Score: A

There’s no doubt that Ouka got plenty of love in her arc. It was a great chance to dive into her character, see what she was working through, and leave the arc with her as a major contender in this harem. This tsundere found the right moments to push through her hesitations. I didn’t expect her to outright confess to Arata! Sure he probably didn’t hear that part, but she still said it with the possibility that he could have heard her. May have gotten hurt through this arc, but she got a lot of wins in return.

Kid Ouka was great

Ouka really represents the justifiable response of that family news. There’s just a feeling of betrayal and hesitation that emerges when you drop that bombshell. Their father just kind of dropped that news and then patted himself on the back for keeping the promise with his wife. Not even bothering to actually reach out individually and talk out what could be a world shattering revelation. All the more so with Ouka who even with a few flashbacks we can tell was really close to their dad. He was someone she could cheerfully turn to whenever she had something to talk about. But after the bombshell they got? She simply couldn’t find the words or even the will to knock on his door. Naturally she does need to speak up over her own issues. But it should have been obvious that some of these characters would have that kind of issue.

Will give the guy some props for actually cancelling his plans and coming back. Maybe that should be a given considering the situation, but still a fair move. Not that it’d make a difference, but hey it’s the thought that counts. Even if he should have done more sooner, I’m not going to pretend like this guy doesn’t care about any of them.

It’s fair to struggle with all this

Finally got some update on what Ouka was thinking. So it wasn’t just a random desire to find a soulmate. Makes more sense that it was spurred by a desire to see their mother again and ask her something. Even if she said some brutal stuff amidst her grief, the grief very much was there. That news shook Ouka’s foundations hard. There are obviously bonds beyond blood and family that don’t share any. But when hitting that emotional low (to say nothing about the physical hurt in that moment) I’m not shocked at what she said.

The reality was that she felt isolated and cornered. This wasn’t news she could casually mention to her friends since public admission about their adoption status is something that a singular person shouldn’t make on their own. She was scared to talk to her dad anymore after that reveal. Naturally things had gotten awkward amidst the family too (with several of them falling for Arata). Her studies hurting were naturally a symptom of a bigger issue. Logically their history is there and they are still a family. But it’s honestly weirder that Ouka was one of the only ones this shaken up by it.

Lot of big moments in this one

I did enjoy all the Ouka and Arata material. This is the moment that cements her as one of the true contenders in all this. He really gutted out a difficult task in carrying someone across a mountain trail, during the rain, while trying not to slip and fall! That’s big hero points there. Wasn’t really hard on her, but instead just made sure he was there for her to vent to. It’s not as if he’s unaware of what kind of emotional troubles that finding out about the adoption stuff could have. The guy just stayed focused on saying what Ouka needed someone to say while getting her to safety. Even if his own health was utterly wrecked by exerting himself that hard in the rain.

The followup of him falling asleep on her shoulder for a good amount of the ride home was perfect. Naturally Ouka had a flashback that such a scene would tie into. Sometimes all you need is to keep it simple though. And having just the sound of Ouka’s racing heart got across what we needed to gain from that scene. She didn’t make a fuss, didn’t draw attention to herself, and looked absolutely flushed by the time they made it home. Honestly if Arata wasn’t revealed right after to be sick it would have been a purely sweet scene.

No moment bigger than this

All of that built up to the scene at the end. While Banri was worried about Kotono there was a far more aggressive girl ready to slip under the radar. And she had the perfect excuse to be there. Getting the dishes was fine, but no one would worry about her taking a bit longer since Seiha did note that Ouka should be caring for Arata considering she was the reason he got sick. But wow…Ouka just laid it all out there. It makes sense that one reason she wanted to connect to the spirit of their mother was that she needed someone to talk about her feelings with. Not like she can mention it to her sisters…Ouka was aware that she was falling for Arata and wasn’t sure about it all.

But now she’s certain. They are family, they are (not really) twins, and she is in love with him. Whether or not he heard that, Ouka can admit this to herself and that changes plenty. We don’t know how much Arata heard. It’s obvious that he was conscious for the kiss. That alone is enough to get him shaken up and should keep his mind racing for a while. It’s theoretically possible for him to spin that into some non-romantic direction, but it’d be a bit dumb if he did. I’m less sure that he heard her confession since that would be too easy. But if he did hear that then that just changes up everything. Ouka immediately rockets to the top of the contender list. And she might be there anyways since she did get that kiss in and he knows that happened.

Kotono isn’t the only danger here!

I feel for Kotono in that she’s treated like this dangerous element by Banri and the others. And she is the one that made her move first and threw the gauntlet down to her sisters so I kind of get that. But she’s very clearly not the greatest or only threat. It should have spoke volumes that Minami had the exact reaction Kotono did about bringing Arata food. But it goes beyond that. Minami’s feelings are becoming increasingly obvious. She was the one that encouraged them to drive all the way to see/find Arata and Ouka. Not because of worry for Ouka and honestly it’s debatable if it was over Arata’s safety. She wanted to find and see Arata…that’s it. Honestly I presume it was because she was worried about Ouka as a rival and didn’t want him to be alone with her for too long…

Hopefully Banri isn’t asked to drive too much!

This episode really grabbed me. Ouka is definitely my top girl after this early part of the show. But honestly they’ve done a good job with everyone so far. Minami’s arc was great of course and the other sisters have gotten their moments to shine. This situation is obviously not going to be settled anytime soon. This sort of harem has to keep everyone in the action for as long as possible. We’re almost through this season too. Curious to see where things will wrap up.