To the story’s benefit, Ryuto and Runa start dating in episode one. This development allows the show to explore romantic themes that are interesting, but often unexplored due the genre’s emphasis (and dragging out of) ‘the pursuit’ of the relationship. It may feel refreshing to a romance fan to see this show discuss regret from previous relationships, the social consequences of dating, perceived (and real) social status differences between dating partners, dealing with your boyfriend/girlfriend’s friends, jealousy, communication expectations and inferences, missing your opportunity to date someone you like, and exploring each person’s philosophies towards dating.
Consequently, though I think these themes are underutilized and the characters are often less interesting than they could be, the show does successfully pull these themes out of its characters. Ryuto is mostly your run of the mill dorky guy who is compassionate when it is appropriate, perceptive when he needs to be, and scared the rest of the time. However, he can be interesting when he occasionally overwhelms Runa and wrestles with how others will perceive their relationship. Runa’s weakness is that she is too loving, too loyal, and too pretty, and has been just unfortunate regarding romantic partners. However, her regrets are relatable and their mutual attraction to each other seems natural.
The supporting cast ranges from uninteresting and unlikable to interesting but two-dimensional. The production quality between animation and sound design is average. Not distracting, but not exceptional like My Dress Up Darling. The OP and ED are fine.
In conclusion, this show so far has a good premise for a romance but under-utilizes its most interesting themes and over-relies on common character tropes to tell its story. Those who already enjoy anime romances will probably enjoy this one as a 7 or 8 and is relatively unique compared to other high school romances, but ultimately is not novel enough to draw in new fans.
