Hina confesses to Chinatsu about how she really feels about Taiki and this sparks quite the dilemma for our MC.

Video Review

What Stands Out About This Episode?

After ending the last episode with Hina confessing to Chinatsu about her confession to Taiki, this episode forces Taiki to internalize and address any feelings he may have for Hina.

Just a Bit Too Late..

When it comes to romance, there are different angles a story can take to deliver a particular lesson the author wants the audience to consider. In the previous episode, it is quite clear that the Taiki and Chinatsu ship is “one confession away” from being a reality. With Kyo’s warning to Hina about her attempts to sway Taiki, being almost futile, it’s a foreshadowing that we are seeing play out in this episode. Although, there are signs of hope for Hina’s romantic aspirations to get Taiki to see her more than a friend, it would be quite the leap to think that Taiki would jump ship to romantically go after Hina.

If this is a presumptive conclusion up until this point, what is this truly setting up? Hope and failure.. The bigger the hope, the bigger the pain of failure. One of the episode’s biggest takeaways and has been a theme for quite some time, since basically episode 13 between Taiki and Karen, is that Taiki won’t actually muster up enough courage to make a definitive move on Chinatsu. Now, that indecision and “cowardliness” that was used in this episode, can be applied to Hina.

This is one of the most intriguing crescendos building up for Taiki’s character. We are now at the point in the story where it’s established between Taiki and Chinatsu how much further along they are beyond “just friends.” There is an emotional spark ready to let loose if Taiki just makes a move. However, being that Chinatsu is physically away from living with Taiki, the story will now lead us to believe that Hina’s “tricks up her sleeve” may be changing Taiki’s mind about her.

With Taiki and Chinatsu’s relationship established and Hina constantly finding ways to work her magic with Taiki, this coincides with the biggest rematch Taiki will soon face—his nemesis, Shuji Yusa. Hyodo has already warned Taiki that he will essentially have to beat Haryu or Shuji, if he wants one of the two spots to make it at nationals next year. This is building towards a perfect boiling point, with the episode providing Taiki’s biggest internal dilemma: what to do between Chinatsu and Hina.

If we’re being honest, Taiki has always been “cowardly” and is just now realizing that this is who he is at the moment. A confession takes courage—whether it’s rejecting Hina or confessing to Chinatsu. This is the most logical conclusion as to what’s weighing on Taiki’s mind right now. All the while, he must keep improving and chasing his ultimate goal: defeating Shuji!