. Takeshi’s admiration for Ayana comes at a time when she was still figuring out who she wanted to become.
The episode doesn’t just focus on romance. It also dives into how Ayana’s growing connections affected her friendship with Wachi and En-chan, the two friends who have remained constants in her life through the years. University brings changes to their dynamic, as new people enter Ayana’s world and shift the balance of their longtime friendship.
Ayana’s University Years Come to Life
The flashback sequences in episode 5 transport viewers to 2019, when Ayana was navigating campus life. Unlike episode 4, which focused on her relationship with Niko and their shared passion for writing, this installment looks at a different kind of connection.
Takeshi represents someone who admired Ayana from a distance before finally stepping into her world. Their meeting and the bond that followed taught Ayana valuable lessons about love and friendship. The episode shows how these experiences during her formative years contributed to the person she became.
The writing in this episode continues the show’s strength of showing how past relationships, even those that don’t last forever, still leave their mark on who we are. Ayana’s university days were clearly a time of intense growth, with each new person teaching her something different about life and love.
Friendship Clash Takes Center Stage
A major part of episode 5 deals with the tension that arises between Ayana and her close friends. As Ayana spends more time with Takeshi and navigates her feelings, her friendship with Wachi and En-chan faces challenges.
The episode portrays realistically how friendships evolve during young adulthood. When one person starts a new relationship or develops new interests, the group dynamic naturally shifts. For Ayana, this meant learning to balance her growing feelings for someone new while maintaining the friendships that had supported her through earlier years.
These moments add depth to the show’s exploration of Ayana’s life. While romance gets attention, the drama makes clear that friendships are equally important in shaping a person’s journey. Wachi and En-chan have been present through multiple episodes, and seeing their bond with Ayana tested adds emotional weight to the story.
Present Day Storyline Continues
Alongside the university flashbacks, episode 5 also moves forward Ayana’s present-day life with her current boyfriend, Yukio. The parallel storytelling shows how Ayana’s past experiences inform her present relationship.
Viewers see Ayana applying lessons learned during her university days to her current situation with Yukio. The episode draws connections between who she was then and who she has become, without making the connections feel forced or overly neat.
The present-day scenes also show Ayana’s continued growth as a novelist, with her career progressing alongside her personal life. Her profession remains an important part of her identity, and the episode weaves this into both timelines naturally.
What Episode 5 Reveals About Ayana
This episode adds another layer to Ayana’s character development. Through her interactions with Takeshi and the resulting friendship tension, viewers understand more about her emotional growth during university.
Ayana’s journey through young adulthood included both joy and difficulty. Episode 5 shows her making mistakes, learning from them, and gradually becoming more self-aware. These experiences didn’t always lead to happy endings, but they contributed to the thoughtful person viewers see in the present timeline.
The lesson Ayana takes from her time with Takeshi, and from the friendship challenges that arose, clearly influences how she approaches relationships today. The episode handles this character development subtly, trusting viewers to notice the connections without having them pointed out directly.
Streaming Details for Global Audience
Sounds of Winter episode 5 first aired on NTV in Japan at 10 pm JST on February 11. Japanese viewers can also stream the episode on TVer following its broadcast.
For international audiences, the episode will become available on Netflix on February 20. The streaming platform releases new episodes weekly on Fridays, approximately ten days after they air in Japan.
Viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and India can all access the show through Netflix, with subtitles available in multiple languages. The release time typically aligns with midnight Pacific Time in the US, which translates to morning hours in the UK and evening in India and Australia.
The drama follows a weekly release schedule, with new episodes continuing to arrive every Wednesday on Japanese television and every Friday on Netflix globally.
Looking at the Show’s Unique Format
Sounds of Winter stands out from typical Japanese romance dramas by dedicating each episode to a different character from Ayana’s past. This anthology-style approach within a continuous narrative allows for deep dives into specific relationships while maintaining an overall story arc.
Episode 1 focused on her school days ex-boyfriend. Episode 2 introduced Kotaro, an admirer from that same period. Episode 3 shifted to other aspects of her youth. Episode 4 centered on Niko, her university boyfriend and fellow writer. Now episode 5 explores Takeshi and the friendship dynamics of her university years.
This format gives viewers a comprehensive look at the experiences that made Ayana who she is. Each new character adds context to her present-day choices and relationships, including her current bond with Yukio.
The show also balances its romantic elements with themes of friendship, career ambition, and personal growth. Ayana’s journey as a novelist runs parallel to her romantic history, showing how her creative and emotional lives developed together.
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What Viewers Learn About Friendship
The friendship clash in episode 5 resonates because it depicts a universal experience. When friends enter university, start new relationships, or pursue different paths, the group dynamic inevitably shifts. Sounds of Winter captures this with honesty.
Ayana’s friendships with Wachi and En-chan face strain as she spends more time with Takeshi. The episode doesn’t paint anyone as wrong or right—it simply shows how growing up sometimes means growing in different directions, even with people who have been important to us.
These friendship moments add realism to the drama. While many shows focus solely on romance, Sounds of Winter recognizes that platonic relationships are equally formative and deserve equal attention in telling a complete life story.
The episode leaves viewers with a fuller picture of Ayana’s university experience—not just who she dated, but who stood by her, who challenged her, and who helped her become the person she is today.
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