「ようやく彼と彼女の始まりが終わる」 (Youyaku Kare to Kanojo no Hajimari Ga Owaru)
“As last, his and her beginning will come to an end”

It’s hard not to come back every week and not have something good to say about this show. Because when a show does something out of the ordinary pretty well and the standard things extremely well, it means that you get the best of both worlds — you get a slice-of-life that doesn’t bore you but still get some of those elements that make a slice-of-life worth watching. And in this episode’s case, it was definitely an example of just how well Yahari’s story holds up when you throw it into the realm of a “regular” slice-of-life.

Or rather, when the story pushes our characters into the realm of real people since I doubt any one of them (except Yui) would even contemplate going there — as Komachi so clearly stated when she left Hachiman and Yukino alone with each other at a mall. And while I can’t pinpoint what makes it so fun to watch there’s just something about seeing the two main misfits thrust into the arms of society that highlighted two points that probably wouldn’t have made as much sense in any other fashion. In Yukino’s case, it’s amazingly awkward how she won’t openly express her inner-girly side. Sure there were hints along the way before we reached this episode but watching her fawn over anything cutesy is such a stark contrast to the everyday Yukino that it makes you reconsider whether or not this tsundere has none or a whole ton of dere-dere inside of her. And in Hachiman’s case it’s becoming painfully clear that he’s just a misunderstood nice-guy who’s given up on anything a normal person would consider “happy” in life. And as negative as that sounds, it creates an awesome premise for a show that I still can’t put a finger on what the end goal is.

Because there’s a huge difference between a guy who’s down in a rut and a guy who’s completely lost faith in the world around him. And seeing how Hachiman is a prime example of the latter, it’s interesting to think about what he’ll do when there’s two girls on complete different ends of the spectrum thrown at him. You have a kind and thoughtful girl who represents what most guy’s would want and then there’s the tsundere genius who has trouble expressing anything besides cold hard-data who won’t accept she wants to be cutesy. Not to mention that she’ll lose herself whenever anything cute gets in-front of her. Can you imagine what kind of statement Hachiman would be making if he ever were to choose a girl to date? I mean besides breaking all of his “life rules” that are designed to prevent things from shaking up his life he would finally be on the other end of the relationship stick — instead of getting his own feelings hurt he’d be doing it to someone else.

But seeing how Hachiman is denser than a black hole and has a heart that’s three times too big for his chest, I think it’s fairly unlikely that a situation like that will occur. That said, with it out in the clear (at least to us the viewers) about Yui’s feelings and Yukino slowly peeling away her tough exterior, I haven’t give up hope for the scenario I mentioned earlier. Because if that monologue at the end of the episode wasn’t a ploy at watching Yukino try to be the friend who helps two other friends try to get together, I don’t know anything anymore. I don’t know about you guys, but I think Hachiman and Yukino would make a cute couple (:

 

Preview

83 Comments

  1. That thick facade, acting all sociable, and always smiling, starting conversations like a nice girl. Every man’s ideal woman. But ideals are ideals. They aren’t reality. So it feels totally fake.

    ~ Hachiman

    Cybersteel
  2. i have suspicions on yukino having something to do with hachiman’s accident because of that statement she made at the end plus she appeared to recognise yui’s dog

    Bukszie
    1. lol you seriously don’t know that! in episode 5 when white hair girl told hachiman that Yukinon is some kind of CEO or Minister daughter go rewatch the ep when hachiman got an accident first you see yuigahama with her dog and super limusine car plus in this ep when yugino are clearly hate dog. I am speechless well i am typing

      pokpok
  3. “It’s hard not to come back every week and not have something good to say about this show.”

    So does that mean it’s hard to come back to the show and have something good to say about it?

    Da5id
    1. Depending on where from England, America or other english speaking countries you come from, a double negative can be used to intensify the negation instead of cancelling each other.

      The same goes for other languages and actually, languages where a double negative means something positive are the minority.

      Zannafar
  4. This show has totally taken me by surprise. The quality of the show has built each week. The “volunteer” plot line is just there as a hook to allow us to watch the characters grow. Much like the mysteries in Hyouka. While I suppose it can be classified as slice-of-life or even rom-com, to me it deserves a classification of an “outsiders” show. All three of the main cast are lonely. Yui is only a hanger-on to the popular kids clique, tolerated, but still isolated. She longs for true friends. Hikki’s failures at relationships have caused him to become cynical and Yukino has become aloof because she is introverted and in the shadow of her popular and outgoing sister. For all three their actions and attitudes have been ways of coping with their loneliness. Yukino’s awkward attempt to do something friends do (go to a mall to buy a present), and then have her sister shove herself into it, showed not only her dere side (kittens on her apron and book), but that she does want to have a relationship with people but doesn’t know how. None of them do. The basic plot is one that gets repeated many times in anime, but I’m finding this really well done.

    Oh, and that ED!

    Bear
  5. I really enjoy this show I didn’t expect it when i saw the trailers but this one is a keeper !
    The reality of it just makes it so much better as a slice of life the way that people act and express
    them selfs is very nicely done, I recognize a lot of my friends hahaha.

    I live in Europe so sometimes I have a bit of trouble with the way characters act in Anime.
    But this show is very easily to relate to, also the main characters are just wonderfully flawed and real.

    My couple preference is perhaps not Yukino but Yui, because Hachiman and Yukino are very alike.
    Ofcourse this is not bad but in these kind of shows girls like Yui are always secondairy I would like to see her type win once !
    But ofcourse I like Yukino a lot who wouldn’t right ?

    Silva
    1. Exactly…which is what im hoping for (Yui’s a sweet girl and its not like she’s dumb; she passed the entrance exam to the skool and apparently that skool isnt just for everyone) because it would be a pleasant surprise to the romantic comedy formula or as japan likes to say: “love comedy”

      sonicsenryaku
  6. Londo
    1. the teacher and hachiman are pretty close; closer than most student and teachers would be; I see her as a surrogate mother of sorts…or like a good friend.

      sonicsenryaku
  7. I think that Hachiman is one of the best leads of this season. Really love that negative side of him (Although it’s sad). I don’t think he’s “denser than a black hole” though. He’s shown how sharp he is multiple times. It’s just that he doesn’t (want to) believe that anyone can like him.

    Really looking forward to the next episode. Btw just a question, but who’s notebook was he looking at in the end? Yukino’s? Didn’t really understand that part

    WildKaiser
    1. that’s a foreshadowing about what yukinon said about put a blame to someone that make them like that (the car that hit hikki) and the next part where it cut off Show Spoiler ▼

      that hikki actually hear and having a deep though about it by watching the sunset

      Dark
  8. Hachiman is one of the great MCs out there, just seeing him not blushing/embarassed when Yukinon said to pretend to be her boyfriend unlike some anime MCs that get overhyped just hearing the word boyfriend.

    I’ll also take one Onee-chan and a Twin-tailed Yukinon to go.

    baseone
    1. I don’t remember Raven from Teen Titans being a complete bitch toward anyone (except maybe toward Beast Boy) but I can see what you mean.

      I was like “Kuudere?” and then I saw it’s romanization of Cool. Cool and Cold. LOL

  9. Do you guys think that Hachiman will actually end up with one of these girls at the end of the series, or do you think they’ll leave it for us to decide? Maybe they’ll just do what every harem does and not make him choose at all by the end. Hopefully we’ll get some nice closure by the end of Oregairu.

    dytianquin
  10. I love Oregairu for showing howreal siblings act, either approving the sibling’s significant other, supporting each other, or simply doing nothing around one another. instead of “I can’t let onii-chan/onee-chan be with another woman/man” jealousy that seems to prevail in so many shows whose names escapes my mind.

    Hyacinth
  11. Dere Yukino, oh my goodness- wasn’t expecting an episode that would have so many adorable moments with her in it, as the episode preview last week made it look like it’ll have a much more somber tone, but I’m not complaining! We got character development and a misunderstanding wrapped up in one episode, no dragging out or anything… It’s things like that that makes Oregairu such a great show.

    katsudon
  12. Hm the title “his and her begining comes to an end” was misleading me into believing this episode would be a heartfelt dramatic episode, but it wasn’t, but I still loved it!!!!!

    I don’t think that Hachiman is ‘dense’, I guess his sister doesn’t know much about Yukinon, and Hachiman understanding that this is a ‘play pretend’ even allows him to go along without finding it awkward. I particuarly think Hachiman has had fixed thoughts about everything in his life, that he cannot see things changing around him. He lacks the emotion to Yukinon and Yuigahama by will. He even answers her coldly when he says ‘it is a misunderstanding’, as though he is not really bothered by it or even annoyed at her misunderstanding, because literly, it wasn’t nearly true.

    I found the panda scene funny and also the dog collar one. Couldn’t stop laughing. Though, I would like to add a note to Yuigahama, we sitll don’t know what she wants to ask/or feels towards Hachiman. I mean she tried to ask him something but then it was interrupted, and so its still a mystery (that episode when Saika interrupts), like she said: it isn’t that simple.

    Great episode, great review. I love Hachiman even more by each episode! Thanks, M.

  13. I want to ship both of the girls with Hachiman. I like both of the girls. This will be a hard decision. I will be watching for when Hachiman chooses one of them. I hope so! Good luck Hachiman!

    Kuro
  14. I disagree with the “denser than a black hole” sentiment in regards to Hachiman. He has shown on multiple occasions (several times this episode in fact) how sharp he is. While in most shows the misunderstanding at the end would be allowed to continue for the sake of “drama”, Hikki picks up on it almost immediately and clears the air for both Yui and Yukino. I think he isn’t dense in regards to their feelings, it’s just that he is so cynical he can’t fathom a girl having any sort of romantic interest in him. Hachiman really is a breath of fresh air; while most anime protagonists would be flustered while having their arm jammed between a beautiful girl’s boobs, Hikki is mildly irritated. Also, HikkixYui ftw.

    AqueousCactus
    1. Dense can take on many meetings you know! Like when you have a highly perceptive character who’s so perceptive that they miss the simplest things around them (;

      But yeah, there’s probably a little bit better of a word choice. But it was 3am and my brain was ready to go to sleep xD

      1. Perhaps a better (if not totally different) way to put it is denial. Hikki is so cynical, so self-loathing, he convinces himself that these girls can’t possibly be attracted to him, and ignores all the obvious signals that suggest the contrary. Oddly (and hilariously), the only character he has gotten flustered over is Saika…

        AqueousCactus
    2. But he also doesn’t trust anyone’s positive actions towards him. He considers them all fake and not to be trusted. Being nice or friendly to him is just a lie by a hypocrite, and everyone else is a hypocrite. Maybe not Yukinon because she mostly makes negative comments towards him (and others).

      Bear
  15. – Hachiman, intentionally, completely rejects all and any possibility that a girl might like him, since he was hit by that misunderstanding at least twice already. This is the reason why he was immediately fine with “acting like lovers” with Yukino. She “doesn’t lie” so he can completely reject any possibility that it was real. If it was Yui he would have came up with another reason. With Saika it’s obviously “he’s a guy”.

    – I love how Hachiman and Yukino do not get the slightest bit flustered when people think that are going out. They simply correct them when the conversation pauses and then leaves it at that. This is a more normal, abet adult, reaction than we usually get.

    – The way Hachiman and Yukino can honestly give and take compliments to each other, where due, is quite interesting. They can give an honest evaluation of each others positive and negative points I guess?

    – I hope we get more interactions between Hachiman and Yukino. These are definitely one of the most interesting parts of the show.

    – In the end no one is a fault? Tch, what was I arguing about here last episode then? ;p

    moridin84
  16. Oh yeah and that sister? She leaves because she is the third wheel? I am not sure which person did it but… isn’t “being the third wheel” actually the reason why she was invited?

    moridin84
    1. More likely both 8man and Yukinon thought that having one more pair of eyes would make thing go faster, at the beginning the were going to search in different ways ‘couse “it’s more efficient”…

      8man and Yukino really do make a good couple…

      Yuu
  17. Did anyone else noticed that Hachiman’s piece of hair that looks exactly like Araragi’s from Bakemonogatari??
    I didn’t like my no 1 hentai/siscon/lolicon being copied ò_ó

    Tokiko Taichou
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