I think the fundamental problem with the cast of Makeine is pretty straightforward. Imagine relationships were skiing – though perhaps snowboarding is a better analogy given the age of these characters. If you show up at the resort with no experience, the first thing you really ought to do is take lessons. But if there’s no one to do that, at least head for the bunny slope. If you’ve never snowboarded before, even the bunny hill is pretty tough. But these kids? They head straight for the triple back diamond run, slap their goggles down, and plummet over the edge.
Seriously, this shit is way too hard even for most experienced adults (most of us never get really good at skiing, truth be told). Staying friends with people you’re attracted to? Hanging out with the person who stole them away from you? Even just being friends without attraction getting in the way (as Anna and Kazuhiko are trying to do). There’s no shame in judicious withdrawal – you’ll live longer and be happier that way. But they’re young and naive and probably idealistic – they want to soar like a bird even as they’re about to face-plant into a tree.
Nukumizu-kun still sees himself as the ultimate observer, but he’s in eyes-deep whether he knows it or not. For starters, he can’t not meddle – he must have the gene. His telling Anna to stop talking because he didn’t want her to say bad things about other people behind their back was a fascinating moment. Eventually that evening winds up with him going after Lemon (yes, I am switching, thank you) yet again. He even tries to give her some good advice – if she tries to stay friends with Mitsuki it’s going to get very messy – not that she listens. Mostly he’s just there so she won’t be alone – which is often exactly what a good friend should do. I was happy Grandma gave Nuk-kun a shoutout because he definitely deserved it.
Nuk-kun is going through all the steps of forming bonds with people without any real sense of what’s happening. His surprise when Mitsuki later tells him they’re friends was surely genuine, and very telling. This is part of yet another sequence of Nukumizu getting involved on Lemon’s behalf, this time going along as moral support for her late night clear the air meeting with Mitsuki. This makes things clear as mud if you ask me. Lemon finds out that Mitsuki used to like her, but felt she was out of his league.
She winds up counselling him to stay with Chihaya (she looks just like a HS version of Takagi-san BTW) but let’s be honest here. Lemon still likes Mitsuki, and now knows he had a thing for her. So, effectively, all she’s really confirmed is that she had her shot, and failed to take it. Lemon may intellectually believe Asagumo-san is better for him, and may even be right. But this is the boy she followed to high school, the boy she’s in love with. Again, triple black diamond. She needs to back off and give them space, not to mention herself. But she’s doing just the opposite. The impression given is that this subplot is wrapped up, but it sure doesn’t feel that way to me.
As for Kazuhiko and Anna, looks like that’s going to continue to be the elephant in the room for a while longer at least. I don’t know if wearing the same t-shirt counts as an indirect kiss, but her reaction to that proves Yanami is far from oblivious to the fact that she and Nuk-kun are a girl and boy of a certain age and comprehensively available. She compensates by making light of things, he by straightforward denial – but turning the lights out in a room so you can’t see the clutter doesn’t mean it’s not there. I’d even go so far as to say she’s intentionally toying with him, as in the “substitute” bit at the end. Because she’s a child, because he’s an easy mark, and because deep down she’s interested and desperate to convince herself otherwise.
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