No one can stay forever with nothing Know, though there is some room for debate as to whether Takata ever really As forgetful as he appears. This would make his actions in the penultimate episode (yes, it’s episode 13!) less a product of the clues he got and more of his decision to act. Either way it probably doesn’t matter, because if Nishimura thinks he might have an early crush on her, it will just scare her away; by this point, she’s comfortable with him and herself and can be open to possibilities. What is the possibility! After watching Yukiko’s friend kiss her boyfriend, both Takata and Nishimura face the uncomfortable aftereffects of an accidental voyeuristic voyeurism and the growing possibility that they’ll want to be in a relationship. It’s a whole new revelation for Nishimura, not one in which she’s sure she knows what to do. It was one thing for her to have friends, and quite another to have a larger number of them. Although she doesn’t say it, we can see that she is at least a little afraid to change the status quo with Gao Tian. Friends may last longer than love, and while she’s made a lot of progress, now going from zero friends to three, one of whom was once one of her bullies, she’s understandably wary of major changes. But at the same time, she was interested. After New Years, she was visibly disappointed when she ended up sitting next to Kitagawa instead of Takata, as the school legend about her deskmate turning romantic partner didn’t apply, even though she blocked Takata’s desire to kiss her at Christmas , the thought didn’t stop her. By the way, thanks to Takata for asking permission first. Not only does it show that he respects Nishimura and her comfort level, but it also shows that he has some self-awareness. He makes his character forgetful, or seems oblivious to details and people’s intentions, but when the pinch comes down, he does know how to act. From the first episode, everything he did was to make Nishimura feel more comfortable, and with every bully he diverted attention, it showed how much he liked her. Remember when he burst into tears over her mother’s death, worried that he’d inadvertently use the whole “Reaper” moniker to bully her? That’s our thread, whether it’s asking him if he can kiss her or if he can hold her hand, Nishimura’s happiness and comfort will always be his number one priority. He respects her, which is not what she is used to, even now. That’s all: If you’ve been bullied long enough, you don’t expect People will be kind or respectful to you. You start thinking you deserve it and somehow it’s all your fault, even though a small group of people know you have no control over how you were born. Takata slowly shows Nishimura that she should never be bullied. Kasahara has grown up as someone who realizes what she did to Nishimura was wrong and understands her better than the other girls. Umi and Hino are just there to help (and Umi is an excellent wingman; I love how she orchestrates the seat change at the end), all of which help show Nishimura that she can have friends and even crushes or be someone else’s object . For my money, that’s the true strength of the series. Like the situation that Nishimura was in before Takata appeared, it is necessary to tide over the difficulties. You may always have that little kid inside who was bullied. But it only takes one person to break the curse and force the sun through the clouds. Next week’s finale looks like a step back in time, and we might see Nishimura sustain the kind of damage forever. But we’re also supposed to see Takada’s friendship and affection help turn things around in a way that goes beyond the school and helps Nishimura see that she’s worth it. Rating:
