This week’s March comes in like a lion wasn’t an aesthetic marvel on par with last week, but it was just as emotionally harrowing in its own way. Actually getting to see Akari’s perspective was a welcome shift from the show’s usual focus, and the show’s articulation of her assumed parental insecurities as as thoughtful as any of its other beats. I hope we keep getting to see her and Rei support each other from here out!
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.
Rei brings some anti-bullying measures to his faculty advisor
“It’s actually really important that Hina was able to talk to her family about it.” Yep
Too many default SHAFT head turns and whatnot in this scene. This volume of such shots doesn’t signify anything dramatically, it’s just distracting
His teacher says bullying is a situation with no catch-all solution
His framing of bullying feels a little too helpless, but he’s right to focus on what sort of resolution the victim actually wants
Some visual experimentation here, though nothing to match last week’s
“What’s surprisingly effective is to say ‘stop it’ right when something happens”
Rei describes Hina extremely well. His teacher realizes this may be the start of romance
They’re really going heavy on some kinda mediocre gags. Dragging them out too long
And then the teacher realizes Rei’s thinking in terms of some absurd, fatalistic “life debt” thing. Nice to have an adult perspective counterbalancing Rei’s all-consuming view
Hayashida is the teacher’s name
Rei now feels motivated to win purely to earn money to help Hina. He still can’t fight for himself
Nikaidou’s so happy to see him passionate at last
This episode uses the chibi character shifts well
“Rei doesn’t seem to be getting fluffy at all.” Haha
Akari beating herself up over not being more supportive of Hina
Grandpa has the right advice. “Hina was suffering already. So if we’d asked her ‘why did you do that’ on top of everything else, she’d feel lost”
“I didn’t know anything at 19. But Mom was counting on me. So I tried as hard as I could.” Jeez, Akari
She feels she can’t practice the advice she preaches, because she’s not strong enough
“I thought, ‘I don’t care about justice, I just want her to run away.’” Not wanting Hina to be hurt, even if it meant betraying the “good person advice” she’d given Hina herself
“The thought of someone extending a helping hand was so terrifying. I couldn’t ask anyone for help”
And Rei responds with how she saved him, as well