English Dub Review: Aharen-san wa Hakarenai “The Athletics Festival, Huh?”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
After a wardrobe malfunction, Raido and Aharen prepare for a relay race at their school’s athletics festival.

Our Take:
After spending an episode playing video games, Raido and Aharen get themselves into shape in preparation for the athletics festival.  However, they ran into an unfortunate mishap with Raido’s trousers beforehand after helping a man with his surfboard.  This caused Aharen to find a safe place to sew the rip back up for Raido, who’s unaware of his dilemma.  Was it a random way to start off an episode?  Yes, but it still portrayed Aharen’s eagerness to prevent Raido from being embarrassed in a delightfully humorous way.
As for its main plot, the episode is another scenario in which Aharen finds herself at odds with her low confidence as she’s chosen to participate in the festival’s relay race.  It also doesn’t help that Ishikawa sprained his ankle during practice, resulting in Raido taking over as the team’s anchor. The outcome of the plot was pretty predictable, with Raido’s team claiming victory through their hard work and determination.  However, the progress toward that outcome isn’t without a few charming moments that elevate the plot’s tropes, especially Raido and his team helping Aharen with her self-confidence.
But, of course, this supply of charm and awkwardness isn’t complete without Riku, who returns to the spotlight after serving as a cameo in the previous episode.  She continues her attempt to befriend Aharen by becoming friends with Aharen’s younger brother Ren, who gives her some helpful advice about fitting in.  This part of the episode further showcased Riku’s extremely timid personality, which is similar to Oshiro’s but with an extra dose of social anxiety. This comparison can be repetitive, especially when they’re both wary of Raido.  However, I still find the character relatable to those who struggle to connect with others due to their intro-versive methods regarding her conversation with Ren.  The episode’s plot may have fumbled through its storytelling tropes, but it was quickly picked up by its amusing charm and the characters’ chemistry to cross the finish line safely.