English Dub Review: More than a Married Couple, but Not Lovers.: “More Than a Confession, but Not Yet a Broken Heart.”

Overview: Jiro (Ben Balmaceda) and Shiori (Macy Anne Johnson) get paired up together for their test of courage while Tenjin (Mike Haimoto) and Akari (Lindsay Sheppard) venture out together with it leading to some exciting revelation

Our Take: Jiro is very dumb. This is not a revelation. However, it is a fact that is increasingly and annoyingly apparent in how dismissive he is of Akari’s flirting, misconstruing it as her merely provoking him. The kinder sides of him that shine through make it worth it in his consideration of Shiori’s intense anxiety of ghosts, but also of Akari in asking Kamo to pair her with Minami in their test of courage. It also demonstrates a maturity on his part in putting his feelings aside and Watanabe’s first and foremost on what he thinks she wants.

Besides the two love birds, Mei and Kamo’s scheming to get Jiro and Shiori paired together in the late night game highlights each of their own motivations in their friends’ relationship. Kamo is a genuinely sweet dude, who cares about helping his buddy while wanting to ease Shiori’s conscience by keeping her in the dark about their plan, while Mei views it as selfish in doing it solely because of her feelings for her.  

Akari and Minami getting lost, ironically, demonstrates how similarly insecure she and Jiro are. Her expectations of Minami compared to Jiro make her feelings for a certain blue haired boy clear. There is a proper sense of finality to her revealing her feelings to Minami, despite how he knew, turning the page on how she felt and making for a fresh start in fully committing to Jiro. Minami having unrequited feelings for his married tutor is yet another thread of the show’s unfortunate romantic circumstances. It is a tragic yet refreshing development that puts him out of the running with Shiori and Akari, clearing the way for Yakuin, but it also intrigues in how he will move forward. 

Shiori and Jiro have a moment of their own. It is sweet how she evokes a sensualness that he generally restrains around Watanabe. Jiro sealing the deal, giving her a passionate kiss was a sight to behold in him making a decidedly smart, heartfelt decision, especially with how varying his responses to Akari and Shiori can be. It is an expected wrench thrown in Akari’s pursuit, but a pleasant evolution for Shiori’s endeavors towards him. Nonetheless, it another juicy development for their topsy-turvy love life in how they will progress with their messy romantic emotions as a result.