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?