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Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)
In an episode which deals with filling that emptiness inside, we watch as people settle with being a second choice or give into their dark insecurities for some form of love’s methadone.
Topic 1: I’m Here For That Warmth – (Noriko, Ecchan, Mugi, and Hanabi)
With Hanabi and Mugi deciding to become official, the news has to be broken to their admirers. Naturally, Noriko doesn’t believe Hanabi is right for him, or that he truly cares about her and Ecchan hunches the situation off. If only because, Ecchan has no intention of letting Hanabi go, even if Hanabi verbally says that is what she wants.
Commentary
I will forever be amused by the idea that Hanabi is using Ecchan when Ecchan is the aggressive one and seems to be using Hanabi. However, while one could look at what Ecchan does, like fingering Hanabi in the library or kissing her in the infirmary when Hanabi is sick, and think of her as scum, the show tries to remind you of her humanity. Well, at least I see her humanity and reasoning behind all this.
For those familiar with various LGBT media, and perhaps the culture, it should be known that coming out to anyone, friends or family, is hard. Then to top it off, finding someone who doesn’t only accept you as a person, but accepts your body and affections, that is a whole different thing. So while Ecchan does fit the description of scum, you realize it is because letting Hanabi go means starting over.
Throughout the episode people talk about this inner darkness, this lack of love they are trying to find, and Ecchan arguably has found it. To the point that, like Noriko, she doesn’t want to let it go and is willing to be the other girl, mistress, or side piece, as long as, like a methadone drip, they can still have their fix. But with Ecchan, being that Hanabi was with her during her time with Mugi, it seems she isn’t just going to accept what she can get but rather she is going to actively compete. For be it ego or feeling she knows Hanabi well, it seems to be that she feels like Hanabi will come back to her in the end. So why pretend like Mugi, and other boys, aren’t just a phase?
Topic 2: Show Me Love (Not a Dream) – (Noriko, Mugi, Akane, and Hanabi)
With Akane noting she had sex with Kanai, so begins Hanabi wanting revenge. She wants to take away all the guys obsessed with Akane and part of that dealt with making her and Mugi official, but almost as soon as they become official she doesn’t continue to have the same relationship they had when they were faking it. She doesn’t go to his house, barely sees him after school, and becomes a bit flaky. Reason being, she happens to bump into Takuya, the guy from the diner scene and is trying to make it so he is part of her harem rather than the other way around. However, Hanabi is no Akane so she struggles. Especially because, while in pursuit of revenge, she realizes what she really wants is to kiss someone she loves [2].
Meanwhile, Mugi seems to know something is up. His tramp detector is going off [1] and so with Noriko randomly appearing and vowing her love once more, it seems he gives into temptation. Since he thinks Hanabi might be cheating, he decides to do so with Noriko. Not anything sexual, but he does ask her out on a date.
Commentary
It is becoming clear that this series isn’t going to end with anyone happy. Which I’m not at all having difficulty with, but I am adjusting to the idea that we are going to have all this character development and get emotionally vested, yet we will likely leave them worse than we found them. Hanabi’s energy and spirit has drastically depleted since she started to mess around with Ecchan and at this point she is very mopey and seems to have gotten an almost “If you can’t beat them, join them” type of mindset. One which you can see her inner child doesn’t support, yet she needs vengeance. However, something in me feels that Hanabi may end up falling for Takuya like she did for Mugi. What was supposed to be fake will become real for while Kanai maybe the goal, someone who treats her like the standard he set, she can fall for them.
Then when it comes to Mugi, being that we haven’t really seen Noriko since episode 2, I feel like her sudden return is to have her catch up to Ecchan. Especially in terms of him going on a date with her. For while Ecchan’s situation you understand because she is a girl and Hanabi is a girl, with Noriko it seems Mugi’s denial of her comes from a lack of interest. So while it maybe a bit of an uphill battle making Noriko someone to sympathize, or empathize, with, at the same time with how villainous Akane has been made and how complicated Ecchan is at the moment, I have faith.
Things to Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered
- He notes his tramp detector is going off right before Noriko shows up so I’m not 100% sure if he was referring to her or that line of thought dealt with him thinking Hanabi could be cheating on him.
- Which of course is Kanai, but with a nightmare/flashback of him noting they would never become romantic, it seems, even more, she is willing to take what she can get to fill that emptiness. Seeing if what Akane does maybe works, even if she believes she (Akane) is sad and lonely.
- In the same flashback as [2], we learn that Hanabi was told, as a child, her dad left because she was born. Also, she is told he started a new family which you can tell was devastating. Making Kanai saying he would never leave, but also not become romantically involved with her, a bit more devastating for her. Especially in the present.
Collected Quote(s)
[…] the stupidity that makes people feel their whole world will end by the simplest of rejections, making them feel that way is what love is.
— “Welcome to the X Dimension.” Scum’s Wish
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