[SvenTheSweeper]

Shin turn downing Ai was great from the standpoint of not being clichéd, he was decisive and to the point. How many times have you seen a male lead in an anime show do that? It was refreshing to see! Usually male leads are wishy washy, keep sending mixed signals to the girls, and dragging things out.

However, I also felt sympathy for Ai (one of my favorite girls) when she cried at being turned down. I hope the writers still keep her engaged in the storyline and have her find happiness.

I know some posters were bored with the middle or didn’t enjoy the cute scenes of Noe x Shin. I enjoyed their chemistry together. Let the characters have some fun and happiness, usually its good to have a payoff for all the set up in the story.

Besides, the “good times” are usually a prelude to set up future turmoil and drama, so for those who are losing interest, try sticking with it. I sense it’s going to get interesting in the remaining episodes.

When Hiromi was insinuated about Noe’s ability to capture Shin’s heart with her innocent face, I was going, “No!! Don’t go to the dark side like Shin’s mother.” Wow, what great irony into interject into the show, becoming that which you hate (i.e. Hiromi treating Noe the same way Shin’s mother treated her).

I felt joy, sadness, tension, relief, and exasperation in this episode, I enjoy how this show evokes a broad range of feelings. I also love how the Raigomaru story paralleled Ai’s rebound from rejection and Shin’s metaphorical flight into new life territory. That’s why I gave Episode 8 a 10/10. Great stuff!