Why Adachi Is Actually a Better Match for Yamada Than Ichikawa

Honestly I couldn't disagree more, as the sport's festival episodes the whole point was Adachi barely knew anything about Yamada at all despite liking her, and she was simply not interested.

One can argue if Ichikawa is too much of a passive protagonist, which fair. But the entire show is about 2 people with genuine interest that realize they like each other, while also grow to be better just by being together. it's not about getting "rewarded" or not. They just like each other.

That said I also dislike a fuck ton Adachi's character but that's a whole another can of worms.

@PMC6 The sports festival actually proves the opposite of what you’re saying. Adachi does misread Yamada there—but that’s because the show deliberately limits him, while Ichikawa is constantly given private, low‑stakes access to her inner world. Ichikawa doesn’t “know her better” because of superior emotional skill; he knows her because he’s repeatedly placed in intimate situations the story engineers for him (library lunches, accidental alone time, inner monologues we as viewers hear). Adachi is stuck interacting with the public, performative Yamada—the same one everyone else sees—so of course his read is shallow.

And the idea that it’s “just two people who like each other” skips over how often Ichikawa’s progress comes after Yamada initiates or reassures him. The milk tea scene, the career talk, even the festival moments all happen once safety is already established by her openness. That’s not mutual growth in a vacuum; it’s growth inside a narrative bubble that protects Ichikawa while sidelining alternatives. You can like that romance—and it is well written—but pretending the show isn’t actively choosing who gets depth, access, and payoff just ignores how storytelling works

The series kind of feels like wishfullfilment so I get what you are trying to say still since we didn't get to see that side of Adachi can't say he is better match.