Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

Posted by Cherrie on August 25, 2017 August 25, 2017 First Impressions / Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e

「無知な友人ほど危険なものはない。賢い敵のほうがよっぽどましだ。」 (Muchina yuujin hotondo kikenna mono wanai. Kashikoi teki no hou ga yoppodo Mamida.)
“Nothing is as Dangerous as an Ignorant Friend; A Wise Enemy is to be Preferred.”

Like in every romantic comedy, there’s always going to be a swimsuit episode and it’s finally here! Normally I’m not a huge fan of these episodes because hey – I don’t really care how the girls are dressed and it’s often full of lovely full-length images and silly things about boys peeping on girls. This episode was a little more unique and I liked how it didn’t seem like any other swimsuit episode. There’s a lot of in-your-face comedy that’s very obvious, but there’s a lot of subtly as well that’s much smarter humor. Maybe it’s because Kiyotaka is also growing on me, I think of all his remarks as sarcasm now and it makes the show a lot more enjoyable. I simply need to stop taking him so seriously and assume that he’s kidding most of the time.

I found it really enjoyable to watch the boys try and set up cameras in the girls’ washroom. It was highly entertaining and not even in the funny way, but just seeing when and how they’d be caught. Considering that it was a very toned-down episode with less tension, I was surprised to see Class A and C show up again, not to mention Manabu jumping out of nowhere to stop any fighting. And just when the boys thought they were going to get away with it, Suzune pulls the plug on everything; and it’s all thanks to Kiyotaka again! Man, who would’ve thought this guy was thinking several steps ahead? They’re really the ultimate team. They feign innocence and no one knows the wiser but they’re actually working together very well and both are much smarter than they appear (especially Kiyotaka). What a performance from Suzune too – she just picked a fight with the rest of the school! Although I don’t think she said anything that anyone doesn’t already know.

While there wasn’t a ton of development in this episode, I thought of it as further development for Kiyotaka and Suzune. Not just as individuals but as a pair working together. Kiyotaka is clearly smart and thinks outside the box for many scenarios and somehow still has friends despite his aloofness and nonchalant attitude. On the other hand, Suzune is clearly on the outs in terms of being friends with her classmates and even though she doesn’t seem to mind, Kiyotaka is bringing her in. I loved the ending scene with the shot of their group photo. Everyone kind of has their place in the “clique” now but seeing them grow out of their comfort zone is what school is all about. I didn’t think Sakura would make it in but she does and so do all the boys. All I’m hoping for now is for them to show more of Kikyou and why her attitude is so 180.

Full-length images: 12, 13.