And with Episode 4, Tamayura ~Hitotose~ continues to be one of the most heartwarming shows I've ever seen. It has an effect on me similar to drinking hot chocolate in the middle of a cold winter day.
This particular episode also reminded me of Hanasaku Iroha a fair bit, giving me a new appreciation for
that anime. I think that there's some striking similarities between Maon and HSI's Nako.
In any event, Maon's character focus episode really did a lot to flesh out her character, and give her some depth. Up until now, I have to admit that I saw her pretty much as just the shy, quiet girl who likes communicating through whistling. After this episode, she feels a bit more realistic to me.
All of the above being said, I think that Guardian Enzo has a point when it comes to Norie's shotacon tendencies. The Norie/Kou/Komachi love triangle probably does give this anime a needed edge, particularly in the comedy department.
I literally laughed out loud over the brief Titanic reference, and I also literally laughed out loud a couple times from watching Komachi continually outmaneuver Norie.
I actually hope this love triangle continues to be used as a running gag, because it works very well on that level. I also have to admit that I find Kou/Komachi really cute together, even though they are just elementary kids. I myself had crushes on girls when I was in Elementary, and it's mostly just puppy dog love stuff, and keeping that in mind, it's pretty adorable really.
9/10 for Episode 4.