Despite intending to make these posts short, I’m failing big time with the task. Turns out I have a lot more to say than I originally thought. It helps that these anime have a lot going on for them, and uh, BokuYaba is just my favorite newcomer of the season.
Anna is a sneaky one, you can’t deny that. This time around, she acts to get Kyo’s LINE ID and, unsprisingly, to anyone in the room, little innocent Kyotaro fails to catch all of the signs she sends. It’s rather heartbreaking in a strange way to see Kyotaro navigating through all of his insecurities about life in general, and particularly about this girl he likes. It should be simple, when two people like each other enough to want to get together, but it hardly ever is, and almost never when you’re a preteen with all of your never sprouting out of your skin. Most of us have been there, others may have been expectations to see it happen around them. But probably won’t stop being so difficult, being a teenager in love.
Kyotaro might have failed to spot Anna’s sign at the library, but when the focus shif to the classroom, things take a sudden change. Moe talks Anna into playing her game of exchanging LINE IDs with the boys, but the orange-headed girl has a clear goal on her mind. To Yamada, this is the chance to get straight to the point and ask Kyo is (and being direct without any reason to blush, LOL), but her friend sweats her away, dealing that a level 99 like her shouldn’t be spending time with a slime like “Ichi.” Not cool at all, Moe, but I guess no malice was intended, so it gets a pass.
As usual with this series structure, it is the next event that kicks off the chains of the maim developments that are about to take place. Haruya-senpai yet again tries to score a move with Yamada, but iron fortress Kobayashi plays her role straight and gives the shutter to him (much to the main couple’s relief) but when the attention shifts to her instead, not even Bayashiko can resist at the experience of being the center of attention for once. Anna tries to talk her out of this without being blunt about what’s happening (trying not to hurt her friend, of course), but this will cause a short riff in their friendship, and I confess I did enjoy to see it shown in a more realistic lens.
The rest of the girls are much more blunt with Kobayashi, putting an end to her fantasy and slaming it into her face that Haruya is only using her to get to Anna. A douchbag he is to do this to another girl, but quickly, the two make pieces and return to being besties. Sadly, Kyoutaro overhears this as well, and when the insecurities get the best of him, he fools himself into thinking that Yamada is only using him and does not genuinely enjoy to be around him. It’s a sad thing to play out really, especially since Kyoutaro is kinda right because even if there was no malice in her act, Anna kind of used him yo get rid of Haruya and his girl friends, but we all know her true goal was to shout into Ichikawa that she has no boyfriend.
I’m guessing that the look senpai gave across the hallway to Kyoutaro signifies that he is done with going after Anna (I hope! I think!), but it doesn’t matter much right now because Kyou is heartbroken, and Anna can not understand why he’s been so distant lately. It takes her to finally confront Kyoutaro about it – and then, for he himself to confront his own feelings. He fears he might jurt him, so he decides to give himself reasons to hate her. It’s stupid, it’s silly, and it would be much better if he could embrace his feelings and go for the girl, but at the same time, it is authentic to what a teen would do. It is authentic to the person he is, and when confronted with the look of Yamada bawling down, he finally gives him and decides it’s time to make amends. And that make up hug is a hell of a way to make amends, I’ll tell you that.
Thankfully, it all comes to a positive conclusion, and both of them extend their walk together. It may not seem like it at first glance, but there’s a lot that changed because of this incident. I’m very amused by the way this couple develops their bond together, and after this incident, I can only imagine what their next logical step would be like. I’m certain Anna “forgot” the third volume of Kimi-iro Octave on purpose (my girl knows what she wants, and she goes for it!!), but hey, she’s earned herself a date right before Christmas. There is no such thing as a romcom without one of Japan’s most romantic holidays, so hey, I look forward to seeing Bokuyaba’s spin on it.
OTAKU SPACE 