English Dub Review: A Condition Called Love “My First Boyfriend”

Overview

Hotaru and Saki have agreed to start dating on a trial basis so Hotaru can figure out how she feels. But with the Christmas deadline quickly creeping up, will the whole experiment blow over without any real results, or…?

Our Take

This time around, the bond between Hotaru and Saki continues to deepen, although they still have some issues to work through. Hotaru appears to be warming up to the idea of being Saki’s girlfriend, but she still seems unsure about certain aspects of their relationship, such as whether to continue dating or not.

The episode also delves into the two leads attempting to navigate the boundaries using a special notebook with each of them writing specific relationship goals. As the episode progresses, Hotaru’s innocence and Saki’s mysterious past add layers to their interactions, leading to other fun couple things, even if a few are pretty damn questionable…

Overall, the episode delivers on the charm and romantic tension established in previous episodes, but some viewers express reservations about the portrayal of Saki’s behavior and its implications for the storyline. Despite these concerns, the series continues to explore themes of young love and self-discovery, leaving me to wonder what Hotaru and Saki’s relationship will progress toward in future episodes as the two are flawed in their interactions, but want to improve in different ways.