The long-awaited movie adaptation of Shiraishi’s favorite manga is finally out. When Kubo learns this, she doesn’t hesitate. She liked the manga when he lent it to her. She bought the other volumes, and she’s excited to see the movie too…so they’ll go together, and that’s that!
Shiraishi may not be fully aware that this constitutes a classic date scenario, but it doesn’t matter, ’cause that’s what it is. As with most things Kubo-related, he goes with the flow and stays resolutely himself, which is very considerate, so things go well.
Kubo makes sure she’s looking her absolute cutest, with a ponytail and carefully selected outfit for their date. I feel bad for her that Shiraishi’s outward reaction is so meh, but she does end up getting wall-slammed on the crowded train. Shiraishi tries his hardest to avoid physical contact, but Kubo doesn’t mind. She’s exactly where she wants to be.
When Shiraishi’s invisibility to others results in three guys hitting on Kubo, he makes sure the guys know he’s there. When Kubo grabs his arm and says they’re dating, and Shiraishi looks hesitant, the bittersweet vibes lead them to leave in peace and with good wishes to the couple.
When the 2:30 PM show doesn’t have any open pairs of seats, they buy tix for the 4:00 PM show instead. Kubo doesn’t mind, because it means she gets to do more stuff with Shiraishi, starting with getting a pick-me-up at the cafe. At this point Kubo is feeling confident she can get whatever she wants, but Shiraishi draws the line at at drink for two with a heart-shaped straw.
When Shiraishi reports he’ll be ordering coffee, Kubo is impressed with such an “adult” choice. She’s determined to get the same thing he gets, but black coffee proves too bitter (Hanazawa Kana is an absolute delight throughout this episode, giving Kubo at least 10 different voice “modes”).
While Kubo is determined to drink what Shiraishi’s drinking, he goes and gets cream and sugar…for both of them. That thoughtfulness and attention to detail is a big reason why Kubo likes Shiraishi. Also, he’s a cool big brother, and she uses her Gatcha luck to score the toy Seita wanted.
The two are having so much fun on their date that they almost miss the start of the movie, but they make it before the lights go out. More than watching the much anticipated movie adaptation, it means so much more to be watching it right beside the boy she likes. And that boy makes what, for him, are pretty expressive faces during the move.
As was the plan all along, Shiraishi walks Kubo home. She asks him if he had fun. He did. She says she had fun too, and so they should hang out again. For Kubo, this was just the beginning: there are so many things she wants to see and do with Shiraishi. He’s game, and they seal it with a pinky promise.
Before bidding each other goodnight, Kubo says Shiraishi’s face was a lot more animated by his standards. She also mentions that despite usually having the same neutral expression, she finds him “easy to read.” While walking home, he worries about all the times during the date she might have read him, and then he just turns red.
Look, I don’t ask much of my date episodes, except that the couple have fun, don’t run into too much bullshit conflict, and end up a little closer than they were before the date. This episode didn’t break any new ground, but checked all those boxes with solid execution. It was also a nice culmination of all the little interactions and steps Kubo took in order to get the boy nobody ever notices to notice her. It seems like he’s finally catching on.
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