Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku – 11
Megane Yukinon too stronk.
In this episode, the H-bros enjoy some much-needed face time to Hina’s delight.
Diversion
Impending cat fight!
It’s here at last: the episode on the development of Hayato’s character! It just happened in a different way than I anticipated. So last week we were left with questions about the Yukinoshita and Hayama family affairs. This week, the subject has been left mostly untouched. Which is a bit surprising. I figured a situation in which Hachiman and Hayato work together to save Yukino from her family issues would be a great way to end the series. Instead, we get something related, but decidedly different. The show moves away from the idea of family arrangements and steers the question of a potential relationship between Yukino and Hayato towards school rumors. These rumors are, of course, eventually put down. But we never do get any details about what might have happened between the two. More hints about a shared past between them are dangled enticingly before our eyes, but that’s all we get. The show makes clear that whatever may have happened between the two is a thing of the past, and nothing more.
Cat fight averted. Enjoy delicious tears instead.
In light of the school rumor nature of the situation, we do see a confrontation between Yumiko and Yukino. Things get a little heated, and for a moment there I thought the two might break into a cat fight. But instead, Yumiko simmers down and realizes the true source of her frustration: she wants to learn more about Hayato’s plans for the future so that she can stay with him in college and even beyond. And the reason this is an issue to begin with is because Hayato is being secretive about his future plans. Cue the start of a very revealing investigation into Hayato’s character.
Hayato Revealed
Like two sides of a coin.
The Volunteer’s Club’s first attempts aren’t particularly successful. Hachiman’s direct approach falls flat immediately, as expected. And Yukino’s attempt to enlist Haruno’s aid ends just about as we would expect. Although I should add that Yukino asking her sister for help is a great show of how her character has changed over the progress of the series. After all, it did manage to put a look of surprise on Haruno’s face. Anyway, to cut to the chase, Hachiman has a bit of a chat with Hayato during the school marathon. This is what we find out. Hayato feels suffocated as the center of attention at school. He’s so popular that others have created their own idealized image of him. Hayato resents having this false image forced upon him, and only wants to be seen for who he really is. This is the source of his disappointment in Hachiman, a sentiment which he has expressed increasingly of late. He thought that he had at last found someone who could understand and accept his true self. But instead, Hachiman, like all the others, sees only the false, idealized image of Hayato. This calls back to Shizuka’s observation in episode eight that Hachiman is bad at understanding how people feel despite being great at figuring out what they are thinking.
I’m epic winning!
Back to the issue at hand, Hayato reveals that he actually wants to be more like Hachiman; to stand on even ground with the loner. Of course, he doesn’t mean that he wants to be a social pariah. Rather, he yearns to be able to stay true to himself and still retain the friends that he has made with his false image. To a certain extent, he probably also looks up to Hachiman’s ability to help others selflessly, even though we already know that he has a problem with the self-denigrating way in which Hachiman goes about it. Now, before this confrontation, Haruno actually gave Hachiman a bit of a hint as to Hayato’s feelings. I’m not sure if she did this knowingly or if Hachiman himself leveraged this information knowingly. But as it turns out, our hero is still able to help both Yumiko and Hayato by indirectly extracting Hayato’s future plans for the former and inspiring the courage to be himself regardless of what others think in the latter. While we’re at it, Hayato also uses his new-found confidence to dispel the rumors surrounding Yukino and himself. So all’s well that ends well.
Shipping
Now kiss! (mouseover to play)
With that said, there is a little bit of service thrown at the HikkixYukinon shippers in the form of a brief but cute encounter in the infirmary. It’s looking increasingly like those two are OTP thanks to the more recent developments, and I am perfectly fine with that. For the Yui shippers though, it was a bit of a sucker punch for her to overhear and possibly even catch a glimpse of Hachiman and Yukino’s intimate moment. But hey, there are still two more episodes for her to try and turn things around. Although judging from her keeping quiet about what she saw, it’s possible that Yui might decide to swallow her feelings and support her two friends instead. I guess only time will tell.
Extras
Despite calling himself inferior to Hachiman, I have to say that Hayato’s last exchange with the loner paints an opposite picture. Hachiman is only able to inspire Hayato to be himself, while only recently discovering his own true desires. On the other hand, Hayato is able to see through Yukino while Hachiman remains slightly oblivious thanks to his bad handle on others’ feelings. And Hayato has faith in the strength of the bonds he has made while Hachiman believes that friendships fall apart easily. All in all, I’d say that Hayato stands at a better place by the end of this episode. But that’s not really important. What matters is that the two bros now understand each other, as well as themselves, better than ever before. This, despite declaring that they “hate” each other.
The bromance is strong with these two.
About Sumairii
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
The part that I found interesting was Hachiman’s insight, after realizing how Hayato seems to feel about his group, that even if Hayato doesn’t actually date anyone, that Yumiko is “good for keeping the other girls away”. Especially since we’d already seen Yumiko’s near desperation in wanting to stay with Hayato. She definitely likes her assumed position of #1, although that was also threatened by Yukino this episode, at least in public perception.
And thinking about Hayato’s request that maybe Hachiman can save him, too, maybe Hachiman just needs to be the guy to take Yukino out of circulation. 🙂
(I really like the OTP nature of the show, I’ll say)
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
This episode left me feeling = ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzZzzzz
IDK why I watch this anymore I guess the completionist part of me wants to finish what I started with season one? I don’t care for any of the characters except Yui who is really the ONLY reason I put up with this, but even that is a stretch also I just can’t connect to Hikki’s world views due to my different personality IRL and how I acted in high school…
I know that is the whole deal with this series to paint Hikki as the “broken” character who has to “rebuild” himself by meeting new people and learning to accept them, but again not sure why I keep up with this lololol
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
Fosh, Snafu is more about coming of age and social order than it is about the “redemption” of Hachiman. Given what you say, I think you should just be honest with yourself and drop the show. There’s nothing to be gained from putting up with things you don’t appreciate.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah true that, but we have what two more episodes? I can stick around to see the end at least.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Ye cats and little fishes, the emergence of a bromance! Didn’t see that one coming.
But I wouldn’t start building the OTP up too much, and Yui has a chance to rally. That’s a going reality since the show almost let the other two “seal the deal” but didn’t.
As for Hayato, well, dude, complain much? I’m kidding, but still…
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Sumairii, your webms are still borken. skylion’s work fine.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…well mine are outright “borrowing” from anon’s. Sum’s are handcrafted…
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
I just tested on Firefox and it works. What browser are you using?
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Inori-chan.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
IE’s support for webm appears nonexistent at best. I checked with IE11 and the webms in Skylion’s post don’t play either. Instead, you are required to download the file.
I don’t know what the support for webm is on VLC, but I’ve always been able to play them on Chrome. And with my recent fix, they appear stable on Firefox. I suggest you try one of those browsers instead as I have no intention of developing for IE or VLC.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Skylion’s do work with the whachamacallitplugin installed.
And I don’t plan to have any other browser installed. Maybe Spartan armour would be an exception. Opera on android.
I suspect is the video decoding bit. It’s no big loss to me anyway.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
I would assume IE11 and VLC just don’t support the VP9 codec. I’m not going to downgrade to the VP8 codec, so it’s up to the devs of IE11 (or its plugins) and VLC to figure out.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
To further clarify, I have no intention of developing for IE or VLC because I don’t use either of those applications. I made an exception for Firefox because it is one of the more popular web browsers. If you are still using IE, do yourself a favor and switch to Chrome or Firefox.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Never! 😀
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Oops, forgot the rest of the message. Just no video, the sound plays. Downloading it and playing on vlc shows a static picture frame.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
I think spammy ate the second post…
Just no video, sound there. Playing the webm on vlc there is a static picture with sound.
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
There have been times when SNAFU was my favorite show airing, but at this point I would have to say that I don’t know what the current plot really is. The planning for the Christmas event covered several episodes and had some obvious goal. The goal now is less clear. Further my memory of season 1 is that it was funnier than this season.
I still like the characters though.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
There have been a couple episodes I’ve really enjoyed as well, but it’s been overshadowed by Plastic Memories and most of all Hibike! Euphonium (which is just tremendous). The LNs here are getting to a point where they feel like they’re wrapping up, and it’s kind of in a box, much like HaGaNai is at the end of the second series. I think OregaIru has more of an idea about the direction it’s going to go (unlike Haganai where the author just gave up and abandoned the story). But that really cuts back on the humor potential when you get into the seriousness of relationships and family expectations.