English Dub Review: Adachi and Shimamura “Cherry Blossoms and Spring and Spring and the Moon”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Adachi reflects on the first time she saw Shimamura. It was at their entrance ceremony a year ago, while everyone else crowded around to find their class assignments.

Their first exchanged glance is highlighted by falling cherry blossoms.

In the present, Hino and Nagafuji remark that they’re in the same class again, for the 10th year in a row. But they also note that Shimamura and their other friends don’t have the same assignment.

Adachi worries that if she’s not in Shimamura’s class, they won’t see each other. She thinks this is because Shimamura doesn’t need her in the same way she needs Shimamura.

Thankfully, the list reveals they’re both in class 2-B as CGI cherry blossoms swirl in the background.

Shimamura, sporting new, darker hair, arrives just as Adachi is celebrating the good news.

In class, Shimamura confirms she’s decided the start the new year with her natural hair color. She notes that most of her class is new people, but that Adachi still sits in front of her. She smiles while thinking not everything has changed.

Later, she calls Adachi her by her first name, Sakura. She teases her by suggesting it could be “Princess Sakura” if she prefers. She also comments that sometimes Adachi looks like a little puppy.

Nagafuji is over at Hino’s house, intending to spend the night. Hino changes into more traditional attire, and Nagafuji is so delighted that she kisses her on the forehead. Hino’s mother (Dianne Weller) comes and asks her to greet the guests.

Hino is less than thrilled, but goes along.

Back as school, a group of girls asks Shimamura if she wants to eat lunch with them. Adachi seems distressed, and runs out of the room. Shimamura doesn’t feel like she can’t keep up with the conversation, and didn’t even catch their names.

She reflects on how people often drift apart throughout life. Adachi stops coming to class.

Shimamura’s new “cookie cutter friends” comment that Adachi’s actually come out of her shell a lot since middle school. She gets a call from Tarumi on the walk home. Taru asks if they can hang out, promising she’ll try harder to make it less awkward.

Hino and Nagafuji are enjoying the large bath at Hino’s place. Nagafuji “generously” offers to let Hino touch her boobs sometimes, and hugs her close. Hino remarks that Nagafuji must like her a lot.

Shimamura realizes she feels weird about meeting up with Tarumi. She keeps thinking about Adachi during their meetup. To the point of even ignoring Tarumi, who’s trying desperately to express her feelings. Tarumi finally takes the plunge and asks to be friends again.

Shimamura nods in agreement before being interrupted by Yashiro.

Our take:

Another extremely dramatic title, although this one may have a tad more meaning.

Since Adachi’s given name is Sakura, the delicately falling petals seem to not only indicate romance, but romance for this sweet flower child in particular. Which, granted, is kind of duh, since she’s a title character and all.

But still, it’s nice to have a visual tie in to her name. Along with the puns, of course.

Not only does Shimamura using her first name signal a move forward with their relationship, but the visual motif seems to highlight Adachi’s softer side that’s not wholly swept up in obsessing over Shimamura.

Her existential wondering about God or some other cosmic force, while still focused on fulfilling her “wish” to be with Shimamura, lends some depth, and just a touch of insecurity as she thinks she’s not special because she hasn’t accomplished anything.

This insecurity gets played up even more when she has to compete with Shimamura’s new friends. Pancho (Lizzie Freeman), Sancho (Lindsay Sheppard), and Delos (Rachelle Heger), as Shimamura nicknames them seem nice enough, but kind of boring.

I’m hoping we hear more from them in upcoming episodes, particularly Lizzie Freeman (of Genshin Impact fame).

But I do understand their extreme surface level connection is kind of the point. They help serve as a contrast for her deeper relationships, and provide some backstory when needed.

Ultimately, they’re mostly there to serve as a jumping-off point for Shimamura’s reflections about how she interacts with people. She ponders if she’s cold hearted for keeping people at a distance, a line of thought that continues throughout her date with Tarumi.

Poor Tarumi. She’s trying so hard, but it’s just not meant to be. It’s sadly relatable how she’s adjusting her personality to try to appeal to Shimamura, while still ultimately putting her foot right in her mouth. She’s surprisingly perceptive, noting that Shimamura’s not the type to really get attached to “people or things.” But she’s either in denial about Shimamura’s lack of attraction or is just desperately hoping she can be convinced otherwise.

Yashiro’s surprisingly helpful comment that Shimamura is just Shimamura brings some levity to what’s been a fairly sad internal monologue.

Thankfully, things end on a lighter note, as Shimamura realizes how much she values Adachi saying her name while the lighting shifts to a gorgeous sakura pink.