English Dub Review: Convenience Store Boy Friends “September”

The right to romance.

Overview (Spoilers Below)

This episode focuses more on Mashiki, and how she doesn’t exactly fit in. She is a very supportive person and has been since she was young, but she doesn’t believe in herself very much. Her fears that she announced in previous episodes, that she doesn’t feel as if she has any place, and she doesn’t think that she has the ability to do something amazing.

Once she finds out that Mihashi is dating, she is happy for her, but actually, feels left out. The series has yet to address whatever medical problem she has, but her poor health and lack of confidence make her feel like she’s discounted from romance. As such, she isn’t sure what she should do with her feelings, and what sort of romance she can allow herself to have. When Mishima finally confesses that she meant so much to him as a kid, she breaks down in tears.

The issue with this episode is that it needs more Mashiki. A lot of her growth is slow and subtle compared to the rest of the cast, and as a result, a lot of what she feels goes unsaid. The audience has to fill in the blanks, and while this is alright narratively, she hasn’t been given that much time compared to the other three main characters. We know less about her as a result, so her potentially strong story is significantly weaker. All the observations about her are merely implied because the story doesn’t reinforce it as well as it could. Considering Mashiki is a big part of Mishima’s life, it’s more of a disservice that we don’t have enough information on her. Even her medical issues have yet to be properly addressed.

All in all, we’re about halfway through the projected season, and this show still has yet to be impressive.