Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’m eager to dive back into Skip and Loafer, for an episode that promises some of our most intense drama so far! I know, honestly not the biggest threat for this charmingly mild-mannered production, but I’m nonetheless excited to see Shima confront some of the lingering aspects of his past, and for Mitsumi to grapple with what exactly Shima means to her.

So far, Mitsumi has been enjoying a lighthearted high school life by virtue of her own personal buoyancy, being able to both draw people towards her and rise above her own insecurities through her earnest positivity and relative maturity in pursuit of her life goals. She has avoided friction by not imposing herself on others, but love is necessarily an imposition: a hopefully positive one, yes, but nonetheless a request to meaningfully insert yourself into the life of another, and act with their feelings in mind with the understanding that they’ll be doing the same.

As Shima’s old friend noted, our boy has already unconsciously begun this process, but introducing a rival for his affections will quite likely force him to make his connection with Mitsumi explicit, which would go against the carefree persona he’s adopted as a shield against painful consequences. Shima had gotten very close to the point of successfully shrugging his way into a relationship with Mitsumi, but Ririka’s arrival seems poised to force him into actively committing to his desires, with all the unwanted responsibility that entails. Let’s see how our lovebirds fare as we return to Skip and Loafer!

Episode 8

We open with Mitsumi wisely consulting with Nao-chan on what to wear for her zoo date. A reflection of one of Mitsumi’s most disarming qualities: her ready agreement regarding the things she’s not good at, and willingness to embrace the advice of the people around her. With the girl simultaneously embodying such self-awareness, humility, and appreciation for the talents of others, it’s hard for even a curmudgeon like Mika to dislike her for long

The clothes she’s laid out offer a fine demonstration of how a well-furnished wardrobe can help define a character’s personality and aesthetic sensibilities. Mitsumi favors light pastel colors, free-fitting clothes that don’t inhibit movement, and cute nature motifs like flowers and cherries, all of which fit her personality as an upbeat, outgoing person with somewhat childish visual preferences

Apparently Nao is actually a professional stylist

“Why would a fancy city boy go out with my Mitsu!?” Your concern is appreciated, but also ouch, Nao-chan

“Maybe I should let her go like that.” Nao is absolutely ruthless. Love the solemnity in her gaze as she considers letting Mitsumi torpedo her own date

There’s a great warmth even to somewhat demeaning gags like these. Mitsumi is delightful, both Nao and the show know it, so there’s no harm in poking fun at her unique fashion sensibilities. The show’s tone embodies the fond ribbing of close friends, as well as this story’s general appreciation that we all have different strengths and weaknesses, and there’s no shame in that

We cut back to Shima asking Mitsumi and Mika to keep Ririka’s visit a secret, as it could cause problems for her modeling career. The way Japanese media treats young public-facing figures like this seems absurdly predatory and invasive; the sense of “fan ownership” implied by things like idols having to hide their significant others is just a profoundly unhealthy way to view the relationship between artist and audience

Given that, I can understand all the more why Shima quit showbiz and currently wants no part of it

Mika commits herself to all the snooping Mitsumi is too innocent to consider, swiftly dismissing Ririka as a “trashy girl” based on the gossip headlines. Mika may have become friends with Mitsumi specifically, but that hasn’t deconstructed her general suspicion of others

As such, it seems she’s also resolved to make sure Mitsumi doesn’t get hurt. Folks just can’t help adopting Mitsumi

Mitsumi’s chosen date outfit is extremely her, a practical set of overalls and a goofy sun-blocking hat

Mika and Nao end up bumping into each other as they tail the couple, Nao disguised in men’s clothes. Skip and Loafer continues to be delightfully casual about Nao’s gender identity

Mitsumi is astonished by the lazy pandas

Oh my god, Mitsumi posing for a candid owl-face photo. Zoo dates are an easy romcom layup, and this one does not disappoint

The layouts put us somewhat in Nao and Mika’s perspective, as we can generally see Mitsumi’s expressions, but not Shima’s, thus validating their concern regarding the spirit in which he is taking this date

Nao swiftly realizes that Mika is a full-time project herself

We finally dig into Mitsumi’s perspective, and learn both the heat and the anxiety are getting to her. It’s hard to focus in this weather, but she doesn’t want to ruin the date that she herself requested

To this, Shima offers the perfectly calculated “we can always come again.” Emphasizing not only that this wasn’t a failure of a date, but that he’s already assuming they’ll have another one. He is truly a master of pursuing romance without actually announcing he’s pursuing it

Overhearing this, Mika is forced to acknowledge that she was only ever foisting her own uncharitable instincts onto Shima

And seeing Mika in despair, Nao elects to take on this project as well, revealing her true identity as she invites Mika to ice cream. What a supportive big sister

Shima is happy to talk about Mitsumi’s family, but immediately clams up when asked about his own family. This feels like a testament to how badly showbiz scarred him – even just with someone like Mitsumi, he is hesitant to reveal any personal points of vulnerability. That in turn likely informs his general “live in the moment” philosophy

He nonetheless reveals he has a three-year-old brother, and that he “doesn’t know what he likes.” Given both the age gap and the seeming lack of familiarity, my first guess would be that this brother was born after his parents’ divorce, and that they don’t actually live together

Shima, of course, is generally content to go with the flow, to not make extra work for himself like attempting to connect with this stranger of a sibling. But like in so many other aspects of their shared experience, Mitsumi’s earnest love of her family might just push him towards embracing the difficulty of connection

Shima spies a fox toy that he recognizes as a copy of one his brother owns. Based on the imagery, it actually seems like his family essentially embraced his brother as his own replacement, which could very easily also be a consequence of divorce – one of his parents remarrying and prioritizing the child they share with their new partner. And the bitterness this raises in Shima prompts him to abandon the thought of trying to connect with his brother

But Mitsumi pushes back, saying “he’d be happy just knowing it’s from you.” Even unwittingly, she is offering a positive model for him, an assurance that his uncertain efforts are worth it

But enough of that, time for the pajama party! Another gentle Nao moment, as she asks Mitsumi to make sure her friends don’t cause a fuss over her

Unexpectedly solid layouts throughout this study session. Skip and Loafer hasn’t really embraced too much depth in its compositions, so it’s nice to see these shots constructed such as to emphasize the physical contours of Mitsumi’s bedroom, which in turn amplifies the intimacy of the scene

Nice character-rich conversation between Yuzuki and Mika, as well. Mika could never imagine Yuzuki feeling constrained in her form of dress, but Yuzuki is quick to admit that wearing “cute”-style clothes with lots of frills apparently clashes with the cool image people have of her

Their naturalistic incidental conversations smooth the transition to somewhat heavier stuff, as Yuzuki admits she felt trapped by the social dynamics at her combined middle-high school, and thus elected to take the high school exams to find a new school and a fresh start. All excellent stuff; we can clearly see Yuzuki’s admissions as a reflection of Mitsumi’s own vulnerability regarding fashion, comments that assured her this is a safe space to talk about her insecurities

“I was trying so hard to fit in, I forgot what I disliked about the situation.” Oof, a painful but relatable situation. With social groups already formed, and feeling a desperation not to be abandoned altogether, it can be easy to shape your own persona in accordance with the group’s atmosphere, and thereby lose sight of your true self

“I was so set on not letting anyone mess with me that I came off as unapproachable.” As a result, she ended up overcorrecting in high school. Not all of them are as scarred as Shima, but all of them carry their personal baggage in their current affectation

Ooh, I love Mika’s mental response to this. She can actually relate to how Yuzuki’s beauty and scholastic excellence would foment resentment in her peers, and feels isolated by it, by that sinking question of “wait, am I just a bad person?” It is a painful thing to recognize and disdain your own uncharitable instincts. That’s why it’s ultimately so important that we choose how we engage with the world – for most of us aren’t anywhere near as naturally kind and open-minded as someone like Mitsumi. We must make a practice of being our best possible selves, even if it feels easier or more “natural” to embrace our uncharitable instincts

It’s an odd thing to admit; I’m old enough now to understand that derision and dismissal come very naturally to me, and that I must actively fight to be a better person than my first instincts would often dictate. I consider it an act of utmost cowardice and self-satisfaction to simply embrace cruel natural instincts, to tell others to “toughen up” instead of trying to be kinder yourself. The world should not require such a thick skin, and though I certainly stumble as well, I try my best to not contribute to the cruelty of society

Inspired by Mitsumi, Shima actually heads to summer cram school. An acquaintance makes a brief reference to his “complicated family situation”

Mika claims she has to leave early for a family dinner, but on the elevator, Nao swiftly gets her to confess that she just doesn’t want to deal with relationship discussions

Nao sees a lot of herself in this anxious girl, and urges her to rejoin the slumber party. It’s good advice; none of these girls want to see Mika get hurt, so this is a very safe venue for her to explore facing her fears

“Having a little bit of a cringe side will make you more endearing.” Sage advice, Nao. Sincerity might be cringe, but it’s still way better than the alternative

Shima is called to a cafe by Ririka, and is surprised to see she’s alone. Unsurprising that as two quasi-celebrities, it’s dangerous for them to be seen alone together

Shima freely admits that Mitsumi has made him into an early riser. He also sticks up for her, challenging Ririka’s description of her as a “circus act”

“You think it’s okay now that four years have passed since the controversy?” Ah, I see. Shima was actually the one who invited Ririka out the night she was caught allegedly drinking alcohol while underage, so she blames him for the fallout and eternal increased scrutiny. I can see her frustration, though of course as an American, my main takeaway is “holy shit is Japan’s celebrity culture insanely predatory and judgmental”

So now Ririka basically acts like she owns him. And this poisoned bond is further complicated by their childhood friendship – though it’s been tainted, their intimacy calls back to a time before either of them had to apply such careful consideration to their every action, to when they could just happily be themselves

And Done

Whew, what a stinger! Thus, while Mika at last takes a brave step forward, Shima finds himself dragged back into the past. The reveal of his “dark history” was frankly a lot less dire than I was expecting, but as I said, that’s more a reflection of my profound moral opposition to this sort of celebrity gossip bullshit than the impact it clearly had on the lives of Ririka and Shima. And that aside, this episode was absolutely overflowing with the nuanced navigations of personal interaction and identity-forming that give Skip and Loafer a richness to match its sugary sweetness. Here’s hoping Shima can gather the courage to share even this unflattering part of himself with Mitsumi!

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