Kekkon suru tte, Hontou desu ka is shortly rising in my listing of favourite relationship sequence. Clearly as a result of it suits very well, but in addition due to the match. Only a few anime so precisely painting the agony of romance for many who aren’t good at it. Nature lovers won’t ever perceive how onerous all this shit is for clumsy individuals. That is not their fault, any greater than it is our fault that we’re clumsy. We’re born a sure method and we are able to no extra select to be completely different than we are able to select who our mother and father are. However this type of authenticity is uncommon as hen’s enamel. That is likely to be shocking, because you’d count on these kinds of individuals to be extra widespread amongst mangaka (and writers usually) than among the many common inhabitants.
A standard function of actually good rom-coms is a supporting solid that’s distinctive in its personal proper, however primarily serves to maneuver the principle couple’s story ahead. There are definitely circumstances the place these characters outshine the celebrities (“generally the wingman desires to fly the airplane” syndrome) – such because the satellites in orbit which might be brighter than the solar. However the very best have a predominant torque sturdy sufficient to resist that. That is a steadiness Kekkon Definitely, tte has hit very nicely thus far. There are attention-grabbing tales constructed across the secondary characters, however every served to meaningfully advance the principle storyline.
How does Umiyama Nao match into this? She begins out fairly annoying – that uber-genki conduct and her standing as fairly a trope. However there’s extra to it than the cliché – sufficient to make her fairly sympathetic. And she or he is definitely an vital lever to get issues transferring along with Takuya and Rika. Thoughts you, her random encounter with Rika in a metropolis of 41 million is ridiculous sufficient – she lives subsequent door to her guild the lily. However that type of conceit is just about a given in animanga, so I’ve largely stopped sticking to it.
Nao is severe about her occupation, and that’s to her credit score. And glassmaking is extremely troublesome to grasp. As soon as Rika catches a glimpse of that, her view of Nao softens a bit (however solely a bit). She tries to sneak away unseen after that glimpse, however Nao sees her. After which gives an invite (nicely, invitations himself) to a consuming night at Rika’s home. And that units off a 6.0 relationship earthquake, I would say. Even having somebody at her home is a shock to Rika – that is simply not one thing she does. After all, it’s not the case that you just drink numerous beer. However there is a first time for every thing.
As soon as Nao expresses her life grievances about Rika and calls for a response, Rika’s response actually stood out to me. “The cardboard I purchased yesterday had a crease within the nook,” she says. She’s undoubtedly a bit obsessive-compulsive, this one. And as soon as she begins this course of and downs sufficient beer to grease the gears, Rika cannot cease voicing her complaints. And everyone knows the place that is going. Why is Takuya so onerous to learn? What is the deal between him and Nao? Why is all this so rattling onerous? Even the tanked Rika has some guardrails, and she will be able to’t deliver herself to ask Nao outright if she and Takuya are actually simply osananajimi. However she definitely thinks so.
I really feel Rika’s ache right here so, so. That is so onerous for her – what appears apparent to some individuals is nothing however confusion to her. She has by no means had a visitor in her condo. She has by no means actually been near anybody since her mother and father separated. She will be able to’t keep in mind any significant dialog with a person (or boy) – not less than earlier than Takuya. She shut down her feelings to keep away from getting harm, which is at all times an inviting plan of action. However Takuya has opened the faucet and Rika’s mind is being flooded. The issue is that she has no concept how you can course of all of it. Expertise is the very best instructor, and she or he has none of that.
It would not assist that Takuya himself is sort of as (although completely different) awkward in human interplay. The very last thing Nao does earlier than she passes out in shock is to name Takuya and demand that he come over and clear the air with Rika. It occurred to me earlier than it even got here up that he is by no means been there, and the way he discovered the deal with after Nao refused to provide it’s past me (it isn’t like he might ask his boss , given the circumstances). However dutiful as ever, Takuya arrives to find a slightly ugly scene: Nao is chilly and Rika is indignant and drunk. I will give him credit score – I most likely would have bailed right away.
“That is what I would prefer to know” about sums it up. Rika lastly works up the nerve to ask Takuya what he was going to say that night time underneath the celebrities (though her actual query was most likely even deeper). “I am glad we had been allowed to take a stroll,” he solutions. WHERE? Possibly – nevertheless it’s not the reply Rika was in search of. Lastly we get to the guts of the matter. And Takuya, bless him, seizes the second and says flat out, “I wish to date.” Be my buddy.” I would not be completely shocked if he has some expertise right here; Takuya has clearly grow to be extra introverted as he grew up, whereas Rika has been like this for many of her life. However nonetheless, it is a large downside for the present Takuya.
What follows is ache – for them and for us. I do not know if it might have been tougher or simpler for Rika to muster a response if she was sober, however she does current with a BSoD. For ten minutes. Then seemingly hours. I do not blame her, however Takuya would not deserve this. He is a pleasant man who tries to do the precise factor. It is onerous to think about something extra awkward than dropping that bomb and getting no response in any respect – simply lifeless silence. Lastly he cannot take it anymore, hoists Nao onto his again (presumably he has no concept she lives subsequent door) and staggers exterior. What a multitude. However that is what occurs when two individuals like this attempt to climb Everest, a romance for the clumsy with out supplemental oxygen.