English Dub Review: SING “YESTERDAY” FOR ME: “A New Year of Beginnings”

Overview: Shinako (Michelle Rojas) and Rikuo (Aaron Campbell) grow closer as they push themselves to move forward as Haru (Jill Harris) also reaffirms her feelings for Uozomi. 

Our Take: Shinako’s arrival at the shindig creates fun moments of merriment between her, Uozumi, Takanori and Kozue that I would have liked to see more of in their laid back, friendly dynamic and tone amongst each other. Their walk home has more of Uozumi’s incessant honesty that while feels like a face palm moment in him revealing the origin of his boss’s necklace, it makes for a great light-hearted moment between him and Shinako. Morinome doubling down on trying to be closer with Rikuo, with a new year on its way, is a welcome development that more than feels earned in how much she has struggled to make strides emotionally. 

Haru waits for Uozumi, continuing to commit to him, wind, rain or shine, with her warm intentions and the hug she gives him reaching its way into the depths of my cold soul. If anything Uozumi is starting to look like a real prick and almost cruel in not even properly responding to her feelings in any real capacity. Haru’s dedication to him and her own feelings is one of her most touching and admirable traits that continues to foster even more love for her. 

With Haru spending New Year’s with her family, it allows for Shinako and Uozumi’s festivities. The discomfort and awkwardness they have felt in how to approach each other is further addressed. It focuses on each’s issues with the blame mostly falling on Shinako, always initiating a social situation but never following through on going further but also Uozumi in never having enough initiative to make a move. There is meaningful albeit small progression on both sides in her attempts at trying to mend their relationship and in him being more physically and emotionally affectionate. The feeling that persisted throughout was one of wanting more, for them to be intimate with each other and rekindle what once was. It is conflicting as it feels like their shared close calls and how much they care for one another would have made it a satisfying evolution. With that said, their baby steps are the core of their understandably complicated issues. Their small nudges forward are fulfilling progressions because they are the result of what they, and everyone, tries to build towards everyday: giving it their damndest to be better.