It’s the second half of the class trip, and for once, every couple gets their time in the spotlight.
Nishi kicks the episode off by straight up cappin’. She’s acting like she’s totally okay with not seeing Yamada even once thus far on their class trip. Honda then suggests the obvious: just set a time and place to meet, idiots. The truth then comes out (in Nishi’s head): she can’t even entertain the thought of spending time with Yamada alone outside of school. The worst part is when she uses her best friend as an excuse to never step out of her comfort zone. Right, right, this is all for Honda’s sake. Even when Nishi does luck into seeing Yamada, however, she’s still full of excuses. You know how some mama birds will push their chicks out of the nest to force them to fly? Honda needs to become that mama bird. She needs to give her best bud a good kick in the rear (figuratively). Nishi’s a very sweet person, but sweet people can still be painfullyfrustrating. Hey man, none of us are perfect! We’ve all got flaws. But you gotta be honest about your shortcomings.
Nishi finally musters up the courage to approach Yamada, and probably only after much prodding from Honda. Not enough courage, however, to pose for a picture with Yamada one-on-one. Baby steps, I suppose. Nishi does get roped into the group pictures, but not Honda. She will forever remain on the periphery. At best, she just gets texts from Yamada. Speaking of the devil, the boy knows he has to make a move in order for him and Nishi to make any progress. And as the figurative mama bird, Honda is more than happy to kick Nishi out of the nest. Finally.
Nishi has some silly thoughts sometimes. Because girls will often come up and talk to Yamada, Nishi starts spiraling: “Oh no, what if I just assumed he was into me!” Folks will often say hi to people they know! And guess what? They don’t even need to be friends to greet each other. It’s a wild concept, I know! But seriously, this is the one flaw of the mama bird strategy: when the baby bird starts flailing in the air, there’s no one to catch them. The baby bird’s just going to have to course correct on their own. Or hope the ground — I guess that’s Yamada in this painfully drawn out metaphor — is a lot softer than it normally would be. In this case, it is, because Yamada finally spots Nishi and goes up to her. His confidence more or less sweeps all of her insecurities away. So they start talkin’, then they start plannin’. All’s well that ends well.
Sometimes, you just gotta take the plunge and be honest with yourself.
Speaking of living life and having fun, here’s a dude who sorely needs it. And to his credit, Taira can’t hide the fact that he is honestly having a blast on this trip. Well, Taira somehow lucked himself into an ideal world full of ideal people, i.e. the direct opposite of his middle school experiences. Somehow, Azuma, Suzuki, Yamada, and others can’t help but keep involving him in everything they do without any judgment. It also helps a lot that his friends aren’t deliberate about it. They didn’t plan any of it out and make the friendship feel forced. He’s just a part of the gang, and there’s a certain nonchalance about their interactions that makes it possible for an overthinker like Taira to accept.
For instance, Azuma has snacks, so she simply motions to Taira to scoot on over to her side of the bus. It’s so matter-of-a-fact that our boy can’t really say or even think anything negative about it. And this small moment probably encapsulates why they have any chance of working as a couple. Taira is always worried about other people’s motives like how people can’t just date. No, they’re dating to climb a social hierarchy or whatever nonsense he fills his head with. But the ease with which Azuma loops him into her life shows that there’s no premeditation here. And little by little, Taira’s taking notice of the small, easily dismissible things. Y’know, like how people can smile but there isn’t really any real mirth behind it? That’s how Azuma used to look, but she has changed too. She can smile and laugh so freely now. Maybe Taira is finally realizing that she’s not laughing at him but simply because she enjoys his company. So, y’know, just take life for what it is and chill.
Taira tries to pay Azuma a compliment, but positivity doesn’t come naturally to him. As a result, he stumbles over his words and calls her “classmate-like.” That’s a new one. What he wanted to say was that she has changed for the better, but like always, he’s afraid to be cringe. Ah well, like with Nishi, we have to be content with baby steps.
As the only real couple in the group, Suzuki and Tani break off on their own to enjoy each other’s company at an amusement park. And because everything is going pretty well with them, we get treated to a montage. Again, we see them buy matching merch, but nothing too ostentatious because Tani’s a bit of a stiff. Strike that, he’s incredibly stiff even after all this time with Suzuki. But she’s right about amusement parks being the ideal location to let loose and allow your inner child to come out. Where else can you ever be this gaudy again? Blah blah blah, theme parks are hyperreal, etc. Point is, like with Nishi, Tani really needs to step outside of his comfort zone. After all, he eventually comes to regret not indulging himself.
Anyway, I’m surprised that the feelings between these two are still so intense. What do I mean by that? Well, every time he does anything remotely romantic, time slows down and the soft BGM starts playing. The eyes widen! The hearts palpitatin’! It just… so… ridiculous, because we aren’t actually making any actual progress. They’re not smooching or anything. They’re not making plans to move in together after high school. He’s just grabbing her hand again, which he’s been doing since the first episode! If you’re going to spend your life with someone, at some point, you gotta stop reacting this way… to EVERY. LITTLE. THING. C’mon, you’re going to give yourself a heart attack before you’re 30. Seriously, I like this show, but these moments are emphasized so much that it’s becoming comedic.
Stray thoughts & observations:
— Nah, I don’t think Honda was being a hypocrite here. There’s a difference between honesty among friends and some random stranger demanding to your know business.
— Because it’s religious, we hesitate to call it a scam, but this is totally one. I can imagine impressionable kids going out of their way to visit this place just because they think it’ll give them good luck. Naturally, Taira’s biggest worry is looking cringe. Ah, gen z…
— Did Suzuki finally take a good picture because her boyfriend made her laugh?
— Honda’s freakin’ face in the background.
— I like how Taira finally sees the girl Yamada likes, but he’s instantly reminded of the time he thought Nishi and Honda were laughing at his expense (they weren’t). You gotta chill with the cynicism. And yet, viewers across the internet are busy typing “he’s just like me, fr fr.”
— I love how their personalities shine through even when abstracted.
— It really looks like Yamada blew that airhorn right next to the driver.
— Why do anime characters love grabbing onto people’s clothes? You’d think Tani could just grab her hand since they’re a couple. But then you have shows where the guy loves dragging the girl around by grabbing her wrist of all things. It’s always one extreme or another. They can’t just be normal about it.
— Why were Azuma and Taira behind the shrubs to begin with? If Taira wanted to do his good deed — apparently, Coke helps with motion sickness? — why not approach Tani directly?
— Huh, do they? Actually, I’ve heard that you should never marry someone until you do two things: 1) live together and 2) go on a trip together. Both can be stressful events and help bring out someone’s true nature. Also, if they yell at employees over minor inconveniences, that’s an easy red flag to spot.
— I don’t know what these kids are seeing, ’cause that thing ain’t kawaii.
— Oh well, the main couple ain’t progressin’ much these days, but at least I still have Suzuki’s silly faces.
