Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 13 (Fin) – Stage Clear

Most of this finale is given over to Fuuka’s play, which serves as a proxy for how Fuuka has wrestled with who she is, who she wants or thinks she should be, and what she wants. Tama plays the isolated, pure Kris; Misuzawa plays the awkward yet curious Libra, and Aoi plays the clever but empty Alucia.

The play is a big hit with the audience, but Tomozaki himself is thrown for a loop when the ending on the stage turns out to be different than the one Fuuka showed him. In this ending, Kris doesn’t return to the garden to hang out with Libra and Alucia. Instead, she writes to them reporting that she’s well on her own, and congratulating them on their impending nuptials.

When the play ends, Tomozaki doesn’t go to Fuuka. He simply leaves the school, feeling that he gave things his best shot but lost, while convinced once and for all that life, while cruel, is no “garbage game.” He’s convinced Fuuka’s new ending was a rejection of him, and he’s not alone. Mimimi chases after him and tells him it’s not right how things ended, and that he shouldn’t merely take the play as the last word.

She could have just as easily said “then pick me”, but that’s not who Mimimi is. Instead, she gives him the push he needs to return to the library to ask Fuuka why she made the choice she did. And it all comes down to her not feeling right about letting her emotions overwhelm her ideals. She believes Libra could only be with Alucia, and only her selfishness would artificially keep them apart.

Tomozaki digs deep in his defense of him and Fuuka, telling her that while she came from a place of ideals and discovered emotions, he went in the opposite direction, starting without any ideals and only emotion and thanks to Aoi, finding a balance between the two.

And even when Fuuka the Writer still isn’t able to twist the ending of the play, Tomozaki presents her with the reality: he likes her, and wants them to be a couple. Libra was a locksmith in the play, and Tomozaki is able to unlock the solution for Fuuka.

And there you have it! I’ve gone on record being okay with Tomozaki ending up with Mimimi or Fuuka, but if I’m honest, he and Fuuka have already been an item for some time now. They just work, and that comfort and coziness continues even after they start dating, with Fuuka becoming just a little more demanding of him, which he doesn’t mind one bit.

Aoi couldn’t be happier with Tomozaki’s progress, because it proves that she was right to push him to change, and right about the offline game of life being worth playing. She still has a lot to teach him, and Tomozaki is looking forward to the challenges. But for now, he accepts her congratulations and reads Fuuka’s new ending to her novel that she wrote just for her.

It’s an ending in which Libra and Kris live happily ever after, having found their sky together. The only way I’d have been pissed is if Tomozaki chose no one, so I’m perfectly fine with this ending! It also featured some top-notch acting from both Kayano Ai (Fuuka) and Hasegawa Ikumi (Mimimi).

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 12 – Playing with Firelings

Helping Fuuka break out of her cage she’s built for herself isn’t something Tomozaki thinks he should do, but it is something he wants to do, because he, like me, likes Fuuka just fine the way she is, and she shouldn’t think she has to change just so she can follow in his or Hinami’s footsteps.

He utilizes the misfit Firelings from the Andi story—the only ones who didn’t befriend the Popple—to give Fuuka space to rethink her goals, which she admits she’s not entirely certain about. He also shows her an online forum of Andi fans—a whole mess of “Firelings”, to show her that she doesn’t have to choose between becoming someone else or being lonely.

Fuuka is almost relieved Tomozaki is able to verbalize what he believes to be her quandary, and really comes off as someone who simply needed someone to tell her straight-up that she really is best off being herself and not overthinking things. She even rewrites the ending of the play so Kris pursues a passion rather than fitting herself into a square hole.

Every time Mimimi sees Tomozaki interacting with Fuuka, engaged in easy yet spirited discussion, she looks forlorn and lonely. Tomozaki informs Hinami at their next meeting that he’s made his decision of who he’s going to choose. And Tomozaki tells Fuuka—not Mimimi—that there’s something he needs to talk with her about after the festival.

Mimimi likes Tomozaki enough that even on the day of the festival, when Gumi and her two friends from their festival show up to return the favor for Tomozaki and Mizusawa, she’s performatively scandalized by his flirtatious exploits, but beneath the over-acting she’s likely hiding real resentment and pain.

After all, Mimimi has pretty much come out and told Tomozaki how she feels. Her cards are on the table, and yet he’s refused to respond to her, keeping her in his friendzone. She wants to spend more time with him, but here he is, spending time with the adorable Fuuka and these cuties from another school.

One thing I was certain of was that considering their chemistry and bonhomie, Tomozaki and Mimimi were going to do a decent job with their comedy routine. They start strong, but Tomozaki suddenly freezes, wracked by the pressure of the silence filling the room around him.

Mimimi bails him out by telling a joke explaining their name that gets no laughs, and he’s able to snap out of it and get back on track. I just wish we’d have been able to see more of the routine with the crowd response … I felt shortchanged, much like Mimimi!

After the routine, the two head up to the roof to cool down after those hot lights, and both agree that they were certainly, definitely, probably pretty good up there, for amateurs! If that sounds like a lot of qualifiers, well, we are dealing with two people with inferiority issues.

When Tomozaki’s phone goes off announcing the play is about to start—the play with Fuuka—Mimimi’s smile dissipates. And just when Tomozaki is most likely about to tell her there’s something he needs to talk about after the festival (like he did with Fuuka), Mimimi interrupts him, and tells him she had fun with the comedy routine, and sends him on his way.

Once he leaves, she no longer has to act like she’s in a good mood. It’s over”, she says while stretching, talking about the routine, then looks out at the world below, as her long blue hair cascades in the wind, and says “It’s all over,” not talking about the comedy routine.

Everything this week pointed to Tomozaki asking Fuuka out, and I actually agree that Fuuka might be a slightly better match for Tomozaki, both currently and in the long run. But is that really how it’s going to go down? Who’s to say? All I know is, as long as Tomozaki chooses one of them, and not neither, I’ll be satisfied. The latter would be the ultimate cop-out.

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 11 – Leaving the Garden

At the first meeting of the cast for Fuuka’s play the mood is a little stiff, but Hinami helps break the ice by acting out a line as Princess Alucia absolutely pitch-perfectly, which gets everyone into it. Dealing with all these people is a big step for Fuuka, but she tells Tomozaki she had fun the first day.

She wants to make sure he makes time for his comedy routine with Mimimi, so she says she’ll handle tomorrow’s rehearsal by herself. It’s also part of her effort to “change” herself, like he and Tama did, by jumping into the deep end.

Mimimi demonstrates how good a comedic duo she and Tomozaki make by simply engaging in their usual repartee, which always has a nice rhythm and structure to it. By comparison, hearing a recording of them following her script doesn’t pop the same way, so she suggest they include more improvisation.

Tomozaki admits in inner monologue that he can see him and Mimimi dating, but isn’t sure how that dynamic would differ from their current status as friends. Instead of talking to her about them more, he brings up Hinami and how he doesn’t get why she tries so hard to be the best at everything. Mimimi just hopes that Hinami isn’t “hollow” like she is after all that work.

When he returns to rehearsal, Tomozaki finds that Fuuka is just barely hanging on, as her effort to speak to everyone directly has led to a general lack of cohesion and inability for everyone to focus. It’s all well and good to try something new, but at the end of the day they do need to put on a show and that requires focus.

When Fuuka presents Tomozaki with the long-awaited ending to her script (and perhaps her novel as well), it’s not what he expects at all. Instead of answering the question of who Libra ends up with, after visiting the town and learning just how little she knows about the outside world, Kris disappears from the garden, gets a job, and starts living alone in the town.

Tomozaki thinks this ending is sad, too sad for the play. It’s the first time he’s seriously pushed back, and it’s when she’s clearly poured her heart into an ending she can accept. It also happens to be a path Fuuka herself wants to follow.

Leaving the “garden” of her isolated life in the library, she seeks to meet the “ideal” represented by people like Tama, Tomozaki, and Hinami. In response to his criticism, Fuuka tells him about one of her favorite Andi books with an outsider protagonist, working hard to change and “fit in” in the world.

At the next rehearsal, Hinami is present (she’d been in and out due to student council business), and Fuuka is very clearly taking cues from her in handling the cast. Mizusawa sidles up to Tomozaki and asks him what’s up with Fuuka.

When he tells him, Mizusawa notes that what Fuuka is doing is actually the opposite of what he and Tama were doing. Tomozaki’s ideal came from within, while Fuuka takes more of a birds-eye-view, wanting to meet the world’s ideals, not her own.

And that right there is why I understand Tomozaki’s concerns with the path Fuuka’s on, and even share some of them. It’s nice to want to change, but they way she’s doing it implies Fuuka believes she is somehow lacking, or deficient.

At what point does her self-improvement kick fundamentally change who Kikuchi Fuuka is? That is, the girl Tomozaki has a lot of affection for as a friend, and never thought of as someone in such dire need of transforming herself.

There’s also the whole matter of Fuuka believing wholeheartedly that Hinami Aoi is “a very ideal person”, when evidence is mounting she may actually a troubled person who either won’t ever reveal her true self to anyone, or doesn’t actually have one. You can’t say that about Fuuka, so if anyone is in need of a change, it’s actually Hinami, not Fuuka!

Tomozaki doesn’t know what exactly is going on in Fuuka’s head, but he wants to try to understand, so he buys the e-book of the Andi story she’s decided to follow stays up all night reading it, and believes he’s found a clue. I’m not saying Fuuka’s in the wrong for wanting to change herself, it’s just a matter of level, and not throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

Similarly, it’s okay and only natural to code-switch between school life, home life, work life, etc. But Hinami Aoi has taken it to a concerning extreme, and I doubt we’ll be able to scratch the surface of why that is before this season is out.

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 10 – The Wind Beneath Their Wings

Now that Hinami knows Mimimi told Tomozaki she liked him, she suggests he focus on the event map with Fuuka, since he’s technically reached his goal with Mimimi. That said, he can always work backwards with Mimimi in terms of events. He certainly has no shortage of face time with either girl! Seeing him having a lively chat with Fuuka causes Mimimi to interrupt and give him a friendly reminder that he did agree to do a comedy routine with her.

When they meet up after school, they barely discuss the routine. Instead, Mimimi wants Tomozaki to understand that she does like him, and not just the way she likes Tama. At first she felt that way, but after telling him, she realizes that this was the one person who gave her the opportunity to try to break out of her “always second place” mentality. Tomozaki owns up to not quite knowing what to do, but does insist she’s not being annoying.

I do wish Mimimi had been able to get a little more out of him, but she’s clearly worried about being a bother, even though she’s no such thing. Meanwhile, Mizusawa, Hinami, and Tama are cast as Libra, Alucia, and Kris, and Fuuka adjusts their dialogue and personalities to match. The more Tomozaki learns about the Kris character, who was only able to fly with Libra by her side, the more he realizes the character is based on Fuuka herself, who he introduced to a new world.

The one question mark is Princess Alucia, who Fuuka feels is too perfect and needs a weakness like the other two mains. But while she’s hardly a social butterfly, Fuuka doesn’t fall for Hinami’s pat answers in their interview for one second. She can tell Hinami is hiding something, and perhaps therein lies Alucia’s—and Hinami’s—weakness: an inability to show her true self to others…perhaps even not knowing who her true self is.

Tomozaki’s seen the Hinami Aoi behind the “mask” she wears at school and when hanging out with friends, but that could well be just another mask; masks under masks. He and Fuuka get permission to speak to a classmate from her middle and elementary schools.

They don’t learn much, but they do learn she once dated and dumped a prominent boy in their middle school, and while her grade school friend recalled she had multiple little sisters, her middle school classmate is positive she only has one. My first thought was a macabre one: did she lose a sister, did she blame herself, and did she vow to become perfect at playing the game of life as anyone has ever been to honor her?

That’s a lot of speculation, but it’s fun to speculate! Meanwhile, Fuuka still has an ending to write as rehearsals begin, Tomozaki still owes Mimimi more of a response to her feelings, and should probably get started on those event maps for both Fuuka and Mimimi. He’s got a lot going on!

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 09 – Process and Outcome

Bless you, Mizusawa, for promptly and firmly calling Tomozaki out on his “masochistic crap”, i.e. his tendency to believe no one would ever choose him. He claims not to care whether or not Mizusawa continues his self-deprecating ways, but when he does it, he upsets people who like him … like Mimimi. Tomozaki can even recall times when Mimimi said basically the same thing Mizusawa is here: he should cut that crap out.

Hearing this harsh assessment of his unconscious defense mechanism, Tomozaki accepts that Mimimi likes him, and therefore he is worthy of being liked. It’s a big step that our boy Ichikawa in Dangers has also taken, and an important step to entering into a romance.

Hinami is glad Tomozaki has chosen two girls to pursue in Mimimi and Fuuka, and gives him what he deems to be difficult mini-goals because she knows he can pull them off if he tries. She also concedes that as his philosophy of balancing process and outcome (i.e. means and ends) has made him the top player as nanashi, he’s free to try the same method IRL.

Then Mimimi and Tomozaki meet for the first time since her confession-in-all-but-name, and they’re awkward and extremely sus, both to Hinami and Mizusawa. The latter told Tomozaki there was a possibility he could carry on with Mimimi like nothing was said, but that’s not looking so likely right now.

Mimimi really put herself out there, and if we’re honest, the ball is in Tomozaki’s court. He gets some leeway because he’s new to this romance stuff, but at some point he owes her an answer to the feelings she honestly and bravely expressed to him that afternoon.

Fuuka may be far less “aggressive” as Mimimi, but like jazz, it’s all about the things she’s not saying or doing, or the things she feels she has to qualify. Tomozaki gets the ball rolling on talking about what dating means to her, and it’s not surprising she gets her guidance from her favorite author.

A story about two people who are the only ones for one another, for whom no one else will do: it’s what she believes dating to be, and she probably sees Tomozaki that way, but like him is too scared to let herself believe she’s worthy of that scenario.

When Tomozaki and Mimimi meet again at lunch, it’s awkward again. Mimimi tries to tell him to forget about what she said in the interests of going “back to the way things were,” but she stops short of that, saying she’d rather he didn’t forget.

When they’re joined by Mizusawa and Hinami, those two are almost egging them on by talking about the rumors swirling about the two of them being a couple, while Tama is her usual lovably blunt self, giving Mimimi a couple of confused looks and declaring she’s being “weird.”

Maybe she is being weird, and maybe Tomozaki is being weird right back. But this initial discomfort and awkwardness is a crucial obstacle to overcome. As I said, Mimimi has been pretty clear to Tomozaki about how she feels, and he owes her some kind of response.

This new dynamic is so compelling, I have to admit I was a little disappointed that so much of the latter quarter of the episode was given over to Tomozaki narrating the gist of Fuuka’s story. That said, I like how there are many parallels: If the dragon is Fuuka’s story, delicate and precious, then she’s Kris, who tends to the dragon, while the princess Alusia is Mimimi and Tomozaki is Libra.

Fuuka is having the same problem as Tomozaki with whom to choose as Libra’s romantic partner, not wanting to ruin the nice vibes she’s created with the three of them. However, in adapting her short story for the stage, a bit of the magic that made the characters feel real was lost in an effort to make the parts easier to play.

Tomozaki recommends that Fuuka bring back the short story versions of the characters. It will be harder to perform them, but they’ll be that much more interesting both to the performers and the audience. Fuuka accepts his advice, accepting the higher difficulty is the key to unlocking the best version of her story.

At the same time, Tomozaki needs to do some serious thinking about what dating someone means to him, and ultimately who he’s going to choose. He’s perfectly justified in finding it hard to do so, as Mimimi and Fuuka are both incredibly kind and lovely girls. Rejecting either of them would be tough, even for a higher-tier character.

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 08 – The One Who Gets to Choose

Mizusawa takes Tomozaki to Gumi’s all-girl’s school festival to observe, to absorb, and if possible, to flirt. He gets things started by effortlessly acquiring the contact info of one of the first cute girls he sees. By being a little goofy, a little charming, and 100% confident, he tells Tomozaki that attractive people can make themselves even more attractive: a “hotness spiral”, if you will.

They check in with Gumi, who is as apathetic about school festivals as she is about work. She can guess why two guys came to an all-girl’s school festival, and when she learns Tomozaki doesn’t have a girlfriend, he wishes him good luck with the girls in her class. Tomozaki doesn’t feel ready for this kind of thing yet, though he does manage to get a selfie with Mizusawa in “glasses.”

His last selfie is almost as easy as Tama’s. After having so many (earned) kind words about her story, Fuuka agrees to be in a selfie with Tomozaki. When they bump shoulders they both blush and Tomozaki apologizes, but it’s fine for Fuuka. I’m sure she’s nervous and shy (and indeed would prefer if he didn’t post their photo), but it’s clear she’s excited by this sudden development in their friendship. A selfie with Tomozaki is as big a deal as a selfie with her is to him.

Hinami congratulates Tomozaki on completing his photo checklist, but asks if he really has been giving the dating goal any thought. If he’s honest, he hasn’t. But we’ve known for a while now (since the first season, in fact) the two girls he wants to get closer to most. That’s Fuuka and Mimimi. Mimimi even foreshadows a later declaration by telling Tomozaki he’s “the only straight man for me,” albeit first in the context of him being in a comedy routine with her for the festival.

As Fuuka begins the task of adapting her short story to a script, she’s still struggling with the ending, which has a direct parallel to Tomozaki’s situation. She’s not sure who among two characters will end up with the hero, and what will happen to the other one. He asks who she’d choose if it were her, but she doesn’t want her personal feelings to affect her story.

Then Fuuka asks him: if there were two special people in his life, how would he choose one from among them? His answer—that he’s not in a position to make such a choice—clearly disappoints Fuuka, and probably for more reasons than one. If she’s trying to find out if he likes her, this line of questioning didn’t work.

Perhaps she’s simply talking hypothetically, but her faces and reactions suggest otherwise. But I also don’t know if she’d have any more success if she simply asked him, “Me, or Mimimi?” All I know is, it’s the rare meeting with Fuuka that ends with both of them feeling down. Mimimi spots him after school, and can tell even from the slump of his back that something’s bothering him.

She surprises him with a hearty slap on the back, hoping to cheer him up. She asks about Gumi, then why he went to an all-girls festival, and when he puts himself down, she tries to point out that he shouldn’t do that. She then proceeds to tell him all the things she likes about him, jokes about him thinking it means she likes him “that way”, and then admits that yes, she actually does like him that way. Not that I had any doubts!

The animators took special care to make Mimimi look more lovely than ever, while her seiyu Hasegawa Ikumi knocks it out of the park with her vulnerable earnestness. There’s no “psych!” or “just joking!” after she essentially confesses to Tomozaki. She simply says “See you later” and skips off, her ears burning from what just transpired. Here’s hoping Tomozaki interprets this for what it is and doesn’t misunderstand: He’s been given a choice, and he’s going to have to make one.

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 07 – Leaping to an Unknown World

Something I’ve been able to glean about Mimimi through her interactions with Tomozaki is that she likes the guy. She’s probably also happy he’s come out of his shell more. So when the two end up alone together on the way home, she flirts with him via head-butt, only to discover he’s sturdier than she thought. He responds by saying she’s just really light, without realizing the intimate position they’re in.

As usual Mimimi cuts the awkwardness short by declaring that they keep walking. Tomozaki, eager to check another photo of his Insta list, tells Mimimi he has a sudden craving for ramen. When she orders gyoza instead, he resorts to asking her to have a bite, which catches her as off guard as his “really light” compliment. He gets a “blurry” shot of her, then surprises her again by scarfing a gyoza she offers. They technically share two indirect kisses.

When the two part for the evening, Mimimi is suspicious of whatever Brain’s up to, but also clearly enjoyed having a meal with him, and perhaps happy to be the first person he’s invited to an after-school meal. And while Tomozaki is a nervous wreck trying to get Mimimi’s photo, his recent interactions with Tama tell him that the best method with her is to be upfront. She gives him a funny face, he snaps it for his Insta, box checked!

Fuuka brings her manuscript for Tomozaki to read, and once he does, he has a lot of positive feedback, including about how one of the stories reminded him of her favorite author, Andi. When he says one of the stories was cut off, she turns as red as someone as fair-skinned as she is can turn, and admits to having not yet finished that. But as soon as Tomozaki volunteered to direct an original play for the culture festival, my first thought was “…and Fuuka can write it.”

That’s exactly what goes down, but because Fuuka is being so careful not to break this story she loves so much, he assumes she wouldn’t be ready to have anyone perform her work. However, Fuuka is actually fine with using the story for the play, because as she’s seen Tomozaki leap from a lonely world to an unknown one, she wants to see that world too, so she’ll take a leap with him.

The moment Mimimi learns Fuuka wrote the story for the play, she can’t hide her obvious concern. She also can hide that concern when she sees Tomozaki and Fuuka making eyes at each other in front of the whole class when her involvement as scriptwriter is announced. Clearly the table is set for a love triangle situation. I smell drama!

As for Tomozaki, he isn’t thinking nearly enough about who he wants to date, instead focusing more on the comparatively easier Insta checklist. Mizusawa in glasses might be tough, but he’ll have some prime opportunities when he joins him for the invite-only cultural festival at their co-worker Tsugumi’s school. Her all-girls school.

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 06 – Maximum Enthusiasm

“So I get angry. Is that so surprising?” Hinami Aoi’s powerful social skills can be used for good (see Tomozaki’s growth), but we saw last week what happens when she weaponizes them, eliminating Konno with a little more force and cruelty than she needed to. Hinami concedes that revenge might not be becoming of NO NAME, but there are some things she can’t forgive. Is she just talking about how Konno treated Tama, or is there more to it?

As for Konno, she and Mao appear to be getting along, but Tomozaki can tell something’s off. Yuzu confirms that they badmouth each other behind their backs, and that she’s stuck in the middle, but she prefers this imperfect state to there being outright awkwardness. Tama also inspired Yuzu to do her best to change what she doesn’t like about herself.

When the teacher announces that four boy and four girl committee members will be chosen for the upcoming cultural festival, something I could have sworn this show already covered, but I must be thinking of some other high school rom com. There are so many… Mimimi is the first to get Tomozaki to commit to not only joining the committee, but properly looking forward to the festival, “overwriting all those old unfun memories.”

With the Konno Crisis resolved and his relationship with Hinami not appreciably damaged, Top-Tier Life Class is back in session, and Hinami starts out by asking him who among the girls he’s befriended does he want to date most? She’s including Yuzu despite her being attached to someone, and she ideally wants him to consider two or more of the girls to get closer to with the ultimate goal of dating.

This lesson is meant to thrust Tomozaki out of his “starry-eyed romantic” comfort zone, as well as building the skills and confidence needed to charm people in general. And she’s simply making official what is already an established element of this show: Tomozaki has a choice of wonderful ladies…she’s simply asking him to actually make a choice or two. As part of his self-promotion education, she also instructs him to start a “Pinsta” account and provides a list of photos he needs to take.

Personally, I like the idea of him dating either Fuuka or Mimimi. Honestly, my choice wavers based on who appeared on screen last; they’re that close, despite being very different girls! Fuuka is so dainty, shy, creative, has such a lovely way with words and enthusiasm for literature. She’s also observant and analytical in a way similar to Tomozaki, as she too picked up on Hinami  putting a little extra on her takedown of Konno.

Tomozaki is so enchanted by Fuuka blushing over his agreeing to read her new novel that he forgets he’s supposed to take a selfie with her! As time runs out to complete his list, Tomozaki decides the best he can do is the selfie with Takei and Shuuji, with Nakamura also being included. The shot ends up horribly blurry, but it’s a start, and a valuable lesson to take greater care.

Hinami claims to have gained 6,000 followers simply by taking consistently quality shots. We’re also looking at the four boy’s committee members for the festival. The girls consist of Mimimi, Yuzu, and two newbies: Sakura, and Yuki. As the festival planning commences, Tomozaki will also be determining whom among his five girl friends he wants to date.

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 05 – God Save the Queen

Just when things seemed to be getting better, Tama opens her locker and finds her stuffed keychain—the one she treasures because Mimimi gave it to her—been torn open. She knows who did it, but has no proof, and Erika isn’t in the classroom at the time. Tama tells Tomozaki it took everything she had not to lash out or shout like he old Tama would have, before collapsing into a little ball and tearing up, simply wanting to run away.

While Tama avoids an outburst and is surrounded by her friends, Aoi doesn’t mince words in declaring this situation “unacceptable.” Because it’s unacceptable, that means there has to be a response. She doesn’t share any details with the group, and simply says they needs to stay close to Tama for the time being, but you can tell the gears are turning.

When Izumi offers to use her new sewing skills to mend Tama’s keychain, back home Tomozaki gets the idea from the back of his sister’s top to put decorative stitching everyone’s keychains, to show solidarity. But the next day, Erika finds her desk and chair have been knocked over and all her books and supplies scattered on the floor.

She blames Tama (surely just as Aoi predicted), so Aoi declares that Tama has been with her, and she has ample witnesses. Erika then blames her own toadie, Kamimae Mao, who is so hurt by the blind accusation that she becomes a former toadie on the spot, giving Erika a thorough piece of her mind.

Mao, whom I just realized this week is voiced by Ichinose Kana, really lets Erika have it, hitting her where it hurts: shitting on her fashion sense and makeup skills. As Tomozaki witnesses the qualities Yuzu and Fuuka said about Erika being weaponized against her, and how Aoi made the same gesture towards her eye as Mao is making.

Erika grabs Mao’s arm, inadvertently causing her to scratch her face. Now she’s really in the shit, because both Mao and the whole class can claim Erika used violence and now have leave to punish her for it. Aoi takes the lead, insisting that Erika apologize to Mao.

When Erika hesitates, her stubbornness bumping up against her ability to read a room, Aoi tells her not apologizing “isn’t right.” Aoi, masterfully taking control of the situation, then asks Erika’s crush Shuuji if Erika should apologize. Then she asks Yuzu. They both agree that she should.

This move by Aoi is especially shrewed and calculated, as to everyone else it just looks like Yuzu and Shuuji are agreeing with her. But this whole thing started because Erika found out about them dating, and had to lash out at someone other Yuzu: first Hirabayashi, then Tama. Hearing them agree only reinforces the image in her head of a perfect lovey-dovey couple.

That image is only an illusion, but in Erika’s state it’s all she can see, while none of the classmates watching this unfold know what she’s talking about. The episode is a showcase seiyu Kaneko Sayaka, who lends pathos and vulnerability to Erika. Her breathing becomes more labored and her voice trembles as her mean girl façade gradually crumbles.

When she starts to cry, Aoi twists the dagger, telling her she’s “lost perspective” and is getting carried away with her crush. At this point, Tomozaki thinks Aoi is going to far, to the point where he calls her name and shakes his head. Aoi sighs, and seems to heed his wordless request to cool it. But Aoi has one more bullet in the chamber. Remember how Yuzu offered to sew up Tama’s keychain? She started sewing by making tissue holders.

Aoi wants to offer Erika a tissue, but doesn’t have any on her, so she asks Shuuji, who pulls out a sewn tissue holder made by Yuzu and holds it out towards Erika to take one. She slaps it away, and her meltdown continues. Everyone murmurs harsh words around her, and people, starting with Mao start bumping into her chair and desk and fake apologizing.

At this point, Tomozaki doesn’t think anyone, not even Aoi, can stem the tide of hate washing over Erika. But he’s mistaken. His student, Natsubayashi Hanabi, shouts “Hey!” She tells the class that we know has so much sympathy for her and so much hostility for Erika, that just because she did this doesn’t mean they can do it back, so they’d better knock it off.

Tomozaki worries she’s being too righteous, too much of a white knight in such a tense mood, but then she uses her cuteness and goofy wordplay to suddenly brighten that mood, saying they should end things on good terms, because “Tama-rrow is another day.” She gets some laughs, and there are murmurs of agreement that if Erika’s primary victim is telling them to stop, they should.

Erika takes her opening and runs out, and Yuzu chases after her. If Aoi thoroughly scorched the earth beneath Erika’s feet, Tama stomped out the flames and planted fresh seeds in the newly-nourished soil. It is without doubt her finest moment in the class, and she lets Tomozaki know how happy she is by flashing a peace sign and a smile bright enough to make those seeds sprout into sunflowers.

Mao and Mika apologize to Tama, and then Hirabayashi. Tama then thanks Aoi for saving her, but admits that she doesn’t want to see Aoi “doing that.” Aoi feigns ignorance, but later Tama tells Tomozaki and Mizusawa that she feels bad for Aoi having to do what she did. At first Tomozaki thinks Tama is disappointed in Aoi having discovered her ulterior motives, but in actuality Tama trusts Aoi, just as she trusts the two of them.

When Tama runs off to club, Mizusawa tells Tomozaki he’s someone who can spot the parts Aoi hides; parts he believes Tomozaki knows better than he does. If all this Team Tomozaki training has taught him anything, it’s the value of coming out and saying what’s on your mind. So he does: as I expected, he says he likes Aoi, and wants to know what Tomozaki thinks of her.

Peace returns to class, as Tama’s scolding ended the abuse of Erika. While she’ll never be able to claim she’s the queen of the class again, her social skills were too good to stay down forever, as she makes up with Mao and continues to be friends with Mika, Yuzu, and other “straight-tie” girls. Tama is a lot more popular, as she’s not only learned to use her unique charms to make herself more approachable, but also taken an active interest in others.

Even Shuuji ends up joining for celebratory drinks, as he and Tama put their past friction behind them. Mimimi then presents the new keychains, all of them emblazoned with the X-stitches inspired by Tomozaki’s sister and sewn by Yuzu. Tama then takes a commemorative selfie of everyone and their colorful keychains, spread in a circle like a little plush firework. All’s well that ends well!

As for what Tomozaki told Mizusawa: Aoi is the teacher who brought color to his life, and he can’t deny he wants to learn more about her, especially now that he’s witnessed firsthand what she’s capable of. Me too, Tomozaki … me too!

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 04 – The Story That Is Our Classroom

In trying to find a way for Tama to open up to the class and reveal her charms, Tomozaki asks Mimimi for advice. He thinks a comedy routine that exploits Tama’s vulnerability could help. She correctly surmises he may be in the midst of a hero complex, and presses his nose in as punishment. When she calls him ugly and he says even the ugliest people can have beautiful hearts, Mimimi throws him off guard by saying “Yeah, I know,” while staring at him knowingly.

As Tama continues to ignore being harassed by Erika and her flunkies Mao and Mika, Tomozaki learns that Hinami went so far as to tell Yuzu not to hang around Shuuji for the time being, something he feels is the kind of ask that suggests a measure of desperation on Hinami’s part.

She wants this to end just as Tomozaki and Tama do. Tama shows Mizusawa how she’s been practicing speaking more cheerfully, and he’s both surprised and genuinely entertained when she and Tomozaki demonstrate their comedy routine utilizing her short stature.

That said, Tama isn’t quite ready to face the class proper. What she needs is another neutral party to interact with in a safe space where it’s okay to fail. For this, Tomozaki brings in a ringer: Kikuchi Fuuka. She’d largely been missing from this story but this week corrects that, and how!

Fuuka hears Tomozaki out and is open to helping out. She thinks what’s happening to Tama is unfair, but isn’t quick to dismiss Erika as a bad person. She diagnoses both Erika and and the class at large are letting this go on out of a weakness of some kind within themselves.

Erika is uneasy, picks on Tama to vent, and Tama holds firm. She believes Erika and the class are running away from something they don’t think they can fix, and are now, in a way, actually relying on Hanabi’s strength to bend but not break in the face of Erika’s venting.

You simply have to hand it to Fuuka: not only does she successfully and expertly analyze Erika, the class, and Tama, but give Tomozaki fresh insights that help the cause, before she even sets foot in Team Tomozaki headquarters for Tama to practice.

Unlike Takei, Fuuka keeps to herself and is unaccustomed to speaking with others, not just Tama. So it’s just as much practice for her as it is for Tama. As Mizusawa and Tomozaki watch, Fuuka begins by telling Tama she’s happy to help out because she thinks it’s wonderful when people work to change themselves to be who they want to be.

Tama wasn’t looking for a praisefest, but all Fuuka does is assess her situation, see how many nice people flocked to her aid, and reasonably concluded that those people truly care about her, and that she’s a wonderful person worth caring about and fighting for…and cute! None of this is untrue!

When the practice session is complete, Fuuka says it was very east to talk to Tama. Now it falls on Tama to start caring about her classmates. For this, Tomozaki describes how he once felt everything going on in class didn’t matter, and he wasn’t a part of it. That made his world look gray, but when he started opening up, the color started to seep in.

Fuuka goes further, describing Erika as a sore loser who hates people looking down on her, but is sensitive and caring to those she chooses as her friends. Erika feels Mao and Mika must lack confidence and cling to Erika to compensate. Even Yuzu tends to put others before her. Every character in “the story that is their classroom” has their own worries, growth, and faults. Keeping that in mind should help spark Tama’s interest in the others.

After this extremely productive meeting, Mimimi (and Hinami) encounter Tama with Tomozaki, Mizusawa, and now Fuuka, which is new. Mizusawa makes clear to Mimimi that Tomozaki and Fuuka are “pals”, and Mimimi gives a good stern look at Fuuka until declaring her adorable and welcoming her to “Nanami World.”

While she’s being all extra, Hinami is silently assessing the situation and makes up an excuse to leave and take Mimimi with her. One shared look later, Mimimi agrees and takes Tama with them, and Mizusawa makes up an excuse as well. Tomozaki and Fuuka are left alone together, and end up walking home for the first time, a joyful experience for both.

Whether it was Hinami’s intention to give them alone time, it’s nice to see the meeting with Tama bookended with just the two of them. Tomozaki enjoyed seeing Fuuka chatting with everyone, while she admits she had fun watching him interact with everyone, adding he keeps showing her things she’s never seen before. And just like that, I’m back on the Fuukazaki ship!

The next day, with help from Hinami and a couple of Mimimi’s friends, Tama tries out her comedy routine and it succeeds. Rather than just feeling sorry for Tama, the other girls are entertained and charmed by her cheerful antics. Erika, Mao and Mika never get an opening to harass her, knowing that if they tried it they’d do Erika more harm than Tama.

Tama goes out with Tomozaki, Mizusawa, and Takei for celebratory drinks, and Mizusawa is confident if Tama can keep this up, Erika will eventually cease the harassment. It looks like everything is coming up Tama and Team Tomozaki.

Right after Tama’s session with Fuuka, Mizusawa commented on how Tomozaki and Fuuka’s progress may be slow, it’s also “careful as hell,” unlike him. Well, the day’s success may have led to them getting a bit to comfortable, because Mika spots them together at the restaurant and immediately calls Erika.

Somehow I doubt she’ll take it well when she learns who Tama is hanging out with and who is scheming against her. Even worse, the fallout from this could cause Team Tomozaki’s whole plan to come crashing down, and possibly lead to Hinami telling Tomozaki “I told you so.”

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 03 – A Beauty on Each Arm

Tomozaki the student has become the teacher of Tama, and starts by copying his teacher’s methods: using a voice recorder so Tama gets an idea how her talking sounds. The thing is, Tama is far from “bottom-tier”, and he quickly realizes things like her voice, posture, and expressions aren’t keeping her from getting along in class. For now, he suggests the obvious tactic: not arguing with Konno for a bit.

When Tama and Tomozaki leave together, Mimimi spots them and is playfully suspicious of them, while Aoi is also watching from afar. In their next meeting, Tomozaki tells Aoi that Tama has made clear she wants to change, for Mimimi’s sake. But Aoi thinks if she changes “none of this” matters. I have a feeling “this” doesn’t simply refer to the current Konno conflict.

Aoi may not like it, but she can’t stop Tama from doing what she wants (at least not yet) so Tomozaki continues his meetings with Tama. Tama also ignores Konno when she shoves her desk. That’s the first clue to Mizusawa that something is up. Just as Tomozaki is conceding that they need a “big game-changing move” to push the class to her side, he interrupts them.

Mizusawa figured they were scheming about something related to Konno, and frankly he wants in. When asks why Tama isn’t fond of him, he mentions a time in the past when Tama got in a huge fight with Nakamura and Konno, and when she dragged him and Takei into it he took Nakamura’s side.

Tomozaki decides this is a perfect chance for Tama to level up: by befriending Mizusawa. They sit down for a chat, and the first thing she asks him about is whether he likes Aoi. Mizusawa admits that he does like her … as a friend. He turns the line of questioning on Tama vis-a-vis Tomozaki, to which she denies a little too vehemently.

When Mimimi encounters Tama with Tomozaki and Mizusawa, she notes what a smooth operator Tama has become. When Tomozaki rejects the notion of being a beauty or a knight on one of Tama’s arms, Mimimi comes to his defense, telling him he really shouldn’t run himself down like that all the time. I continue to ship Tomozaki and Mimimi.

When Tama and Mimimi take off, Mizusawa is relieved Tama has stopped rising to Konno’s provocations, since any slip-up would aware Konno another “excuse” to turn her “attacks” into “punishment.” For further practice, he recommends bringing Takei into the fold, but only to tell him they’re cheering Tama up.

Mizusawa, for reasons of self-preservation and perceived universal neutrality, wishes to keep his involvement in this under wraps. Tomozaki is amazed how Mizusawa can “do everything” but is “never mean,” to which Mizusawa gives Tomozaki a friendly warning that he can scheme with the best of them; “just another guy doing what he wants.”

Tomozaki’s next meeting with Aoi is short and chilly; a nice visual contrast to the warm browns of where Tomozaki is advising Tama. Aoi admits she can’t do anything about Tama’s choice, nor does she have any intention of abandoning her own methods, so she proposes they suspend future meetings until “the situation” with Tama has improved.

Konno’s petty attacks continue, but Tama stops reacting, engendering more sympathy from the class. But Tomozaki is curious what exactly Aoi is doing, because it can’t be nothing. He spots her talking to Mao, one of Konno’s friends, but doesn’t know what about. He’s on the outside, looking in.

In the next meeting with Tama, Mizusawa gets into the importance of emitting “charm.” He contrasts how Tama and Takei presented themselves to the class before the sports tournament, and how Takei specializes in what is essentially his class clown role. He then defines charm as having “consistent vulnerability,” citing Aoi’s outsize love of cheese as an example. I loved Tama wondering if Aoi “does that on purpose”, because, yes, she totally does.

True to character, Takei makes a pratfall entrance, and is then nothing but nice as he apologizes to Tama for not having more courage to stand up to Konno. He believes she’s in the right, and feels genuinely bad if his inaction hurt her. When he says she shouldn’t thank him when he’s trying to apologize, Tama lets out a genuine, effortless laugh.

While Takei tells her the names of other classmates who feel bad for her, Tama doesn’t recognize them, which causes a lightning bolt of insight in Tomozaki’s head. He then peels of a beautiful treatise on how important it was in his social development to reach out to and take an interest in others besides himself, and accept their specific thoughts and concerns.

In effect, he trained himself to be more empathetic. “If I don’t know them, I can’t get along with them”—Tama gets it. Takei is moved. Even Mizusawa looks impressed, if unsurprised. Like Mimimi said, Tomozaki is cooler than he thinks, and he’s definitely Getting Better at this game called life. If he hadn’t, Mizusawa wouldn’t be calling the four of them “Team Tomozaki.”

I really enjoyed the purposeful use of repetition as Mimimi greets Tama expecting her to be alone, only to find her with Tomozaki, then Tomozaki and Mizusawa, and finally Tomozaki, Mizusawa, and Takei. But this last time, Aoi is also there, and sees this Team Tomozaki for the first time.

Outside a konbini, Aoi asks Tama is she really wants to change, saying quite coyly that she doesn’t want to think facing things head-on is the wrong thing. This is Aoi purposefully putting the pressure on Tama, knowing full well her “teacher” Tomozaki is right there listening.

Aoi is then the one to relieve that pressure, but saying that’s only what she wants, giving tacit approval for Tama to politely decline her way. When she sees Tama and Tomozaki getting along and laughing, she calls them “two peas in a pod”, and it doesn’t sound like a compliment?

She smiles and gives a thumbs-up, telling Tama she has her support too, and as she does, like me, all Tomozaki can think about is whether this is just another Aoi mask. The answer to that is, of course it is. Just look at that serene, completely unreadable expression! Whatever it is Aoi is doing, I don’t think she’s really going to stop.

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 02 – This Aggression Will Not Stand

Operation: Get Konno Erika Motivated goes off without a hitch, thanks to Tomozaki experly deploying three agents to fill up her motivation gauge. It starts with Yuzu asking her to help out with the tournament—Konno is always ready to help out her friends. Hinami then plants the seed in another friend that she doubts Konno’s athletic ability. Finally, Mizusawa tells Konno that Nakamura likes sporty girls.

Put it all together and it’s a home run. Tomozaki technically fails his part of the tournament by fouling out before he can score a lay-up to endear himself to the jocks, but the speed with which he fouls out endears him to them anyway. But the good times only last as long as Konno doesn’t know Izumi and Nakamura are an item.

When she finds out she’s pissed, but instead of taking it out on Izumi, she targets Hirabayashi, the most timid girl in class. Konno scoffs off her attacks as accidental—knocking into her desk, paper airplanes to the head, etc.—but pretty soon everyone notices the malicious intent.

Tomozaki wants to do something to help, but Hinami advises a wait-and-see approach, pointing out that Hirabayashi has yet to do anything to stop the abuse. When Konno escalates by sitting on her desk, Tomozaki stands up and is about to speak up, but someone beats him to it: Natsubayashi Hanabi, AKA Tama.

Tama says what everyone is thinking: that this shit is getting old, but Konno plays games, feigning ignorance. When Tama gets in her face, Konno puts her hand on her arm and says Tama is “shaking like a leaf”; when Tama brushes her off, Konno pretends to be injured, and uses that as ammo against her in subsequent interactions.

Tomozaki observes a change in Hinami when Konno’s target changes from Hirabayashi to Tama, one of her friends. Hinami speaks with all of the mid-level girls to get them sympathetic to Tama (and turn them against Konno), while Mimimi stays close to Tama in order to keep things from spiraling out of hand. It’s as if Hinami is exploiting Tama’s pushback as an opportunity to hurt Konno, while Mimimi is strictly looking out for her dear friend.

When the back-and-forth between the girls doesn’t stop and the class mood starts to sour on Tama, Hinami agrees something should be done, but they disagree on what. Tomozaki proposes that Tama takes a step back. Hinami strongly objects to this, since Tama is “in the right” and shouldn’t have to change. Her usual gamer’s pragmatism is being overridden by her apparent desire for revenge against Konno, no matter what happens to Tama. (h/t Vance!)

One day after school, Tomozaki hangs out with Mimimi and Tama. Mimimi is her usual cheerful, bubbly, clingy self with Tama, but once they see Hanabi off at the station, Mimimi’s demeanor changes drastically. On the verge of tears, Mimimi asks if she’s doing a good job keeping Tama in good spirits. It’s something she could only as “Brain.” I love their easy chemistry.

Tomozaki answers that she is, and I agree. Mimimi is doing what she can, and it is helping, but it’s hard for her to feel good about it when things are still so unpleasant in class. Still, seeing how putting up a brave front for Tama’s sake is taking its toll on Mimimi, Tomozaki decides he’s going to try proposing the retreat strategy to Tama.

Meeting one-on-one with Tama, Tomozaki is about to begin his proposal when she points out that the two of them are a lot alike, never afraid to say what’s on their mind whatever the consequences. When he asks if maybe it would be best to withdraw from the hostilities, she politely declines.

Tama admits it sucks, but she knows she’ll be fine because she knows she’s in the right. She doesn’t want to betray “the Hanabi who believes in things.” Tomozaki respects her choice, but is then caught off guard when she goes on complimenting him.

She’s observed that he’s been able to change and improve himself and his ability to read and influence a room and mood. And while Tama knows she’ll be fine, like him she’s far more worried about Mimimi. So she does want to change for her sake, while remaining true to herself. Since she’s watched Tomozaki change, she wants him to teach her how to “fight”.

Firstly, I want to underscore just how awesome Natsubayashi Hanabi is this week, and in general. She had her fill of Konno picking on someone weaker and didn’t hesitate to stand up to her again and again. In a battle of wills, I’ll take her over anyone, even Hinami. At the same time, Konno may be acting like a petty, petulant bitch right now, but that doesn’t make her a bad person.

Konno just isn’t dealing with her frustration over losing the guy she liked to another girl well, like, at all. So I’m looking forward to Tomozaki taking Tama on as his “apprentice”, and the two of them finding a way to cut through Konno’s bullshit, taking the pressure off Mimimi, and resolving the unpleasantness, if they can. If this ends up at odds with Hinami’s plans, but so be it.

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun 2nd Stage – 01 – In Search of Motivation Lost

After Tomozaki beats Hinami once again (and again) as nanashi in Tackfam, on the first day of the second term her “game of life” lessons continue. With the ultimate goal of being “as satisfied with offline life” as she is, she reminds him of his medium goal of having a girlfriend before year 3. His task for the day is to observe interpersonal relationships in class.

There, he learns from the now-friendly Mizusawa that Izumi and Nakamura have become something of a quiet item, but one key person who doesn’t know that is Queen Bee Konno Erika. When the class must nominate captains for the upcoming sports tournament, Takei volunteers as the boy’s captain, and when Konno fails to recruit Izumi, she pushes the job on the quiet, shy Hirabayashi Miyuki.

After going over the vagaries of “Mood” within a group, the next task Hinami assigns to Tomozaki is to get Konno Erika motivated for the tournament. Tomozaki soon starts to look at this task like an RPG, and he sets to work asking Izumi for intel on Konno, seeking insight from his co-worker, the similarly unmotivated Gumi, and then getting some solid observations on Konno’s character from the budding novelist Kikuchi.

Once the girls select softball, the event most likely to motivate Konno, Izumi decides all on her own to take the burden of the captaincy from Hirabayashi, and he learns from Nanami that Konno considers Hinami a rival, Tomozaki believes he’s collected all of the material he needs to tackle the “floor boss” Konno. He even manages to recruit Hinami’s help with his strategy, though she won’t go so far as to tell him if she thinks it’s the wrong one.

The episode establishes that Tomozaki has already come a long way. The tools he learned last season help him prepare for a difficult mission. All the while, he’s cognizant that while he’s actually enjoying the process of “leveling up” his social standing, Hinami remains laser-focused on moving forward towards some distant goal. It’s enough to make you wonder just how much is she actually enjoying her offline life?