Tada Never Falls in Love Episode 3 Review: You Love That

Tada Never Falls in Love heads into Natsume Soseki territory this week with its Nyanko Big narration! Last week, we posted the news that Akio Otsuka would be making an appearance in this episode, and I am so happy that he ended up as Nyanko Big! Absolutely genius. Let’s take a look at what our fuzzy friend had to say.

‘Do you like sweet coffee?’

Japanese title: それ、好きだなあ

Story

We start off the episode with Nyanko Big explaining that Tada saved him when he was just a kitten, and they have been together for 10 years. After waking up Tada on time, Nyanko Big gets a whiff of Theresa and Alec’s breakfast which is, for some insane reason, a boat of sashimi. That sets Nyanko Big off, and he jumps across to their hotel room! Or he would if he weren’t too pudgey. He falls to the ground but luckily isn’t too injured. Alec and Theresa head over to Tada’s place to check on our feline friend and notice that Tada is working alone. Theresa’s sparkly puppy eyes are back and the two foreign girls end up helping out! Our first customer is none other than Ijuin! Of course, he enters the store in a crazy hammy manner! We later get a ‘hitman’ who loves Rainbow Shogun, and a very sweet old couple and a young pair who seem to be on their first date. All the customers seemed lovely, but it was Nyanko Big’s take on them all that made them so delightful to watch. NB tells us something very important. If a man and woman look each other in the eyes for 8 seconds then they fall in love…

Theresa and Alec bring out a treat that is popular in their home country. They are spoons set in chocolate which you add to hot coffee or milk. Everybody enjoys them together, but Tada says he isn’t interested in sweet things, so Theresa offers him a sip… secondhand kiss! Kyaahh!

Later, the photography club visit Hibiya Park to take photos. Ijuin takes about 1000 selfies and Yamashita takes a nap. We then get some flashbacks! Ijuin, Tada, Theresa, and Alec were all so adorable as children. Alec seriously cares about Theresa (so cute).

Now, remember how a man and woman will fall in love if they look into each other’s eyes for 8 seconds. Well, Nyanko Big falls in love with the local beauty salon cat- Cherry! He attempts to jump after her but falls in the lake, runs up a tree and falls, only to be caught by Theresa. But what’s this? Tada is standing behind her, ready to help. It is then that they start to look each other in the eyes…

Highlights

Nyanko Big’s Narration

Having Nyanko Big narrate this episode was a stroke of genius. Not only does this remind us of Natsume Soseki’s classic novel I Am a Cat, but it gives us a whole other take not only on the rest of the characters but on Nyanko Big himself. I wondered why his character description said that he acts like a father figure to Tada and now it’s clear. I like him a lot more now than I did.

Ijuin Ijuin Ijuin

I’m glad to see Ijuin’s hamminess continue. From the way he burst into the coffee shop to his REALLY STRANGE flirting with Alec, I just love this guy. I wasn’t expecting to feel any moe feelings from this rich boy, but his crying face as he spoke about the kappa sparked them… Anyway, this guy is just pure entertainment for me. Judge my tastes if you want.

The Backgrounds

When it comes to visuals, this anime is quite strong all round. However, its real strength lies in the background visuals. The way Hibiya Park was portrayed in this episode was absolutely stunning and the details were wonderful. I really look forward to which areas of Ginza and the surrounding areas we will get to see next.

Trivia

Shibui

I want to introduce you to a Japanese word that I have no idea how to translate. That word is ‘shibui.’ You could try to translate it in a number of ways such as ‘cool,’ ‘astringent,’ or ‘austere.’ The usage I’m referring to is for a cool, middle aged man. Sometimes also referred to as ‘hard boiled’, think of the kind of older guy you might see in an anime who has a deep voice, a beard, typically smokes, and always has cool lines that would be cringe if anybody else said them. Boy, is Nyanko Big shibui! I can imagine him wearing a trench coat and a small smirk on his face if he weren’t, well, a cat. His way of speaking is so typically shibui, and every single line he says is crafted to be a typical hard boiled character. Having him voiced by Akio Otsuka, who is known for voicing shibui characters, is also perfect and I am suddenly a Nyanko Big fan! My favorite line was, ‘Do you like sweet coffee?’ Which was a textbook example of those cringe lines that just WORK when said by a cool middle-aged man. Brilliant.

Theresa-Sama

When we saw the flashback in Larsenburg, Alec called Theresa ‘Theresa-sama’. ‘Sama’ is a very respectful honorific suffix and is reinforcing the idea that Alec is some kind of retainer to Theresa, who is implied to be of nobility.

Hibiya Park

The park in which the photography club were taking photographs was Hibiya Park, which is a real park not far from Ginza. It was actually the first western-style park to open up to the Japanese public and is still well-known today. The beautiful purple tree the club took a break under is a wisteria. The wisteria is a very important plant in Japanese culture and has been beloved for thousands of years. They are currently in bloom right now and will be until next month. The wisteria is one of my favorite trees, so I recommend searching one out, sitting underneath it and just chilling out.

Always make your heart rainbow!

So we have some romantic development happening between Theresa and Mitsuyoshi? Honestly, I’m not really sure. We had some moments like the secondhand kiss and the soft look in his eyes but I’m honestly not seeing anything. The two of them don’t really have any chemistry and don’t even interact all that much. I wonder if what may seem like romantic actions from Mitsuyoshi may just be misunderstandings or if I’m just too influenced by Nozaki-kun. I hope the pair do end up actually having better interaction if the series is going to pursue their romantic relationship. Theresa probably stared at that cup for about 8 seconds, and this is probably where her romantic feelings begin to awaken. But still….meh.
I do love Ijuin and Alec’s interactions for their entertainment value, but I also can’t see any potential for romance yet. We still have plenty of episodes left yet however!

Romance aside, this episode was very enjoyable thanks to Nyanko Big’s narration. His dialogue was so well-written, and I hope you are able to understand what I mean when I call him shibui! I wonder how things will progress with Cherry? See you next week!

Don’t forget to check a few official screenshots from our preview of Episode 3. Each week, you will be able to read the summary and see a gallery of stills before the episode airs!