Overview (Spoilers Below): Minami deals with the aftermath, and Banri needs someone to help her.
Our Take: Minami’s inter-high finals didn’t exactly conclude on a brighter note. However, we did get to see a more authentic side to Minami’s athletic and high-spirited personality. That alone was enough for me to see the actual potential of the show’s family drama elements outside its seemingly gross concept. That said, with the season’s final stretch approaching, it bears questioning whether it can maintain that momentum without resorting heavily to any more incestuous innuendos. However, the more important question lies in this week’s episode, which is how the siblings are dealing with the aftermath of Minami’s crushing defeat. The short answer to that question is that they’ve been going through it a lot. The sister who’s struggling to move on the most is Ouka, who’s still pretty sore about the ref’s call that cost Minami the game. But, at the very least, seeing Ouka get this upset over the sport does provide a spark of charm that didn’t involve anything incest-related. Afterward, we get another bonding time between Arata and Banri, with the latter seeking help from Arata to retrieve a box of toys from her nursing school. For those wondering why she couldn’t do it by herself, it’s because Banri has an immense phobia of the supernatural, so she needs someone to cling to. Of course, by “someone”, I mean Arata since he’s always the easy target for her teasing methods. Fortunately, the episode did a fine job of exploring more of Banri’s desires amid her “flirting”, mainly her determination to become a nurse after meeting one during her mother’s illness. Amid its sitcom-ish storylines, “Since Then” also continued the situation at hand involving Kotono knowing about Ouka’s confession to Arata. Thankfully, Ouka managed to clear things up with Kotono, keeping the latter unaware. Speaking of Ouka, it appears that the next episode will focus more on Arata’s twin sister, as she heads to Yamanashi but doesn’t return. It may not evoke the same emotional beats as “Surely”, but “Since Then” continues the show’s ability to highlight the siblings’ heartfelt chemistry when it’s not overly reliant on its discomforting humor. Even though the concept remains present, it’s still nice to see the show continue to improve over the first half, striking a serviceable balance between fan service, rom-com tropes, and genuine character growth. Hopefully, this will continue with its focus on Ouka.