English Dub Review: Adachi and Shimamura “The Moon and Determination, Determination and Friends”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Adachi is distressed that Shimamura seems to have moved on without her.

While hiding in the gym loft, she wonders if she had simply imagined their connection. She hears footsteps, and her heart jumps as she anticipates Shimamura joining her. Instead, it’s a mysterious 3rd year, who sits nearby to read.

Adachi stops by a pet store, and bumps into Tarumi, of all people. She returns the charm Tarumi dropped, and thinks how she’d feel if she had something that matched Shimamura, unaware of he connection. She leaves the store after being unable to stop crying after spotting one particular puppy.

When she leaves the mall, she accosted by a “fortune giver” who claims she can help with Adachi’s problems with love. She demands her payment, the tells Adachi she needs more enthusiasm, and instructs her to tell as loud as she can.

Police show up to arrest the apparently illegal psychic, but the impact on Adachi isn’t completely wasted.

Back at school, she uses her newfound courage to ask to sit with Shimamura and her new friends and lunch. She squeezes onto the same seat as Shimamura, and shares some bread with the group.

Afterwards, the two walk, hand in hand. Adachi takes her chance, and hugs Shimamura close. Shimamura thinks it’s simply her puppy-like whims, but Adachi is letting her true feelings show, even if she can’t say them.

On the phone later, Shimamura admits it’s flattering that Adachi cares so much for her. But does she feel the same?

Our take:

Another dramatic title, green eyed girls, a run in with a romantic rival, and yet another supposed psychic make for quite the penultimate episode.

The yearning, on the other hand is unbearable. Adachi has shown her hand (not that she ever really hid it) but Shimamura is still being coy. Even to herself.

While it’s highly unlikely that Shimamura is going to stray away from Adachi the slight hesitations, the tiny space between how she feels compared to how Adachi feels is. Man. It’s almost painful.

Despite the comic trappings of extremely dramatic fortune tellers and alien goofiness from Yashiro, this is a slow burn that truly does burn.

The visuals provide a slight salve to the storyline’s pain. Even Adachi crying while riding her bike in the rain seems poetic due to the nature of the hovering water droplets and refracted light. One thing I’ve been continually impressed with is the use of “overlay” scenery that mirrors the intro sequence and lends additional meaning to seemingly mundane moments.

I was expecting a bit more of a tie in to the moon reference in the title, but I suppose the focus on determination and friends is just as well. There’s sure to be more revealed in the final phase of this season, anyways.