Tensions rise as well as conflict this episode in many ways. Things are slowly kind of falling apart as Haruo has suddenly started being bullied by the Mizunokuchi Force after winning against Hidaka. What’s worse for him is that Hidaka has just been mean to him lately, and her fight with love still isn’t over. After Miyao freaks out from the tension and runs off, along with Makoto (with a dab), Hidaka asks Akira to play her in Virtua Fighter 2. Akira agrees and shows just how confident she is by choosing to play with a controller instead of the arcade stick. Haruo impressed by their skills, each girl is neck in neck in wins but interestingly, Akira lays the controller down like an arcade stick and beats Hidaka. Again, can we just end this? Hidaka is just suffering and even she notices how much her attitude has changed when it comes to being around Haruo. I understand why she’s upset but at this point, her attitude is kind of petty. With how things are turning out, it looks like Hidaka is going to have to figure out what she wants and what she’s going to do about it.
With all the tension and bullying in the arcade, Haruo gets a bit downtrodden from it all. While his usual arcade was supposed to be a healing place, it’s like a warzone now. I can understand how frustrating that must be. It was interesting that when he thought of being a loner, he thinks of Akira and then says he’s lonely. Aww. I wish this idiot would pay attention to his feelings more.
To find another arcade to chill, he goes to the next best place that he knows of – Shibuya. How he suddenly impressed the Shibuya dudes was hilarious, but also very cute that he used Akira’s strategy to beat General and wanted to share his achievement with her. He suddenly finds himself a part of the Shibuya Squad, and hilariously becomes a Shibuya boy. Miyao and Doi (mostly Miyao) visit him because of how worried they are, and they get into a scuffle when three gyarus mug Doi of his pants and other things. The fact that Haruo didn’t know any of the slang was hilarious, but this whole scene was ridiculous with the fighting being like a fighting game, the teachers showing up and whatnot.
In the end, Haruo is officially part of the Shibuya Squad and they’re going to go up against the Mizunokuchi Force so the Shibuya peeps can reclaim their gaming turf. Haruo doesn’t seem to have his heart totally into it though, that explosion from the game at the end showing this. Hidaka finds out that Haruo is with them and also seems conflicted. The two of them really have to reflect on their emotions, because things aren’t going to end up well for either of them. But in this case, I think it’s Hidaka that needs to be more upfront because…honestly, Haruo is an idiot. His decision making hasn’t been the best either, though.
I just hope that their conflict will be resolved next episode so we can go back to dealing with Haruo and Akira because I think that should be the main conflict of this short season. But…this is very entertaining, I will admit.
