First Impressions / Go-Toubun no Hanayome

「屋上の告白」 (Okujou no Kokuhaku)
“Confession on the Rooftop “

The second episode of Go-Toubun no Hanayome scratched an itch I didn’t realize was there with how Miku ended up being extremely cute. By showing Miku’s hidden obsession with Sengoku-era warlords, it not only gave her more knowledge to work with despite her and her sisters’ academic failings, but also gives her far more characterization as she tries to keep her repressed love a secret from her sisters.

This episode’s main focus is on learning about what makes Miku tick. Even though she is often shy around others, it is the only way she was able to enjoy her hobby without the fear of being judged. Starting from the feelings she has for older, bearded generals from a historical app game, she then became obsessed with Sengoku warriors to the point of studying Japanese history. As a result, she’s able to answer every historical question she’s given despite failing in other subjects. Even though the Nakano’s siblings’ go-to response to Fuutarou’s tutoring is to run away as far as they can together, Miku showed the most creativity by putting on a bow to impersonate Yotsuba and point him in the wrong direction. It’s a funny moment, but it shows the hint of craftiness that Miku has in her problem-solving efforts. Another aspect of what make’s Miku’s point-of-view so special was being able to understand how important it is for her to find someone to talk with regarding her love for the Sengoku era. In the process of accepting Fuutarou’s tutoring offers, she’s also working towards an overall goal of being proud of what she knows, and trying not to see Sengoku-era history as a personal shame of hers.

It was also impressive to have Miku see through Fuutarou and show him that there are still things that even he needs to learn. For being an astute person, Fuutarou’s knowledge on everything isn’t as encyclopedic as what Miku knows about the Sengoku era. This becomes a thorn in Fuutarou’s side because not only did his lack of knowledge in some references make Miku disinterested in learning under him, but most importantly, it was a wake-up call not to underestimate the Nakano sisters. To have been told he might not have all the answers rankled him so much that he used his studying habits to learn everything he needed to in order to match Miku. At the same time, his efforts would eventually drive him to do more to help these girls than to just hit their sweet spots or cater to their interests under the assumption that they’ll eat from the palm of his hand. Under that mentality, it only brought him to stumble around Miku. It’s honestly refreshing to see that Fuutarou isn’t completely perfect or stoic as he re-evaluates his approach and tries his best to make up for acting like he had all of the answers that Miku already knew. Additionally, knowing how gifted Miku is in her historical knowledge helped Fuutarou understand how the Nakano sisters are pieces to a bigger puzzle since each of them are masters of only one trade.

I absolutely loved Miku, her quirks, and her growth as she decided to open up to tutoring, but the episode also gives us some extra tidbits on the other girls. Yotsuba continues to be such an amazing support system to Fuutarou as she is the only sister to eagerly ask for his advice on her poor exams. Additionally, she tries to make strides to help Miku get more accustomed to Fuutarou so she too can benefit from his tutoring, although some of this motivation is Yotsuba really wanting to know if Miku has a hidden crush. And speaking of that, Ichika has her humorous streak continue as well with how she tries to act as Fuutarou’s wingman to get some alone time with Miku and encourage Fuutarou to appreciate the idea that studying distracts them from being young and alive. It was also amusing to see how flustered Fuutarou got about the possibility of getting a love letter from Miku even after acting like love is a waste of time.

It wouldn’t exactly be accurate to say that Go-Toubun no Hanayome is a guilty pleasure since it’s been doing a great job as a harem anime so far. However, it was hard not to be in high spirits after finding out how adorable and charming Miku turned out to be. I suppose that the nerdy moe appeal of Miku was too irresistible not to find endearing. It might be comfort food, but it’s just the right level of feel-good to make Go-Toubun no Hanayome an exciting series to continue following. I’m looking forward to seeing what the anime does to expand on Nino next time around.

ED2 Sequence

Preview

17 Comments

  2. So the ranking will be the same in this early chapters, like this:

    1- Miku
    2- Miku
    3- Miku
    4- Miku
    5- Miku

    The same as further in the manga:

    1- Miku
    2- Miku
    3- Miku
    4- Miku
    5- Miku

    Did I forget to mention Miku?

    Don’t misunderstand, further in the manga, there will be nothing wrong with the other 4. They would be best girls in other story, but Miku is so far above them, that they hardly exist here.

    Jon
    Reply

    1. They would be best girls in other story, but Miku is so far above them, that they hardly exist here.

      Are you sure?

      From what I’ve seen, after a certain moment (manga readers know which one I’m talking about), the Nino Gang bolstered their ranks with a massive recruitment drive, and now they’re challenging the hegemony of the Church of Miku 😉

      It’s even more impressive when you realize Nino wasn’t precisely the most popular sister before that. A pity the anime won’t reach that point. In the early days, Miku reigned supreme in the fandom, and I expect the same to happen with the anime.

      Mistic
      Reply

  5. I was unsure at the beginning about this adaptation for a number of reasons, but as I’ve settled into its quirks I’m liking it more and more. Having Miku in this episode didn’t hurt either. They are definitely being very faithful to the source, which is always a plus and rare in many cases. They seem to be doing 2 manga chapters for each episode which seems about right for the pacing.

    Even though it’s wildly premature, I would love a second season already. The problem with a show like this being a single cour is that by the time each girl gets their background and motivations just beginning to be fleshed out, the show will end. I know adaptations like this are more like an advertisement for the manga rather than anything else, but there is a lot of better content when the story actually opens up and can breathe a bit more.

    7godeohs
    Reply

  9. Can totally relate to learning history because of games, but damn she’s thorough. That certainly takes dedication. I agree with Fuutarou that there is hope for these girls.

    Speaking of Fuutarou, I think he’ll make a good tutor. He managed to learn so much about the Sengoku era in a short period of time. A good basis for a tutor, now he just needs to work on his methods.

    Finally,
    https://randomc.net/image/Go-Toubon%20no%20Hanayome/Go-Toubon%20no%20Hanayome%20-%2002%20-%2030.jpg
    Her reaction was surprisingly cute.

    theirs
    Reply

  11. So after reading the impressions from the first episode (as well as searching for a backup harem anime this season just in case Date A Live III‘s off-model moments got worse**), I watched the first two episodes of Go-Toubun no Hanayome back-to-back.

    Needless to say, it was entertaining enough to add to this season’s “to-watch” list. (Hello, new guilty pleasure!)

    – Fuutarou is basically a black-haired Yu Narukami (Persona 4 protagonist) with a bigger ego.
    – I liked how Yotsuba’s ribbons somehow move on their own, similar to a certain skimpily-dressed destroyer girl from Kantai Collection.
    – I have this uneasy feeling Nino is gonna be a lot like Kirino (or from the same season, Kotori Itsuka in “black ribbon mode”) personality-wise.
    – Kana Hanazawa’s character just had to have a similar name (or perhaps they are written differently?) to the dense male protagonist of Infinite Stratos… (Poor Charlotte–unless you take the Infinite Stratos: Sugar and Honey manga to be the canon story.)
    – While it was nice to see Miku getting the first “day in the limelight” episode (and it’s easy to see why she’s “best girl” at this point), I would still love to see the other sisters get their day in the limelight.
    – From what I heard from the manga readers, the ecchi moments seem to have been toned down in the anime. (Damn, I’m tempted to read the manga now…) That said, I still wouldn’t mind “precision ecchi” scenes in the anime that can be used to great comedic effect.

    (** – Fortunately, episode 2 of DAL III put that worry to rest, at least for now.)

    Incognito
    Reply

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