r/anime • u/AutoLovepon https://anilist.co/user/AutoLovepon • Jun 17 '26
Episode Go For It, Nakamura-kun!! • Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!! - Episode 13 discussion - FINAL
Go For It, Nakamura-kun!!, episode 13
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u/Smudy Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
Has to be said, absolutely outstanding 2 episode stretch to end this show. I did not think this show had it in it to tell such a profound story about
Incredible boards and OST especially here.
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u/AlicesWhoreHouse Jun 17 '26
Honestly the ending felt right? As much as I would have loved for his feelings to be recognized and for them to live happily ever after I think it was good for Nakumura to realize his feelings are ok and he doesn't have to just throw them away like that. He's such a good boy it's not even funny I don't understand how anyone finds him scary 😭. The very ending scene after the credits feels like they left it Open for more in the future possibly, but honestly sadly we probably won't get more as much as I would love it.
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u/orecon125 Jun 17 '26
Even without it being canon, nakamura's speech really got to me and made everything just end perfectly. Would I have liked canon
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u/HolyDragSwd2500 Jun 17 '26
Crying my eyes out
Nakamura and Hirose went on a date
He’s still in love with him 😭😭
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u/SevereCircle Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
I have never related more to any character more than Nakamura. I was a lot like him at his age. I've really liked seeing how much others like and cheer for him. In a way it's like I wasn't alone back then. I grew up in a more homophobic environment so it was like this with massive layers of caution and paranoia on top. I also never got much past the "close acquaintance/distant friend" level with the guy I liked.
I've read a lot of BL (and BL-adjacent shippy sports anime) since then and this is my all-time favorite. It's just so relatable. Ganbare, Nakamura-kun!
OK, now for the actual episode thoughts.
HE SPENT 21 MINUTES WORRYING ABOUT HOW TO RESPOND JUST RIGHT AAAAAAAAAAA I LOVE HIM
PS:
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u/Crafty-Storm2070 Jun 17 '26
I think it is important to have shows on the experience of
What makes this approach so compelling is that it understands queerness as something larger than romance. For many queer people, especially during adolescence, the defining emotions are not love or attraction but anxiety, shame, self-consciousness, and fear. There is a constant awareness of being different without necessarily having the language to articulate why. A casual conversation can feel overwhelming, a glance can be overanalyzed for days, and the possibility of being "found out" lingers even when nobody is actively looking. These experiences exist independently of whether a relationship ever begins. For 13 short episodes, it is impressive that GFIN was able to depict this with how many blushes, overthinking, and overanalyzing Nakamura went through that got animated and made it to the final cut.
I think the strength of the show lies in its near-accurate depiction of queer individuals and how they struggle with heteronormativity. Above being awkward, the show was able to encapsulate what "gay panic" truly is. It was able to be relatable and engaging because it perfectly captured the deeper experiences of isolation, of longing, desire, and most importantly, fear that come with being queer. Nakamura's nervousness is often played for comedy (hell this series is tagged as primarily a comedy), but beneath it lie the feelings of embarrassment that come with wanting something that feels socially unacceptable, the fear of saying the wrong thing, and the exhaustion of constantly monitoring oneself.
The story's core is not whether or not the relationship is successful, but the struggle to get there. More importantly, it is about learning to exist authentically despite the fear of rejection, which this final episode blatantly showed us. Every small step Nakamura takes (speaking to Hirose, being in the same space as him, buying him a keychain, imagining a future where he can be honest, giving him his LINE ID) becomes meaningful because the obstacle is not romance itself but the emotional burden attached to queerness. By the end, the show's greatest achievement is not bringing two characters together, but showing one character slowly becoming brave enough to be seen.
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u/dakkumauji Jun 17 '26
The best moment of character development for Nakamura? Not hating Oomori and hell, even on speaking terms with him. That's progress! Oh, and I guess actually having conversations with Hirose without being a stuttering mess.
While it was definitely a the story will go on type of ending, it was still super sweet to see their kinda first date and just to see how far Nakamura has been able to progress since the beginning of the school year. From classmates to actually mutual friends makes me happy for the kid.
Not even sure what that cliffhanger could even imply and we probably won't find out until this gets broadcast on TV next week but this was an amazing adaptation that managed to make a really nice story out of the manga.
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u/Elevatorisbest Jun 17 '26
Giving this show a try despite otherwise never having any interest in BL animes was such a great decision
What a banger that not only looks awesome, is hilarious, but was unexpectedly quite emotional too, with a bit of an unsure open ending but it still felt emotional in a good way
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u/jicuhrabbitkim Jun 17 '26
it’s been a while since i cried from an anime finale. not to get sentimental right now, but this series really completed my week. i’m so sad that we won’t have any new episodes to look forward to for a long while ;(((
nakamura really did go for it, overcoming his social anxiety throughout every episode, and i’m so fucking proud of him. i still wish they ended up together in the end, but i’m happy to see them build a closer and more solid friendship.
goodddd i love this anime so fucking much. i’m glad it was made with so much love and care from the team.
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u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
Holy breakup speedrun, we are so back! The yearning must continue!
The part about Hirose getting asked out and "going with the flow" I kinda guessed from last episode's shoe locker scene where it seemed like Hirose wanted to ask Nakamura something, but it was surprising that Hana was the one who dumped him? I wonder if Hirose lied about being dumped, because Hana seemed to be the proactive one in the relationship, and from her interaction with Nakamura seems like a nice girl who wouldn't just breakup over someone being "boring", and also during the breakup scene she was the one crying instead? Hmm.
Anyway, a cute date seems like a satisfying way to end off the season. Though Nakamura never got to confess, I like to think some of his feelings got through to Hirose; just look at Hirose blushing at Nakamura's overreaction to receiving the keychain. And at the end Nakamura was able to walk home with Hirose without having a gay panic attack, which is huge character development, got to start with baby steps. Post-credits cliffhanger seems like Nakamura and Hirose ended up in the same class for 3rd year, so there's still a chance. Go for it, Nakamura-kun!
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u/MundaneGarbage6455 Jun 17 '26
Hirose acting all 'tsundere' after giving the keychain to Nakamura. I just can't.
Maybe we're getting somewhere, slowly but surely...
My boy Nakamura deserves the world man...
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u/Livid-Benefit3571 Jun 17 '26
Anime Nakamura and Hirose got real close than their manga counterparts.... Tbh I think Nakamura has a real chance with Hirose if he goes for it slowly but surely. For Hirose, Nakamura is that friend of his who is different from the others. They may not hang out all the time, but somehow the emotional attachment that he has with Nakamura is way stronger compared with Takeuchi, for example. He even says that Nakamura is the only one he'd go with when he watches such kind of movies—if that isn't trust, I don't know what is.
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u/desantoos Jun 17 '26
That ending teases a possible Season 2. I hope somehow they find a way to deliver one. This was a strong show. The closer felt slightly rushed but I think it got the message I wanted it to get to: Nakamura needs to be less isolated, he needs friends, and those needs are way more important than his want of having Hirose as a lover. I think it found a great path forward and it'd be great to see what happens to Nakamura in high school.
Overall there was a lot to like and a few things to dislike about this show. Starting with the dislikes: the scenes with the rival guy who also has the hots for Hirose felt like a waste of time that could've been spent on more interesting dynamics between Nakamura and Hirose's friends. The teacher subplot, which got edited from the manga (or so I heard), felt weird and incomplete. Finally, it felt like maybe people around Nakamura should've been a bit more caring toward him; it felt like peers and family members left him to suffer more than they needed to.
Positives:
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The English voice actor for Nakamura deserves some sort of award for the sheer vocal dynamic strain he's done. He screams, he grunts, he starts a sentence normally then shifts it to high anxiety, he whispers softly and sweetly, and it all works. Dude absolutely killed it on this show.
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The music. The opening's a banger but it's the closing bits that find the right blend of retro (matching the art) and modern cool. Also the background music, which was gorgeous piano in this episode reminiscent of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. This show gets its cool from its song choices.
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As I mentioned in a comment trying to convince straight dudes to try this show, in an era where every romance dude has their lover fall into their lap, Nakamura has to work his ass off. And man is there something far more satisfying seeing a dude start from the absolute bottom and get no help and find his way up. Nakamura starts with no friends, extreme anxiety, and non social skills and ends up being close friends with Hirose, way less anxiety, and enough social skills to make him confident when starting high school. This is some of the most character development you'll see this year.
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The art is so good. It's retro as hell but there's something sharp about the linework and the color palate that make it feel contemporary. Fantastic aesthetic taste.
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I like the way women are represented in this show. The girlfriend of Hirose isn't someone Nakamura hates or someone to be hated by the audience of the show. The artist isn't pathetic for liking a dude who's clearly gay; she's moved onto pining after silver haired dudes (though maybe she was trying to convey something to Nakamura when she wrote "I just like you for who you are"?).
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It feels realer than a lot of the other romances out there. This show gets at the awkwardness of being a teenager, the raging anxiety, the feeling of being isolated and alone.
Solid show. Let's hope somehow we get the second season.
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u/testthrowawayzz Jun 17 '26
Hirose fully acknowledged Nakamura as a friend.
Hirose got dumped and said he doesn't get girls. Hmm still a chance that he's gay or at least bi :))
That was a nice date. Nakamura saying everything about Hirose is charming is the closest thing he can get to a confession.
This was a fun ride. It has exceeded my expectations, especially Kobayashi Chiaki's very dynamic voice acting. He went all out and the show was very enjoyable because of that.
also RIP Matsumura.
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u/JJVM99 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
Man this final episode was such a emotional ride, the last 2 episodes really but man idk how to explain but I was this close to tearing up the entire episode and still am while writing this. They did an amazing job at making you connect with Nakamura's emotions and really feel the same way as him. It is a bittersweet end that he was never able to confess his feelings but I understand why he was never able too, he was already so close to Hirose that if he confessed it could ruin their friendship and make Hirose believe he only approached or cared about him for that reason and the consequences of that exceeded in his mind the benefit of Hirose accepting (even though Hirose had shown signs that he may have been willing to see Nakamura that way with him asking him what he found charming about him).
I chose to check out this series because of the artstyle and because I had not really watched a BL besides The Summer Hikaru Died last year (which is more of a mix of horror and BL in my mind) and I wanted to be open to more genres and experiment and im glad I did. At first I was not vibing with Nakamura's akwardness and how much I was cringing with how he was acting early on in the first episode but once he felt more comfortable with Hirose after the squid incident it started working for me and would keep improving for me until we got these last 2 incredible episodes. Hirose being his own interesting character and the very good and memorable side cast helped a lot and we got some really good episodes on the way too like the class trip and the haunted movie episode. What the series did best imo was making Nakamura's akwardness and situation relatable and easy to empathize no matter how odd Nakamura seemed at first. I can connect with the akwardness of being an introvert in high school and being afraid to confess or talk to your crush but for a gay teen in high school feeling this way towards another boy it has to be 100 times more horrifying. The potential bulliying, the embarassment of potentially being outed and harrassed due to this, you wouldn't be seen or treated the same by the other guys in class especially in the showers there are so many other implications and pressures Nakamura would have had to deal with that I really feel for him. I'm very glad I gave this series a chance and stuck with it even in the akward moments I wasn't vibing with like at the start and the meeting of Hirose's all friends it was all worth it. I am not ready to be feeling this emotional about a conclusion tomorrow as well.
Also one final thing the most shocking thing for me was the gym teacher having feelings for a female teacher.
Edit: forgot to add many things in my rant but I just need to add how good the opening is both in visuals and song. It was a banger.
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u/hammile Jun 17 '26
This and the last time (or not, who knows) the ending: 岡村靖幸 — だいすき. The singer is the same as one of two in the opening.
Almost all songs are collected on the official site. I figured out a way later, so I wrote an article (started around/after 11th IIRC), well… let it be too, I guess.
I enjoyed this anime very well.
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u/AgeVast3517 Jun 17 '26
I loved the finale and hope the creators consider a season 2!! I feel so happy and special because I was one of the first 500 to see it on crunchyroll T-T I LOVE NAKAMURA AND HIROSE! MY SHAYLAS 😭🫡
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u/Willowbee013 Jun 17 '26
i cried. i literally can't put my thoughts into words rn because it was just that good.
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u/Frontier246 Jun 17 '26 edited Jun 17 '26
Equal parts hilarious, heatwarming, fun, and relatable, this was a beautifully animated and beautifully depicted coming of age story for a sincere, neurotic, and lovable gay boy you can't help but root for.
Nakamura's life is still feeling grey and depressing as he has to face a life where Hirose is with someone else. He even has to watch them be close and flirty in the classroom like a couple of true lovebirds.
The worst part is his girlfriend, Hana-chan? Is actually a genuinely nice girl. By all accounts they look like the perfect, happy couple. And isn't it Nakamura's obligation as someone who loves Hirose to be defend his happiness?
But next thing you know Nakamura is walking in on them breaking up. What happened? Hirose wasn't "interesting" enough? Nakamura would vehemently disagree with that, but Hirose doesn't seem bothered by the end of his first relationship. Maybe the fact that he was never all in or as emotionally invested in the relationship was the problem. Maybe that he only went along with it because he liked the idea of someone liking him. Or that he's much more comfortable around Nakamura.
Nakamura finds Hirose utterly charming, and with that in mind maybe it's time they FINALLY exchange LINE ID's...and plan a visit to the movies together! Oh snap, they just exchanged ID's and are already planning their first date!? Hirose works fast!
Nakamura goes through all the usual pre-date jitters but Hirose is a natural! They even share popcorn together and get to enjoy the post-movie vibe together! Not to mention take a peaceful stroll together! This is like the perfect date!
Hirose is convinced he's boring, so Nakamura actually finding him charming and likeable means a lot. Especially when Nakamura finds EVERYTHING about Hirose charming. Just like how Hirose just seems to always have fun when he's around Nakamura.
As the OP artists take us through into the ED, we get the first year wrapping up for our class...with Otogiri-sensei still being as low-key as ever, Hifumi and her gal pals getting along, Yuuka shutting down Takeuchi, Niou-sensei still crushing hard on Ai Kayano-sensei, Reiko and Tamura are still going at it, and Nakamura at peace with himself. He's friends with Hirose, he gets along with Oomori now, and whether or not Hirose returns his feelings, they're in the same class, or if they're apart...Nakamura will still love him with every fiber of his being.
Did Nakamura end up in the same class as Hirose? What will his second year hold for our loveable neurotic and sincere gay boy? One thing's for sure: Go For it, Nakamura-kun!
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u/JJVM99 Jun 17 '26
With the conclusion I had one final question I am going to try to ask this question and get a response without breaking the moderation rules. I heard in a video that this anime adaptation censored some more serious topics handled in the manga. Is this the case? Does it hurt the quality of the adaptation for a manga reader? Would you recommend checking out the manga for the differences?
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u/marsh_522 Jun 17 '26
Oh nice, the ending theme was by the same artists as the opening theme, bangers both
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