English Dub Review: The Ramparts of Ice “New Semester”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
As winter break ends, the usually calm Minato begins to realize his feelings are changing.  Miki notices how close Yota and Koyuki have become.

Our Take:
It’s the start of the new semester, though Koyuki’s societal problems remain the same, with even more drama set to unfold.  With Miki revealing her role in introducing Koyuki to Tsubasa at the end of the previous episode, one would ask when Koyuki would find out the truth behind her best friend.  Until then, the real question at hand is how this love triangle between Koyuki, Minato, and Yota will be resolved.  While Minato is allowing his feelings for Koyuki to shine, it’s a matter of him expressing them to her, which may be a lot tougher than he thought.  It’s not just because of his quest for redemption, but also because Yota is close to Koyuki, which concerns him about her getting hurt.
Although Yota still seems like a really nice guy, it’s only when his “stepmother” shows up that Koyuki questions him further, due to the woman’s appearance.  She looks like a high school teenager, which makes me question Yota’s life myself.  On the positive note, one of Koyuki’s classmates, Shimojima, has come to accept Koyuki’s true self throughout the episode, which should ease Koyuki’s doubts for a while.  While the tonal shifts from drama to comedy in this episode still show minor signs of imbalance, it’s hard to ignore the goofy charm they bring, even within the show’s familiar narrative.