English Dub Review: More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers.: “Fireworks, but No Embrace; An Entreaty, but No Reassurance”

Overview: Jiro (Ben Balmaceda) helps prepare Akari (Lindsay Sheppard) for the firework festival as she plans to meet with Minami (Mike Haimoto). Later, Shu and Mei (Meg McClain) deal with their own matters of the heart in the unrequited love they have for their own crushes. 

Our Take: Sachi and Natsumi show they are more than just hip valley girls, posing important questions to Akari, in how she would feel about Jiro, should the circumstances of their arranged marriage not be in place. It is a sweet way of showing how honestly they care for her wellbeing in pushing her to contemplate her true feelings, letting them guide her to whoever she truly loves. However, it also creates an internal quandary for her that is both compelling and crucial.  

Akari’s salty but sweet personality is a major contributing factor to her charm as a character. However, there are various times when the transition is much too aggressive with her going from cruel and demeaning to sweet and horny AF within a millisecond. It can be severely jarring, making her unlikable in scenes with Jiro and for tonal whiplash, overall. Such is the case with Jiro fitting her for her yukata with, what is supposed to be a tender scene, is instead a conflicting and confusing  payoff. At times, it feels as if Jiro is dating a gender swapped version of Two-Face. That harshness can also extend to Sachi in her arrogant attitude that can be vexing with Natsumi, generally, being a joyful delight.

It is when her development for who she cares for is more gradual that she is more satisfying, like trying to understand the reasoning behind her relief when Minami did not show up for their orchestrated get together/date. When she needs a shoulder to cry on, Jiro is there. That simple basis creates a strong foundation for their relationship, but also for Jiro, in becoming more headstrong and the ideal husband in being the emotional support pillar when she needs it the most. 

Rather than focus primarily on Jiro and Watanabe, we get a look behind the curtain into other couples and their situations of unrequited love like that of Mei and Shiori. It is a harsh struggle in Mei’s feelings not being reciprocated with how much her best friend and crush likes and obsesses over Jiro. The same goes for Shu, Minami’s friend who has feelings for Watanabe, and how despite being a good husband and supportive wingmen for Mei, is not even on Akari’s radar. Shu and Mei’s dynamic is adorably wholesome in him pushing her to be more provocative in her feelings, a nice mirroring for her relationship with Shiori.

With Shiori beginning to become courageous in slowly revealing her feelings for her blue haired, Jiro finally on the precipice of realizing that with his pain of never having revealed his feelings to her swelling. It will be intriguing to see how both Yakuin and Akira continue to juggle their feelings for one another while dealing with their lingering ones for Shiori and Minami.