I can kinda forgive him for not realizing he was in a time-loop or time-leaping on just the 2nd go. But by the third? He's supposed to be a genre savvy otaku, isn't he? What he's experiencing is common enough in Japanese pop culture fiction that he really should have had it figured out no later than the 3rd loop. Has the guy never heard of Kyon or Akemi Homura?

And why couldn't he just avoid walking down the alleyway with those 3 muggers on the 4th loop?

In any event, yeah - Lack of romance (for a VN adaptation), and male lead kept almost entirely in a support role are probably the two major issues here sales-wise.

Having Hinata actually fly into the skies to help Asuka practice directly against him was a nice moment, but I wonder if it might be "too little, too late". On the other hand, I strangely find myself dreading the idea that he might personally compete in the last two episodes.

One positive is that there is a nice air of unpredictability going into the last two episodes. There's a few different ways I can see the final arc developing, due to how there are a lot of major players involved.

I like how this (first?) tournament doesn't waste much time, and gives you good fast-paced matches focusing mostly on highlight moments. Asuka has become much more likeable to me since she started being a rookie star in Flying Circus matches. Now that she's less clumsy, her personality comes off as appealingly playful and humble for someone as good at this as she is (good contrast between her and the much more serious minded/intense Misaki).

What I like most so far in Four Rhythm is actually the Asuka/Shindo dynamic. That dynamic has loads of potential, and made Episode 6 a real blast. Honestly, Asuka vs. Shindo is what Honoka/μ's vs. Tsubasa/A-RISE should have been. Shindo's fascination with Asuka, his eager anticipation in battling her, his spurring her on with a strong mix of compliments and taunts, her then rising to the occasion... this is pure sports narrative gold. What makes this even sweeter is how you could easily use this as a great starting point for an epic Asuka/Shindo romance (not that I expect that, of course, just saying it could be done).

However, this does speak to a possible weakness in the anime given that the male lead is Hinata. There's nothing particularly wrong with him, especially after Episode 2, but it really does feel like he's just there. He's a good enough coach/support, don't get me wrong, but the competitors are the real stars. His overall role, through six episodes, makes me think of Nove in Nanoha Vivid. Which is to say that if you were to genderbend him it would have very little if any impact on how I perceive the story so far. Which is to say I'm not really feeling much of a romance vibe between him or any of the female characters.

You said this is a VN adaptation, right? I doubt I would have guessed that without you telling me that. The character designs and artstyle are the only "tells" through 6 episodes, and that alone isn't much. The show feels like pure sports anime to me, maybe with some chance of a romance between Asuka and Shindo (if I didn't know better). If Hinata was a female, I'd be seeing Saki or Girls und Panzer here, just in the skies.

Maybe this disappointed some VN players? Not feeling much romance in the first half of the anime? Well, I'll probably revisit this thought after I've completed the show.

In any event, very good show and excellent sports anime! Honestly my tentative choice for Sports Anime of the Year for Anime Suki's next Chocie Awards.

Oh, by the way, what I like 2nd best about this show so far - the bond between Mashiro and Rika. That's so incredibly D'AAAAWWW. Rika is such a sweetheart, and Mashiro so beautifully captures "want to hug and protect" moe. Episode 4 nearly melt my heart, lol.

I honestly felt badly for both girls over them losing in the first round, as predictable as it was given their competition. But it was cute to see Mashiro cheer for Rika even though Rika was going up against Misaki.

I think that showcasing a high-level flying match in the first episode might have wooed viewers and gained more patience from them. It would have given anime-only viewers more reason to stick with the show as they'd know that eventually the show's main protagonists would reach a level similar to the high-level match they watched in Episode 1.