English Dub Review: Mix “Worried?”

Me? No.

Overview (Spoilers Below)

This week’s episode kicks off a new year at Meisei High School and further introduces us to the new baseball coach and longtime pal of Eisuki, Goro, as well as Goro’s daughter and one-time playmate Haruka. Haruka quickly gains the gaze of both So and To, but we also meet her loyal childhood friend Nan who is deathly afraid of insects and swats away pesky boys except the Tachibana brothers that know his silly secret. It takes a bit, but Goro eventually gets to see firsthand Toma’s talents.

Our Take

After a one week hiatus, we’re back in the swing of things in an episode that almost feels like the start of a new season both figuratively and literally. For the most part, the episode deals with introducing what will be important cogs to upcoming episodes like Haruka, Toma showcasing his ace-like skill set, and the big oaf in Nan. Those expecting a heavy baseball episode will be disappointed. Instead, we focus on the more soapy aspects of the series which probably gets in the way of the more fun stuff than I’d like to see, but here we are. It is somewhat hilarious to watch Japanese content that doesn’t necessarily follow the same consent standards as we do in terms of showcasing light nudity, however, it’s important to remember that clashes of culture are going to happen when you import. Even American primetime television seldom sees nudity in animation, which begs the question…who makes these rules?