On Quintessential Quintuplets, S1E6 !!!!!!SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!
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Current Ranking:
1.Miku
I think for me, the thing that has allowed Miku to remain number one is her relationship with Uesugi.
Since episode two, she has appeared to be the most romantically attracted to him and the way it manifests is heartwarming. She’s been the most empathetic through the helpful bites of information about her family and extremely grateful for the compliments and assistance Uesugi has been providing for them. In fact in this episode, to the shock of Uesugi, she even voluntarily decided to study English, her weakest subject, even when she wasn’t being noticed. She’s seemingly also the only one who reads Uesugi in his desperate pleas to get them to study after he’s threatened with job-loss, questioning the reason behind it. She even goes as far as to suggest the reason is because they’re far behind, a potential sign of humility, a virtuous trait that quintuplets like Nino and Itsuka seem to lack. Of course, it’s perhaps more of a sign of her insecurity, however, even then it’s beneficial for her character as I’ve stated time and time again, it’s relatable.
In fact, relatability is another aspect of Miku that I find attractive. She’s a quiet, docile introvert who isn’t as filled with energy or hostile as the rest of the group, yet still knows how to stand up for herself when conflict arises, as comedically shown when arguing over who has the best cooking in episode three.
Also, just in general, watching her aversion to implied affinity play out, with her non-confrontational attitude was simply adorable.
2.Ichika
Ever since her character was introduced in more detail, in episode five, I’ve found myself seeing what was once thought as trash as more treasurable. I especially appreciate how much more open and expressive she was to Uesugi following his assistance with her acting incident, definitely showing a sense of gratefulness, like Miku, that the others seem to lack. Her playful attitude shines more too in this episode, making her a more humorous and lively character than initially anticipated. She’s definitely an optimistic and light-hearted type, but unlike Yotsuba, she still keeps a cool and calm attitude and maturity, making the trait more of a positive than a bothersome liability. She’s also been super resourceful, trying to close the gap between Miku and Uesugi, as well as hinting Uesugi to specific things to help him deal with the rest of the quintuplets. She even goes as far as to study, in spite of her philosophy, and have a personal one-on-one with Uesugi, sharing her wisdom about their relationship which I really appreciated. I can see how in real life, Ichika’s efforts regarding Miku could be seen as annoyingly pushy, but to me, it was reminiscent of a typical high school friend group. Thus, I think that I would be able to be lenient toward her actions being exaggerated to fit the humor of the anime medium. Overall she gives a cool, independent, mature vibe. Someone who knows who she wants to be in life. Most shockingly, considering all of this, if she continues at this rate, I may consider her the best waifu, beating even Miku and Nino.
3.Nino
I don’t really think her character involvement has been particularly informative in this episode. Her hostility ensures that she’s nothing but an obstacle for Uesugi to overcome, which he thankfully does with the help of Ichika. I’m still waiting for her character to be developed more so that we can consider her more as a romantic partner. Hopefully we see a much softer side of which a stronger relationship between Uesugi and her and bud. Otherwise she remains as a troublemaker, and if left unresolved will drop in the rankings.
4.Itsuki
This episode has given rise to a theory of mine of a more psychologically complex Itsuki, much like I have a theory of a more psychologically complex Nino. From the perspective of Uesugi, I believe as an audience, we are encouraged to see her resistant attitude to being tutoring as annoying and burdensome, and during their altercation I felt those very things, empathizing with Uesugi. While there is truth to that, I also empathized with how she might have perceived Uesugi’s criticisms as an attack on her strong-faced attitude, potentially seeing him as a threat to her desire for independence. This is especially suggested with her competitive passive-aggressiveness to his study program and the shots of her crying while studying that really capture how hard she’s taking the struggle of studying in spite of the fact that initially she didn’t really seem to care about studying that much. If the theory is correct, then it provides her the weakness of insecurity, reminiscent of our own struggles with living up to high expectations, whether that be of others or our own. It encourages us to understand Itsuki more as a character, but as we do not really get to see things from her perspective, we are more prone to sympathizing than empathizing with her; it does not improve her romantic attractiveness.
5.Yotsuba
It feels like she’s just there and the only one who isn’t really important right now. She feels just like a supportive friend at best and at worst like a dog, just going along with everyone else rather than doing anything special herself. Again, her childishness creates a significant lack of attractiveness for me too, making her the biggest disappointment of all the quintuplets.
Extra Notes:
This time things felt more engaging and funny which I really enjoyed. I think the writing is starting to pick up which I’m looking forward to seeing more of. I am especially looking forward to what happens after Miku wakes up. |