How could you screw up this badly, Rikuo? Shinako just got finished telling you to be more assertive in episode 7, and now you bail at the first sign of hesitation after she’s invited you up to her apartment? I know you’re both awkward as hell, but all the situation called for was a reminder of her earlier request. Just teasingly say, “You’re the one who said I ought to be pushy,” give her a smile, and you’re probably golden. Even if you can’t manage that kind of line, at least generate some conversation as she’s leading you upstairs. For Pete’s sake, do *anything* other than what you did at the start of this episode!
It’s not as though Rikuo’s actions at the start of this episode are incomprehensible. I can understand the sting of a woman saying “sorry” after an initial expression of interest, and why he’d want to escape that scenario. Theirs is a complicated attraction, which is why I greatly appreciated the very next scene, where both parties consulted their drinking buddies on the propriety of their actions. Morita-sensei and Fukuda’s chorus of “unbelievable” was satisfying enough that I can forgive the old ‘resolve the cliffhanger in two minutes’ trick, at least this time. We got another cliffhanger ending this week, though, and if the show cops out on Rou’s reaction to Shinako’s surprise appearance… actually, I don’t know how I’ll react. Things seemed pretty well severed between the two of them after he chased her down the street and bear hugged her from behind in the previous episode. I know there was a montage to indicate the passage of time midway through this one, but I’m a bit baffled that the show is already pairing them up again.
That montage is worth talking about, actually. It was handled really well, incorporating all three main characters to set up their post-timeskip perspectives. As Rikuo is drawn deeper into his new photography gig, we get scenes of him concentrating on his work or eating lunch with Ponytail-senpai, which leant an air of believability to his eventual promotion. There’s even a subtle POV shot where he frames his ramen between his chopsticks before eating, which serves as a demonstration of his developing cameraman brain. Haru isn’t treated as kindly during the montage, unfortunately; she looks forlorn in her maid outfit at work. The café is vacant, save for the harsh sunlight filtering through the windows, and while it makes for a beautiful image, it’s clear that she’d rather be elsewhere. Shinako’s situation is similar – she’s shown heading down a walkway at school, but the shot’s low angle obscures her destination, hinting that she may be headed in the wrong direction (metaphorically speaking, of course. She probably knows her way around her school building by now).
Taking all of this into account, Rikuo is the episode’s big winner, even if he bungled his chance to get closer to Shinako at the beginning. He’s so central to this week’s events, in fact, that many of its scenes began with either Haru or Shinako waiting outside his apartment or his place of employment, hoping to speak with him. I know this is the late 90s (or maybe early 00s at this point), but the characters do have landlines – can’t they call a day in advance and make plans for lunch? Having both female leads orbiting the main guy is too large a convenience for my taste, especially when Rikuo sees fit to shoot one of them down on a regular basis. Haru’s obvious hurt at being told not to wait outside his workplace was sad (despite being sound advice), but we wouldn’t need scenes like that if the show would give her a story that doesn’t involve Rikuo. If I’ve got a concrete wish for the next couple of episodes, it’s to learn more about Haru’s past. Give me additional details about her family, a conversation with a high school friend, or a job hunt in advance of Milk Hall’s closing. I want to know who she is apart from some dude’s would-be girlfriend.
