Sukitte Ii na yo. - 11

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You know what Sukitte Ii na yo deserves a lot of praise for this episode.

I pretty much predicted something like this may happen. Definitely that Kai would eventually set his sights on helping the only available girl left in Sukitte Ii na yo. (Megumi) and everything else was very "been there, done that" teenage drama. Even so, not a single part of my being was in any way upset about this.

As I've mentioned countless times before, Sukitte Ii na yo. isn't trying to be different or new. It's a teen romance drama that might be a little over-the-top with the number insecure characters walking around. If ever there was an episode to prove that, it's one where the bitch of the series breaks down.

What could have been very cheesy was handled pretty well. The juxtaposition of Megumi's crisis and Yamato x Mei's fun day out was the driving force, though little details along the way were bonuses. Her "friends" abandoning her and Kai noticing her mental collapse were the other moments where it pulled this episode together. Then we had the fun day out......

I'm inclined to say this was some unintended male fanservice. Not the usual ecchi, but all those kawaii moments of Mei couldn't have been for the benefit of all those women watching Sukitte Ii na yo. No, this was for all those moe fans who wanted to see Mei all cute and shy. The sweetness of it all was the perfect counterbalance to the sourness of Megumi's scenes. The only thing; it may have been too sweet.

With this latest episode, I suppose the series will wrap up by only touching upon everyone's relationships. A part of me is disappointed with how Aiko won't get more focus on her relationship with her boyfriend simply because she's been a great supporting character. Always there for Mei, always keeping Megumi at arms length and it's a pity we won't learn more about her.

Just another good episode of Sukitte Ii na yo.