Go For It, Nakamura-kun!!

Episode 12

Wow, that certainly felt like a cold slap to the face, but I have to commend the series for actually addressing something that I feel like most other shows in the same genre would never even think of touching. This show is very much a slow burn, yearning, romantic comedy. The whole point is that the show follows this very awkward, quiet guy who is slowly coming out of his shell, but ultimately acts as the underdog for his own romantic endeavors. A lot of romances follow this formula of a secluded withdrawn guy getting with the more outspoken popular character. While the show has definitely shown that there is a bit more nuance to both Nakamura and Hirose, the comedy is still tied to that yearning. So because of the setup, the predicted expected end goal is that Nakamura will either get with Hirose or it'll end on some kind of ambiguous vague idea about the future of their relationship.

Now that second part could still happen and I would actually be shocked if the show really committed to the tone that this episode established, but I think it's already a miracle that the show was willing to go this far. Very rarely does this type of show like to present the idea that not everything revolves around the main character. These characters are still people that are living their own lives outside of the main characters' growth and their delusions. Hirose is still talking with friends, he has people that he walks home together with and yes, he could just end up dating somebody off screen. I think most other shows have maybe teased this idea or left it ambiguous for the sake of a misunderstanding, but this show actually doubles down on the fact that Hirose is dating somebody and Nakamura needs to deal with it.

Massive shout out to Nasim Benelkour who plays Nakamura, because while the dub has been top to bottom pretty fantastic, his performance alone is worth the recommendation, and the way he plays Nakamura's troubled mindset I think is absolutely perfect. There's so much despair, longing, and of course, anger in his voice as he goes through various stages. I think most people have been in this particular situation where someone that we've wanted to be with doesn't end up choosing us so it's almost like a grieving period that needs to be experienced. I especially like the detail that Nakamura comes to terms with the idea that he can still be friends with Hirose even if he's dating somebody else, but that was never the end goal of what he wanted. Nakamura has been friends with Hirose for about half the show at this point, but it was never really enough for him and now, this new established relationship basically cements the fact that it will never be anything more than what it currently is. All the crying and screaming hit me in my soul, and I was honestly starting to feel uncomfortable because the show was reminding me of things that even I didn't really want to think about after so long.

I do wish Nakamura's sister was maybe a little bit more empathetic. It's a little vague if she is hard on Nakamura because he needs somebody like that and she knows that he's going through something, or she's just being a really obnoxious little sister. I mean, she had to have heard him crying through the door right? The fact that she doesn't really seem to care that he stormed out super late at night just feels weirdly cold. Still though, what happens after this? Again, I think it would be really great if the show committed to this idea and the last episode was about Nakamura coming to terms with the fact that this is where his high school romance ends so he could move on. But if I had to bet, I feel like something is going to happen that will break up Hirose with his current girlfriend so the show can end on a more optimistic note. Regardless of what decision the narrative takes, I hope that this is a good learning experience for Nakamura as a character because while he hasn't really had a specific arc throughout the entire show, giving his character some type of emotional punctuality to end the series on, I think is probably the best thing that the show could do at this point.

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