Overview (Spoilers Below): The battle with KEEL is now over, and one afternoon…Sakura doesn’t show up at school. Worried, Nirei contacts him and can tell over the phone that Sakura’s got a terrible cold. That day after school, Nirei and Suo, representing the first-year class 1, head to Sakura’s apartment with a care package. Sakura came from out of town, but what kind of life is he living now?
Our Take: With the ultimate fight against KEEL behind them, things at Furin High should’ve returned to normal. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case, and it’s not just because of the mysterious enemy Bofurin will be facing soon. The reason is that Sakura faces one opponent he couldn’t beat: a cold. Frankly, the plot involving Sakura’s sick day would’ve come off as a piece of filler without any source of character growth and whatnot. But, as it turns out, this supposed “side quest” is utilized to progress the protagonist’s backstory further, as Nirei and Suo discover that Sakura has been living in a crappy apartment by himself, much to the duo’s concern. This further adds to the isolation Sakura has been dealing with since he got rejected by everyone in his old hometown prior to the series’ events. In addition to his background exploration, the episode also reveals Sakura’s supposed phobia of him not living up to his allies’ expectations during his conversation with Kaji. Although Sakura’s still too stubborn to admit it, it’s easy for Kaji to see the signs of his anxiety about trusting his new friends, but not earning that trust back. Kaji even went as far as to compare Sakura to a frightened cat to explain Sakura’s inner struggle. It’s a delight to see that when Kaji’s not in beast mode, he becomes a supportive and wise sophomore when his allies need his guidance. Of course, the humor also emphasizes this experience with its near-perfect balance of comedy and sentimentality, although Umemiya picks the worst time to interrupt Sakura and Kaji’s special moment. Besides that, “SENPAI’S TRAINING” effectively used its “sick day” element to delve deep into Sakura’s inner phobia of rejection and isolation.