© pom・JOYNET/LINE Digital Frontier・”Senior is a Man” Production Committee
No man is an island, and no one, no matter how determined he seems, can handle everything alone. This is especially true for teenagers, who are unstable tanks of emotional rocket fuel waiting to be ignited at the best possible time. So it’s no surprise that after weeks of pretending to be fine with her ailing grandmother and emotionally disturbed father, she eventually breaks down. I didn’t expect that this breakthrough would come from a chance encounter with my mother, but Senior is a man Knows exactly how to twist the knife for maximum pain, so of course it will.
when someone at last Recognize the pain and give her the basic human compassion she desperately needs. Like yeah, someone wouldn’t rationalize it by saying “well, I guess you’re okay” but just give this obviously suffering kid some real support. At that moment, it didn’t really matter whether Makoto’s feelings for Saki were romance, friendship, or something in between. Sometimes, we just need to know that we are not alone in this world. Whether it’s a hug, an act of kindness, or a hot bowl of soup three days after you contracted a stomach virus, even the smallest acts can feel monumental. significance. I also like that this isn’t just Makoto. Even though Ryuji is dealing with some very conflicting emotions, he takes the initiative to plan their trip to see the shooting star show together, assuring Saki that she has someone in her life who will be there for her.
Speaking of those conflicting feelings: Oh oh oh, Ryuji. Even though he was dating someone he’d been in love with for a long time, he couldn’t overcome his inner homophobia. Granted, he was getting a lot of mixed signals from Makoto, but there were a lot of reasons besides “he must have felt sick from being touched by a boy.” On the one hand, Makoto may be more willing to give physical contact than receive it – I know many people in my life who enjoy giving hugs and other touches but are clueless about receiving them without prompting. measures. It could be that Makoto thinks a hug from a boyfriend is stronger than a hug from a friend, and he needs some time to mentally prepare himself for something so intimate. However, Ryuuji couldn’t help but draw the harshest conclusions and insisted that they break up because Makoto would never love him the way he did. This is typical teenage behavior, and while it’s sad to see this happen, I hope this prompts these two to actually discuss their personal insecurities, rather than having Ryuji be in his own head like Saki has been for the past few years Sulking.
Meanwhile, Makoto is making the same mistake he made at the beginning of the show; sublimating his own need for the benefit of others. He wants to be Saki’s support and a suitable boyfriend for Ryuuji, but he doesn’t want to rock the boat by truly expressing his feelings. This is a recipe for disaster for these three, and I can only hope that someone manages to get out of the conflict before things get bad. At least in the meantime, this is exactly the episode I was hoping for after weeks of buildup.
grade:
Senior is a man Currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
