English Dub Review: Higehiro: After Being Rejected, I Shaved and Took in a High School Runaway: “Reality”

Overview: Yoshida (Alex Hom) and Sayu (Jill Harris) come face-to-face with the truths of their living situation. 

Our Take: The cold, hard truth of Sayu and Yoshida’s difficult situation comes to the forefront with Gotou’s arrival. Yoshida’s co-worker does what she is best at, being a cheeky tease, poking fun at the potential promiscuous nature of Yoshida’s relationship with Sayu. 

However, she brings something more meaningful in confronting Sayu with the reality of still being an underage minor and a high schooler (which she oddly reiterates various times). Surprisingly though, it comes from a place of genuine care showing the warmer aspects of her strong and honest side. Sayu’s apprehension at facing her issues, even wanting to run away from them, is a deeply honest look at fear that comes from that and how it can consume someone. It is a tender moment between the two that is sweet in Sayu having someone encouraging yet realistic in her decision to not run away and confront whatever it is she is hiding from. 

While the girls were having their chat, Yoshida was having one of his own with Yuzuha talking about his own truths in how he really feels about Gotou and Sayu. Yuzuha speaking from personal experience shows how much she cares about Yoshida’s well being in not wanting him to be too nice and let Sayu get in the way of his feelings for Gotou but his life overall. It even brings up the discussion of whether his feelings for Gotou are even genuine and not infatuation and respect disguised as it, offering some brief reflection as begin to get to the core of how he really feels. 

With Gotou and Sayu now besties and adorable in teasing Yoshida, Gotou encouraging Yoshida is a nice way of showing how much she understands how much Sayu needs him and the good influence he is.