Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun Episode 3

WOOHOO! This week was Character Creation Phase 2, and you know what that means: MAKEOVER TIME~

Some new clothes and a nice clean haircut, and Fumiya is looking gooooooood! Look at that cute face that was hidden under his bangs all this time! He picked out a nice outfit too, suits him well! It was even better when he came to school the next day to proudly boast about his sister’s acknowledgment of him “de-geekifying and finding sex appeal”. Not exactly the most flattering way to acknowledge his improvement, but hey he was ecstatic about it, so that’s what counts right? Haha!

Aoi also had a fun and clever way for Fumiya to practice expressing. After having listening to his recording, he noticed he is the type to mumble a lot. The other problem he has is the lack of expression, his voice tends to be very monotone so it’s hard to gauge how he is feeling. So during lunch outing, Aoi had him practice making sounds and gesture based on the vowels. And I say clever because it worked out pretty well! I was also happy to see him showing off his charming awkward smile. It was really cute.

But that was about it when it comes to agreeing with Aoi’s tactics. After that, that’s when I started to disagree with her approach. And frankly I am not surprised, because this is something I suspected would happen sooner or later.

One of the things I disliked about Aoi’s missions today was the task to make him talk to Yuzu at least twice a day. The problem with this is that not only was it super awkward for both of them, but it was noticeably uncomfortable for Yuzu who was clearly confused by how he has been trying to start conversations with her. I suppose despite the utter failure, while yes he gained experience, it did pay off with not only giving him a bit more confidence to check up on her when he noticed she was looking down, but she also mustered up the courage to ask him to teach her how to play TackFam. That being said, I still stand by the opinion that this was not the best approach, and there was probably a better way to go about it.

The other thing I disagreed with Aoi’s strategy today was the process of “building your character”. It goes without saying, there are a lot of ways to do it, but I am not a fan of building an avatar based on false qualities about yourself. Sure, that is a strategy a lot of people use to get ahead in life, but it’s not for everyone. That’s why I share the same concerns Fumiya has about creating this image that can quickly transform into a lie. Frankly speaking, it shouldn’t have to get to the point where he is creating this image just to be a likable guy on the surface, when we know he has the ability to do so just by being true to himself. All he needs is that boost of confidence and hope that the efforts he makes can make a difference in his life. Fumiya showed us today that sincerity matters to him, and it is uncomfortable for him to pretend to be someone he is not. While Aoi may disagree, the truth is the fact he values sincerity is a lovely and important quality for him to have.

There were two instances where I sided with Fumiya’s concerns about insincerity. The first was just after they had spoken to her at the restaurant, where Aoi decided that they should make Fuka will be his first girlfriend in this “playthrough”. This made Fumiya worried because not only does he not know her, but he doesn’t have any feelings for her either- not to mention, he isn’t sure if he ever will. While he is determined to complete the mission, the idea of pursuing her insincerely troubles him.

The second time was when he expressed his concern about lying to Fuka about reading Michael Andi books. He acknowledged that he let the opportunity slip past him to clear up the misunderstanding. Fuka had mistakenly assumed he was a fan of the author after having seen him in the library on a number occasions with the book on his desk. Unknowingly to her though, he had only been using it as a cover while he would quietly think about various Tackfam strategies.

However, despite the tricky situation he got himself into, I am glad I am glad he kept his promise and didn’t tell Aoi about reading Fuka’s novel she’s working on. He shouldn’t have to tell Aoi everything, and something this precious shouldn’t be dragged into this whole character building quest. Fumiya should focus on just being himself, giving his honest feedback on her series. If he feels is not qualified to do so, then it is something he will need to muster up the courage to say.

With these actions weighing on his mind, I do worry about how these “lies” are going to affect him in the future. If they continue to build off of them, if not handled right it will blow up in his face. Of course there are ways to negate those lies by turning them into truths. One sure way of doing that is for Fumiya to actually take the time and try reading Michael Andi books.’s books. Who knows, maybe he will like them as much as she does! Otherwise, mustering up the courage to clear up the misunderstanding sooner than later would be the best thing to do.

As for Fuka, gosh what a sweetheart! I absolutely love her, she is my best girl! So far apart from Aoi (and I guess Mimimi to some extent) she is the only one who has actually taken the initiative to talk to him. I must applaud her for her courage to ask him if he would read her novel and give her feedback. That’s not something easy to do. I really do hope for the best for her and Fumiya. At this point I am more excited to see what kind of friendship will form between them, and then we can see whether love will blossom between in due time.

But first, it looks we’re in for some curious development between Yuzu and Fumiya. He certainly has an opportunity to shine in his comfort zone with TackFam, let’s see how he handles it!