Love and Lies Episode 3 Review: Overlooked Love

Despite the slightly anticlimactic ending of the previous episode, I was actually looking forward to watching this week’s continuation of Love and Lies. I was not disappointed. Even though I cannot help but admit that I’m a hopeless romantic and a complete sucker for love stories, I believe that this is my favorite anime of this season so far. I am curious to find out how the plot will be developing.

Japanese Original Episode Title: 見落とされた恋

Plot

Ririna messages Yukari and asks him to meet her at her house, where she is expecting him along with Takazaki. After several awkward incidents, Ririna finally gets to the point and encourages the two of them to start kissing while she’s watching. Yukari freaks out and Takazaki advises Ririna to fall in love with Yukari. She doesn’t give a crap and asks Yukari to make sure he will be kissing Takazaki on a daily basis. While at school, Yukari notices his friend Yusuke exchanging intense glances with Takazaki and her staring back, so he decides to ask him if there’s something going on between the two of them. Yusuke agrees to meet him and finds him sleeping in the classroom, so he (WHAT) gets the opportunity to kiss him without him knowing. You are a sexual god, Yukari! Nobody can resist you and your goofy and uninteresting composure.

Episode Highlights

Yukari keeping his cool: If you see someone being bullied in school, don’t get your hands dirty. Don’t even trouble your teachers, principal or parents; just go straight to the police. I’m sure they don’t have anything better to do and they’d love to hear about your love life over a cup of tea.

Ririna needs to calm down: What an immature twat. You may think ‘Ohhh, so cute, she’s trying to get them to be together because they love each other’, but what she actually is is a meddlesome brat and a pervert that hoards masturbation material and lives her dreams through the lives of others rather than her own. Like some sort of very problematic parent that forces their kids to become child stars. Ugh.

Yukari’s troubled face: The squiggly line that is his mouth and elongates his face when he’s worried is absolutely adorable, and probably my favorite feature of this particular drawing style. This and the pink highlights on the girls’ limbs and joints.

Yusuke is both tsundere and tactless: Not only does he play along with the whole doesn’t-talk-much mysterious attitude, but he also has no manners whatsoever. Referring to Ririna as a virgin dog kind of did it for me.

Russian food is not Yukari’s forte: Beef stroganoff is not a final boss. Well, I did find this hilarious. And I would totally have some stroganoff right now.

Themes & Trivia

Product placement or is it: Ever wonder what it’s like to be the most popular boy at school, have tons of girls running after you, yet secretly being attracted to men? Try Yusuke’s favourite drink, Tipson Milk Tea (nothing to do with this) and you might find out.

Woody would be proud: is it just me or is the show about to take some sort of Vicky Christina Barcelona turn where all the protagonists are going to end up humping in a pile of flesh and sweat? Was that too much imagery?

‘It’s so tough being popular’: Not the first time I get to see this line in anime and it’s always as ridiculous as ever – show me a single heterosexual male teenager (even though that’s not the case here, but that what his friends who consider him to be straight say) that does not enjoy being popular with the girls. I absolutely hate this attitude not only because it is as far from the truth as possible, but also because it’s like an attempt to glorify men who struggle because of having to deal with too much attention from women. Give me a break.

Clockwork eye: In another western-oriented comparison, doesn’t Yusuke’s eyes look like Alex’s from Stanley Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange? Especially those pointy eyelashes.

Yusuke fancies Yukari: HUGE PLOT TWIST – I had no idea. I thought that he’d fancy Ririna or that Takazaki would be his assigned wife or something… but nooo, he wants Yukari. That is excellent.

You never know.

What an amazing turn of events; the show just got way more interesting by destroying every expectation I had about Yusuke. Can’t wait to see what happens next! I wonder if Takazaki knows, and that’s why she’s been staring at him.

Did you like Episode 3 of Love and Lies? Let us know in the comments below by using either the forum or the Facebook tab! Join us in our new forum and let’s talk about our favorite series! Also, don’t forget the rest of our Summer 2017 reviews!

NEXT TIME: The Science of Love (恋の科学)