God, this episode was bad. Everything about it was so laughably bad!
Let’s start off with how I absolutely lost it when Yuzu told her grandma that she trusts Reiya now just based off the conversation the she had with her grandma last week. While I’m not surprised, I’m just… ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! HOW?! Yuzu is girl who is deeply traumatized and has serious and legitimate reasons to have trust issues, and you’re telling me to believe all her anxiety is gone, POOF, just like that? Look, I would believe Yuzu, if she actually had a conversation with Reiya about these rumours between him and Takamichi. Heck, these two haven’t even exchanged a phone-call after this incident. Just.. come on now. YUZU AND REIYA HAVEN’T EVEN HAD A PROPER CONVERSATION, MUCH LESS SPENT ANY PRODUCTIVE TIME TOGETHER TO DEVELOP AND FLESH OUT THAT RELATIONSHIP ON-SCREEN MIND YOU FOR 8 FREAKING WEEKS NOW!!!!!
Then comes in the gas-lighting party, Youta and Karin with Yuzu’s biological parents in tow. They had the audacity to say “Trust family” and claim she’s in her “rebellious phase”. Like bruh? You kidding me? Even Yuzu had enough of that bullshit, because she rightfully stood her ground! But when she was getting dragged off, the only one who actually intervened to stop them was her grandma and she gets shoved aside and grandpa has to check up on her because that was a nasty fall. She’s okay though, Grandma’s good!
Then finally after 10 minutes of this whole dumpster-fire of a confrontation, the lesser ogre familiars finally woke up from their nap and decided to do their job for an exchange. God these two are the most useless retainers I’ve ever seen. They might be strong, but there’s little point of strength if they don’t act when they are supposed to– which was the moment Youta and Karin showed up at the door!
After all of this is said and done, Yuzu’s rightfully terrified because she knows this isn’t the end of it, people she cared about got hurt as result, and Karin “validated” Sakurako’s claims about Reiya and Takamichi being secret lovers.
And boy, don’t even get me started on Reiya’s sole scene this episode basically 90% recap of the things we ALREADY KNOW OF. God, this guy got nothing to him.
I think the only good scene in this episode was the head of the Fox Clan was Nadeshiko commenting on how finding their fated one is akin to a curse with how they lose sense of reason when it comes to their brides. But I found it incredibly rich when Reiya boldly claimed he hasn’t abandoned his rationality, to which I scoffed, ‘You haven’t even spent any quality time with your bride, so who to say!’ It’s certainly an arrogant claim to make at this time.
Anyways Nadeshiko decided she’s going to put Youta to the test on whether or not he can resist his bride’s vice-grip on him, and keep her in check. She wants both Karin and Yuzu (with Reiya’s consent) to be in the same space together, so really this is a test for Karin more so than Yuzu, as she’s the victim and Karin’s the bully. This definitely has potential to really shine a spotlight on just how cursed this ‘fated pairing’ can be, and whether Youta’s strong enough to overcome it.
