I really loved this episode, with all it’s adorable fluff and shippy moments. This episode also left off on a very exciting note and I can’t wait to see what’ll happen next.
The episode had two different halves with the second one being a follow up of what happened in the first. The first half is all about the Confession Tree, and it’s exactly what you’d think of. It’s just a special tree that couples flock to, because those that confess always become couples. Yashiro and Aoi point out how many people in their class are suddenly in love with each other, and this tension reminds Yashiro of Hanako’s kiss from before. With all the love talk, Yashiro thinks and comes to the conclusion that Hanako likes her. I mean, with some of the things he’s said to her and how he’s acted around her, even Aoi could see the same when Yashiro described Hanako to her. It was hilarious how Yashiro kept saying over and over that Hanako is definitely not her type, but then she was kind of turning around on that thought eventually. Things kick into high gear in her heart when Hanako suddenly asks Yashiro to meet him at the confession tree. It’s not Yashiro’s fault that she jumped to this conclusion because everything seemed to point to Hanako legit having feelings for her, and while she continued to say that he wasn’t her type, she was still looking forward to the confession. However, that confession was fake and he made Yashiro reject him so he could summon the kodama, as he was taking love a little too far (the guys becoming a couple was very funny). Hanako handled the kodama easily and it became a tiny tree, so all was well.
Sadly Yashiro thought it was going to be a real confession and it broke her heart, and she sobbed. And honestly Hanako absolutely deserved those smacks and slaps because he was an idiot. His playful nature got the best of him and he took things a little too far, and for some reason he forgot that Yashiro easily falls in love. C’mon dude. Though I was glad that he immediately apologized to her genuinely, and he did look hurt for what he did. He holds her until she stops crying, and I thought it was very sweet. This was a pivotal moment for Yashiro however as this moment made her realize that while she calls Hanako her friend, she doesn’t know much about him like how he died, what crime he committed, and his full name. But after this touching moment, she really wants to learn much more about him.
Which leads into the next half, and the next school wonder. I got a laugh out of Yashiro wanting to do a compatibility test on Hanako, with poor Kou for some reason in the middle of them. It starts off funny but then gets a little serious when Minamoto suddenly appears and thanks Yashiro for watching over his little brother. The revelation that Kou is his brother aside, that of course means that he’s an exorcist as well. Kou seems to be turning around on his feelings for Hanako but Minamoto seems like the more antagonistic no-nonsense type of character, so I can see brother issues a mile away. I feel bad for Kou because there seems to be a lot of pressure on him to get rid of Hanako, but he seems pretty hesitant. We haven’t gotten much focus on Kou so far so I wish we could, and maybe see more interactions with his brother to get a better feel of their relationship. As for the next school wonder, Yashiro heads to the library to look up anything she can find about Hanako, but she finds the same stories over and over. Green hair girl shows up and tells Yashiro to seek out the fifth wonder if she wants to learn more about him, so Yashiro asks Aoi what the fifth wonder is.
The 4 o’clock Library sounds really cool as it has books about individuals’ past and future, even those that have passed away, those being color coded as black books. Now knowing about this wonder, it looks like next episode Yashiro is going to try and find Hanako’s book. Though that Hanako appearing at the end was very off. The charm on his cheek was black instead of white, and his whole demeanor was much more sinister and dark. Could it be that there are two Hanako’s, and it’s like another personality? I guess the OP really did hint at that, so maybe this other Hanako has to do with that murder. Ooh, very exciting.
I really found this episode to be really fun and interesting. I do ship Yashiro and Hanako so of course I enjoyed the Confession Tree half of the episode, but I’m really interested in learning who Hanako really is. The concept of the 4 o’clock Library is very cool as well, and that cliffhanger has me intrigued. This seems like it’ll be a promising mini arc, moreso than the Misaki Stairs which I thought was okay. Hanako is a pretty cool character in general, and anything to make his and Yashiro’s relationship progress is A-okay with me!
