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.