Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e 2nd Season – 07

「すべてを疑うこともすべてを信じることも共に安易で、思考を放棄するに等しい。」 (Subete o Utagau Koto mo Subete o Shinjiru Koto mo Tomoni Ani de, Shikou o Houki Suru ni Hitoshii.)
“To Doubt Everything or to Believe Everything Are Two Equally Convenient Solutions; Both Dispense with the Necessity of Reflection.”

While Youjitsu hasn’t been the most fulfilling of shows this season (chopping and rushing are always evil things), I think I can start forgiving the usual adaptation woes if this arc continues along the same track. Slower pacing, better fleshed out and understandable (if still complex) test, and Kiyotaka finally showing off his inner Casanova? Darling now we’re talking intrigue.

With Kikyou having revealed her inner demon to Suzune last time there shouldn’t be any major shock that the latest test in Youjitsu world is going to come down to matters of trust. Pairing up classmates to achieve perfect balance and having said pairs play a veritable game of 20 Questions is going to induce some interesting decisions after all, particularly once the pairs are openly known and one remembers the fact a few pairs always wind up failing. For all the beating around the bush with class strategizing the key here is who gets convinced to fail and which class winds up with which questions – because one way or another you know full well miss duality will do everything she can to let Kakeru run wild over a Suzune-Ken pairing that very much relies on its female side.

As for the male half, Kiyotaka too isn’t without his own array of (albeit funny) challenges. Besides the promise to sit back and let Suzune handle things (a promise guaranteed he’ll break), there’s also the fun shenanigans with Maya revealing a crush and Kei similarly revealing a healthy dose of jealousy. This bit is honestly interesting to see play out because it’s the first time we have a situation which Kiyotaka isn’t necessarily the best equipped to deal with. How do you deal with competing girls after your affections who don’t necessarily operate via pure logic? Truly the question of the ages for Kiyotaka simply because he uses logic and both Suzune and Kikyou (to a degree) do the same. There’s a lot of room to see some interesting (read: hilarious) developments emerge out of this because given Kiyotaka is paired with Maya there’s bound to be some noise from the Kei bleachers – and some seriously upset scheming – once the full extent of the test is revealed.

After all, when it comes to love, never underestimate just what the other side is capable of.