Once again, a one-episode character carries the show. While I wouldn't describe Kimi to Boku as an episodic show, I definitely don't mind when it decides to take the focus off the main group and follow around someone else's point of view for a while. I especially welcome that tactic this week, since last time the show proved that the main characters can get pretty boring without some outside stimulus. This week's character (who I'm assuming that we'll probably never see again) is Akihiro, a third year high-school student, who kind of reminds me of Shun's younger brother from the first season in that he's more of an average guy as compared to the characters we're normally hanging out with on this show. He takes a rather realistic reaction to the group's general messing around, even though it was revealed that his frustration was tied up in other issues as well. Despite his insistence that he was putting himself through cram school and studying on New Year's just to get into a certain college for his girlfriend, there was a feeling that something else had happened in their relationship that wasn't fully explained. Perhaps they'd argued about Akihiro's decision? Did they break up because most likely they were going to separate schools? Or was getting into the same college a per-condition for dating? I'm guessing based off of the text Akihiro receives at the end, which says "We should go out," which could either be a faulty Crunchyroll translation or that Akihiro just didn't want to talk about something that personal with some younger guys he'd only just met. Either way, the theme of time passing was a good choice for this episode. It's a new year, a fresh start, yet all Akihiro can think about is how he's running out of time. Akihiro just wants to get to the cram school, and, by extension, to the school where his girlfriend will be. However, random circumstances in this episode keep sidetracking him and he starts to wonder if it's all futile. However, something as simple as sending a New Year's card to his girlfriend inspires him to keep going despite not knowing how things will turn out. Some of Akihiro's thoughts appear to rub off on Shun as well, since he suddenly becomes aware that this might be the group's final year together. Despite their general aimlessness, time marches on in Kimi to Boku, and I would like to see this developed more throughout the season. I remember the feeling myself when I reached the end of high school; I had a group of really good friends, and life after high school seemed like a dark pit of unknown factors that I didn't--or wouldn't--know how to deal with. But like Akihiro, I kept going ahead anyway, and Shun and Co. will have to come to realize this as well. It would make a nice plotline for the season without having to abandon the random antics or the well-done romance, but given this series' allergy to overarching plots so far, I'm not sure if this one will be embraced. Current tally: Three (3) Episode(s) without Shun in drag, two (2) consecutive, one (1) where he does not appear at all. Images from Crunchyroll.com.
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