Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi – 07 & 08

Once again I’m reminded that Senpai is a show that has depth to the relationships portrayed on screen. There’s something special here, once again proven by this week’s and last episode.

Apologize for the double post, but once again I’m playing catchup as I try to frantically close the year with a bang. But you’re not here for that, you’re here for the boisterous anime coverage review, and we’re here to provide it, despite my usual tardiness to getting my post’s up, let me say I really enjoyed this week’s episode, the pacing screeched to a halt, but sometimes that’s a good thing. And so it was with Senpai as it takes a moment to explore those aspects that may have not yet been properly glozed over. Like Souta and Touko’s ongoing and ever-growing relationship. And the true origin story of how Futaba and Natsumi became friends.

Episode 07

「いま、ここで」 (Ima, Koko de)
“Here and Now”

Natsumi’s and Futaba’s surprising origin story.

It was really cute getting to know how Futaba and Natsumi became friends, it truly was a story filled with youth and overbearing feelings, for a moment the show goes back to their high school days and allows us to simmer in the truth of how they met. Honestly riveting if I do say so myself. Natsumi comes off as this standoff-ish person who might be hard to deal with, but instead, she’s actually good inside and doesn’t show the world her true self until the world, aka other people; Has proven themselves to be good souls. Natsumi is a serious girl, who doesn’t take kindly to nay-sayers or people who incite chaos. She prefers more down-to-earth people who are brave and don’t give up easily. It’s part of her personality. Now as an adult she’s much more relaxed, but it’s cute how they made her so true to herself.

Futaba on the other hand is that down-to-earth person, who doesn’t give up easily when she knows she’s done nothing wrong. Futaba has a kind heart, and such is the case that Natsumi misinterpreted her as she found Futaba a little creepy maybe. Futaba should have spoken up feasible, however, that’s irrelevant as, in the end, it was kinda Futaba the one who got tricked as she was made late on her first day of school.

All of this is packaged in a B story that affects the whole office as a whole, The Flower Viewing Party which everyone is forced to attend. Everyone drinks and has fun, some people get really drunk, all normal stuff. The episode couldn’t just give us the backstory of Natsumi and Futaba, it had to be something else, but it kinda felt like it was backburning on the A plot for this episode. Nothing really special happened at the party, relationships didn’t advance, but characters became more comfortable around each other, in small ways, subtle hints of familiarity are there.

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Episode 08

「それぞれの休日」 (Sorezore no Kyūjitsu)
“Everyone’s Holidays”

Souta and Touko go to the Aquarium

Continuing with the episode 07 theme, episode 08 takes a similar approach but to show a relationship we don’t really know much about, however in some weird way it manages to actually work. Sout and Touko seem like an unlikely pair, these two would probably never get along with each other in a high school setting, however, in an office setting, it might actually work between these two. Souta on the other hand is not like he’s completely inept at social cues. Shown by how he jumps in when Touko is being harassed by those two men, clearly, she became uncomfortable when one of the guys was like let’s go for some tea. As good as it might be, she doesn’t even know you, bro! The type of person who accepts a stranger’s invitation to tea is not the same type of person this guy is into! Just saying, that’s something to think about. Free real estate, right there!

Anyway, the date itself was super cute, these two are made for each other, and the fact there was a dolphin with a nasty Souta stare made it all the better, thanks to both Souta and Harumi for believing that romance is still alive. Senpai manages to renew my love for love!

And that’s all! There’s really nothing much else I want to say, except maybe that Futaba getting scared over the TV Horrorshow was super cute and hilarious, thanks to Harumi for coming over and spending Golden Week with her!

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