I was talking to a friend about this show, and they raised the possibility that maybe Arata isn’t stupid. Maybe he does know Kuroe and the kaiju are one and the same. One of the first things we see in this episode, however, is him trying to report Kuroe’s sudden “disappearance” to the police. So he doesn’t know, right? But when Kuroe calls her kaiju form “big and ugly,” Arata counters with, “[It’s] beautiful.” He eventually points to the cherry blossoms around them to play off his comment, though.. Does he know? Did he just chicken out by claiming he was referring to the cherry blossoms? Hmmm…

Arata isn’t a coward, however, when it comes to asking Kuroe out. We soon see Manatsu lend Kuroe an actual dress for the upcoming date, but I don’t think this is the right look for the girl. Kuroe is already petite and child-like. This fluffy dress only accentuates those qualities even further. She looks like a kindergartner on their day off. But hey, maybe that’s what Arata likes… which should make you wanna side-eye him.

For the date, Kuroe cooks up all sorts of escape plans in case she starts turning in the middle of her date. But surely, the anime can’t deny us that! We gotta see a kaiju rampage through DisneylandDestinyland! There’s no point in having this set piece if you’re not going to destroy it! Plus, let’s be real for a moment. Not only is love unpredictable, Kuroe has no experience whatsoever with going on dates or spending time with a boy she likes. Try as she might, she won’t be able to control what she feels, and to be fair, how many of us can boast that level of restraint?

Oh yeah, Arata arrives looking like a pop star. See? This is what I’m talking about. Kuroe in her adorable outfit is going to clash when she stands next to him. It’s just going to make people question their relationship even harder, i.e. “How did a girl like that bag a guy like him?!” Dude, he has to bend down this far just to meet her eye level. C’mon.

As you might expect, the actual date ends up being rather awkward. Kuroe has to tread a fine line between indulging her desires (like holding hands with her crush) and not getting too close lest she starts turning. So throughout the day, she tries to maintain a safe distance between the two of them. Gotta make room for Jesus, as they say! Jokes aside, this is fine for now, isn’t it? It’s just the first date. It’s not like they should be making out on the first date. Eventually, however, Kuroe is going to have to come clean, because she can’t keep this up forever.

Kuroe’s constant rejections take a toll on Arata. He invites her to another ride, but it’s too “snuggly.” He wants to buy matching hair accessories for funsies, but Kuroe vehemently declares, “I-It’s not like we’re a couple!” Any normal person would lose heart after spending an entire day like this. Kuroe eventually capitulates on the ride, but another incident has her screaming and struggling to get away from him. Arata comes to the conclusion that he’s coming on too strong (maybe a little for a first date), so he starts walking away. This is where I’m flabbergasted, because Kuroe quickly tries to apologize while she’s half-transformed. And yet, Arata’s reaction to her current state — the giant claws, the freaking tail sticking out of her ass, the horns protruding from her head — is merely, “Akaishi-san, are you okay?” If he knows then why keep quiet about it? Obviously, this is making Kuroe feel insecure, and if he knows the truth, why not allay her fears? The only other option is that Arata is incredibly dumb.

To be fair, Arata didn’t really reject Kuroe. Nevertheless, after throwing herself a pity party — and I get it, ’cause I’m conventionally ugly too — Kuroe starts raging. She wants to destroy the theme park, because why does everyone else get to be happy and have their dreams come true? That’s when Arata runs up and grabs her by her tail. He knows, right?! He has to! Arata then praises Kuroe for going all-in on her “cosplay.” No, no, no, I don’t believe it. Bro is straight up cappin’. He fucking knows. He just thinks this is the best way to assuage Kuroe’s insecurity, but he’s dead wrong. I mean, sure, it solves the immediate problem, which is that everyone around them was starting to freak out about Kuroe’s half-transformation. But it doesn’t solve the bigger problem regarding her poor self-image. Just wait until the mean girls at school catch wind of the fact that these two are an official couple. The bullying will get worse, and Kuroe will doubt herself even harder. Arata should just come out and say that he finds her kaiju form beautiful. But if he did that, we won’t have an entire season of drama. Sigh. But I guess whenever she undergoes a half-transformation — and she seems to stay this way for the rest of the night — Kuroe can just claim she’s crazy about cosplaying!

Aw, we never got to see Kuroe wreck DisneylandDestinyland.

Stray thoughts & observations:

— You definitely need a kooky character like Manatsu just to keep things light-hearted. Still, it makes you wonder how she’s going to react when she learns the truth. Will she be disappointed that her Harugon is just Kuroe? Or will she also fall for Kuroe?

— Manatsu has no clue how on-point this is.

— Rinko actually followed her daughter and is stalking their date. Do I get where she’s coming from? Ehhhh. On the one hand, this is a bit overprotective. On the other hand, however, Kuroe isn’t a normal daughter. She’s a literal ass kaiju. As a result, Rinko claims that she’s gonna stick around to take Arata’s measure. Sounds like an excuse, though.

— Look at them! She looks like his kid sister, not a potential girlfriend! I’m telling you, that dress is doing her no favors.

— Rinko sounds a bit too cheerful about her daughter’s date going south.

— Right before the episode ends, a mysterious man greets Rinko. Former coworker? Someone who might threaten Kuroe’s peaceful life? Who knows!