English Dub Review: Uzaki-chan wants to Hang Out “I Want to Meddle In My Friend’s Business”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Summer rolls around as Sakurai and Uzaki return to classes in college. After their banter about Sakurai’s dream, Sakurai runs into his friend, Itsuhito Sakaki who joins him to escape a drinking invite from two girls. They settle into catching up when Sakaki complains about Sakurai’s boring lifestyle and that’s when he meets Uzaki and sees their banter. Later he asks if they’re dating, to which they deny and escape to get ice cream. Ami comes up to Sakaki and starts an argument with him over his blunt prying into their relationship. Meanwhile, Uzaki and Sakurai get on the topic of chocolate mint and Uzaki gets riled up to the point where she makes a speech about chocolate mint and its haters. After that Sakurai tries the ice cream and despite his childhood dislike of it, he admits the ice cream is good while Ami and Sakaki argue over waiting for the two to realize their feelings.

Our Take: 

Sakurai and Uzaki’s banter is a delight to watch and it keeps me interested in how they’re going to progress. This episode has Sakurai getting back at Uzaki for her teasing about his dream with his comment about the stair yips, and that’s a good response to Uzaki’s constant teasing which makes their friendship more balanced rather than one-sided.

Now Sakurai’s friend, Sakaki has an official appearance, and he’s established as someone that enjoys life to the fullest with his trip to Okinawa last month and his complaints about Sakurai wasting his youth in college with his boring lifestyle of school, work, and games. Then Uzaki’s reaction to him being Sakurai’s friend is another hilarious scene. Furthermore, Sakurai and Uzaki are reflected in his eyes as a subtle visual on how they are from his perspective. Sakaki grows an interest in seeing the two banter in front of him which leads to his direct question on whether or not they’re dating. It’s sudden but a good direct method to get them to think about each other in a romantic relationship even though they deny it right now.

Uzaki’s passionate two-minute speech about chocolate mint was humorous to watch as I had a good laugh at Uzaki’s chocolate mint defense which even attracts a crowd. Then there’s Sakurai overcoming his dislike of mint and admitting that it’s good. The indirect kiss they shared from the toothpick was a small moment, but it could be brought back if one of them ever considers the other in a romantic sense in a future episode. Their relationship development is steady with each episode as they get closer to those small moments that waver in between friendship and romance.

Now as Ami points out in her confrontation with Sakaki those two aren’t at that stage to think about one another in a romantic way and he agrees before asking if she wants to team to get them together to which she refuses and would rather just watch them. However, Sakaki feels that it’ll take them too long to realize that, and Ami’s claim on living to wait a thousand years to see that was the icing on the cake for the episode to end on. The series is a huge slow burn which I enjoy watching with the hope that Sakurai and Uzaki end up together, but for now, their banter will have to tide me over until the next episode.