(L) Kubo-san wa Mobu wo Yurusanai (Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible)

[Frontier]

Is there anything prettier than the sight of three Kubo girls out and about amidst Cherry Blossoms? Not to mention how they all have different reactions when they see Shiriashi in the grocery store that just about sums up their characters .

So...Seita and Saki, huh? I don't blame Seita for falling for Saki's charms and crushing hard on her, Kubo women just have that effect on the Shiraishi family, and it helped defuse some tension form Saki seeing Kubo getting all touchy-feely with Shirashi. Plus it was really, really cute !

Kubo cooking is both a danger to herself and others, but if they're going to have a family outing with the Shiraishi's, then she wants to make sure that her Shiraishi eats something she cooked. Although not even the adorable Neko Kubo and Neko Saki will suddenly make her a better cook .

Akina getting to act like a proper supportive big sister here as she helps bridge the gap between Nagisa and Saki and get them to make up and work together to cook some Nagi-chan certified Hamburger Steak! You love to see it !

Seita loves Saki's cooking and of course Kubo had some Hamburger Steak freshly at the ready to offer Shiraishi .

I guess Akina couldn't resist the cliché of the older sister who gets completely plastered when she's out and about at a cherry blossom viewing party. Couldn't resist throwing those massive Akina's in Shiraishi's face while insinuating they're not in-laws (yet) either. Lucky for Shiraishi (and the audience) before Kubo unleashes her angry side, which scares everybody .

Thank goodness for Seita managing to make things right between Kubo and Shiraishi. Even got to hold hands as an adorable family together! And even Seita thinks these two deserve to be together !

[Kanon]

Whoa, this was the last show where I was expecting to see a sexy onee-san trying to seduce a boy with her massive boobs. Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but the show has just been 100% wholesome so far so it was a surprise. This allowed her to see a new, darker side of Nagisa. She was seriously pissed off here.

Shiraishis and Kubos seem to attract each other, but the age gap between Seita and Saki seems too big to be bridged. But hey, maybe in 15 or so years something could happen, especially if Nagisa and Junta end up marrying each other.

[grecefar]

I always appreciate the fanservice, no matter the anime.

[FlareKnight]

Some good moments sprinkled in this one. Was plenty of fun seeing Kubo get pissed off. Of course part of it may have simply been her sister's potential to say too much about Nagisa's feelings while being drunk.

The cooking bit was also pretty decent. Honestly I can't blame anyone wanting to banish Nagisa from the kitchen. That's terrifying. Even after stopping her initially and trying to guide her, the girl still nearly cost herself a finger through careless knife handling. I'll agree that failure is a learning experience...up to a point. Certain failures come with too high a cost for you to learn anything from it. But might as well let her keep trying to improve since it's a good life skill.

I kind of thought the Saki and Seita thing was a bit awkward. Especially with how much the episode just kept pushing it. Age gaps aren't necessarily the end of the world. But I think it's mostly that Seita has the presence of a toddler and shipping him with anyone is just incredibly awkward to watch. Certainly Saki's affection for Nagisa isn't going anywhere. But I'm not sure Seita should be the shipping fall back plan for her character . Let's give her a bit more credit for future options than that.

[Frontier]

It's time for Shiraishi's 2nd Year debut! And so far he doesn't feel any different...still invisible, still shocking people when they realize he's there...and Kubo is still the only person who can see him, and sitting right next to him. Although this time he's in the main character seat, which even adds to their relationship because the two have a window and curtains to heighten the mood between them! Nice .

I'm glad Kubo and her gal pals are still in the same class, though it's hilarious how they still never even noticed Shiraishi was also in said class. Like did they not even see his name in the class roster? Akina is also happy to hear he's still with her adorable little sis, even though Kubo is trying to downplay how giddy she is to be together with Shiraishi again .

Kubo's pretty low-energy about most things, but he puts in the effort when he can and enjoys the successes of said efforts, like taking care of plants for the environmental committee. He was so successful that he became one of the invisible Seven Wonders of the school! And this year Kubo is happy to join him (or force him back) in the committee so they can spend more time together !

Sudo seems like a pretty chill and nice guy, and it's kind of funny how he was trying to meet Shiraishi for a whole year but couldn't because nobody ever sees Shiraishi and even he totally missed him walking right behind him. But I guess that's just how it goes. And you really have to appreciate Kubo going out of her way to help Shiraishi get along with others and possibly make some more friends .

Shiraishi admitting he enjoys the conversations he has with Kubo? That's definitely a critical hit .

Youth and how it tastes is up to you and your actions, but sometimes it's defined by the people you know and how they impact your life. Although Shiraishi must be so used to being isolated and not talking to anyone other than his family if in this entire time he never realized he and Kubo were friends. Denseness worthy of a Kubo pout !

Although now that he's realized it, he's actually pretty happy and lively, by his standards at least. And now the two have recognized each other as mutual friends, which is the perfect starting point for them to become something more than friends .

[grecefar]

Sudo is best bro ever, not only we get to see kubo and shiraishi romance but sudo and shiraishi bromance.

[Kanon]

When Kubo told Shiraishi is sit was in the back by the window I immediately thought "he has the main character's seat!" and Kubo said the same thing a second later
Of course I also fully expected Kubo to be right next to him. But that still wasn't enough for her and she volunteered herself and him to be in the same committee so they can spend more time together. Greedy girl.

Sudo seems like a really cool guy. I like how he corrected the people badmouthing Shiraishi. Sucks he was never able to meet Shiraishi during their first year, but now fate with a little help from Kubo has brought them together. No doubt the start of a strong friendship.

Pretty convenient that classes don't change for the third year. No clue if that's common or not.

[FlareKnight]

The end of that episode has layers. For Shiraishi just having a friend is something too amazing for words. But Kubo's considered them friends for so long that honestly she's already moved past the idea of being happy at being "just friends." Plus she can't even be mad at him since he's so happy at the idea.

Sudo's a good guy. I like that he was perfectly aware of Shiraishi being on that committee and actually having tried to track him down in the past. He just doesn't have the power of love/Kubo's supernatural detection skills. So it didn't go anywhere.

[Guardian Enzo]

I like a lot of things about this series, but Junta’s quirk is so annoyingly stupid that it irritates me every time it’s leveraged. It’s such a lazy bit of character writing.

The other problem I have here is that Nagisa is basically a bully. I mean, there are literally bullying series where the bully bullies the protagonist less than she does. She’s cute, he needs a push sometimes, I get that. But she constantly decides things for him and gives him no say in the matter, and that’s not being a friend, sorry. Again though, lazy writing.

There’s the essence of something good here, and sometimes it reveals itself. But not as often as I’d like.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

I like a lot of things about this series, but Junta’s quirk is so annoyingly stupid that it irritates me every time it’s leveraged. It’s such a lazy bit of character writing.

The other problem I have here is that Nagisa is basically a bully. I mean, there are literally bullying series where the bully bullies the protagonist less than she does. She’s cute, he needs a push sometimes, I get that. But she constantly decides things for him and gives him no say in the matter, and that’s not being a friend, sorry. Again though, lazy writing.

There’s the essence of something good here, and sometimes it reveals itself. But not as often as I’d like.

He has the most weirdest genetic quirk ever. If this weren't a fluffy romcom they could probably explore all the messed up social and emotional issues he has probably internalized from being invisible .

I dunno. I get that she decides things for him but she acts for his own self-interest (and her own) and wants him to be happy, so I can't really view her as a bully. And ultimately he doesn't seem to mind it because it's stuff he wants but wouldn't have had the initiative to actually do without Kubo. At least that's my take.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Frontier

He has the most weirdest genetic quirk ever. If this weren't a fluffy romcom they could probably explore all the messed up social and emotional issues he has probably internalized from being invisible .

I dunno. I get that she decides things for him but she acts for his own self-interest (and her own) and wants him to be happy, so I can't really view her as a bully. And ultimately he doesn't seem to mind it because it's stuff he wants but wouldn't have had the initiative to actually do without Kubo. At least that's my take.

But it’s not her job to decide what his self-interest is. A friend would persuade, not decide for him.

As yourself this - if he did mind (and IMO there have been times when he has) do you really think she’d stop?

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

But it’s not her job to decide what his self-interest is. A friend would persuade, not decide for him.

As yourself this - if he did mind (and IMO there have been times when he has) do you really think she’d stop?

I mean, it feels pretty light when it's just like enrolling him in a school event or helping him make a friend, I also don't feel like Shiraishi always knows what's in his best interest, but he was genuinely unhappy I think she'd notice.

[FlareKnight]

Yeah, I can't remotely consider this on the level of bullying. If Shiraishi said he really hated doing that committee the first time around then there's no way she would have volunteered him for it. Honestly if she waited for Shiraishi to realize he could just ask Kubo to tell the teacher when he's raising his hand and such, then that might take until they are already graduating .

She sought out what kind of committee he might like to be in and...made sure that both of them would be in it.

Honestly, out of the "teasing girl" category of shows...Kubo is the most tame of them all. Her teasing is barely crossing the line of actually being teasing at all. And considering Shiraishi's situation he actually does need some intervention on his behalf. Honestly it's just a pretty tame first love. She wants to spend time with the person she likes and goes out of her way to interact.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

Honestly, out of the "teasing girl" category of shows...Kubo is the most tame of them all. Her teasing is barely crossing the line of actually being teasing at all. And considering Shiraishi's situation he actually does need some intervention on his behalf. Honestly it's just a pretty tame first love. She wants to spend time with the person she likes and goes out of her way to interact.

This. Compared to Takagi, Nagatoro, or Uzaki; she's super tame. If she's a bully then I don't know what they are.

Kubo being a bully is a tremendous stretch. I think the most borderline thing she's done is volunteering Shiraishi in this episode, but she did it after making sure he actually enjoyed doing it in his first year and she also volunteered so it's not like he'll have to do it alone again.

I have to admit she is manipulative though, particularly obvious during the sharing umbrella skit. But she always has good intentions, and would never do something Shiraishi dislikes. She's just trying her best to improve his school life and get closer to him. Shiraishi needs her because his self-esteem is super low due to his invisible man status (and yes, it's egregious).

[Frontier]

A staring contest with Shiraishi is perfect for Kubo! She gets to stare closely and longingly at Shiraishi as much as she wants and when she embarrasses him enough that she wins and she manages to make him take the initiative and say "good morning" to her for once! A win win for Kubo !

It is kind of rough how inconvenient it is when you're invisible to everybody else...but pretty nice when there's someone like Kubo who sees you and is more than happy to stroke your hair and offer up her own for you to feel in the process. Lucky Shiraishi getting to feel Kubo's silky smooth hair! And I guess Kubo just had to ask his preferred hairstyle. I mean, Kubo looks good in any hairstyle, but Shiraishi had to admit to the power of a ponytail. And Kubo's already practicing a ponytail with her hair in preparation !

Time for physical exams and for Kubo and Shiraishi to see how much taller they've become! And why not have fun with it and do it for themselves in a way that gets them nice, close, and intimate! Heck, Kubo even managed to stroke her finger on his back! Quite the bold girl, that Kubo. No wonder Shiraishi ran .

I guess Shiraishi is a boy after all. The moment the topic of Kubo growing comes up he immediately looks at her chest .

I see Kubo and Anna Yamada think similarly to the point of going out of their way to wear the track jacket of the guy they like, only Kubo outright admits to it in front of him! And she looks good in his jacket...and basically steals it for herself. Classic girlfriend move. Heck, another girl did it with her boyfriend too! And Kubo couldn't resist trying to smell Shiraishi on the jacket. Down, girl !

Shiraishi is taller! And the girls...are the same height! Also Kubo's best efforts to boost up her bust never seem to go anywhere, poor girl .

It's Seita's first outing! And Shiraishi and Akina are tagging along! It was really sweet watching Seita go to the store and get eggs all by himself, with the pair watching in the wings, and then greeting him when he got back. Akina got so invested because it reminded her of her little sis when she was that age, treating us to a flashback of Smol!Kubo and Akina with longer hair! Awesome !

I see Kubo's weakness is having her hair stroked (checks out). And her mind immediately darting to Shiraishi doing it when her sister brings it up. And her sister is well-aware, especially because she sees Shiraishi being there for her sister in the very near future .

[grecefar]

kubo lost the contest like two time by closing her eyes.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by grecefar

kubo lost the contest like two time by closing her eyes.

The condition for the staring contest wasn't blinking, it was whoever was the first to look away from the person they were looking at. And no way would Kubo look away from Shirasihi .

[Kanon]

The anime messed up the heights. There was plenty of evidence Shiraishi was taller than Kubo, yet he was listed as 166cm tall and she at 168. Additionally, the picture showed Kubo's blue haired friend was the tallest of the trio but listed her as being 165cm. It's not a translation error, the names are correct. I managed to track down the manga chapter but it's in burger units so I'm not sure how accurate it is... 5'5"(165cm) for Shiraishi, 5'3"(160cm) for Kubo, and 5'4"(163cm) for the friend. Much more consistent at least.

Anyway, if I have to say one bad thing about Kubo, it's that she has no concept of personal space, which makes Shiraishi both happy and uncomfortable at the same time. She even ended falling for her own trap...

Akina is a lot older than I thought. She was apparently already an adult when Nagisa was 5 or something. Might as well have made her her mom honestly, especially since Kubo mama doesn't seem to exist.

[Frontier]

It's rare to see Shiraishi so pumped and excited for something, but I guess an anime film based on one of your favorite manga is enough to get anyone hyped. And as luck would have it, Kubo is a fan of the series too after Shiraishi lent it to her! Perfect excuse for the two of them to go see the movie together and make it a movie date !

Oh snap! Kubo finally brought out the ponytail! And her nicest date clothes! She's going all out for this one .

A packed train is tough, but not too bad when you have someone you don't mind getting close to. Especially when you get a surprise kabedon moment out of it. It does kind of suck how Shiraishi's invisbility means people keep unknowingly bumping into him, but I think the Kubo ASMR in his ear was more of a critical hit .

A girl doesn't mind seeing a later showing so you can sit together? Lists out all the usual date spots she wants to go to with you? Gets all hot and bothered when she finds out you planned on walking her home the whole time? Either she's in love with you or she's Canadian .

Well, the pair didn't share a cup together with heart straws but Kubo was all hyped to try black coffee with Shiraishi like a big girl! Except it's a little too bitter for her tastes. I like how they didn't even bring up the indirect kiss when she tried his too. but it was a nice moment for Shiraishi to step up and sweeten the coffee so the two of them could enjoy it together .

I've never seen shopping for erasers look so romantic. They're practically a couple at this point. They even managed to get something for Seita! This day is a total winner already .

I like how they actually showed the "be quiet" intro to the movie .

I'm glad the pair really enjoyed the movie and it seemed to be a hit for the fans...but Kubo also noticed how happy Shiraishi was, which was new to her. Seems like being invisible for so long and not having anyone to talk to makes it hard for Shiraishi to emote, but Kubo can read him like a book and wants to see different sides to him .

Kubo isn't ready for this to end! So she and Shiraishi are already planning for their next outing together! Complete with a pinkie-swear (which isn't handholding, but close enough). Of course the real kicker is Shiraishi seems aware enough of his feelings for Kubo that he's trying to make sure it's not showing on his face knowing how well she can read him .

[grecefar]

An entire chapter being a date. It was perfect.