Plot: When Tsukushi arrives at school, she finds that things are still the same, but slightly better. Her resolve is still strong, Makiko continues to send messages back and forth to her through the little electronic frog, and she overhears some kids actually admiring her for standing up for herself to the F4, even if they’re still having fun with her situation at her expense.
She tries to find Rui to thank him once again for saving her the other day and finds him on a bench in the garden playing a beautiful song on the violin. He stops and asks what she’s doing there. She thanks him for saving her, but he says he shouldn’t have done so if he knew she’d become a pest about it. She tells him she’ll maybe catch him again hanging out in the emergency stairwell, and he replies that he’ll stop going there.
After he leaves, Tsukushi muses, not bothered by his words. She believes he was being more honest in his violin playing than what he was saying and happily goes about her day.
At the end of school, she’s suddenly kidnapped and taken to a car by Tsukasa’s goons. She struggles and fights, but it’s no use. In the car, they knock her out with chloroform as Tsukasa looks on with a smirk telling her that she’ll pay.
When she awakens, she finds herself at the mercy of three people who strip her naked before giving her a deep-tissue massage. She then gets a makeover including a new hairstyle and set of clothes.
She’s brought to the dining room where she meets Tsukasa. He reveals that she’s actually in his house. He asks her if she’s in love with Rui, but doesn’t wait for an answer before he tells her Rui’s not single. He then…gives a really confusing explanation as to what’s going on. He directs her to a portrait of his sister and tells her they’re as different as night and day, but this makeover proves that even someone as average as her can shine with polish.
He’s willing to let her hang around him when no one’s around, but she’ll never be a replacement for his sister….I guess.
She’s deeply insulted that he thinks he can buy her with money and demands her uniform back so she can head home. He’s equally insulted at her refusal, claiming she’s a pauper while he’s name brand from head to toe. She proudly proclaims she’s no-brand and tells him to not lump her together with the other girls who fawn over him for his money.
After she leaves, she runs into Rui on his way home from school. She asks him if there’s anything money can’t buy. He replies ‘Air.’ Rui actually manages to legitimately smile at her, calling her a weird girl.
The next day, someone has written ‘Tsukushi Makino ran a mob outfit in jr. high! She sleeps around and has a bastard child!’ on the chalkboard.
Tsukushi rushes out to confront the F4, blaming them for the writing, proclaiming she cannot possibly have a bastard child, because she’s a virgin. She then runs off, leaving the boys flustered and confused. Tsukasa claims her telling them she’s a virgin is her way of telling them she’s single and believes she likes him.
She rushes back to class to find three girls she’s never really spoken with erasing the writing and badmouthing the F4 for what they’ve done. They call Tsukushi a very strong girl for taking all of this without standing down and invite her to a party they’re having. They tell her they’ll pay for the ticket and to not worry about the clothes because it’s a jeans party. Tsukushi is a little confused considering she doesn’t know these girls, but she accepts.
Later, at the bakery in which Tsukushi works, she’s surprised to find Rui and Sojiro visiting. Rui buys a cupcake because it’s cute.
That night, Tsukushi arrives at the party only to find out that the girls were lying about it being a jeans party. It’s actually a very fancy party, and they tricked her just to laugh at her when she arrived in such casual clothing.
Breakdown: This episode is pretty bad. I like that Tsukushi continues to keep her resolve strong, but the fact that she keeps her heart soft for Rui just because he plays violin and likes cute things, no matter the mean things he says to her, is a bit frustrating.
And, dear god, what the hell is up with Tsukasa? This creepy bastard legitimately kidnapped her and essentially had her sexually assaulted (Drugging her and having people strip her completely naked and massage her against her will) just so he could dress her up in a similar manner to his sister and offer to have her hang around him (as long as no one’s around) to replace his sister? Someone call the cops!
Actually, I guess this shouldn’t be too surprising given that he tried to have her gang raped in the previous episode. What is wrong with this guy?
Then believing her telling them she’s a virgin is her way of telling him that she’s available and likes him? I just got done reading Boku wa Imouto ni Koi Wo Suru. I don’t need to go through another lengthy series where one of the main love interests is a rapey creeper.
It’s also a bit awkward that the ending ‘cliffhanger,’ if you will, is Tsukushi learning the girls tricked her to mock her. I saw that coming from a mile away, and the fact that Tsukushi is even surprised at this by this point is a little silly.
Small note, but the music is really starting to grate on me. Half of it is repetitive and the other half sounds like it belongs in a 1950s short film.
Next episode, Tsukushi deals with stuck up bitches, and Rui actually does have a girlfriend. How will this mesh with Tsukushi’s budding feelings for him?
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The Anime Madhouse 