This was a slight improvement over the last episode, but it's not altogether great, merely settling into a passable decency. There's a strange dichotomy present here, as this episode possessed a noticeable contrast between it's few meaningful, integral developments within the story and the disappointingly dull, unenjoyable nature of the episode as a whole. Unfortunately, the last three episodes, though reasonably good in their own right, haven't been nearly as terrific and satisfying as those that came before. As such, these latest temporary, insignificant developments and the unnecessary broadening of the secondary characters has slightly weakened the story and has partially ruined the pacing of the overall narrative.
The ending was easily the best part of the episode, since Haru and Shizuku's compelling, enjoyable relationship continues to be the most impressive element of each episode, and, though partially understandable, Haru and Shizuku's self-inflicted distance from one another had become tired and repetitive. Of course, even this moment wasn't allowed to be entirely satisfying, since Shizuku simply needs to ask for more time, which, aside from cheaply extending their separation, isn't really an understandable decision. Then, due to these perpetual complications, Yamaken will inevitably interfere with an elevated frequency, gradually becoming increasingly prevalent in the story, so that their dragging, monotonous separation will endure for an even lengthier amount of time.
Haru is definitely my favorite character, as his socially awkward, retaliatory personality is exceptionally endearing and quite original, so it was a bit disappointing that he was missing from much of the episode. Shizuku is a somewhat flawed, but excellent and considerably intriguing character. It was nice that she finally acknowledged her inability to be honest with herself and that she took responsibility for the mistakes she had been making, though it does occasionally become a bit grating when she continually denies her feelings, and, upon eventually accepting them, she won't even allow herself to fully embrace these emotions.
Natsume, once again, is a terrific character, as she consistently provides some of the best moments and hilariously exaggerated reactions in nearly every episode. Though not particularly ideal, it seems to be subtly foreshadowed that she'll eventually, if not already, have feelings for Mitsuyoshi, which, if this does occur, will only likely induce a heightened focus on her relationship with Sasayan, since it's starting to appear that he's romantically attracted to her. Regardless, it will be greatly interesting to see how their complex dynamic continues to evolve as the story progresses.
Yamaken's sudden infusion into the narrative feels thoroughly artificial and immensely forced. Of course, it's immediately evident that his sole purpose is to insufferably interject between Haru and Shizuku's relationship, attempting to manipulate their emotions for his own selfish desires, while existing as a singularly possessive sort of character. Even though, due to his role as a rival, he's intended to be somewhat aggravating, his actual characterization portrays one of the biggest flaws in the story, which are highlighted by his contrived involvement, as, unlike Oshiima, he's consistently unlikable, which is a highly disappointing differentiation from the other characters. Basically, his fear of Yuzan is the only aspect of his characterization that is remotely likable.
Oshima's nearly as useless as Yamaken, but, thankfully, she's a far better character. I still don't find her particularly interesting, nor do I think her interactions with Haru are anything more than mildly amusing, but, at the very least, she's relatively tolerable throughout the majority of the time she appears in an episode. Yamaken's interactions with Shizuku aren't engaging either and they're far from interesting. As such, the scene in which he begins to realize his feelings for Shizuku was as trite and uninteresting as these unimportant moments typically tend to be.
The confrontation between Haru and Yuzan was excellently directed, as it illuminated the emotional resentment and tense volatility that Haru was displaying towards Yuzan in a wonderfully expressive fashion. Musically, this episode was fantastic, especially the selections that were used during said confrontation and the moment Shizuku was reflectively pondering on the struggles of her relationship. The visuals are, as always, extremely good and complementary to the tone of the show, and, as such, the vibrantly colorful aesthetic of the background art really illustrates a suitably lively, energetic atmosphere.
All in all, Tonari has been quite good, but rarely great throughout the last three episodes. The weakest elements of this episode, aside from Yamaken, were it's surpising lack of enjoyment in comparison to the other episodes and it's increasingly noticeable tendency to falter into a mediocre predictability. Essentially, one of the primary reasons for this criticism is the two newest characters, as the story wouldn't suffer at all if Oshima and Yamaken weren't involved, or if, at the very least, they were strictly relegated to the secondary characters that they are and always will be, which would clearly be for the best. It's rather unfortunate that a show as great as this couldn't avoid the seeming necessity for a terribly cliche and woefully drama-filled preference for nonsensical, pointless love triangles, so I must admit to an increasing disappointment at how conventionally shoujo this has become. I certainly expect the show to return to the brilliant quality of it's earlier episodes, but I remain rather hesitant to place full confidence in the immediacy of it's arrival, since the story could potentially lean in a temporarily meandering direction for the next several episodes. All I ultimately desire though, is for the seemingly imminent triangle involving Yamaken to be permanently dealt with prior to the conclusion of the show. |