Honestly, do we really need the catty female character who is senselessly jealous of Mafuyu and Ritsuka? Like, I know that’s our excuse for creating a little drama next episode, but is it something we really need? I’ve been actually really happy with the boys-love series these past few years not resorting to that tired old trope. Oh well, can’t be helped I guess. So Kasai, Ritsuka’s classmate has a fairly obvious crush on Ritsuka and is getting more and more annoyed as him and Mafuyu spend time together.
Ritsuka, doesn’t notice any of this because he’s lost in his own mind trying to create a proper song for Mafuyu to sing for their band based around the few keys that Mafuyu has sung for him these past two times.
We break up the tension with some comedy and a shopping trip to get Mafuyu an effect pedal for his guitar.
I honestly loved the background in this part of the show, the stores and the depictions of Shibuya. The moment that they passed by the Hachiko statue. The funniest part of this segment for me though is as they go to buy the effect pedal, Mafuyu can’t afford it and the look on his face is absolutely the same face I make when I discover something I want/need is too far out of my price range. So Ritsu takes him to a second hand store, they go in and request to see if they have the same item.
It’s considerably cheaper. Which is no surprise considering that it’s a second hand store. Mafuyu still can’t afford it, but in this case he puts it on lay-away so he can work a little harder at his part time job and come back and buy it later.
Meanwhile, in the background of this episode we’re setting up for various other things. One of the guys from last episode, Yatake approaches Haruki at his bar tending job. They sit and talk for a bit, Yatake organizes events and concerts and he vents a little about the stress of that and Haruki mentions that they have a vocalist for the band now. With that said, Yatake invites them to perform at the event that he is setting up. The look on Haruki’s face is lowkey brilliant.
After the shopping trip, when the boys are headed home. We see Ritsuka’s classmates, the girl who likes him and one other girl. They get talking about the two of them and Ritsuka even ventures a guess that they are dating. Wow, is um, being in a band together or practicing music together unusual? Like damn, let’s be real here, they aren’t making what they’re doing when they hang out together all that secret. Like, she’s not wrong to notice that there is some love blossoming between them, but why is that your first assumption when they are clearly playing guitar together?
Like, a logical line of thought would be “Oh hey, they’re spending a lot of time together. Maybe Ritsuka is teaching him how to play.” or you could, you know, ask about it like a normal person. Well, my issues with this character and her unnecessary drama aside.
The girl with her is like “Oh yeah, I know Sato. I went to middle school with him, there were some strange rumors.” and that’s where the episode cuts. Leading us into some drama next week as we’ll perhaps hear about some of these rumors and have them addressed.
We might also head for a performance! That will be nice to watch, I think some of this shows greatest moments come from when they are playing their music.
On a totally unrelated note, it’s finally struck me. Kaji’s design has been calling out to me and reminding me of another show that featured musicians and I couldn’t place it until now. He kind of looks like a character from Nana, or is that just me?
Nope, good thing there isn’t any catty female characters in this series.