English Dub Review: The Ramparts of Ice “Solitude and Individuality”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
After reflecting on her own loneliness and worrying that Yota is bottling everything up, Koyuki reaches out and asks about his true feelings.

Our Take:
Yota did seem like a very nice guy at first, but after meeting his young “mother”, his generosity is likely to be put into question from Koyuki’s perspective.  I mean, she looks young enough to be his sister or even another girlfriend.  However, after he explains that his biological mother passed away when he was young, we concluded that the woman, Akari, is actually his stepmother.  But it also means we have even more questions about what Yota is hiding beneath his charismatic personality.  Although they’re nothing to worry about drama-wise, they also show that Yota has something in common with Koyuki: they both question their sense of belonging.  While Koyuki doubts her belonging due to her parents’ divorce and being ridiculed by other students, Yota doubts his own, even when he’s with his family, and later reveals he’s been hiding his true feelings.
“Solitude and Individuality” continues the show’s themes involving depression and loneliness regarding Koyuki and Yota.  But what really elevates the episode is its reflection on the importance of expressing one’s feelings, with the soot metaphor highlighting the message with its blend of humor and heart.  Granted, we’ve been hearing Koyuki talking about her lonely self plenty of times in the previous episodes, but that doesn’t mean I care less about what she’s going through right now.  Of course, seeing Yota go through similar motions helps me see a more human side to the tall, generous student.  Although with Yota’s feelings towards Miki coming out of his mouth, his generosity would likely be tested since Miki continues to play matchmaker for him and Koyuki.