Hirotaka in a bad mood?! What sins did humanity commit to cause such an atrocity?
On a more serious note, I got to praise Wotakoi for re-examining Hirotaka’s approach to dating. Not that him treating games, shopping, and Comiket as dates was necessarily a bad thing but you get why he’d feel convinced that he’s not doing things a “normal” boyfriend would. This is especially the case when he observes how Kabakura and Hanako maintain their relationship. They do argue a lot (and just watch this episode for a reminder) but in spite of that, they do happen to go on very traditional dates. We saw them go to a fancy restaurant two episodes ago and this episode, Kabakura promises to see a movie with his girlfriend. Even when Kabakura does nerd out too much (and I’m with Hirotaka, you should balance that out better), he’s always willing to make up for his mistakes. When I think about it, it’s completely understandable that Hirotaka would feel so insecure.
More than any past episode, I think Episode 8 of Wotakoi also sheds a lot of light on just how long Hirotaka has had a crush on Narumi. The bit with the thunder shows a very innocent beginning to that affinity but it’s the flashback where Hirotaka pierces is ears that offers the most nuance. A lot must’ve went on in the boy’s head when he tried those earrings — a desire to look more mature, to break out of his shell, and most importantly, a desperate and envious reaction at Narumi’s then-boyfriend. It’s such a far cry from how Hirotaka is now — completely okay with making his hobbies publicly known and seemingly exuding “cool” by accident. But while the man got over trying to inject edge into his identity, it’s clear that he never really got over his crush on Narumi. Hence why he opted to ask her out and why he currently feels like he’s not doing enough as a boyfriend.
I personally saw Hirotaka proposing a “traditional” date coming but I got really curious about how Narumi feels about all this. Even though she secretly thinks the dating has been unorthodox, she was sure that her boyfriend was going to go with his usual material anyway. I get the impression that she’s content with how things have been going but perhaps Hirotaka is right to at least try and break the mold before things feels stagnant. Of course, the better question is what on Earth is in store for the two of them and will this “normal” date work in their favor?
Thanks for reading!
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