The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife

Episode 7

Two weeks ago, I said I wanted to see a bit more from Tounome, and while this episode didn't give me exactly what I wanted, I do think it gave me everything that I needed. This show does a great job of establishing the cozy and wholesome buildup that comes with forming new adult relationships. There aren't necessarily any major conflicts that put the relationship at odds or make it feel tested. Rather, the show is more about uncovering new layers of affirmation between our two leads to make the gradual intimacy leading up to marriage feel more understandable. After all, the show doesn't really establish how much time has passed, and time won't necessarily serve as a benchmark for how the relationship evolves. I know what the end of the relationship is due to the show's title, and it has done an effortless job of establishing the chemistry between our two leads, but this is the first one that finally tips the scales towards the married life the show was promising.

I like that this is initiated by Tounome, especially after what he went through in this episode. It was a good setup and payoff to a trauma established early on, and I find it very ironic that the episode that marked the relationship change was one of the least romantic in the show thus far. Tounome didn't come to this conclusion or want to move forward after a really good date; he came to this realization after Yakou provided him comfort at arguably one of his most stressful moments. You could argue it's a little contrived that the smugglers didn't hear Yakou over the phone in the other room, especially since it seems she was on speakerphone and wasn't told to be quiet about anything, but I digress. The immediate anxiety exuded by Tounome the minute the lights went off was captured really well, and I like how Tounome's story to the little kid arguably brought the narrative full circle.

Tounome is afraid of the dark because of how he was abandoned in the forest. It's not that nobody cared about him; it's just that nobody could literally see him in the dark when he was hurt. The show subtly hints that he does have a bit of a complex about being seen, so he wanted to be a detective so he could help find people who wanted to be found. In this case, he also found someone who sees him for who he really is and is there for him at his darkest moments. The biggest irony is that it is literally from somebody who can't physically see him, but can always feel his presence and see how he's feeling. It makes sense that her ability to comfort him during that moment was what led him to think to himself, “I want to spend the rest of my life with this person.”

There are still a few episodes left, so I'm very curious about what the difference in their relationship will look like moving forward. If anything, Yakou is totally on board with getting married already, but I like how Tounome firmly established that they need to do things one step at a time. I guess the next step is to explore them living together and how that might affect their work lives. Tounome also brought up an interesting point about the worker/boss relationship dynamic. That never really comes into play in the show, but I wonder if his bringing it up here means it might be explored soon. There's so much emotional stuff going on here that I didn't even get into the incredibly well-animated and well-choreographed action scene! I think that shows how emotionally invested I am in these characters, because even when it dangles something flashy and beautiful in my face, it's not nearly as beautiful as the blossoming relationship between these two.

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The Invisible Man and His Soon-to-Be Wife is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.