What do you think Episode 8 of
Pseudo harem? Community rating: 3.9
©Yu Saito/Shogakukan/Pseudo Harem Production Committee
This episode was just an injection of pure serotonin directly into my brain. After last week’s false ending, there was a big question as to what the rest of the show would be about, but with Pseudo Haram, they’re actually exploring territory that most romance stories wouldn’t dare to touch! Here we actually have two leads…in the right relationship! Shameful, I know! The episode begins with Eiji introducing Rin to his mom as his girlfriend, and they have been seeing each other every week since they stopped going to school together. I was surprised at how natural everything felt, although I don’t think anyone used the words “boyfriend” or “girlfriend” in the entire episode. It almost feels like the show is trying very hard to create something similar to what was established in the first episode, while making it clear that these two have come a long way since then.
While not strong, there is an overall theme in this episode about what it means to grow up, as Eiji is about to go off to college, which is often seen as an important step toward adulthood. Rin feels like she’s falling behind, even though there’s really nothing she can do except skip a grade, and Eiji makes it clear that even if their circumstances change, they’ll still have their childish moments. Those playful, childish moments are what brought them together in the first place, so while the fear is justified, the show also shows that everything will be okay.
I will say that that last paragraph about a classmate asking Eiji out in college felt a bit out of line. I know this is supposed to be a payoff to the idea that improving Eiji’s fashion sense might backfire on Rin because now he’ll probably get all this attention while she’s away, but the way it’s presented feels very awkward. It almost feels like the author wanted to introduce a slight conflict, but immediately went back on his word. Honestly, parts of this episode felt like the most editable. This is one of the lighter, fluffier episodes we’ve gotten, but I’m curious to see what other avenues the show will explore in the remaining episodes.
grade:
pseudo harem Currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
