Fanboy score: Yuumi mauling Mao by a longshot, Asuka pipping Eriko at the post, hopes for Mitsuki to end up with Hiiragi.

For the longest time during this episode, I was getting bored, beginning to nod off, very distressing stuff for a show that I believe is high caliber. The confession was obviously part of the movie, Kazuki continued to grow on people’s nerves both inside and outside the show, and Mao sat around all distressed about Kouichi.

And then, in the last few minutes or so, we went from ’slow episode’ to ’sit up and pay attention’ to ‘Makoto slept with WHO?!’ to ‘RED ALERT RED ALERT BATTLE STATIONS THIS IS NOT A DRILL’. Aroduc at Tenka Seiha hits it on the money by saying that this show is different because “things move.” It may be a down-to-earth, heartwarming romance, but it moves at a pace comparative, if not faster, to a lot of recent shows with half the length.

Leading off with Kazuki’s story, he and Eriko have ‘broken up’, if they were ever really together, after Asuka’s confrontation with Eriko, telling her not to mess with his feelings. I’m not quite sure why Eriko reacted the way she did, and whether she really is in the market for Kazuki or not. She had been flirting with cutting ties with Kazuki for a few episodes, but did show signs of at least getting excited by him, as shown by the kiss-and-seek a little back.

I would like to take this as Eriko backing off temporarily, in order to let Asuka and her ‘more real’ (as some may debate) feelings go ahead. After all, she could certainly observe the experiment from the outside of the relationship. This doesn’t rule out at all, though, her stepping back in at a later time, whether after some more logical or emotional observations.

And, as one AnimeSuki forumite put it, this might just drive Kazuki even more crazy about Eriko, considering how much he thought of her in this episode.

Kouichi’s story is more controversial, and, as a Yuumi fan, worrying. The Mao path is really beginning to show its claws, from the childhood friend (gee, what are the odds) confession scene discombobulating her, to her spaced-out demeanor after seeing Kouichi and Yuumi together. I’m praying to whatever deity I’ve got that Kouichi’s concern is that of a friend or brother, and not something more romantic; I think that it is passable that he cut his date with Yuumi short to check on Mao. But, if this continues, I would be extremely worried.

The number one red flag raiser is Mao going to cry in Kai’s arms and asking him to kiss her – for those keeping track, it would be the second kiss for them, and probably, neither one was one of mutual love. Yuumi’s strongest hope is that Mao’s concern about seeing the two of them stems from her own lack of success in love, and not from jealousy. The way which she stumbles into Kai’s place, though, really sends up warning signs of the opposite.

I suppose it’s fair that this show is really heating up; I never realized we’re just under 10 episodes to go in this series! Certainly it’s the kind of show I wish I could go on forever.

I can really see where Stripey and Usagijen were getting at with their dislike of Eriko and Kazuki in general. They were nice enough characters up to this episode but here they’re almost evil. Eriko with the “this is my jealous look” nearly erasing Kazuki – what, time for a more willing experiment – and Kazuki getting disgusted every time it wasn’t Eriko calling.

“It’s just Asuka.” Yeah, let me wipe that dissapointed look off your face.

Interesting developments are happening on the Kouichi side as well. It was a bit typical of the whole ‘let’s leave them alone’ segment followed by the ‘just kidding interruption’, but the end more than made up for it. It’s still strange seeing a beach episode without all the fanservice lollygagging; what worries me about this segment is that Kouichi and Yuumi really seemed like a couple already in this episode, holding hands at the beach and all.

It’s good, but allow me to exercise Nozomu’s “Too Perfect” rule – it’s too good, too soon, and with the preview of Sad Mao in…Guys’..Arms, I’m sensing a shift over to Mao, not to mention the whole ‘now she’s the one that gets confessed to and kissed in the play” thing. I mean, the play talks about childhood friends – that should set off flags!

I’m really, really hoping that Mao’s melancholy over Kouichi and Yuumi kissing (perfectly OK to yell “Victory!” at this moment, by the way) is just her introspective about how Kouichi is more successful in love than she is. On the other hand, she’s got Kai in the palm of her hand, if she chooses to play that card, which she is teasing so badly.

I think my ‘perfect pairings’ for this show are beginning to take shape; we will see whether my slow conversion to a flaming fanboy will affect my love for this show as we begin to hit the rocky patch of the relationships…