Adachi and Shimamura sure is playing the long game, huh? I figured that much, since the first episode even. Even so, it merits asking if progress is being made in this show. There’s definitely continuity between episodes and you do get a sense that every decision Adachi and Shimamura is building towards something. I can honestly see something coming to fruition in the next episode. I mean, a date during Christmas? That has to go somewhere.
The last episode concluded with Adachi deciding she’d be content with her relationship with Shimamura if she’s someone special to her in any capacity. I still buy that as the poor girl continues to grapple with her feelings and remains hesitant to confess them to whom they’re towards. When I think more about it though, there is something a bit contradictory about where Adachi stands. She’s the one who wants her and Shimamura to be more than friends and subconsciously nudges the two of them in that direction. Case in point, the upcoming Christmas date is her idea and while she hesitates throughout the episode to pitch it, she ultimately does so in the end.
I’m glad that Shimamura catches onto to Adachi’s hesitation. She’s definitely smart enough to know when her friend is keeping something to herself. I actually expected Shimamura to ask Adachi out instead though I do prefer that Adachi eventually goes through with her plan. Aside from wanting to see Adachi muster the courage, it’s also very interesting that the plan happens in part to Shimamura’s nudging. Her attraction to Adachi remains ambiguous as ever and yet she is inadvertently helping the two of them go down the path Adachi desires most.
Shimamura’s reaction to the pitch is also worth noting. Of course, she catches on the romantic subtext. It’s Christmas after all. This naturally leads to Adachi backpedaling a bit, leading to Shimamura to assume her friend is asking to hang out since she’s estranged with her folks and has no other friends besides her. That’s what convinces Shimamura to agree to the date and I find that very intriguing. Does this means she wants things between two of them to be platonic? It does go hand in hand with her previous prose such as her admission of spending time with Adachi to avoid being bored and lonely as well as her fear of their relationship falling apart. If that’s the case though, the question to then ask is why? Is that simply how Shimamura feel or is she perhaps more afraid of taking things further?
Evidently, the two main characters having different directions in mind. That much is even symbolized with the image of Shimamura’s pet fish swimming in opposite directions (a bit on the nose but I like it). You also have Adachi heading to school without Shimamura. While the context is that she’s too ecstatic about the date and can’t think straight, the image of Shimamura reaching out to her to no avail does come across as foreshadowing. That’s partly why I think the next episode and its respective date will be a turning point in the story. Again, it’s Christmas. Aside from Valentine’s Day, it can’t get any more romantic than that. And sooner or later, Adachi needs to lay her feelings bear and Shimamura has to confront them.
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