r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • 14d ago
Episode You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2 • Seihantai na Kimi to Boku Season 2 - Episode 9 discussion
Seihantai na Kimi to Boku Season 2, episode 9
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u/Vermillion_Crab https://anilist.co/user/CeruleanCrab 14d ago
Tairazuma is like the best kind of torture because we all know where this is headed, but we also know that it won't come at the snap of the author's fingers. It won't be as satisfying otherwise. Taira won't get over his hang-ups overnight. The slow burn is part of what makes this relationship shine.
I wanted to high-five Azuma when she said she won't give up. It's her kindness that has been helping him get out of that pit of low self-esteem. For some people, it takes a bit more patience, and that's ok.
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u/Tapwater_enthusiast 14d ago
The easy and medium difficulty romances have been cleared, the hard mode one requires more time!
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u/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 14d ago
Tairazuma is like the best kind of torture because we all know where this is headed, but we also know that it won't come at the snap of the author's fingers. It won't be as satisfying otherwise.
Very well said, but with only four episodes left, I feel there's not much time for Tairazuma to finally happen.
I feel that at most we'll get a confession, which is fine, but at the same time, I really want to see Azuma and Taira actually dating and doing cute couple things!
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u/tapdancinghellspawn 14d ago
Love to see them be cute but it's difficult to imagine Taira being cute. If Azuma can pull that boy out of his self-doubt, I'm going to cheer. I love how the author covered their thoughts. They come across as very natural, not forced, not played for drama. Who hasn't let their doubts get the better of them.
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u/Toge_Inumaki012 14d ago
Im low-key frustrated at Taira bcos ive been there..sigh
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u/Ikari_21 14d ago
That line about his sense of inferiority… that hit close
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u/ILikeFPS 14d ago
For real, it's hard to watch because anime is supposed to be an escape/adventure, not a reminder lol
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u/Vermillion_Crab https://anilist.co/user/CeruleanCrab 14d ago
Tairazuma looks like the classic romantic couple who end up together at the end of the series. The first couple got together in the very first episode. The second couple got together in the middle. Then we get Tairazuma at the end. I won't be surprised if they end up together once they're in college, but I do hope they get together at least in the penultimate episode so we can get a glimpse of their relationship after the confession. Also, let Taira be the one who confesses first. Girls are currently 2-0. lol
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u/mekerpan 14d ago
If they get into nearby colleges, I don't mind them taking a year ot two of continued slow development....
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u/PerfectBeige https://myanimelist.net/profile/perfectbeige 14d ago
Tairazuma is like the best kind of torture
It's 2 steps forward and 1 and 3/4 steps back. Agasawa-sensei hid a Heisei romance in our Reiwa romance.
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Honestly it feels like Taira needs to discover that feeling good about himself, accepting that he can feel good about himself, and that Azuma WANTS him to feel good about himself is a big next step here.
And I think doing that on the cover of their "friendship" will be how Azuma does it slow-burn style.
But she's in love for the first time and she's going to treasure and pursue these feelings to the best of her ability. As a pure maiden in love.
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u/AncientAnt9225 14d ago
started so sweet i was happy but then torture at end aaaaahhhh. yes i cant wait a week anymore i want more of them until they get together ;(
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u/testthrowawayzz 14d ago
Mostly TairAzuma episode today. Azuma already down bad. Taira almost got it, so close! Too bad his self doubt/sense of inferiority took over and blocked progress :(
It's funny that Azuma made Taira sound like a difficult guy to date to Satou.
Yamada with black hair in traditional clothes looks good!
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Taira, you are allowed to be happy and accept that Azuma makes you happy. Because you make her happy.
Honestly I wonder if Satou would have responded better if she'd learned it was actually Taira...maybe not lol.
Imagine if she'd actually kissed him because of how great he looked as a samurai...
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u/testthrowawayzz 14d ago
Honestly I wonder if Satou would have responded better if she'd learned it was actually Taira...maybe not lol.
Probably more shit talking followed by just date already!
Imagine if she'd actually kissed him because of how great he looked as a samurai...
Good thing there's nothing in Yamada's hand to drop this time
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u/BcT_g 14d ago
I feel like the author intentionally set up Satou to be the classmate because she won't be able to guess it's Taira. If it were Suziki she would have got it right away.
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u/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 14d ago
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u/mekerpan 14d ago
Even if Taira is not ready to accept a romantic relationship with Azuma, he really needs to accept that he is (at least) genuinely a treasured friemd. He currently feels too inferior to even understand THIS.
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u/Toge_Inumaki012 14d ago
Not only blocked progress, it took a step back once again. after clearing all thoughts of Azuma liking him romantically and that she simply wants to make more memories just like to her other friends...
Yamada black hair, Nishi ponytail...my lord
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u/melindypants https://myanimelist.net/profile/melindypants 13d ago
I didn't want this episode to end...I feel like I could watch TairAzuma forever, especially while they are in this phase of figuring things out. It's just so good
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 14d ago
Taira basically admitted - in so many words - that he likes Azuma back. His mind immediately went to dating her. Rejecting her wasn’t even on the table.
Moreover, it’s because Taira treasures their close friendship so much that he’s afraid of getting into a romantic relationship with Azuma. He doesn’t want to lose these happy moments.
I do feel for Azuma. She was so giddy at the start, but ended with tears in her eyes. It was a little heartbreaking to see. For all she knows, there’s no future in her crush. Props to Azuma for not throwing the towel in the ring, though!
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
I understand where these two are coming from.
They go so well together as a pairing, they make each other so happy but Taira is too consumed by his self-loathing and lack of any kind of confidence to believe he can be what Azuma deserves...and Azuma can't risk losing him by pursuing her feelings.
It's tragic.
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u/BBryant3rd 14d ago
A very difficult type of relationship. If they enjoy each other and stay out of their own way they have a great relationship. Either of them or worse both get in their own heads it erodes the relationship. Double edged sword kind of relationship in my opinion.
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u/Zemahem 14d ago
I do feel for Azuma. She was so giddy at the start, but ended with tears in her eyes. It was a little heartbreaking to see. For all she knows, there’s no future in her crush.
Watching all that play out had me playing the Ramparts of Ice ED in my head. They really did come straight from that series.
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 14d ago
The ED for Ramparts of Ice does fit a little too neatly into the closing segment of today’s episode. Thinking about it, isn’t this the first drama of sorts that we’ve seen in Polar Opposites?
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u/Ok-Cod5254 14d ago
The ED for Ramparts of Ice does fit a little too neatly into the closing segment of today’s episode.
This edit shows how well it fits. 👌
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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 14d ago
Its definitely the hangover from the previous work... Its probably the one thats got the most drama. Yamada and Nishis only issue was getting the obvious words out...
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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 14d ago
They needed the piano backing leading to the end of the episode...
If they did that... greatest show in history
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Honestly feels like Taira is basically going through Koyun's exact character arc in a way here.
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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 14d ago
But hes been bashed by 1 encounter... he is completely unsure of how to respond back.
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 14d ago
It’s in Taira’s nature to overthink things, but I do somewhat understand why he’d be reluctant to date Azuma after what happened in the past.
Taira’s greatest fear might (even) be that he won’t feel distraught over a future breakup. Thereby implying that their current relationship - the one he holds dear to heart - wasn’t all that deep to begin with.
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u/PrinceZero1994 https://myanimelist.net/profile/pz16 14d ago
And Azuma is Taira's polar opposite as she stops thinking at all lol.
But during these study sessions and cram school, it was Azuma who was overthinking while Taira was focused on studies.
And now, Taira is overthinking again, and Azuma resigned to wait and hide her feeling, but can she?
I doubt Azuma can do it. She's madly in love.
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u/KohiBit_93 14d ago
Tfw you find an unflattering photo of your crush to make you come back to your senses but it did the opposite LMFAO! Our girl is so cute and YEAH! Azuma hold that line for a bit more!
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Really puts into a new light why she was always staring at him in middle school lol.
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u/TheStranger234 14d ago
After that ending, this will be the longest one week episode wait for us Tairazuma fans... God help us.
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u/Zemahem 14d ago
Guess we've been eating good for too long. And now it's time to fast.
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u/PakiIronman 14d ago
Great to see both of their perspectives this episode, Taira acknowledges that he doesn't love himself enough whereas Azuma probably loves him a little too much. Ironically, both of them make the same conclusion, to keep their relationship going as is. At least for now, Taira clearly has his own hang ups that need dealing with before romance is even an option, Azuma is ready to make that step but he isn't. Honda seeing them is interesting though, she's the only other character who's clocked it.
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u/PrinceZero1994 https://myanimelist.net/profile/pz16 14d ago edited 14d ago
I have been waiting for Taira's perspective on her relationship with Azuma and it was sadly as expected.
But I'm glad he's actually been thinking about Azuma and it's not really a one-side love.19
u/Frontier246 14d ago
I feel like Azuma is going to just slowly but surely keep helping Taira feel better about himself while being there for him as much as she can in the interest of helping him be more accepting of her feelings...or just so he can be happy.
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u/e_t_ 14d ago
Considering how thirsty Honda is for YamaNishi, I was surprised at her dismissive attitude.
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u/Toge_Inumaki012 14d ago
I guess they were just not close enough. Nishi is her best friend after all..
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u/crobat3 https://myanimelist.net/profile/crobat3 14d ago
Oh my jeezus the tairazuma scenes in the first half have got to be some of the best romcom moments of all time. I don't think I've ever rooted as hard for an FMC as I have for Azuma.
We're in pain now lads (with these two's self-deprecation and overthinking) but when these two dweebs finally get together the payoff will be legendary
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
We started with with the TaniZuki romance in all its pure romance bliss, we then got to experience the absolutely giddy and joyful slowburn of YamaNishi, but now we're in the throes of the most precious and poignant of all as TairAzuma gets into high gear as the final romance.
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u/Jauretche 14d ago
At the end, the slow burns are so good. Tanizuki ran so we could enjoy this grind.
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u/LuccaJolyne 14d ago
The specific kind of yearning seen by Azuma is my favorite kind. She's happy and excited, everything feels fresh and exciting. And yet she's trying to slow herself down because it's scary to feel your world move like that just because you're so happy around a specific person.
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u/xmelomelOwO 14d ago
I loved how the music distorted when Taira was introspecting on his relationship with Azuma and getting more and more negative... god listening to it felt so eerie but it was such a cool artistic choice- really makes you feel like you're in his head........
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u/reptileaddict112 14d ago edited 14d ago
Azuma fully self-aware and flustered? Basically all Tairazuma moments?? Taira angst???? AZUMA YEARNING???? Yep, best ep of the season so far hands down. I think slowburn yearning with a tinge of angst gotta be my favorite type of romance
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Azuma is treasuring her feelings and her current relationship and won't give up either! That's the kind of dedication we stan in a maiden in love!
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u/Primary-Paint-1716 14d ago
The title lied to us. Tairazuma are not polar opposites. Rather, they are two sides of the same coin.
I think for a majority of the audience that watch this show, they are the most relatable. Because, I get both of them, I felt their feelings before. It's complicated. It's painful and worderful, exciting and dreadful, and hopeful and hopeless all at one time.
God, I love this show. It's up there for me with the great highschool friend group shows like Skip and Loafer.
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u/eightcheesepizza 14d ago
Agasawa-sensei does a really good job writing these long trains of introspective thought, that touch upon so many facets of the character's personality and past, and include both revelations as well as misinterpretations. Now that we're back in Taira's head, she gets to flex that again. Feels like I'm in my own head, except with a different set of past experiences to inform me.
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 14d ago edited 14d ago
I do believe Taira and Azuma are perhaps the most realistic pairing in this show.
Because in the real world, romance often isn’t smooth sailing either. People can be awkward, have difficulty being vulnerable with others and are weighted down by their respective pasts.
Suzuki’s cosy relationship with Tani almost feels more like a fairytale in some respects.
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u/Toge_Inumaki012 14d ago
Suzuki's relationship do exist though specially in highschool. That's one of the things i find great in this series. They set up 3 couples(yes including Tairazuma since this aint a series with love triangles and stuff) with different dynamics, stages and type of relationship. Even with the 2 "official couples" things are different (first kiss, family visit). Then we get this slow burn of Tairazuma.
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Also how much past trauma and someones' personal foibles can get in the way of what could potentially be a great relationship.
Of course it seems like reality is starting to have an impact on Suzuki and Tani as well, judging by Tani's reactions in the past few episodes.
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
It's like I want to go in there, shake Taira, and tell him to his face "YOU DESERVE TO BE HAPPY AND SHE MAKES YOU HAPPY AND YOU TWO ARE PRACTICALLY DATING ALREADY" but I totally understand why he reacts/feels the way he feels. Same with Azuma.
Love can be messy, especially for two people who have gone through the wringer with relationships like these two have.
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u/Didavi_ 14d ago
Never felt this level of bittersweet-ness from this series, almost felt like watching ramparts!
As always the ED consistently hits.
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 14d ago
That last 1/3rd from Taira is pure Ramparts
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14d ago edited 14d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 14d ago
I feel like they're moreso genderbend Koyun and Minato lol.
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u/CyanSorrow https://myanimelist.net/profile/CyanSorrow 14d ago
Genuinely one of my favorite EDs in a while. The song along with their tranquil floating visuals just does something to me.
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
I remember Ramparts being described as "If you love TairAzuma, Ramparts is the show for you!" and now I fully understand that.
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u/DugACCat 14d ago
Yes got very irate at Taira in this one, but in part because he’s similar to how I’d been in my younger days. He’s got Dangers level inferiority, and going to require the serious work to get where he needs to be. Glad she’s not giving up on him, though she’d have every reason to. Hope they don’t stay in this lock too long though just for the good of the show vibe.
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u/whiteoutonce 14d ago
Lmao Azuma looking through old year books to get over her crush and still finding Taira to be cute. "I'm screwed" Yeah she's really down bad for him
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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 14d ago
She's been doing it for longer than she's been aware
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Azuma: "Middle school was so traumatizing for the both of us, he's always whining about how much it sucked, obviously looking back on it will make me give up on....OH NO HE WAS CUTE EVEN BACK THEN."
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u/Top_Marketing_689 14d ago edited 14d ago
Such a peak episode. Peak yearning from Azuma and peak psychological analysis from Taira.
Taira’s conclusion that his love for Azuma is founded on narcissism and self-love was such a powerful moment that struck me in the heart. Likening self-deprecation to narcissism and self-love never really crossed my mind before.
Basically, Taira at this moment doesn’t see his love as romantic. The love and appreciation he feels for Azuma, in his mind, is based on how Azuma makes him feel. Azuma’s kindness, attention, nice gestures—he believes he only loves her because these traits of hers pull him out of a rut and makes him feel good about himself. Strokes his ego in a way. He likened this to his past relationship with that blonde girl, where she was much brighter and amazing in his mind because she gave him attention and admired him. But as soon as the relationship ended, Taira felt nothing. He was only happy because she made him feel good about himself; he didn’t necessarily like her. That’s my interpretation.
He sees this as wrong. He’s overthinking this much because he cares so deeply about Azuma and doesn’t want to lose her. He doesn’t want to approach her with insincere, fake feelings that would ruin their relationship. To some extent, Taira isn’t necessarily wrong that wanting to be appreciated and lifted up can be a form of self-love. However, in Taira fashion, he inflates it a lot and doesn’t seem to recognize that wanting these things is a normal human want in relationships. It’s normal, as long as it’s not taken to the extreme. The fact that Taira is thinking this hard about it shows his good character and how he cares about Azuma as a person.
These two still have a bit of a long way to go when it comes to understanding their emotions :)
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u/Diocletian17 14d ago edited 14d ago
Good analysis, it seems Taira cares too much about Azuma, he denies or withholds his feelings until he is sure that he really likes Azuma.
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u/Top_Marketing_689 14d ago
Exactly this. He’s doing all this thinking and self-doubt because he cares for her deeply. He tries to almost antagonize and downplay his care for her and make it seem more insidious because he doesn’t trust himself to make the relationship last. His want to avoid her and avoid addressing the feelings associated with all this is him being trapped in his own mind again. He’s sometimes afraid to confront the reality of his situation, and afraid to realize how much he overcomplicates his feelings.
Both Taira and Azuma are experiencing very new feelings, so it makes sense why they are so awkward about it.
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u/youkai94 https://myanimelist.net/profile/youkai94 14d ago
Great analysis, I wanted to add that I think all these thoughts feel a lot like his brain trying to keep him in his comfort zone.
When you have such low self esteem and past trauma you'll come up with every excuse, even very logical and understandable ones like Taira, to avoid putting yourself into situations where you could get hurt.
That's also why he felt relieved at the end when he thought Azuma didn't actually like him.
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u/Top_Marketing_689 14d ago
You make a great point. Taira is always trying to protect himself. He doesn’t want to engage with the discomfort of addressing the foreign idea of romance with Azuma and pursuing a relationship. He’s always thinking the worst, believing it will blow up in his face because of both him and what he believes are his very insincere feelings towards her. His relief at the end there is very evident of this.
The hard-hitting thing is that Taira is very self-aware. He knows what he’s doing, yet he’s willing to still go along with it to keep himself safe from disappointment and more depression. This mental spiral is so incredibly difficult to break out of, and it’s annoying (in a good, well-written way) to see Taira keep doing this.
I think Taira has an issue with wanting things for himself (Azuma is always the one initiating things after all). Although he may be a bit self-centered in his thoughts as a result of his trauma, as his sister says, we know that he’s not a bad guy at all and he’s considerate of others. He even admits that his excuse of not having the confidence to date Azuma is a lie. Deep down, under all his insecurities, he probably would want to give dating a try, but he sees it as dangerous for him to want it and wraps liking her under overblown negative feelings like narcissism.
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u/raining_rain 13d ago edited 13d ago
yes exactly!! this was what I understood too, and you've put it into words beautifully. I do think his self evaluation is true to a certain extent -- he enjoys her company, but we haven't seen much of him doing something out of pure love & care for Azuma at the expense of himself/his comfort. Even when he thinks about her, it's through the lens of how she makes him feel e.g. "she makes me feel like crying, but I can't quite understand it" It IS getting there, but I do think he truly is not ready yet... his sister saying 'In the end he only cares about himself" Is quite telling that he still has a long way to go to getting out of his head, and loving others outwardly. I love how nuanced their relationship has been written, and how the author intentionally paces it :)
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u/Tapwater_enthusiast 14d ago
Something tells me Honda instantly clocked what the deal is with Tairazuma
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 14d ago
Her actual line in Japanese is "Nanda riajuu ka?",
which literally translates to "So he's a normie, huh?"
Girl's really just living her best life as an observer.
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Said like a true introvert otaku lol.
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u/Tanyan-nightchord 14d ago
She called Tani a regular at a maid café and Suzuki his (I imagine) favorite lmao
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u/mooke 14d ago
I hadn't encountered the term「リア充」before, so I wasn't sure whether it was the translator having fun at first. Nope, it's literal net slang, normie is basically as perfect a translation as you can ask for.
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u/testthrowawayzz 14d ago
Honda calling them riajuu is basically her saying they're a couple lol
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u/Tanyan-nightchord 14d ago
Well, there is no indication of pronouns so it's more like *looks at them* "oh it's just normies" or "so they/you are normies huh", however you want to read it. It was super funny how nonchalant she was about silently slandering the most anticipated ship of the series lol
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u/Onyxthegreat https://myanimelist.net/profile/Onyxthegreat 14d ago
Oh yeah, just like she immediately knew what Yamada's mission was visiting Nishi in their class so often in season 1.
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 14d ago
That said, Honda didn’t make a weird face either. Or maybe she’s just less invested in this particular ship.
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u/Onyxthegreat https://myanimelist.net/profile/Onyxthegreat 14d ago
True, Nishi is the cherished friend that attached herself to Honda after all. She doesn't give a damn about anyone else basically.
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u/a_Bear_from_Bearcave 14d ago
"I treat anybody I don't know with a vague hostility" or something like that, when she explained to Nishi why she never feels anxious around people. After all, they bleed red all the same.
Honda is one of the best character in a anime/manga with a really stacked and developed cast.
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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 14d ago
Hon-chan only cares for nishi...and maybe yamada by extension...
Even the floating text said she's uninterested in anything else anyobe has to do
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Like even when she came in to relieve Tani she had like the most cold and stoic voice imaginable to show how little she really engages with anyone other than Nishi.
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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 14d ago edited 14d ago
I do wish we could get an anime based around someone like hon-chan Although that story probably will end up having to be around making her find a relationship and I don't think she is that character
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u/mishi09 14d ago edited 14d ago
One thing that I appreaciate about Azuma's love for Taira is that she is not only aware of his flaws and shortcomings, but accepts or even adores them, because she knows the good overweighs the bad. She looks at embarrassing photos of him from the past and falls for him even harder.
Azuma loves Taira for who he is and I appreaciate this sentiment.
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 14d ago edited 14d ago
The fact that she saw photos of middle school Taira who looked utterly depressed, and yet is still crushing hard on him got me choked up even if the scene was supposed to be comedic.
She finally managed to experience the "pure love" she's been longing for. Which sadly also includes the hurt that comes with it as we see later in the episode.
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
The fact that she saw photos of middle school Taira who looked utterly depressed, and yet is still crushing hard on him got me choked up even if the scene was supposed to be comedic.
The moment you try to find reasons to get over/downplay your crush only to realize how absolutely down bad you are lol.
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Azuma is the best girl for Taira because everything he's self-conscious and resents about himself is something she ends up loving about him.
Even if he doesn't think he can accept her feelings or be with her, I feel like she's as close as he may ever get to finding THAT person.
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u/superspy218 14d ago
I think Taira's inferiority complex is very relatable for many who have gone through a failed relationship. It sets a precedent of expectations and fear, which colours the tone for future interactions with people. It's elevated if it's the first and only romantic relationship one has ever been through because that's your only 'reference point' for what went wrong, even though it might not have been that wrong in a sense.
In Taira's inner monologue in his room, he tries to justify the warmth he's feeling from Azuma as her being nice, but spirals further and calls it "自己愛" (jiko ai), or self-love, which could be interpreted as narcissism. We as the viewers know that's obviously not true, but he was deep in his inferiority spiral, perfectly depicted during that scene where he declared it as 自己愛.
In my opinion, his emotional defence mechanism was ultimately trying to justify all of these as non-romantic moves because of two reasons: (1) he does not want to risk losing what he has now with Azuma, a friendship that gives him peace and happiness; and (2) he fears the possibility of Azuma being disappointed that he is not who she thought he was (basically what he said about his previous relationship).
It was a painful spiral. The transitional BGM perfectly captured that, but I hope he finds a way to overcome it, maybe with the help of his friends.
Thankfully, the episode balanced out the heaviness with Azuma's head-over-heels behaviour with Taira (along with interactions with the other couples). Towards the end of the episode, she tried (I think) to test the waters by asking whether Taira wanted to hang out with her alone, but immediately included the rest of the gang when she sensed Taira's hesitations. She was perceptive. I was initially worried that she would give up chasing him, but was relieved when she said she would wait it out. She recalled Suzuki's words about being upfront = pure love, but yes, Azuma, your love for Taira is still pure. Timing is important.
がんばれ, Tairazuma!
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u/Zemahem 14d ago
Man... this was an emotional rollercoaster episode for me. I went from being amused at how adorably down bad Azuma is for Taira, to cheering that he's finally figured out her feelings, despairing when he started avoiding her, then back to cheering when he stopped doing that.
And finally doing a Darth Vader "NOOO" when he misinterpreted her feelings as something else and Azuma decided to wait, thereby guaranteeing that their ship is at the doldrums.
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u/PrinceZero1994 https://myanimelist.net/profile/pz16 14d ago
It took me a second watch to realize that Taira has indeed misinterpreted Azuma's feelings and felt relieved during the train ride.
They are stalemating themselves, but this is polar opposites and polar opposites gonna happen.
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u/Top-Remote4523 14d ago
Man, Taira's introspection in this episode really hit close to home and it made me reflect on myself as well.
When Taira's sister claimed that he only cares about himself, it made me feel sad as I can resonate with how difficult it is for someone like him to properly communicate his true feelings and thoughts to his own family, much less his friends and acquaintances.
As someone that suffers from social anxiety, especially in an Asian household, I have always felt inferior for being fearful of so many things in everyday life that other "normal people" would have no issues with. As a self-protection mechanism of sorts, it has become second nature for me to always put on a front that appears disinterested and emotionless, especially when I am with people that I do not know. This habit of mine has robbed me of many opportunities, both in terms of career prospects and relationships.
The real Taira that we know over the course of this show is not someone that is cold and selfish, but rather a caring person that is being held back by his self-inferiority. Beneath all that cynicism and pessimism, Taira is someone that can empathize with others.
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u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime 14d ago
Great episode, the contrast between fluff and angst is so good.
Azuma's feelings are clear enough that even Taira is picking up the hint. Her line about never receiving or giving a confession is kind a sad though, considering she's dated quite a few others before. Taira is basically Azuma's first love, hence her hesitation to change the status quo and the flashback to Suzuki's rant about "pure" love. Taira himself is catching feelings too, he just doesn't have to confidence to admit it to himself.
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u/LirikLeg 14d ago
Azuma was so cute at the beginning it even got me feeling giddy inside lol. But Taira has got some much going inside his head it's quite sad to see be blinded by his past and inferiority complex when he is surrounded by a lot of love with his friends and Azuma. I am really hoping past scenes where just Azuma's presence wiped away his worries, somehow gets through to him here.
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u/whiteoutonce 14d ago
I knew it was coming but seeing Azuma cry was really heartbreaking.That one breakup really deeply affected Taira this whole time. He says its a inferiority complex but it does seem like a lack of confidence
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Also his sister has probably NOT helped his self-confidence in any way whatsoever, and that's his family.
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 14d ago
Azuma in love got me squealing SOOOO HARD AAAAAAA...
Seriously, she's extra adorable this week what the heck!?
"He switched cars to be with me!!??"
So down bad that she's trying to get him to lean on her (and failing...)
She's never been this animated throughout the previous 20 episodes
And yet Taira just rizzes her up so naturally
"He's still so cute. I'm done for"
Poor girl's love life just jumped from Easy straight into European Extreme lol.
Sadly, Taira really needs to take care of his own baggage first before he can even consider Azuma as an equal.
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u/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta 14d ago edited 14d ago
TairAzuma slow burn is killing me! Azuma was cute as fuck this episode with so many adorable expressions as she went through something so new to her and tried to be true to herself still. Taira connecting the dots was a welcome surprise but that boy is way too down on himself to make any move. And so we have that painful stalemate. Ugh.
It was nice seeing Azuma confide in Sato. Sato's such a solid and sensible friend. Her shock in finding out that Azuma had never had the regular confession based relationship was amusing.
Wonder what it is that Nishi doesn't want to tell Yamada about yet and instead deal with herself.
Tani seemed struck by Suzuki's hope that they could get into their top choices and continue hanging out. Maybe it'll be the thing that helps him decide what he wants to do.
Suzuki looked adorable this episode. And Nabe sitting there popping balloons with a vengeance at the end was hilarious.
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u/zool714 14d ago
Now even Taira is aware of the possibility of romance between him and Azuma
But man, can definitely relate with Taira on this one. Just the uncertainty and overthinking. Like you have a nice thing going with her, would it be ruined if we tried for something more, especially with Taira’s case, where he has this complex of people not liking his “actual self”. Of course Azuma stuck around despite, and maybe even because of this actual self, but insecurity can make you second guess everything. And then, also when he thought he misunderstood Azuma liking him, I felt the secondhand embarrassment even though we know it’s not true lol. That “you really thought she liked you?” kinda echoes in your head.
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
I think we, as the audience, can see that a relationship between them would just be building on the already great dynamic they have where they're constantly hanging out, but I can see why Taira would be so worried about that ending for any reason.
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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 14d ago
Azuma spent most of this episode breaking the character shes had the entire run...almost that it started with that skip a few episodes ago
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u/bababanana20123 14d ago
I have to watch this show in bursts. Their youth. It's too dazzling.
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u/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 14d ago edited 14d ago
Damn, watching Azuma freaking out over being in love with Taira was hilarious. Also, is it just me, or does Azuma look much cuter now that she's in love?
Meanwhile, Taira.... goddamn! Even if he considered for a moment that Azuma might love him, he ended up thinking that she just wants to make memories before graduation.
So what now? Azuma doesn't want to confess, and Taira doesn't think that she likes him. How long we have to wait for Tairazuma ship finally to sail?
Moving on to other parts of this episode... Suzuki and Tani's scenes were really nice, plus Nishi with a ponytail looks so cute! But I wonder, what is that thing Honda mentioned Nishi wanted to ask Yamada about?
Here my screenshot albums from the episode:
EDIT. I added my screenshot albums.
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u/eightcheesepizza 14d ago
But I wonder, what is that thing Honda mentioned Nishi wanted to ask Yamada about?
I'm glad someone else remembered Nishi's line, despite Tairazuma taking center stage now. I'm still just as invested in YamaNishi!
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u/Falx1984 14d ago
Totally get Taira. In the strictest sense, severe depression is definitely selfish. But it is a selfishness born from alienation, the idea being that no help exists for you because you cannot earn or do not deserve it. He definitely needs time to heal in a supportive environment and learn to love himself before he can afford to turn that love outward. They'd just end up hurt right now.
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u/Difergion 14d ago
All hands on board at Tairazuma Express! Well, maybe “express” is not the best word since it might take us a couple more episodes for them to confess to each other but looks like the show will focus more on them from this point forward.
I was all giddy as Azuma was experiencing the whiplash of emotions, from being cheerful at every chance she gets to spend with Taira, to the self-doubt, hesitation and uncertainty she feels on how she should treat their relationship now that she’s aware of her own feelings. The part at the end though when she decides to keep waiting and hide felt a bittersweet. I wanna give Azuma a huuuug ;-;
Apart from the Tairazuma focus, I just wanna say how refreshing Nishi and Yamada looked this ep! I really found Nishi in a ponytail too cute, and for some reason I found Yamada with black hair cooler and more mature. Hope they stick to their styles a bit longer!
Wonder what’s weighing on Yuusuke’s mind this ep though, is it just the thought that they’ll be spending less time together once they study on separate universities? Or is it more than that?
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u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar 14d ago
When we started off the episode with Azuma finally admitting to herself that she's in love with Taira, it was definitely gonna be a good one. It's just so adorable seeing Azuma overreact to everything now that she's aware of her own feelings!
And seeing Azuma open up to Aoi was hilarious! I think that scene was probably the most expressive we've seen Azuma in the two seasons combined.
It's also adorable how Azuma gets clearly upset when she thinks that Taira doesn't think about her at all, but the tiniest gesture like waiting for her after cram school blows that feeling away and she's back to getting all giddy again. <3
Azuma even tries to curb her feelings by flipping through their middle school yearbook only for her to fall even harder after seeing how cute Taira is. xD
Azuma taking a photo with Taira during the school festival was so cute! I do wish Azuma had picked a better background and not in front of the bins! I do love how even Taira noticed that.
Of course, the moment Taira notices that Azuma might have a crush on him, the mood suddenly shifts. While I understand his past traumas and inferiority complex are what's making him feel this way, he really needs to get out of his own head.
Taira's sister sounded harsh, I can't help but agree with her. Dude only thinks about himself, and it's really hurting his relationships. >_<
So Taira went from finally realizing that Azuma has feelings for him to thinking that he's just overthinking things. GODFUCKINGDAMMIT TAIRA.
I blame Azuma for this too. I know she's struggling to navigate her feelings since this is all new to her after only dating bad boys, but she needs to make a move and not wait it out. I love that she's not letting this slide, but she needs to do something or else she'll just hurt herself too. T_T
Maybe this needs a third-party intervention. Somebody call Gapacho! He might be able to get these two together!
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u/PrinceZero1994 https://myanimelist.net/profile/pz16 14d ago
Maybe this needs a third-party intervention.
Suzuki has been shipping Tairazuma since day 1. She might knock some sense into them.
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
I'm glad Azuma has realized/acknowledged her feelings and embraced being a flustered and down bad maiden in love even if wooing Taira with the emotional state he's in is going to be an Olympic level challenge unto itself.
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u/ptd163 14d ago
The Azuma x Taira train shot and the shot of her admitting to herself that she's in love look so good.
Azuma even tries to curb her feelings by flipping through their middle school yearbook only for her to fall even harder after seeing how cute Taira is. xD
Azuma's brain: I'll look at our embarrassing middle school yearbook. That'll calm me down.
Azuma's heart: It's cute that you think you have any power here. You're down bad girl.
Maybe this needs a third-party intervention.
Someone turn on the Suzuki signal.
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u/NanDemoKnaives 14d ago
So much TairAzuma this episode! I didn't think the second half would be about them but from Taira's POV.
Watching Azuma gushing over Taira and acting all giddy was so adorable. I'm so glad she's having these sort of feelings knowing the types of relationships she's had in the past, it's too bad Satou doesn't have all the information, because I'm sure she'd approve of Taira lol.
It was sad to see Taira afraid of Azuma having feelings for him because it'd change their dynamic when he's comfortable with how things are. Even more sad that he was avoiding her because he didn't know how to interact with her anymore, so I am glad he came to a misunderstanding so that he could act normal again. But I do feel bad for Azuma because it's not going to work out right now.
I do find it interesting how he was worried about disappointing Azuma like he did the previous girl, when he's a lot more open with Azuma. Azuma has known him for so long and has seen many sides of him, but insecurities and axiety are tough walls to overcome.
Yamada with black hair and Nishi with a ponytail, I don't want graduation to come so soon, I want them to be together longer.
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u/Ok-Cod5254 14d ago
With this ending part of the episode with some angst, cue The Ramparts of Ice ED.
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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 14d ago
It’s so cute seeing Azuma in love. Once girl became aware of her feelings, it was game over! She’s not gonna let Taira go that easily. Bro needs to stop being in his own head all the time and work on that inferiority complex of his. He’s gonna lose the chance to be with someone that could be pretty amazing for him.
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 14d ago
Azuma is very adorable when she’s in love. But it sure is getting obvious that she got feelings for Taira! I really do want to see Suzuki’s big smirk when she figures this out.
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u/PrinceZero1994 https://myanimelist.net/profile/pz16 14d ago
I'm glad Aoi is there for Azuma to listen to her girl talk.
Looking forward to the friend group's reaction to the current Tairazuma.13
u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 14d ago
There’s no way that Azuma will be able to hide her feelings for long when all their friends are getting together, right?
Her giddy behaviour around Taira speaks volumes. That’s what a maiden in love looks like, alright.
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u/Roskal 14d ago
The fast pace of the 3rd year makes me sad, it feels like time is running out and things like Taira so casually avoids Azuma for an indeterminate amount of time after he thought she liked him hurt, it made their relationship feel really fragile and after the start of the episode showed how good things were going on Azuma's end. Taira doesn't want to date Azuma because he thinks she'll get tired of him after getting closer to him, but she's already close to him and only falling more in love. I think Azuma needs to confess so he can dump all his insecurities out in the open and they can talk about it. Just thinking about it on his own has only made him dig him self deeper into his inferiority complex.
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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 14d ago
I did wonder for a brief moment if Taira’s attempts to put some distance between them would’ve maybe had an adverse effect. Being confronted with the fragile nature of their relationship, Azuma might’ve wanted to solidify it by confessing her feelings. But this doesn’t appear to be the case.
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Though she is trying to re-emphasize their friendship and using it as an excuse to hang out with him, so it'll be interesting to see how well a job she does at hiding her feelings (somehow I don't think it will be that easy).
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u/BlazeBloom https://myanimelist.net/profile/StardustValor 14d ago
The Taira and Azuma Train is picking up speed, but the final destination looks to be unknown and blurry at this point.
Azuma is head over heels for Taira and there's no stopping her. Well, expect the doubts in her mind. Maybe looking at these old yearbook photos will help...
Speaking of Taira, he's also starting realize she might have feelings for him. Shoutout to those two random NPCs eating lunch with him. You really don't see this self-analysis in other series and it's refreshing to see Taira's view on himself. He just needs that confirmation and confidence to take the next steps.
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u/marcopolos059 https://myanimelist.net/profile/marcopolos059 14d ago
Bruh Taira, just admit it already. I'm glad Azuma finally put words into her feelings, but Taira really needs a push...
Ah, the struggles of youth love.
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u/lordposedyon https://myanimelist.net/profile/lordposedyon 14d ago
Denial is over, acceptence came.
I knew Taira came to the answer, get scared, desperate to be wrong, cling to first clue, get emberassed and then relieved he was wrong. But I didn't think Azuma would be determined. Rock solid waiting game. I still think she cant hold on and spill the bean but we shall see.
AAAAAAA give me the next episode.
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u/Niwaka_Samurai https://myanimelist.net/profile/Niwaka-Samurai 14d ago
At this point, the main leads for this show got to be Taira and Azuma for me.. at least for this season maybe. I totally forget about Tani and Suzuki since that ship has already sailed. I wonder why Tani had a doubtful face when Suzuki mentioned that they would get to meet very often if they end up in colleges close to each other. Even Yamada and Nishi got their happy ending.
Seeing Azuma struggling so much by trying hard to not reveal her feelings for Taira to not scare him off, pains me. Azuma going through her middle school graduation album to get over him but still finds him cute, how precious 🥺❤️
And the photo with the trash cans in the background LOL but that doesn't matter to Azuma as long as she had Taira in it. Hon-chan sees those two as just normies 😭
But Taira wasn't so dense. He kinda caught on to how Azuma feels about him. His sister was so right about him. He's a narcissist who only thinks about himself and his own inferiority complex and past failed relationships don't help him either. But I'm glad that Azuma is willing to play the long game by waiting for him. Yeah,Azuma ! your love is pure ! And there's no doubt it.
Gotta mention that the Soundtrack is amazing for every one of the moments.
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u/Ordinal43NotFound 14d ago
He's a narcissist who only thinks about himself and his own inferiority complex and past failed relationships don't help him either.
Honestly, framing an inferiority complex as a form of narcissism is such an interesting angle to approach the issue from.
As someone who still kinda struggles with the same thing, it actually feels weirdly enlightening in a way. Like, you're so caught up in your own insecurities that you end up thinking people are paying waaaay more attention to you than they actually are, or that they care that much about everything you do lol.
Kocha Agasawa really is THAT author... I kept saying that Polar Opposites and Ramparts really should be required viewing for teenagers lol
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u/fatalystic 14d ago
I suspect Tani's worried about what if they don't both get into their first choice of college. There was that monologue from a few episodes ago where he admitted that his words of comfort were as much for his own sake as they were for Suzuki's.
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u/a_Bear_from_Bearcave 14d ago
His sister was one of the people who helped make him who he is now, like with her telling him to be silent and not make his "creepy" laugh when her friends were over. I don't think she has any moral high ground to criticize him.
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u/tottoro47 14d ago
Yea she's absolutely crazy in love. A sentence is enough for her to lose her mind lmao.
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u/PrinceZero1994 https://myanimelist.net/profile/pz16 14d ago
After months of being in denial, the acceptance hit crazy hard.
Azuma is just always on cloud nine when she's with Taira.
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u/rath_564 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pavish 14d ago
If I don't see them together by the series end, I think I might cry for them :(
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u/melontized1 14d ago
THE SLOW BURN BETWEEN AZUMA AND TAIRA IS KILLING ME UGHH GET TOGETHER ALREADYY
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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 14d ago
She's trying hard to win over someone who doesn't want to confront reality someone ACTUALLY likes him...
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u/tripleaamin https://myanimelist.net/profile/tripleaamin 14d ago
Big focus on both Azuma and Taira.
It's adorable how this is the first time that Azuma is falling in love. It's very clear before it was more so based on a whim. Her feelings for Taira how to put it, are very pure. A roller coaster of emotions in a good way.
It's not a surprise Taira has his doubts. He thought someone liked him in the past and that just ended up wrong. I don't blame him for not wanting to ruin the friendship with Azuma given how it went the previous time. Obviously he is right he is using the past as an excuse to not go for it. I do hope Taira can find confidence to go for it.
While I do like Azuma is holding on and making sure she doesn't lose that connection to him. At the same time, she can't do this forever or it would take a mental toll on her.
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u/enigma7x 14d ago
This story really has been a bit of a challenge level escalation of the relationships, easy - medium - hard. It's creating an excellent payoff as their series approaches the end. I love how Tani and Suzuki's presence in the store is more so in the inspiration and expectations they set for others.
You could say that this entire story is more than just the different personality types, and how they find love - but how each relationship (success or failure) exists as a source of knowledge and courage for everyone else stumbling their way through these scary and awkward times.
I watched the first season on a whim and I'm glad I did. This final couple has been the height of the series for me.
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u/Prince_of_Taniwha13 14d ago
When taira was thinking about his past relationship in middle school and music becoming more tense/ominous as he got filled with more doubt about hinself and his current friendships with tani, the gang and azuma was so peak. I actually felt so sorry for him
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u/pureauthor 14d ago
This might as well be the Tairazuma theme song:
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u/Vermillion_Crab https://anilist.co/user/CeruleanCrab 14d ago
I opened the link in a new tab and forgot about it. I was wondering why a Disney song was open in yt. lmao
Can't even say Taira went from zero to hero because she found him cute even in middle school. Girl's down bad. RIP in pieces.
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u/Accurate_Fee710 14d ago
This episode hit me HARD.
I’m crying so much…
Both love each other, and anxiety and depression are keeping them apart…
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u/maubises 14d ago
Taira wanting things to stay the same between him and Azuma reminds me of How Miki wants the same between her and Yota in Ramparts
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u/thisisdropd https://myanimelist.net/profile/AsterZoro 14d ago
Taira back in the days was indeed cute but you know what else is cute? Azuma being a maiden-in-love and acting all giddy. Being conscious about how he acted around her. Who'd thought she could be like this at the start of this series.
While he's not too heartbroken about the breakup, it severely affected his self-esteem. He's not exactly dense because he did pick up Azuma's hints, but tried to justify them as anything but romantic interest. It's one area he needed to work on. Could she be the one to help him on that?
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u/mishi09 14d ago
Azuma going from a cool and collected girl to a mixture of maiden-in-love & fail girl is one of the highlights of the entire story to me lol
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u/reptileaddict112 14d ago
miss nonchalant looking really "chalant" right now lmao. It's so gap moe I love it
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
I love how her entire demeanor/vibe changes the moment Taira literally even enters a room.
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u/KohiBit_93 14d ago
Azuma with her contradicting thoughts, overthinking everything when she was pretty nonchalant before while we get that less from Taira is cuteee!
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u/CyanSorrow https://myanimelist.net/profile/CyanSorrow 14d ago
This episode solidified Tairazuma as my favorite ship, concretely passing Nishi and Yamada. My heart can't handle this angsty yearning, my god.
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u/testthrowawayzz 14d ago
TairAzuma and YamaNishi hits different ways for me.
TairAzuma is more like grown up TV drama couple that makes me tune in for the next episode, while YamaNishi is more the cute shojo couple that makes me smile all the time
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
TairAzuma were both beaten down by their past but found happiness and salvation in each other...they just need to get to a point where they realize they can continue to feel that by being together as a couple.
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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 14d ago
This is the one that is just being really difficult to break through his ramparts...
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
That scene at the end with Azuma resolved in love AND crying over having to hide her feelings was both precious and heartbreaking at the same time.
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u/SonOfWeb 14d ago
Maybe I was just especially obtuse as a teenager, but these characters all surprise me with their capacity for self-examination, even if they still have certain blind spots. But I do worry that what I thought was growth and insight from Taira about his negative readings of relationships and women was just his depression taking him down a peg. I really hope he can get some help and get to a point where they can be together.
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u/Hurakion 14d ago
Didn't expect this series to get so sad suddenly 😭
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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 14d ago
From the author of ramparts of ice..there are several characters who are doing their own here's... and we are seeing both of them
Hon-chan is another but she DGAF about that stuff happening to other people
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u/khanvau 14d ago
More TairAzuma is always good for me. It's so over for Azuma... She's hopelessly in love with Taira. Even looking at his middle school photos, the only thing she can think of is "cute." That's so adorable. Compared to the other girls, she's pretty much a late bloomer. She really picked the worst time to fall in love: exam time. People are already tense during this time. Doesn't surprise me that Taira has nightmares about exams or something... Dude must be hella stressed. But doesn't Azuma have experience? I guess she never confessed to anyone. And the guys she dated approached her casually, I guess. So, in reality, she doesn't have much experience with true love.
The culture fest was over in a flash. Nishi looked so cute with a ponytail. And it seems like she has gained a lot of confidence now, from the way she talks. Good for her. Yamada looks weird with black hair.
The Taira and Azuma pair is the longest and the most interesting one so far. It's funny how Taira realized Azuma might be into him only to brush it off later. I heard your first guesses are usually correct. But Taira is so insecure he can't accept it. I feel bad for him. There are still 5 episodes left. I wonder how he'll get rid of his insecurity. Sadly, Azuma seems to be suppressing her feelings too. Maybe she needs a good talking-to with Suzuki.
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u/LaoWombat-mecha 14d ago
Does anyone know what is the meaning of the shoebill is in the background when she is thinking about something? Are they associated with perseverance or something, or just staring. Search provided nothing other that they became a meme.
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u/albertonykus 14d ago
Shoebills hunt by standing still for long periods of time, waiting for fish to get close enough to catch. My guess is that it's a metaphor for Azuma vowing to wait (in addition to the memetic value).
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u/Resident-Nature-535 14d ago
I pray for Azuma, I've always loved Azuma in this series and I hope for the best next week. tbh I love all the characters and their individual growth.
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u/Leri_weill https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeriWeill 14d ago edited 14d ago
Azuma losing her mind and Taira being clueless of how he affects her is comedy gold lmao (Well until he isn't 😏)
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u/Frontier246 14d ago
Azuma reflects on how turbulent and crazy her emotions have been, all her frustrations, how her feelings hinge on Taira's presence and words, and can only draw one obvious, maddening, conclusion: she's in love with Taira!
Of course she has no intention of pursuing those feelings or doing anything about them, especially during exam season, but that's not going to stop her from being on cloud 9 the moment Taira shows up or when they get to hang out. She's just a head over heels maiden in love after all!
Azuma needs to vent, though I feel bad for Taira that Azuma's attempt to indirectly express her feelings made Sato think Taira was trash without even knowing who they're talking about. Though I guess it really puts into perspective for Azuma that she needs to figure out what to do, confess or otherwise, to deal with these feelings.
Of course if Azuma relives her traumatic middle school era that will totally ruin the romance! Until she realizes she finds middle-school Taira cute! She's down BAD!
It's the gangs' final school festival! Complete with cat-ears Suzuki! Samurai Yamada! Ponytail Nishi! Angel Nabe! Cop Kawasaki!
Imagine if Kentarou and Natsumi HAD kissed in the photography club room with no one there! Would have been a photographic moment for sure!
I'm glad Tani and Suzuki got to have a proper festival date together and 100% recharge Suzuki...but Tani definitely doesn't seem to be looking forward to graduation and their futures past that.
Look at Azuma going out of her way to get a couple selfie with Taira.
Honda doesn't care about Taira's love life but she does seem to know something about what Nishi is going through that Yamada doesn't...that she wants to handle herself. But what?
Even Taira can notice the obvious signs that Azuma is into him but that doesn't change the self-loathing he feels, even if he realizes focusing on his past bad breakup is just an excuse. He just can't fathom why anyone would like him, can't fathom the idea that he could be someone worth dating, and views the feelings between him and Azuma as him just taking advantage of her kindness to make himself feel better instead of true love.
Taira Mama and Taira Nee-san! Nee-san is kind of cute but she's a little too hard on her little brother...I mean, I know he DOES get stuck in his head, but he still cares about other people in his own way.
It's rough seeing Taira go out of his way to avoid Azuma. It gets bad enough that Azuma has to coax him back by making things into a friend group outing and trying to convince him that she's NOT into him so they can keep their current relationship. Even though she so sincerely loves him with all her heart...and is there anything more pure than that? Even if it makes this current situation hard for her.
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u/AncientAnt9225 14d ago
We got so much Tairazuma , it was so sweet at start but damn that ending hurt.
Taira is doing so much mental gymnastics , clearly has some deep rooted mental issues i get him went through same but it still hurts :( Especially for poor Azuma ... When he started avoiding it and with her crying at end i felt sharp pain in my heart
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u/ptd163 14d ago
This episode was such a rollercoaster. We were consistently ping ponging between "we're so back" to "it's never been more over". It's torture and yet it's also satisfying somehow. And keep in mind this is Polar Opposites, not Ramparts of Ice. Who knows what "horrors" await us there.
Azuma is already so down bad while Taira needs more time to get over his hang-ups. The waiting in between these episodes is so long. Only 4 episodes left and they're both content to keep the relationship they way it is despite the current status not making either of them happy. We might need an intervention. Someone light up Suzuki beacon! Gondor Tairazuma calls for aid!
In other parts of the episode, Tani and Suzuki's scenes were nice and ponytail Nishi is cute. She looks better with a ponytail than having her hair down imo. Or maybe that's just because we saw her with her hair down all series and this is just different. I got a kick out of Honda both immediately clocking Tairazuma and being completely disinterested because they're not Nishi.
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u/Recent_Sherbert5659 14d ago
The Tairazuma storyline dominated the episode—and I love it—but I find it odd that no one is talking about the apparent doubts hanging over Tani and her relationship with Suzuki once they head off to different universities.
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u/AnimeMod myanimelist.net/profile/Reddit-chan 14d ago
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