Is that your answer?
What They Say:
It’s the third year of middle school. Kotaro, a bookish boy aspiring to become a novelist, and Akane, a track girl who loves to run, meet in the same class together for the first time. They’re put in charge of the equipment for the sports festival, and slowly grow closer via LINE. How does Kotaro deal with his growing feelings for her? Meanwhile, Takumi has been in love with Akane since first year, and Akane’s friend, Chinatsu, becomes interested in Kotaro. A refreshing story of young love set in Kawagoe.
The Review:
Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)
We've already gotten the school athletics festival early on in Tsukigakirei, so the idea of another landmark event happening so soon after is pretty implausible. Well, at least that's what I thought before going into this week's episode only to find out that it's time for a field trip to Kyoto. Of course, with field trips come chaperones and with chaperones come strict itineraries and rules. And, considering how much we've learned from other field trips in anime, there is only so much free time allotted per outing. The question, now, is how Kotarou and Akane going to spend their respective free time.
Last week's episode ended with the confession. Early on in this week's episode, we learn that Akane had the incredibly roundabout answer of, "I need some time to decide," which is just as painful to hear as 'no' for us most of us viewers. Still hanging on for what Akane's answer may be, Kotarou remains glued to his phone the way he always is -- just, this time, he isn't allowed to be as cell phones are strictly prohibited during the field trip. This turns the tables from episode three when Akane was incapable of answer Kotarou (After her phone died) and gives her a taste of how it feels to not have her texts replied to be the ones she [obviously] yearns for -- despite her roundabout answer to being asked out days prior.
The most difficult part of all of this is that the last text Kotarou was able to send to Akane was a message asking him if she wanted to meet up during free time tomorrow. Of course, Akane gets roped in by her friends and can't stop thinking about Kotarou's request. Eventually, her friends catch wind of her wanting to be somewhere else and essentially force her to split up with them and go be wherever she wants to be. But Kyoto is large and, of course, Kotarou had to choose a colossal department store with many entrances as their meeting place. With neither party knowing where the other is (Or if the other is even coming, for that matter), the two frantically search for each other during a torrential downpour. It isn't until Kotarou runs into Chinatsu that this tension is quelled. Apparently, Chinatsu figured out Kotarou's feelings for Akane somewhere down the line and helps give him the push he needed to meet with her. And, after a painstaking, Shinkai-esque several minutes, the distance between our prospective lovers is closed and Akane gives yet another roundabout answer to Kotarou's confession -- this one being a bit more positive than the last.
In Summary:
Tsukigakirei remains as consistent as it has been the last several weeks in yet another romantically suspenseful and endearing fourth episode. With a few of the side characters having a bit more exposure than normal, the pacing of this episode moves along briskly while still highlighting the physical and emotional distance between Kotarou and Akane. The scenery of Kyoto showcased in this episode bumps of the visuals several steps but does not shy from the relatively minimalist approach Tsukigakirei takes as a whole. All in all, this is another impressive installment to what I would call the most adorable show of Spring 2017.
Grade: A-
Streamed By: Crunchyroll
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