Hmmm... I actually enjoyed this episode much more than I initially thought I would
Sorata's family is, well... interesting to say the least
Yuuko-chan didn't annoy me as much and the parents were fun to watch, especially Sorata's dad. The bath scene. EPIC
I also loved the character interactions in this episode. Aoyama and Sorata's relationship here was nice. It showed us that, even if they are not in a romantic relationship, they are really,
really good friends. The way they support each other and can talk about their work is nice, they're both down to earth kind of characters, so they understand each other well. Also liked the fact that Sorata didn't hide one of the main reasons for supporting her — he wants her to prove that hard work
does pay off. I think all of us can relate to that. I'm always happy to see people who work hard succeed and I want my hard work to pay off too.
Sorata and Mashiro had some minor development as well. I liked the fact that he didn't try to laugh it off or ignore it or shout or sth when Mashiro asked him if this was the Mashiro he loved. And the face he showed after he answered "yes" and she said "thank God". I'm kind of glad that he looks guilty about the fact that she is trying to change once again for him, to try and be the "old Mashiro he loves" instead of the "new Mashiro that makes him feel uneasy". She's gonna keep changing and, well, he's going to have to accept it sooner or later.
Misaki and Jin. So that's what happened. I think Misaki was also at fault for not telling anything about the manuscript. Her face gave it all away. Seeing her sulk throughout the episode was sad, so I'm glad she got better in the end. Kind of surprised that it was Mashiro who helped her though, I would've thought it'd be someone else. Their situations were very different , but the questions Mashiro asked actually helped Misaki.
Anyway, looking forward to the next episodes
And this post is longer than I expected
P.S. The new OP is growing on me. Didn't think much of it at first, but the more I listen to it, the more I like it.