English Dub Review: The Ramparts of Ice “Change”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Koyuki mulls over the tense exchange in the infirmary.  After Yota clears the air, she tries to have an honest conversation with Minato for the first time.

Our Take:
Koyuki’s trauma has gotten the better of her yet again, and I honestly still don’t blame her.  Tsubasa made her life a living hell by making fun of her hobbies, leading her to hide her true self out of fear of rejection.  Now that Tsubasa has reentered her life, her anxiety has reached the point where she points out Minato’s behavior in disgust.  This segment continues the process of how a traumatic event can affect a victim’s personality and viewpoint towards others, whether through being bullied or something else.  For Koyuki, being bullied by Tsubasa led her to believe he was talking about her to Minato, which prompted her outburst towards Minato.  Unsurprisingly, it causes her to regret her actions, prompting her to push herself into communicating her true feelings.
But it’s not just Koyuki’s issue that’s the main focus in the episode, but also Minato’s.  The episode begins with Koyuki’s outburst from Minato’s perspective, in which he believes that his attempts to talk to her are making her feel awkward.  Given his self-righteous attitude towards lonely people, it is hard for Minato to grow into a genuine person.  That is, until Koyuki’s apology puts them closer than ever.  It’s no surprise that this is where their connection starts to blossom, though, given their habit of misunderstanding the situation, it remains to be seen how long that’ll last.  However, the rumor surrounding Koyuki and Tsubasa is still on people’s minds and will very likely challenge her attempts to come out of her shell.