I hope you don't mind my writing style for this, but I'm writing as I'm watching the epsiode, so the review may end up a bit of a mix between the past and present tenses, and I'll most likely ramble a lot, but don't mind that, skip it if you don't like it. Also, if it gets too confusing, I'll edit it into a proper regular review style.
Anyway, on with the review.
From the beginning of this episode, we see what really happened between Yuuto and Shiina, as opposed to what Haruka thought they had been doing, which we saw at the end of the previous episode. I know it was blatently obvious that nothing bad was going on between them before I even saw this bit, because it's the very cliched thing of "the woman thinks something bad is happening with her man when it's completely innocent" that always occurs in these sorts of shoujo manga and anime.
Also, in true shoujo fashion, Yuuto runs after her to try to make things better, and the ignorance on her part when he's trying to explain what happened is another stereotype. Why in the hell can't she just stay there to hear him out rather than just run away?! I mean, honestly, I know it's supposed to create tension and all, but it makes me want to bash my head into a wall because of her obvious obliviousness.
As you can clearly see, I normally don't like this sort of thing much in my anime, but I suppose because I already know what the series has been like so far in its obviousness, I guess I can let it slide.
I do however like the fact that it seems like she's completely forgotten about what happened the day before when Yuuto comes into the classroom the next day. Normally by this point everyone would have heard about what had been going on and would have given the poor man evil glares and hated him forever for hurting the girl's feelings. This is a refreshing change in my opinion, not usually realistic, granted, but still better than what would normally occur, and besides, who wants to have their anime overly realistic anyway?
Other than the storyline, at this point, I am loving the cosplay costumes, especially Shiina's one. If I was a bit skinnier and more confident then I'd really want to wear that sort of thing if I went to a convention, just for fun, I wouldn't be interested in entering any competitions or anything like that.
With the competition aspect in the anime on the other hand, the way things are going, I think I have an idea exactly which two of the eight contestants will be left to fight it out, in fact, I think we all know to be honest.
Also, is it just me, or do Haruka's fangirls annoy everyone else too? I swear, I am so glad there was never anything like that at my school, otherwise I would probably get angry at the system of that sort of thing, not that I would have treated these people like my enemy, you understand, but no one needs all that attention (You can really tell I was never one of the uber-popular people, can't you? At least I wasn't an outcast though, so meh, whatever, can't complain).
The names for the food and drink from the cafe seem like quite a nice idea. In fact, it gives me inspiration for what I would do if I ever got the chance to have a go at another one of my dream jobs - a metal cafe. Yes, I know, it's taken straight from Questionable Content, with their Coffee of Doom shop, but it's something that I haven't seen in the UK and the gap in the market needs to be filled (at least in my honest opinion anyway 
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Again, Haruka is ignoring Yuuto - damn it, she could have just five minutes to spare to let the guy speak his mind, but no, because it has to be done this way, she ignores him because she's too busy. Why not just let someone cover for her for once, she doesn't need to be working 24/7, admittedly she may be popular and most of the people there would want her serving them, but they'd live without it, wouldn't they? Oh wait, she's going on her break, this is the perfect chance for Yuuto - wait a minute, he didn't say what he should have done, gah! Come on man, you've been waiting for this for ages now, just say what you've wanted to say to her. We all know you want to go out with her (I think that was obvious from the title of the episode) so just tell her already, don't leave the audience hanging.
Now Mika and the maids have shown up, just when Haruka has gone. Now they can have a bit of a chat with Yuuto about things without being worried for Haruka. I believe Hazuki-san already knows what happened between Haruka and Yuuto the day before, because I'm guessing she's the only one Haruka told about everything. That's pretty much common knowledge thanks to the way she acted on the phone the night before and the way she's being towards Yuuto now.
Mika and Nanami are so insistent and persistent, aren't they? They shouldn't need to know about what happened because it's none of their business really, and if they found out they'd be very unhappy with Yuuto, because they'd instantly believe Haruka was right, even though she didn't know what happened. Good, they didn't find out, but even so, Mika's still suspicious, typical of her though. Now Hazuki-san's being suspicious, with her not going with the others. I'm thinking she's planning on meeting someone else, but we'll have to wait and see on that front.
The contest (aka the blatent fanservice) has just started. Of course, every series of this caliber has to have a bit of fanservice to please the guys, otherwise they wouldn't watch it, because it would be too feminine for them otherwise. Well, that was a short contest, I'd say not so much a contest as a group of girls being put on stage to be eyed up by their fellow classmates, and Haruka won again this year it seems. That seems like the clear choice, especially seeing as stereotypicalness is the main dish of the day.
Oh dear, she's seen Yuuto, probably the last person she wanted to see at that moment, and now the announcer thinks she's crying because she won. The way she looks on that stage doesn't look like she's very happy, so why think it's because she won, damn you announcer for being emotionally blind.
Here now, we have the interception, and now I can finally assume that Yuuto will come out and say what he's wanted to say all along, either that, or he is truly an idiot. Oh well, he tried, now it's Haruka who my anger is turned towards (again), it's another case of absentmindedness on her part, it's easier on everyone if you just let him tell you rather than being off in your own little world and just going on what you think is correct.
I do think it was nice of Shiina to assume that Yuuto didn't want to do the folk dance with her, at least she has some sort of knowledge of emotions (which in this episode most other people are clearly lacking in) and has some idea of what he wants. As much as it's also visible that she fancies him too, I think in her heart she knows that he wants Haruka.
Now here's Hazuki-san. Always the protector of Haruka and the only other person who knows what went on that day between Yuuto and Shiina. At least because of that she knows and believes Yuuto, unlike what most people would have done. Finally, as well, she gives him advice for how to deal with Haruka. It's been needed for a while now, so it's great to finally get it. Ooh, and we get some backstory too, this is probably the best segment so far of this episode to be honest. So she doesn't want what happened to her to happen to them, well duh. Nobody wants what bad things happened in a previous relationship to happen to other people, except maybe their worst enemies.
At the folk dance, it's nice that everyone else has found someone to be with and seem to be enjoying themselves. That's what it should be like. Let's hope Yuuto and Haruka end up being like that too. Now we have the typical apology scene of "It's my fault", "No it's not, it's my fault too" standards. And for Haruka, when your heart feels like that, it's a combination of jealousy and love for someone. Come on, get it into your head and someone, just ask the other out, please!
Finally, we have the confession of sorts. See, it wasn't that hard now, was it? We now have them as a couple, and they get the dance they wanted, even if it's not with everyone, but for them to do it in private probably makes it even more romantic, and no one should be able to see if they mess up (which they inevitably do), expect for the maids and Mika, but it wouldn't be the same without them spying on our couple.
Lol, Eric's a teddy bear and a cute one at that. Now that's the only thing I didn't predict during the course of the episode, and I think it's time to close up the review.
On the whole, I didn't enjoy this episode as much as I have done with previous ones. Then again, these sorts of episodes get on my goat a bit because they happen in almost every anime where there's some sort of romance. Yes, I know that these things happen during a relationship or the courting process, but they're usually never as dramatic as this. It also seemed like this episode has been padded out with the drama, when they could have cut that in half and maybe spent the other half focusing on the contest, that would have probably made it better. The good parts were the backstory, the cute cosplay costumes and the ending.
I'd personally mark this episode a five out of ten - could do better.
Comments
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), and I love it already (the game that is, not the t-shirt, although that's still nice too).