My Senpai Is Annoying

Episode 5

While we are definitely breezing through a lot of the usual romance events in the series, I'm surprised at how much I like the fact that the show isn't trying to rush any major romantic developments. In most other shows, I would see the outcomes present in a Valentine's Day episode like this and just feel frustrated about how it feels as if nothing's really changed, but here the show almost seems to take pride in how much it's taking its time fostering these connections. It's almost like we're branching outside of the main couple and highlighting that the show is more about people just observing each other and coming to terms with what they might specifically get out of certain dynamics, which can be far more fulfilling when done well. Maybe some people will be disappointed in that and I can completely understand. However, I like how we're pulling the curtain back a little bit more regarding how the rest of this office interacts with each other because it does keep things less stale.

It was a very bold move to have this episode's primary focus actually not be on the main couple. Futaba and Harumi do take up about half the episode but I would almost argue it's not really about them. Their moments were very cute and I like the fact that they're both establishing an everyday routine with each other. I almost wonder if the show is going to go in the direction of our titular senpai just casually realizing how good it is to have Futaba do things for him, but I was surprised at how much the episode actually focused on the other relationships like Toko and Sota. Toko especially seems to be one of the main focuses and I like how we get insight into how she's felt throughout her late teens and early adult life. Most of the show so far has had her observed through the eyes of her male coworkers while giving the impression that she isn't aware of how much she is revered. But here we actually see that she's not only very aware of how others perceive her, but it might actually explain why she's developed an interest in Sota. He observes her but he's also one of the few people that actively gives her space. Part of that probably comes down to the fact that he generally just keeps to himself, but I like the fact that this episode also shows it's something he needs to work on because he does like her more than he lets on. I don't see either of them pulling a massive trigger in the relationship anytime soon but I'm fine with this slow unraveling for the time being.

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My Senpai Is Annoying is currently streaming on Funimation.