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The weakest element in this show is probably the romance. It’s not that I don’t want the two main leads to end up together; I think their chemistry is really strong. Instead, the show doesn’t know where to go with the romance. It doesn’t help that Arya’s obsession with Kuze leads to her worst moments in the show. Suffice it to say, I found this episode to be quite enjoyable, even though it felt like window dressing and preparation for something more to come.
I do have to address the elephant in the room: the show is glossing over last week’s hypnotic shenanigans. Ignoring the role of hypnosis jokes in a relatively grounded show with a lot of diverse humor, I’m surprised Arya didn’t bring it up at all, or at least didn’t talk about it around her. Her sister was more embarrassed and worried about the situation than Arya was. I soon found out that Maria didn’t care too much because of her personality. The way it was handled made me hate even more that it was included in the previous episode.
The arrangement of the date was pleasant and humorous. I love that both characters are just a step or two away from becoming a couple and are the only ones unwilling to admit it. It’s nice to see Kuze put a lot of thought into this date and let his more confident exterior be knocked down a bit, since Arya seems to be one of the only characters he actually gets flustered at. It’s nice to see Arya being more open about how much she enjoys this situation instead of hiding behind Russian. This date could even serve as a good catalyst for following up on the aftermath of the previous episode’s debate. I’d love to know what that would be. Still, it’s a solid transition away from that plot point.
However, it was the last five minutes of the episode that stood out to me. We’re finally starting to learn more about what our favorite siblings are up to in life. I’m curious where Kuze’s father fits into this situation, and why my grandfather seems to dominate parent-teacher conferences. It’s great to see the explosive eccentricity that exists in this family. I’m glad the show made me laugh without relying strictly on Yuki’s meta antics. The biggest question mark is figuring out the situation between Kuze and his mother. What we can surmise from last week is that the mom isn’t really happy with the situation and seems genuinely worried about her kids staying close despite the separation. But her character feels different at the end of the episode. Regardless, Kuzawa’s anger is justified. It makes me wonder how he’s going to solve this problem. The theme of the entire episode is Kuze letting his guard down even more, and while that may lead to good moments with Arya, it may also lead to bad moments with his mother.
grade:
Arya sometimes hides her feelings in Russian Currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
Disclosure: Kadokawa World Entertainment (KWE) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation and the majority shareholder of Anime News Network, LLC. One or more companies mentioned in this article are part of the Kadokawa Group of Companies.
