Winter 2020 Anime: Official Info, Airdates & Trailers
Keep warm this winter season with the latest anime info at MANGA.TOKYO!
This week’s episode has some events that could possibly cause divisions between our beloved girls. I felt myself getting more and more invested in each character as the episode went on. It’ll be a tough wait ‘til the next episode!
Original Japanese Title: 私を知らぬ間に変えたもの
This episode starts right where last week left off – Izumi and Niina are riding a random train somewhere for the sake of keeping their conversation private. However Niina spots somebody she knows and interrupts their talk to run after him. She later explains her relationship with this person to Izumi and it’s all so…yikes! My ill-feeling was not far off the mark, it seems!
Kazusa and Momoko have a chat on the bridge about everything and Kazusa hypothesizes that if, theoretically, Niina did have feelings for Izumi, maybe she could accept it – but for me, for all the wrong reasons! She compares herself to Niina and talks about how pretty and smart and perfect she is and that she feels leagues apart. But Kazusa, you are so different and cute and sweet in your own way…! Don’t give up before you’ve even started!
Just as this conversation between Kazusa and Momoko is happening, a silver car speeds past. Hitoha is, for some reason, in her teacher’s car being taken somewhere. She expresses her frustration at her situation with her editor and Yamagishi makes a suggestion…
The next day…Momoko is on a…date!? With the boy she met at karaoke the other day, but I might have to take back the nice things I said about him last time. His high-and-mighty attitude was pretty damn annoying and I’m happy to see Momoko was just as unimpressed as me. 200 yen…
Meanwhile, Amagi is on the roof at school again and Rika finds him to give him back his report and her answer, but a perfectly-timed tumble causes her to drop it and the papers go flying everywhere. It’s like straight out of a manga!!
Izumi and Niina’s chat on the train is very sweet and it seems they get along very well. They seem to understand each other quite easily and see eye-to-eye, and it was nice to see someone engage with Izumi’s goofy train hobby beyond just finding it cute or funny. Regarding what happens after this conversation, I hope Izumi can be a good ally to Niina when it comes to her past and help her come to terms with it fully.
However, what seems to be developing between Hitoha and her sensei is anything but sweet. At least he is somewhat vocalising the implications of engaging in any kind of relationship with a student, but what’s the use if you just plan to follow through with it, anyway? I’m worried for this thread of the story and don’t like where it’s heading at all!
We learn some pretty troubling things about Niina’s past this episode. I don’t want to say too much, but it seems like she has been a victim of grooming from her time with the acting troupe she used to be with. Parts of her personality are starting to come together; her strange comments in the first and second episodes now come full circle, linking to the things she was told as a child. I am really glad Izumi reacts in the way he does and was pleasantly surprised to see the subtitles actually translate the Japanese term lolicon for what it is – a pedophile. I hope this series will have us see Niina somehow heal and move past this and pursue healthy relationships with men her age.
Izumi being oblivious to Kazusa’s feelings is so cute and just made me like him even more. It totally makes sense for him to be that airheaded and is in line with his character. I thought the way he treats Kazusa in the following scenes they have together this episode was really nice. I can definitely see why she likes him! A good boy!
Things are heading in all sorts of unexpected directions and I’m anxious to see where things go next. How do you feel about these recent developments? Let us know and check out some of our other reviews for this season! This series is also part of our weekly anime previews.
NEXT TIME: Maidens in the Woods
Keep warm this winter season with the latest anime info at MANGA.TOKYO!