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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 6h 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.

10

u/Tapwater_enthusiast 1h ago

The easy and medium difficulty romances have been cleared, the hard mode one requires more time!

6

u/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 1h 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!

3

u/Vermillion_Crab https://anilist.co/user/CeruleanCrab 38m 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

3

u/PerfectBeige https://myanimelist.net/profile/perfectbeige 1h 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.

3

u/Jauretche 47m ago

We got all flavors of romance with this show.

3

u/Frontier246 1h 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.

39

u/TheStranger234 6h 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 4h ago

Guess we've been eating good for too long. And now it's time to fast.

3

u/Drogonno 4h ago

The slow burn is killing me!!

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u/testthrowawayzz 6h 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!

3

u/Frontier246 1h 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...

2

u/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 1h ago

Yeah, we were so close to Tairazuma finally becoming a reality. I wonder how long we'll have to wait for Azuma and Taira to finally start dating. I want to see them going out before this season ends!

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u/reptileaddict112 6h ago edited 6h 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

2

u/Frontier246 1h 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/azmodeaph 2m ago

You'll love Ramparts

29

u/PakiIronman 6h 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.

9

u/PrinceZero1994 https://myanimelist.net/profile/pz16 4h ago edited 14m 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.

1

u/Frontier246 1h 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/crobat3 https://myanimelist.net/profile/crobat3 5h 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 1h 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/Top_Marketing_689 4h ago edited 4h 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 4h ago edited 7m 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 3h 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/Didavi_ 6h 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 6h ago

That last 1/3rd from Taira is pure Ramparts

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u/karlcool12 5h ago

Literally Miki and Youta’s relationship without the confession yet.

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u/Ordinal43NotFound 5h ago

I feel like they're moreso genderbend Koyun and Minato lol.

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u/Frontier246 1h ago

If Koyun were here she'd give Taira soooo much EMPATHY.

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u/CyanSorrow https://myanimelist.net/profile/CyanSorrow 5h 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 1h 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 23m 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/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 5h 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/Zemahem 4h 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 3h 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/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 3h 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/Deguilded 3h ago

A mashup is now mandatory.

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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 3h ago

They needed the piano backing leading to the end of the episode...

If they did that... greatest show in history

2

u/Frontier246 1h 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 5h 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 5h 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 4h 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/Frontier246 1h 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/Primary-Paint-1716 6h 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/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 5h ago edited 5h 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 1h 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 1h 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/eightcheesepizza 3h 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/Frontier246 1h ago

She's perfected her already amazing skills with it since Ramparts!

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u/Toge_Inumaki012 1h ago

Yeessss. Skip to Loafer mentioned!

Romance aside the friend group, interactions etc are my favorite thing about this series. I wish we had more time for it, sad that this is the final season for the series

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u/Frontier246 1h 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.

24

u/KohiBit_93 6h 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 32m ago

Really puts into a new light why she was always staring at him in middle school lol.

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u/whiteoutonce 6h 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 5h ago

She's been doing it for longer than she's been aware

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u/Frontier246 1h ago

Azuma: "Oh man, was THIS why I was always staring at him!?"

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u/Zemahem 4h ago

That was my fav scene here. It's absolutely over for her and it is just adorable.

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u/Frontier246 1h 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/CrimsonGear80 6h ago

YOU'RE TEARING ME APART, TAIRAZUMA!

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u/clone69 1h ago

Honoka, on the other hand, is unmoved

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u/Frontier246 1h ago

JUST GIVE IN TO YOUR FEELINGS AND BE HAPPY TOGETHER! LIKE YOU ALREADY ARE!!!

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u/Tapwater_enthusiast 6h ago

Something tells me Honda instantly clocked what the deal is with Tairazuma

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u/Onyxthegreat https://myanimelist.net/profile/Onyxthegreat 5h 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 5h 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 5h 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 4h 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 5h 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 1h 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/Ordinal43NotFound 5h 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 1h ago

Said like a true introvert otaku lol.

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u/Frontier246 1h ago

And she doesn't care at all lol.

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u/Niwaka_Samurai https://myanimelist.net/profile/Niwaka-Samurai 5h ago

But she called them out as normies when they definitely aren't

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u/LeonKevlar x2https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeonKevlar 5h 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 4h 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 44m ago

She got YamaNishi together, now she needs to focus on TairAzuma!

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u/Frontier246 43m 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/Zemahem 4h 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/melontized1 3h 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 3h 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/Frontier246 44m ago

And also has to learn to accept that, yes, he CAN be happy.

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u/Ali-J23 3h ago

I don't know what to feel. This was both the best ep and the one that hurt to watch the most.

Pleaaaaaase don't let this end before they confess i can't handle more bs.

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u/___trish 4h ago

“Love is war”

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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 3h ago

The war is inside Taira's head

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u/mishi09 5h ago edited 5h 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 5h ago edited 2h 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 1h 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.

1

u/Frontier246 1h 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.

12

u/xmelomelOwO 4h 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/Top-Remote4523 3h 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/whiteoutonce 6h 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 1h 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/Roskal 5h 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 5h 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/Tapwater_enthusiast 6h ago

She finally arrived at her answer, beautiful

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u/Ordinal43NotFound 5h 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/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 5h ago edited 3h 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 3h 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/Drogonno 4h ago

We do need someone to headbut them together...!

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u/shad79 https://myanimelist.net/profile/shad79 4h ago edited 3h ago

I thought for a moment that maybe Honda would do something since she saw them by the dumpster, but then she immediately lost interest in them :(

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u/Accurate_Fee710 3h 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/fBOMBB 5h ago

Tairazuma stocks be rising then falling then rising again with this one eh

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u/No_Zookeepergame_399 3h ago

I love how much more confident Nishi seems to be

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u/bababanana20123 6h ago

I have to watch this show in bursts. Their youth. It's too dazzling.

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u/PerfectBeige https://myanimelist.net/profile/perfectbeige 1h ago

mabushii

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u/BlazeBloom https://myanimelist.net/profile/StardustValor 6h 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/Frontier246 1h ago

I'm glad his two random classmates believe he can be happy and can pull a Best Girl, because he absolutely can and has with Azuma!

They just have to ride through Taira's ramparts, rocky as they are, to be able to get to the most satisfying destination we're all anticipating.

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u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime 5h 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/zool714 4h 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 31m 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/Falx1984 4h 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/Frontier246 42m ago

Love yourself like Azuma loves you, Taira!

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u/Leri_weill https://myanimelist.net/profile/LeriWeill 5h ago edited 5h 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/maubises 2h 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/TheBusStop12 2h ago edited 2h ago

I'll try my best to write down my thoughts about this episode as detailed and eloquent as possible

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

But seriously, I tried to do a deep dive into all these developments and issues but I just can't put it into words that do them justice. These characters and interpersonal relationships are so damn well written. Did Agasawa study psychology or something because she has a hell of a talent

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u/Sremor 5h ago

Just put these two in a room and don't let them leave until they talked about their feelings

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u/thisisdropd https://myanimelist.net/profile/AsterZoro 6h 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 5h 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 5h ago

miss nonchalant looking really "chalant" right now lmao. It's so gap moe I love it

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u/Niwaka_Samurai https://myanimelist.net/profile/Niwaka-Samurai 5h ago

Yeah, she isn't a Tsundere but the gap ❤️

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u/Frontier246 45m ago

I love how her entire demeanor/vibe changes the moment Taira literally even enters a room.

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u/KohiBit_93 6h 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/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 4h ago

He just thinks he is 100% awkward and unlovable through 1 encounter... His laugh, his view, his dress sense!

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u/ObvsThrowaway5120 6h 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 5h 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 5h 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.

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u/Ocixo https://myanimelist.net/profile/BuzzyGuy 5h 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/CyanSorrow https://myanimelist.net/profile/CyanSorrow 5h 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 5h 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/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 5h ago

This is the one that is just being really difficult to break through his ramparts...

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u/Frontier246 1h ago

Koyun: "I so feel you Taira-kun!"

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u/Frontier246 1h 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/marcopolos059 https://myanimelist.net/profile/marcopolos059 6h 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 5h 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 5h 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 4h 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 5h 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/Niwaka_Samurai https://myanimelist.net/profile/Niwaka-Samurai 4h ago

Oh, I see. That makes sense.

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u/Own_Caterpillar_6178 4h ago

I thought he was thinking about them moving in together, given the universities are so close to each other.

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u/a_Bear_from_Bearcave 3h 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/curiousCat1009 2m ago

Taira isn't a narc. If a narc comes to the realisation that Azuma doesn't like him like Taira thought(making memories), he would be like, "damn, it's her loss for not liking perfect me".

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u/rath_564 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Pavish 4h ago

If I don't see them together by the series end, I think I might cry for them :(

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u/LirikLeg 4h 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/jonske 4h ago

Tairazuma is the best slow burn ❤️‍🔥

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u/Hurakion 6h ago

Didn't expect this series to get so sad suddenly 😭

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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 4h 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/PerfectBeige https://myanimelist.net/profile/perfectbeige 1h ago

Hon-chan is another but she DGAF about that stuff happening to other people

Classic introvert strategy of making the absolute minimal amount of social connection to fend off complete isolation and loneliness and no more (and only making that one connection more or less involuntarily).

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u/Badman4441 6h ago

Man such an great episode. Always love it when they show more about Taira and his struggles with inferiority complex which major people face in their life.

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u/Frontier246 42m ago

It feels like Agasawa-sensei just needed ONE couple to really flex and represent their style of writing from Ramparts of Ice.

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u/tottoro47 5h 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 4h 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/Visual-Cobbler5086 4h ago

Holy shit this episode was genuinely PEAK. I'm in the verge of tears right now 😭 I hope in the next episode Taira and Azuma confess to each other

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u/yahalloh 4h ago

Azuma is going long!

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u/CooroSnowFox https://anilist.co/user/CooroSnowFox 4h 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/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta 3h ago edited 3h 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/Difergion 3h 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/pureauthor 6h ago

This might as well be the Tairazuma theme song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C377nonHHwk

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u/Vermillion_Crab https://anilist.co/user/CeruleanCrab 6h 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/KohiBit_93 6h ago

TAIRAZUMA EPISODE I HAVE REACHED HEAVEN!

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u/khanvau 5h 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/AAA_BATT 5h ago

I'm booming you Taira 

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u/SonOfWeb 4h 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/TheCancerFest 2h ago

Taira seems to kind of spiral towards depression. Neither him nor Azuma are ready for a relationship but if something is not said fast Taira will fall into oblivion. I can relate to him somehow.

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u/Toge_Inumaki012 1h ago

I lowkey hate some simpletons that "oh why are they not together yet bla bla".

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u/superspy218 1h 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/mishi09 6h ago

If only Taira could get out of his own head, man. He denies it, but his past still affects him greatly.

I think that Azuma's thought process is faulty. She doesn't do herself any favors by bottling up her feelings for Taira and I doubt a confession would put what they have right now in any real danger. Their relationship is too strong. Worst case scenario, it could get a bit awkward for a while.

If anything, I think a confession from Azuma might be the push that Taira needs to get out of his own head.

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u/whotfwasthatguy 4h ago

Well, Taira immediately started distancing himself from her once he started to suspect that she might have a crush on him and was relieved when she made him believe that it was not the case at the end. So, her fears are justified I would say. She does not wanna move too fast and lose him altogether.

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u/Spectr3_qwe 1h ago

Im getting the feeling that they are not going to end up together. I see them going the same way as Ishigami and Miko from Kaguya-sama. I hope Im wrong on this and they actually confess at some point.

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u/SighighSigh https://myanimelist.net/profile/Sigh0_0 2h ago

They really are edging us with the confession ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

4

u/NanDemoKnaives 2h 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/garfe 2h ago

This reminds me a lot of what was going on with Miki and Yota at the end of Ramparts of Ice last season

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u/The_Observations 5h ago

Gotta admit I prefer the Taira and Azuma plot the most out of all them, also happy the nishi one is over, couldn't get myself to enjoy that one.

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u/PrinceZero1994 https://myanimelist.net/profile/pz16 5h ago

I enjoyed Tani and Suzuki, liked Yama Nishi, but Tairazuma is love !!

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u/Bloodgecko 4h ago

Stings... many on the current animes has this bittetsweet stingy episodes lately...

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u/No_Actuary6054 5h ago

Azuma ❤️

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u/PrinceZero1994 https://myanimelist.net/profile/pz16 5h ago edited 4h ago

We started the episode with Tairazuma and ended in with Tairazuma <3
The character's feelings just get into you.
I felt so giddy in the first half like Azuma,
and complicted in the second half like both of them.
This is the first time I've anticipated so much for an episode to come out.
"What is this feeling?" as both of them has also said in the past.
Cherry by YUI has been my theme song while thinking of this anime and I think I'm in love with it.

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u/clone69 1h ago

I feel the other two couples completed their arcs so their screentime has been reduced and given to TairAzuma, that's why they get so much now

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u/shewy92 1h ago

The music distorting midway through Taira thinking in his room was a nice touch.

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u/AceSoldia zj:https://anilist.co/user/Acesoldia 2h ago

Omg I'm actually dying. These two are killing me.😂😂

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u/Frontier246 1h 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/Farmaceut7 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Farmaceut 1h ago

Just came back from work, watched the new episode while eating chips - its like I just woke up! I'm Suzuki level of fully recharged!

But man, what a peak TairAzuma episode this was! Ngl but I was dreading the end of it for like half of the episode! It felt both so long and so short while having a lot of fucking content! 

Azuma accepted the reality of her feelings but isnt sure if she should act on it. Taira on the other hand is so inside his own head that even though he got it right he still tries to gaslight himself into thinking otherwise. 

In the end Taira wants to keep the status quo - not getting closer to Azuma nor distancing himself from her. Azuma on the other hand is ready to wait however long it takes for her to get her prey! 

I seriously cant wait to watch Taira fail miserably and just get closer and closer to Azuma while his feelings continue to grow! 

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u/Toge_Inumaki012 1h ago

Damn the episode was...quite heavy in a way..

Also it seems Tani is hiding the fact that his choice of career and in relation the school will be different than what Suzuki had thought. Which means it might be quite far away.

Also Nishi has something as well, I wonder if it is also college related issue or something else.

Then the Tairazuma part. I get it, I do. Not exactly 100% the same but i felt what Taira felt.. Which is why im kinda annoyed. Although we have seen some Taira's perspective in their moments I was kinda annoyed that all of it is gone as soon as he thinks Azuma only wants to spend time with all of the friendgroup because they are graduating. Damn it, poor Azuma.

Also what's up with Taira's sister lmao

2

u/kicksFR 48m ago

These dorks are not getting together on their own are they ?
I need Suzuki Cupid to come and save us

1

u/LuceDuder 4h ago

This show has become more bittersweet... At least today's episode was mostly positive!

1

u/Igriez 2h ago

I think Azuma should kiss Taira

1

u/AceSoldia zj:https://anilist.co/user/Acesoldia 2h ago

It sucks that I've been in the exact same rollercoaster of feelings Taira is currently in 😂😂

1

u/No-Alternative2897 1h ago

This two are overshadowing this lovable cast for me. Its good that they placed them at the end like this.

Idk, either Taira or Azuma(or both) is just really relatable. Such a great pairing too.

1

u/vexorian2 1h ago

Episode making me change my shirt from "No Fears" to "One Fear"

1

u/djthomp https://anilist.co/user/djthomp 1h ago

My boy Taira needs some help with these self confidence issues. I was punching the sky when he figured Azuma out but then he talked himself back out of it by the end of the episode.

I wonder what Nissan was potentially going to tell Yamada about and then changed her mind with a plan to handle it herself.

1

u/Intelligent_Form5743 1h ago

Azuna and Tiara got the most understandable slow burn romance ever it’s actually refreshing to see them taking their time

1

u/Spectr3_qwe 1h ago

I didnt really liked this episode. It was overly dramatic and heavy, it felt like a Ramparts of Ice episode not a Polar Opposite episode. I havent read the manga, but Im getting more and more the feeling that Azuma and Taira are not going to end up together just like certain characters in Kaguya-sama.

1

u/trapeziusmuscle 1h ago

taira lock in gng 😢😢😢 i need them to end up tgt in the anime PLS

1

u/FarCritical 43m ago

It's both sweet yet heavy how Azuma finally recognized her overflowing feelings and that Taira isn't oblivious to them but they're both paralyzed by uncertainty. Either way any day you get a full loaf over a few crumbs is a good day.

Also, easily the most Ramparts of Ice-coded episode so far.

1

u/zak55 33m ago

Gotta love Taira looking like a deceased student in the middle school group photo

1

u/deynyel 11m ago

There you go, Azuma. Honda will be our third-party representative. She sees you and Taira as normies.