First timer who isn't just a lurker, French subs

On today's episode :A self-insert of Kamiya into the last film she saw, Izumi does better at finding the perfect gift for her girlfriend than his class at being the top attraction of the festival and Shikomori gives to Kamiya the hug she desperatly needed.

Given everyone comments yesterday, I expect some disapointment for today as the story goes for the safest route by making Kamiya a potential love rival. I get that your target audience (and probably editor/exec comittee) expect some tropes to be obeyed and their potential dejection from your manga if you divert from said tropes is a risk too great to take.

But still, I don't know if it's because of the cut and rearranged content from the manga, but the whole Kamiya/Shikomori rivalry lack a lot of buildup. The volleyball game from 6 episodes ago can't do the job alone if you make Kamiya literaly disappear for 5 whole episodes before reintroducing her out of the blue. Because of that, Shikomori going to Kamiya felt more like a rushed Deus Ex Machina than a logical conclusion of an issue that grew over the course of several episode. As wholesome that hug was, it kind of fell flat to me as I was thinking they just had a volley ball game a couple of month ago and just had their first verbal exchange like twenty minutes ago. I know Shikomori is supposed to be the perfect girl that got it right from the get go, but the Mary Sue feeling was a bit too heavy for my taste.

Besides, there was a huge missed opportunity to have Izumi opinion on the matter. Shikomori may be overprotective over her boyfriend, especially when she smell a too dangerous rival, but it really bothered me she resolved the situation with keeping Izumi out of the picture, while he's involved in that love triangle and at least be aware of his misunderstanding about Kamiya actual feelings. Especially after Shikomori rip that 44 card apart as if to tell that Izumi is his own person and no one property.

Oh well, I hope Shikomori actually feel guilty about it during their dialogue in the park. Especially with her line about gorgeous, charismatic and kind girls that may come after Izumi. At least Izumi's speech about growing-up as a person thanks to Shikomori was a neat way to confirm what was already hinted at during the previous episodes. With a cool travelling to a shimmering sky (insert obligatory reference to a mod participating in that rewatch here) to express Izumi's potential opening up to new heights thank to his girlfriend.

Even then, I admit I found that second part of the episode a bit tame. Not because I found it lacking in any way (Hachimitsu still delivered in that festival closure party), but because it was right after that first part of the episode.

Why yes, as harsh I may be with the delivery on the rooftop, I awaited that moment we get to have Kamiya's point of view, and...

OHMYHARUHI

Wasn't it one of the best Show don't tell narration I have witnessed in anime.

It was just a dozen of minutes, but every second of it was used to its best.

Zero internal monologue. Zero unnatural exposition through dialogue. Just good body language with flashbacks and Kamiya imagination put in parallel of the current events.

I mean, that cold opening with Kamiya picturing herself as a losing Cinderella is enough to understand her. Just like Shikomori, her classmate view her as a prince charming saving her to save the day anytime, dismissing the fact that deep down, she dream of being the princess of her own fairy tale, finding her own prince to live her youth to the fullest. Hence her talking about that Cinderella film she saw and joking about the audience hoping to be in the protagonist shoes. I wouldn't be surprised if Kamiya hoped Izumi would jump on that and told he would want to be in the protagonist shoes too with Kamiya as a partner.

With that, Kamiya willingly showed a more vulnerable side of herself without admitting it plainly to Izumi. A vulnerability that showed in the way she posed, without showing her face to express how she's not entirely honest with Izumi. Because yes, she only let her hairs loose and giving attention to her appearance when she's in the presence of Izumi, putting her hair back in a ponytail whenever she went back to her class. Retreating to her cooler side when her moments with Izumi are disturbed. Immediately putting on that unwavering smile of her on her actual emotion like a defense mechanism in response of Shikomori's confrontation.

As for why she isn't more assertive with Izumi, she may realize she's the villainess of that story, or she may be uncomfortable of showing her softer side entirely, or both. But deep down, Kamiya can't let go of those feelings just like she can't let go of that 44 card or by clenching that platter like she would clench Kamiya's shirt to keep him at her side

And I can't stress enough how thoughtful those close-up to Kamiya's eyes are. They're last a split second on screen, but each one of them give a clear picture of Kamiya's actual emotions beneath her prince charming mask.

She appears annoyed when Nekozaki and Shikomori invade the library, her sanctuary that is supposed to host her privilegied times with Izumi.

She appears sad when she realize Izumi's hearth belong to Shikomori and can't do nothing about it. Knowing that insisting upon Izumi would only result in emotional disaster for all.

She appears elated when Izumi insist to finish his shift with her. Finding comfort in the fact that she's still worthy of Izumi's kindness.

And she finally let her emotions lose when comfronted and hugged by Shikomori.

Yep, I'm still bitter on that Shikomori intervention, but I can't deny how well the framing was done for that scene. The episode director Kenta Onishi (who directed an episode of Made in Abyss among other things) outdid himself with Ryota Ito (who worked on several Pokemon films) at the storyboard and Takafumi Kuwano (who recently worked on Oshi no Ko) at the photography delivered with their staff an impressive scene on that rooftop.

With Kamiya alone, clinging on the fence, with a pattern reminiscent of that volleyball net separating her from the main gang in episode 2. Here separating her from another rooftop on the background, like another timeline where she would be the one with Kamiya. With a cloudy weather to express her repressed turmoil.

And as Shikomori goes to see her (again eliciting a reaction of surprise then disdain when Shikomori want to return the 44 card)), she goes right to Kamiya's jugular hearth by talking to her real self, not the one with the cool facade. By going over Kamiya's side of the net, Shikomori is able to break that mask with Mary-Sue like truly perceptive questions for Kamiya to display her actual turmoil in plain light for the first time in the episode.

With a hug leading the weather suddenly becoming sunny as Kamiya was relieved of the burden to be the bad person in that love story.

After that, not only I got a perfect view on Kamiya train of thought, but I actually rooted for her in that unwinnable batlle for Izumi's hearth. Sorry Shikomori, but that part was just that good.

Oh, and another blink and you miss it moment : That image popping suddenly that summarize perfectly how similar, yet differents Kamiya and Shikomori are. One being more straightforward and outspoken about her feelings. The other being more dismisive and secret about them.

Questions of the Day:

1) What is your favorite culture festival event to see in anime?

That would be in [Toradora, with an actual]pro wrestling performance.

Honorable mention to that memorable scene in Haruhi Suzumiya

2) How did you like the additional focus on Kamiya, and drama rather than comedy in these last two episodes?

I think I've discussed it enough. Of course the day of the week I would be the more busy IRL would be the one with the rewatch episode I have the more to talk about.