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In the previous episode, we saw Akane collapse from an untreated cold, only to be found and picked up by Yamada. This episode, we might get some progress on the Tsubaki arc!
If you’re interested, check out our coverage of the manga series starting here.
Let’s dive into Episode 10: One day I’m bound to get hurt.
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The episode begins with a super short recap of Akane’s breakdown and Yamada finding her. We switched to Tsubaki and tried to call Yamada, but he didn’t answer. A mutual friend of Yamada and Tsubaki (I forgot his name) told Tsubaki that if she wasn’t careful, another girl would break into his life and snatch him from her. Tsubaki said she already knew, and started crying. The friend told her that if it was causing her so much pain inside, she should tell him directly.
We see flashbacks of how Tsubaki met Yamada. Apparently, they were playing against each other in an FPS game, and Yamada played so well that Tsubaki thought he was cheating. She came to him and told him she wanted to watch him play. Yamada complied with her request.
We see what high school was like from Tsubaki’s perspective. Many girls confessed to Yamada, but Yamada always refused directly. Tsubaki fears and respects Yamada. Out of curiosity, she asks about his type, but he gets a little annoyed and frustrated by Yamada trying to tell her that he doesn’t have a type and hasn’t had a crush on him.
We get a little scene that’s different from the comics. Yamada tells Tsubaki about his past, a girl who was ruthlessly bullied at school and lived with Yamada. The teacher always handed him homework sheets for her to do at home, so when he handed her homework sheets, she started liking him. When she says she wants to be together forever, Yamada tells her he doesn’t see her that way. In his mind, he was just doing what the teacher told him to do. She ended up transferring schools.
Yamada said it pained him to think of what he should have said to stop her crying so much because he didn’t understand. So, he simply stopped thinking about it. Tsubaki secretly laments that this is too scary, be careful not to fall in love with Yamada… Although, we know what happened in the end.
We switch to Yamada and Akane, who are now in her apartment. She was completely out of shape, and Yamada tried to get her to drink some water. He asked where her health insurance card was (in Japan, everyone pays a tax to enroll in basic health insurance).
When Akane woke up, Yamada was asleep on the floor next to her bed. She opened the window, and the wind woke Yamada up. At first, Akane thought she was dreaming. She went back to bed and chatted with Yamada for a while. A book that Yamada borrowed from Akane’s bookshelf to read because he was bored. This is a book about breaking up. Akane said he might not understand is because he might be that type Do Dump instead of being dumped.
Akane tells Yamada that those who refuse to confess may also be sad. She looked at Yamada and told him the look on his face was the same as Takuma’s when he broke up with her – not malice, but pain, like he wanted to disappear. Yamada asked her if she was still mad at Takuma, and Akane said she wasn’t. In fact, when her relationship with him became a memory, she wanted him to look back fondly on their time together, so that’s why she explicitly accepted the breakup and tried to move on.
After all, isn’t it better to end things with a smile than a cry?
We see Akane smiling, and Yamada, remembering the girl from childhood, smiling too.
After that we get a lot of super cute scenes where Akane has a cramp and Yamada sticks out her leg for her despite her kicking and thrashing. She stared at Yamada afterwards, wondering why she felt so peaceful and safe with Yamada by her side.
Opinion/Analysis
Wow. This episode is just amazing. I read the manga, and the anime adds a few more scenes – namely the pudding and the cramp scene – but they look very real and add tenfold to the little “badump badump” moments for the viewer. I swear, I feel my heart skip a beat!
Plus, I absolutely adore Akane. She is one of the most relatable yet warmest characters I have ever met!It’s amazing how warm, relatable, authentic and funny a female character is when it’s written for the female gaze no male gaze. Akane doesn’t like any fantasies, she just… Akane.
The animators and writers of this anime are true geniuses, and they must have been huge fans of the original, because every time they touch up or highlight something, they do it from their vast knowledge of the source material.
Great job. We’re almost at the end of the season.
What do you all think of this episode? Let us know in the comments below!
Check out our coverage of the other series here:
Mushoku Tensei: Unemployed Reincarnation Episode 1 Review
Oshi No Ko Episode 1 Review
Dangerous Inside Me Episode 1 Review