hontou ni sou omou?

I was very disappointed by this episode the first time I saw it. But now knowing that there will be a second season, the lack of closure is less galling. Rewatching it, the multiple iterations of the story less confusing. However, I still didn’t like it all that much mainly because of its focus on the Tenma-Karasuma angle which I found extremely tedious and was really glad when the series moved off it after the initial arc. What I did enjoy a lot was the Harima-Eri interaction in this episode.

Eri’s awkward attraction towards Harima is always a treat. Makes me think of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl - though the young ‘uns among you might be more familiar with the Westlife cover of that old classic. Given that this is a tremendous source of embarrassment for Eri, the main way she expresses it is to torment him in her princessy manner. Normally this would irritate the hell out of me but we know she doesn’t really mean it, it’s just that she has no idea how to relate to him. Harima reasonably takes her hostility at face value and the dramatic irony makes it even funnier. Other than Mikoto, no one has really gotten under Eri’s skin so it’s a treat to watch Harima undermine her composure without even realising it. I also think it’s quite sweet how they have nicknames for each other - Harima calling Eri “Ojou” (princess) and Eri calling Harima “Hige” (beard) and how they address each other in ways ranging from derisive to almost affectionate.

If Eri ever found out how Harima’s initial confession (mistakenly to her) was meant for Tenma, she’d probably be crushed because although Tenma is part of her clique, Eri quite clearly (and not unreasonably) does not regard Tenma as her equal in looks, smarts, attractiveness blah blah. And it was a little shocking how she turned on her best friend, Mikoto, after misunderstanding that Harima might be attracted to her. Hell hath no fury like Ojousama scorned.