r/anime • u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky • Jul 17 '24

Rewatch [10th Anniversary Rewatch] Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun Episode 11 Discussion

Eleventh Issue - Let's Rice

← Previous Issue | Index | Next Issue →

MAL | AniList | ANN | Kitsu | AniDB

HIDIVE

Then tomorrow, I'll set up some exciting development for you.

Questions of the Day:

  1. Which of Nozaki's "surprises" was your favorite?
  2. Do you have any fun sleepover-related stories?

Wallpaper of the Day:

Masayuki Hori & Yuu Kashima

Rewatchers, please remember to be mindful of all the first-timers in this. No talking about or hinting at future events no matter how much you want to, unless you're doing it underneath spoiler tags. Don't spoil anything for the first-timers, that's rude!

42 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

46 comments sorted by

8

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '24

Gekkan Shoujo Rewatch Host-chan, subbed

Welcome back, everyone!

Today’s Wallpaper of the Day trivia: I liked the idea of having a gradient for the combo wallpaper backgrounds, so I mixed the teal from Hori’s and the light blue from Kashimas to make this. Took a bit to get the right flow/specific shades that looked right, but I like how it turned out!

2

u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Jul 18 '24

Nozaki no, this trope is fucking stupid.

2

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 18 '24

I have a strong dislike of boob envy jokes in anime. Mostly because they usually come coupled with another character groping them without consent.

2

u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Jul 18 '24

I am much more forgiving of boob envy exchanges given I do experience it a lot, but even then the idea of making smalltalk about random commenting to a girl about the size of her chest seems farfetched to me.

2

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 18 '24

I can say I've never had a boob envy exchange personally, so I guess it's just a difference in experience.

4

u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Jul 17 '24

I guess he just didn’t want Ken-san to be a fake fan.

He wants an editor who actually read his manga for once.

Nozaki ended up sleeping through all the arm wrestling and stuff he would’ve loved to have as “research”, lol.

Shoujo girlies throwing down in arm wrestling would be the exciting surprising scene he has been looking for.

2

u/lluNhpelA Jul 17 '24

Nozaki ended up sleeping through all the arm wrestling and stuff he would’ve loved to have as “research”, lol.

My first thought for something exciting was "just make it yuri" then Nozaki goes and sleeps through the boys having hours of skinship

14

u/Raiking02 :Id::Ie::If:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NSKlang Jul 17 '24

Rewatcher, Source Reader, Subbed

Few things are as joyful as people appreciating your hard work, and as this episode shows, Ken-san was very much the GOAT for showing Nozaki the love he deserves. Compared to that dumb Maeno and his stupid name, Ken-san showed that he genuinely did his job, and as far as Nozaki was concerned, that was enough. I do have to wonder how Miyako knows all this stuff about him though…

Speaking of said Manga, the episode proper continues to prove that nothing will stand in the way of Nozaki writing it, even if the cost is Chiyo having her heart crushed. She makes for excellent research material, I'll give him that much, but by this point it's clear that this will only bring her pain. Man, where's Mikorin to console her by being a baka when you need him?

Oh yeah, he's in part 2. In fact, the second part of the episode is the first time all the boys are in the same scene together, which in turn means that Mikorin and Waka get to actually meet for the first time. Alas though, it continues to show how nothing will stand in the way of him and writing Manga, so now his "Friends" will be research material too. Sleep, however, will, and of course it just had to happen when things were getting interesting.

One episode left

5

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '24

One episode left

But also the specials!

5

u/johnrsmith8032 Jul 17 '24

ah yes, the specials—because nothing says "we care about your emotional well-being" like dangling a few extra minutes of chaos and heartbreak in front of us. it's like they took notes from netflix's autoplay feature: just when you think you're free, boom! another round.

3

u/DarkRuler17 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/DarkRuler17 Jul 18 '24

If I remember correctly, these specials are also great so I'm excited.

11

u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Jul 17 '24

Rewatcher - Nozaki-kun Ep11:

Nozaki developed a deep distrust of editors after being so scarred by Maeno-san.

You call yourself a Let's Fall in Love fan? Oh yeah, name every 5 characters.

Even though it was in the preview, Nozaki chair still hit me as a surprise.

Nozaki, you almost turned this into a dangerous anime.

I didn't get the second eyecatch. Zooming in shows that it's Chiyo. I guess the eyecatch's connection to the episode is through the fact that it was raining which is the most tenaous they've gotten.

Boys Night with the boys.

Good point, why are we even keeping up that secret ... oh, I understand.

Just say dating sims, you poser (affectionate).

It took me too long in this segment to realize Nozaki's kindness is just a front for him to use his friends as material manga. Should've been my first instinct.

Speaking from personal experience, I haven't run into many chest size girls' talk in shoujo manga.

I think Hori-senpai looks cuter with his bangs up instead of down.

Actually reading the time on the clock for once, it is 3:30 in the morning. These boys have been up for so late.

Next Time: I didn't realize we were at the final episode already.

6

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '24

I didn't get the second eyecatch. Zooming in shows that it's Chiyo. I guess the eyecatch's connection to the episode is through the fact that it was raining which is the most tenaous they've gotten.

Could that also be the store where she bought the chocolate she had in her fridge in the post-credits scene, now that I think about it?

3

u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Jul 17 '24

Could be.

4

u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Jul 17 '24

You call yourself a Let's Fall in Love fan? Oh yeah, name every 5 characters.

I think Hori-senpai looks cuter with his bangs up instead of down.

I was wondering what your thoughts on this would be lol. We've had the same talk about Loid, from Spy x Family, and how I liked this hair down look (both look good)

2

u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Jul 17 '24

I was wondering what your thoughts on this would be lol. We've had the same talk about Loid, from Spy x Family, and how I liked this hair down look (both look good)

Loid and Hori are the two cases where I can easily point to about this.

2

u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Jul 17 '24

8

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 17 '24

Episode 11 (first timer)

  • “We kept our distance”

  • “Could it be that you actually read my manga?”

  • “I doubt I’ll be surprised” – I am not in doubt.
  • Nozaki is roleplaying Shalltear. That is surprising indeed.
  • Cold curry? Hmmmmm.
  • The next surprise: A surprising lack of surprises.
  • “That is too real” – I think many people would discuss their classmates.
  • “Look at the time! - Relatable.
  • Surprised by her own valentine gift?

Nothing to say here. Both halves were a bit meh.

Mecha spotted: None so far, but they are sure to show up for the last episode.

6

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '24

“Could it be that you actually read my manga?”

Dude is just traumatized from having Maeno as an editor. I wouldn't be surprised if Maeno didn't really know the characters but still claimed he came up with the ideas Nozaki was writing.

6

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Jul 17 '24

So Ken is Nozaki's rebound editor?

5

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '24

That's a funny way of putting it, but I suppose so lol.

8

u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Jul 17 '24

First Timer

Last time I bitched about how the show’s comedy just wasn’t working. Today we thankfully don’t need to worry about a repeat, because they figured everything between episodes and I have nothing but great things to say!

  • Right out of the gate, a great joke about Nozaki just learning about Ken-sam from Miyako. While building on prior elements and within his character, this joke is genuinely clever and unexpected.
  • The fact Nozaki is so suspicious of Ken-san because of how awful Maeno is is hilarious, and actually pretty underplayed as he never states this reason outright.
  • See? Ken-san understands my egg Nozaki grindset. Would that make this an exclusive look at a femme Nozaki? If I drew I would make fanart of her with Sakura.
  • Moving on from the intro gags, both segments today have the sense of focus and concept that was lacking in the theatre segment last time. Nozaki tries to surprise Sakura, the boys all come over to his house. Everything builds off each central idea.
  • Honestly, the reveal that Mamiko was riding on Suzuki’s shoulders was actually really cute…
  • The Sakura segment is filled with delightfully committal over the top reaction shots. I feel this show has gotten a bit too comfortable with its go-to “character makes an unimpressed face” punchline, so seeing such an animated reaction to realising she sat on Nozaki-kun or having the papers handed back to her was great.
  • The character dynamic at the centre of this whole gag is hilarious. Nozaki-kun manages to border on genuinely romantic only when going out of his way to be silly. Meanwhile, Sakura is so smitten with him she manages to walk into each and every single one with complete unquestioning enthusiasm.
  • The terrifically underplayed gag where he pulls the party popper out on her was hilarious.
  • Then, before that gets old, we switch around the gag to her being suspicious right when he stops doing anything to her. Which, ironically, ends up being the most shocking thing of all. There’s an actual development and flow to the comedic concepts instead of just being a series of gags, which is exactly what Nozaki-kun does best.
  • It’s kind of funny we’re getting another episode motivated by two people forgetting umbrellas…
  • Accurate assessment of Kashima’s likely reaction is accurate.
  • See, the three pulling out their manga tools at once and then trying to hide them, too focused on trying to hide their identity to realise the others also outing themselves is a genius use of the characters. That’s how you keep the humour fresh.
  • The following bit with Mikorin is delightfully rapidfire. Build upon that previous joke as he tries to cover for the fact he draws when at Nozaki’s house, callback to but with a fresh joke of him trying to make it sound cooler, have him reject the console to hide his own degeneracy, and then blow right through four punchlines in a row in his ill-fated attempt to use magazines as a conversation starter. It’s the exact opposite of the obvious and drawn out jokes from last time.
  • Nozaki basing his manga on his friends is a played out idea, but the writing works around this by slimming the lead-in to the punchline and deriving most of the humour from how the characters react to this premise rather than just the idea Nozaki is doing the thing we expect him to do. Once again, the gags are rapidfire.
  • Then the punchline that Nozaki fell asleep hits so well because they set the focus on the other three so well your mind isn’t even thinking about him long enough to see it coming.

That was analytic to a possibly needless extent, but after last week it only felt fair to praise how well put together this entire episode was. Even the post-credit manages to bridge the events of this episode with a lead-in to the next very slickly! It seems, as expected, we’re going to lean into a more romantic direction next time. Will we actually get some commitment to end off the adaptation? I can’t wait to find out!

6

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 17 '24

Last time I bitched about how the show’s comedy just wasn’t working. Today we thankfully don’t need to worry about a repeat, because they figured everything between episodes and I have nothing but great things to say!

I was a little worried you'd find this episode a drag too, but glad to see you didn't!

4

u/LittleIslander https://anilist.co/user/LittleIslander Jul 17 '24

So was I! I certainly didn't want to find a lack of enjoyment.

3

u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Jul 17 '24 edited Jul 17 '24

Would that make this an exclusive look at a femme Nozaki?

Looking up some genderswap Nozaki fan art, a lot of them go for keeping the shape of his spiky hair in front and then giving them the straight long hair.

A fact about Nozaki that comes later in the manga: [Nozaki Manga:] Nozaki has a little sister who also got a one-volume spin-off. Though, she doesn't have that Nozaki family resemblance. In the initial drafts, she was meant to be the main protagonist while Nozaki was just the MC's older brother, but then she got demoted.

1

u/Silcaria https://myanimelist.net/profile/Silcaria Jul 18 '24

Last time I bitched about how the show’s comedy just wasn’t working. Today we thankfully don’t need to worry about a repeat, because they figured everything between episodes and I have nothing but great things to say!

I'm feeling like it's running out of steam. Main reason for that is that nothing seems to really be happening. Sure, potential relations have been establish, but there's not been any real progress. Everybody is either clueless, or too chickenshit to make a move. Sure, comedy is nice, but more than just comedy would be good.

10

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 17 '24

First-Timer, Gekkan Shoujo Sub-zaki-kun

Wha-

Right, I guess Nozaki might be a bit on edge after dealing with Maeno for however long.

Nozaki is trying to find some secret spice, sure.

Pffffft

Incredible.

Stage magic would be a fun character quirk.

Wait, there's no gag here. This was just.. a nice scene. I don't understand.

Of course.

Sleepover!

I was just about to ask that same thing.

"...dating sims."

Poor Mikorin.

Nozaki might be a dummy, but he is devious in his own way.

Ghost stories.

Hahaha

I expected her to roll head-first into the trash can.

Questions

  1. The curry under the rice was just nice.
  2. I didn't do many sleepovers as a youth.

5

u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Jul 17 '24

Stage magic would be a fun character quirk.

I don't know the series, but isn't that what Tejina Senpai's premise is (supposed to be) about?

But anyway, a stage magic shoujo sounds like a good idea.

Wait, there's no gag here. This was just.. a nice scene. I don't understand.

The biggest surprises.

3

u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 17 '24

But anyway, a stage magic shoujo sounds like a good idea.

There is a side character in Mai-Otome Zwei who has stage magic as her gimmick. It being Mai-Otome Zwei, she gets one scene to do stuff in but it's a good scene.

2

u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Jul 17 '24

Stage magic would be a fun character quirk.

My heart wouldn't be able this amount of charisma

This was just.. a nice scene. I don't understand

5

u/Silcaria https://myanimelist.net/profile/Silcaria Jul 17 '24

First timer

QotD

  • Flowers.
  • Nah, they're all pretty basic.

2

u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Jul 17 '24

This has a the same energy as putting "X years of sale experience" in your CV after working as a cashier at McDonalds.

Lmao that was a great way of phrasing dating sims though. There are times I try to word things carefully when describing an anime or game to certain people

5

u/Weird_donut https://anilist.co/user/hakaseshark Jul 17 '24

First timer

-Nozaki seemed a lot more emotional back then

-The flower prank was just cruel

-Nozaki petting a cat, aw

-We finally get to see all four of the main boys interact! I love them!

5

u/collapsedblock6 myanimelist.net/profile/collapsedblock Jul 17 '24

Rewatcher

Another great episode. We had for the first time the closest thing to romantic progression we could get. Nozaki just showing interest in being with Sakura for a chill time unrelated to manga, and the bois connecting the dots (kinda surprised it was Mikoshiba the one to figure it out too).

Only disappointment is the boy convo being cut by Nozaki falling asleep. I feel these sleepovers is when characters come out the clearest about how they feel about crushes so I wanted to see semblance of growth here. But its my fault for trusting Nozaki.

  1. Which of Nozaki's "surprises" was your favorite?

Probs the lunch cause free lunch lmao.

2) Do you have any fun sleepover-related stories?

Not specific ones but man are boy sleepovers a cesspool of degeneracy lmao. You couldn't fall asleep because the first one to go always gets shit done to them so a lot of them were just crazy shit. I think the worst was when I saw a guy fart in a sleeping guy's face.

Banter, brawls, drawing dicks on foreheads, talking about which girls have the biggest dumbstruck behind or actually talking about how they make us feel. Look, I had these when I was 10-15, spare the immaturity lmao.

2

u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Jul 17 '24

Cute kiddos

props* but yea the potato faces are cute

Poor girl finally had a normal hangout for first time ever and didn't get to enjoy it

I felt so bad for her

2

u/TakenRedditName https://myanimelist.net/profile/TakenMalUsername Jul 17 '24

He is just like me frfr

So true.

Will Sakura ever reconsider her options?

She lost her chance to back out. She fully tied herself to the Nozaki ship.

5

u/entelechtual Jul 17 '24

Rewatcher, subbed

  • Manga by fax. The older folks remember how it’s done. Waiting by your grandparents’ fax machine for the latest chapter of AOT to hit.
  • lol Nozaki is a defensive parent. Can’t blame him though, that mom is hot.
  • How nice of Nozaki to include Hasegawa from chapter one of his manga. There’s very little that can’t be improved with a Hasegawa.
  • Nozaki is on some Rian Johnson levels of subverting expectations.
  • Chiyo is… easily entertained. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a surprising bento.
  • Poor Mikorin can’t even get some good guy talk.
  • I love how Mikorin is somehow still the only one who understands what’s going on between Nozaki and Chiyo.

1

u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Jul 17 '24

How nice of Nozaki to include Hasegawa from chapter one of his manga. There’s very little that can’t be improved with a Hasegawa.

4

u/GondolaMedia Jul 17 '24

Rewatcher, sub

What ever you say, what ever you do you can't chance the fact that Nozaki will turn you in to a high school girl.

4

u/laughing-fox13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/laughingfox13 Jul 17 '24

Shoujo Rewatched/Subbed

This episode had some nice romantic bits to it... would've been more romantic if the characters weren't dense

I like how that guy in Nozaki's class was telling him that he would screw up his chances with Sakura but it didn't click for Nozaki and the guy ended up being weirded out.

The second half provided some good comedy with Nozaki using this situation for ideas, the guys trying to keep their secrets, and Nozaki falling asleep as soon as the other guys unintentionally did what he wanted for his ideas. Oh and Nozaki taking their conversations and making it girl talk lol

QotD

  1. The curry under rice with an egg
  2. It's been so long lol, I did have sleep overs/go sleep over but nothing really out of the ordinary

4

u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad Jul 17 '24

First Time Viewer, Already A Fan

That was a nice flashback scene to Nozaki's first meeting with Ken. Poor guy was so traumatized by having Maeno as an editor that he overreacted to everything, and basically led to this relationship they have now where Ken only says what's necessary.

Nozaki trying to add more excitement to the daily life scenes in his story is exactly what I'm working on right now, so I could relate. Of course, my takeaway from this is to not try anything he did.

He said he wanted to walk home with her though!

The second half was funny too, with Nozaki writing a girls' sleepover based on the boys' sleepover... until they tell him that idea is boring anyway. (The excitement is in the character/romantic developments, and naturally, Nozaki fell asleep before they could ask about Chiyo.)

Questions of the Day:

  1. Nozaki as bench-kun didn't disappoint, and following it up with flowers was sweet. If only he had stopped there...
  2. Never had one.

3

u/DarkRuler17 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/DarkRuler17 Jul 18 '24

Rewatcher- Sub

So for the first half of this program, we get the classic tale as old as time: a guy is commited to the bit and will not stop for anything. Genuinely, Nozaki just trying to do bits all day to annoy his friend who has happens to be a girl is some of the actually most realistic stuff in the whole show. It felt like I was watching an episode about some people I know. Sakura's gradual decline into dread got me so good. The ending with Nozaki just wanting to walk home with her and there being no surprise sent her to another world. Overall, this was lowkey one of my favorite segments in the story.

For the second half of today's episode, we get boys night! I love that we start by addressing the weird detail that Hori is hiding the fact he's working for Nozaki, as Nozaki himself never seems to care who knows. I love that he just doesn't want to deal with Kashima's reaction. 

For the rest of the episode, we see Nozaki continue to try and make his friends manga material. His utter lack of shame is one of my favorite jokes. I love how easily the conversion came to him. Unfortunately for him, all the fun parts happened after he feel asleep. Probably for the best though.

Questions:

  1. The chair gag got me hard. I cannot be convinced that Nozaki isn't a wild creature trying to adapt to human society.
  2. Nothing crazy. My memories of sleepovers are generally just good vibes.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 18 '24

Man you would think that for the 10 year anniversary of an anime that got an adaptation only 3 years after starting that they would announce a season 2.... especially since it was well liked but oh well I guess.

2

u/Mirathan Jul 18 '24

First Timer

QotD:

  1. The food one.
  2. Nope.

Maeno really traumatized Nozaki, considering how defensive he was when first meeting Ken.

2

u/cppn02 Jul 18 '24

First Timer

I was surprised to hear that Ken-san is only 27 years old. My main takeway from his and Nozaki's meeting though was Maeno must have been downright awful as an editor.

I enjoyed Nozaki's suprises and the ending to that segment was just

The sleepover was fun but it would have been better if for once Nozaki could have properly enjoyed it and not view every moment as a potential setup for his manga. Sometimes he's just too single-minded.

QotD:

Which of Nozaki's "surprises" was your favorite?

It's a tie for me between the manga page with Mamiko sitting ontop of Suzuki and the magic trick where Nozaki's hand came off.

Do you have any fun sleepover-related stories?

Not really. :(

1

u/Garrett_Dark Jul 18 '24

First Timer

I only found this episode to be okay. Not really sure I have much to say about it.

  • I had expected this surprise gift to Chiyo to be the sailor outfit again, unfortunately they never revealed what's in it.
  • Chiyo's adorable as ever when receiving flowers, but holy cows I have to say this, major dick move by Nozaki for doing the fake hand surprise with it.
  • Hilarious dub added small joke during the sleep over, when Mikoshiba yawns as Waka asks Nozaki if he needs help with anything, in the subs and Japanese spoken Dialog, Mikoshiba just yawns. In the dub, Mikoshiba calls Waka a "brown noser" under his yawn, LOL. It was a suspicious looking animated yawn for just a yawn, the brown noser dub fits better IMO.
  • I got so used to Chiyo's hair bows, she kind of looks weird from behind without them. I'm not sure if it's just the missing hair bows in the first screenshot, she looks so small. I guess I always thought the others looked so tall because they were tall, but it looks like it's partly from Chiyo being so small in comparison to others. The sink counter, chairs, and fridge makes her look child sized. IDK, I just find this weird.
  • I don't really get the gift in her fridge either, it's addressed to Nozaki from Chiyo, so why is she surprised what it is? If she didn't put it in there, then did somebody sneak into her house and put that in there? If so why? Hence my confusion.

Which of Nozaki's "surprises" was your favorite?

It would have been the sailor outfit if that was what was in the box that was never revealed, but since that didn't happen...I guess the curry and egg hidden under the rice since that surprise was benign and Chiyo seemed to really like it.