When this was announced, I read part of the manga, then part of the LN original, and thought it might be good. I don't normally watch currently airing anime, but I was keeping an eye on this. And I finally dove in and caught up on it last week.

This episode highlighted pretty much everything I loved about the series as a whole.

Anna is awesome. Let's get that out of the way first. She's easily my favorite FMC in years. And she was especially good in this episode. It's just been so pleasant to watch her and Nukumizu get so comfortable with each other, and it was nice to see that in full flower in this episode. And I couldn't help but laugh when she lost her imaginary boyfriend to an imaginary rival.

Kaju is awesome too, and it was great to see a lot of her in this episode.

And the senseis. I would've liked to see more of them all the way through, but at least they got a bit of extra screen time in this episode. They're both interesting characters in their own right, and they have a great dynamic.

Chihaya was especially good in this episode too, even though she only got a few seconds. She's been a pleasant surprise - she just looks so sweet and naive, and she's so very much not.

Overall, the only criticisms I might have of the series are that a couple of character quirks were a bit too exaggerated (Komari's stutter and Yumeko pretty much as a whole) and that it seems like very little was really settled. The pacing wasn't really a problem in and of itself - I actually quite liked it - but it means that we need at least another season, and preferably a few more.

Overall, I was very impressed, and this was a good cap to the season, assuming another season is coming. Without another season, it'll be a bit disappointingly incomplete, but even then, it was a good slice of life.

Yeah - same here. There's no break of any sort really - just from one panel to the next we go from one timeline to another.

There's actually been quite a lot of that that throughout the series and it wasn't until late, when character connections started to be revealed, that I realized it. And I suspect that there's been even more of it than I realize - that there are still things that haven't made sense yet because I haven't fitted them into the timeline.

And I also sort of suspect that the confusing timeline isn't just a storytelling quirk and is actually going to be plot-relevant eventually.

Hopefully he can also just accept it when she sees his cool side for what it is.

That might be too much for him though, so maybe if he's just a little less down on himself...

Oooh... this is a good one.

Back in a bit - need to catch up...

Yay! 🥰

I'm just relieved that the entire cast treats him exactly as he deserves, and that there's a different and much better prince to serve as the mmc.

And on another note - love the new handle. Your highness. 😌

I don't know where this is headed, and no matter how I search my feelings, I find that I just don't care.

That was more my impression, but I don't follow ratings or reviews much, so wasn't sure. I just know that I rarely see it discussed, but pretty much universally positively when it is.

Is ODDTAXI underrated? If so, then that definitely. It's just quality all the way through.

And Estab-Life: Great Escape. Yeah - it's sort of contrived, but it has so much heart and tells a satisfying story. And Equa is wonderful.

Well, at least Kaede is in the loop now - Kouhei isn't the only one who realizes that this could be something more.

O...kay?

Whether it's lopping off villains' heads or slipping out of bed without waking the kids, Grey's the man.

Yura's awesome - I hope she becomes a regular.

Sometimes it seems that Sanda's character growth is actually negative - that he's just gotten more stupid and childish over time.

Pshew.

The Taira chapters are always hard for me to read - I know the circle in which he's trapped all too well.

I thought to mention those too.

I assume you noticed that I posted chapter 11 of it the other day, then deleted it. And likely figured out why - because I only read it after I posted it, and the translation is so awful that I couldn't in good conscience leave it up. And I didn't even bother with chapter 12 - I just read enough of it to find it was the same.

A lot of the problem though isnt just that the translation is poor - it's that that particular manga needs a good translation just to work. Since so much of it is centered around duplicitous supposed friends, much of the conflict is communicated by subtle things the characters say, or notably don't say, to each other. It's all little digs and innuendos and passive-aggression, and all of that gets lost with a poor translation.

So I'm waiting and hoping for a better one.

And that's part of the reason that this one is okay. It is at least a bit better overall, but also, the dialogue and thoughts are straightforward - it's not people playing complex mind games, but just Hiiragi witnessing her own life. So even when the phrasing isn't quite clear, we can work out what was meant, since it's simple and earnest.

I debated posting chapter 11 because of the MTL, but with 12 too, and the fact that it's at least readable, I went ahead.

I do suffer from social anxiety, so this manga really hits home for me. I've never been as low energy as Hiiragi, but if you just substitute an endless parade of hobbies and diversions for sleeping, her life is much like mine.

And that's a lot of what I appreciate about this manga - it's one of the clearest and most accurate portrayals of social anxiety snd depression I've seen, and it's nicely balanced - neither overly sympathetic nor judgmental. It's just... realistic. And a bit hopeful.

This is adorable.

Marietta really reminds me of Akari in Aria. She has that same pure enthusiasm and kindness and charming naivete.

And Grieja is such a perfect match for her.

There was a moment there, after we met mom and found out she's more or less as much of a goofball/troll as onee-chan, and dad was there but out of frame, when I just knew he was going to be like Chie. And sure enough - even the same ahoge.

Yeah - I immediately smiled when I saw Usagi. I'd like to see some focus on her and Takae - I think they'd have an interesting relationship, since they're similar in some ways and polar opposite in others.

And hopefully, broadly, this whole situation will lead to Saotone finally working up the determination to stand up for himself. I'm not holding my breath though...