Looks like Valentine’s Day is going to have to wait a little longer. I thought for sure it’d be during this episode, what with the last one being setup, much like how it was with the Christmas date. Oh well, it’s probably next episode then (this episode appears to end right at the eve of the holiday). Assuming Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I kind of have to wonder then what kind of event is in store for the finale.
So with the next big event being saved for later, what does the show do instead in the meantime? You of course have Adachi figuring out how to best go about with her plan. At one point, she tries making the chocolates herself and at another, she tries different brands for herself (which you’d think the show would’ve gone further with for comedic purposes). Meanwhile, you have Shimamura contemplating if she should also give chocolates to Adachi. It’s all good stuff though part of me feels these moments would better serve as the A part of an episode while the actual Valentine’s Day act as the B part.
Along the way, you have Adachi watching a horoscope program on TV for romantic advice. Frankly, this is the weakest part of the episode for me. Part of that has to with the show not going too outlandish with what the program advises Adachi to do. Like, among the examples is simply changing her hairdo (which I’ll admit is cute) and accepting whatever invite Shimamura gives her (which Adachi would do anyway as she’s grown more sociable). That’s it. The most outlandish is the host of the horoscope program and I will admit that this character did get a chuckle out of me, especially when she kept hosting the program despite getting a neck injury at one point.
This far into the series, I remain at a loss on what to make of Yashiro. I don’t hate her per se but what exactly is her role here? A couple episode reviews ago, I figured she’d be a third wheel to Adachi and Shimamura but that surprisingly has been downplayed ever since. Lately, the emphasis has been the budding bond between her and Shimamura’s sister (seriously, what is this girl’s name?). It’s charming enough but in the context of this series, it’s also rather superfluous and it seems more suited to be its own story.
Surprisingly, Tarumi is kept in the background this episode. She does keep her word and contacts Shimamura though that takes a while to truly get going because Shimamura be Shimamura as always (and to be fair, that’s 100% in character). The gears really only start turning at the very end when Tarumi asks Shimamura to meet up with her. It’s kind of also surprising that Nagafuji doesn’t bring up Shimamura and Tarumi’s chance encounter to anyone. Then again, she’s minding her own business and it’s not like she’s actively aware of Adachi’s feelings towards Shimamura.
I’m curious as to the exact nature this hangout will play out in. Tarumi seems much more upfront than Adachi but I can’t imagine her being flirtatious from the get go. However she feels about Shimamura now, it’s still been a long time since she’s last seen her. And what about Shimamura? She agrees to hang out with Tarumi right as she plans to get chocolates for Adachi. I can see Shimamura forgetting to buy them as a result though I’m not sure if that’ll be a source of conflict as it doesn’t seem like Adachi is expecting a gift in return to begin with.
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