*Minami-Kun No Koibito – Do Your Best Minami-Kun*

Shunichi is fast becoming a cute little pumpkin who isn’t the smartest of male leads I’ve ever seen haha ^^” This episode was breezy and fun, with some added emotional drama thrown in. I’m really loving this little drama so far~

Shunichi is filming Chiyomi sending a message to her family, to reassure them that she is okay. It takes a few takes and even then it’s a bit awkward, but Shunichi is happy with the final take. Shunichi explains that he got a different e-mail and will use that to send the video, so that they won’t know it was him that sent it.

In voiceover Chiyomi gives a little run-down of what has happened, and how she is living with Shunichi and how it is ‘fascinating’.

Chiyomi’s family watch the video and Chiyomi’s dad is super happy to see it, as is Asuka. However, her mother is not too happy, saying she should just come home. And then they are shocked by how short the video is. Chiyomi’s dad says she may be scared of her mother and sister who start to complain.

Chiyomi’s mother then brings up the fact he was the one who hit her. Bickering ensues, but Chiyomi’s mother gets up to answer the phone. Once Chiyomi’s dad hears that it’s Chiyomi on the other end, he charges up to the phone and takes it from his wife.

Chiyomi asks if they saw the video and explains that the workshop is getting longer because the teacher has an ‘artistic temperament’. Chiyomi’s mother takes the phone and asks her what happened to her mobile. She says it broke and her mother offers to send her money to get a new one. Chiyomi refuses the offer saying that she wants to focus on her dancing and is willing to go through the loneliness of not having a mobile. Her mother asks her why she is talking like a trainee monk (Ha! Brilliant).

With that she hangs up the phone, once again having trouble ending the call (which I don’t understand, her hands are still touching the button so it should work right away or am I an idiot? ^^”). Shunichi wonders how she can tell such a lie, but Chiyomi strongly doesn’t want her family to see her like she is. And even though he says that he still laughs at her “enduring loneliness”.

This annoys Chiyomi who calls him an idiot (baaaaaka :p), but Shunichi tells her not vent her anger on him because he is still weak after being in bed with a fever the day before.

She then recalls him being in bed yesterday, and more importantly for us viewers, the moment leading up to Nomura about to kiss a sleeping Shunichi.

As Nomura gets closer, Shunichi says Chiyomi’s name, several times. This causes Nomura to get upset and leave. However, it doesn’t stay cute as a sleep-talking Shunichi then goes on to call Chiyomi an idiot for causing him so much trouble (I thought this would be cute, but nope just hilarious).

Present day Chiyomi is annoyed just thinking about him calling her an idiot.

During registration, Chiyomi is the only one absent from school. Nomura asks whether Chiyomi has contacted their teacher (is someone hoping Chiyomi doesn’t come back soon?), who tells her that Chiyomi’s parents messaged her that Chiyomi was still in Tokyo.

While Shunichi goes to the bathroom at lunch, Riku knocks Shunichi’s blazer onto the floor and is shocked when he hears Chiyomi’s voice. He goes to move towards the blazer, but Shunichi calls out from the doorway. He rushes over and grabs the blazer to his chest and looks rather dazed as he runs out of the classroom (he is a strange child!).

On the rooftop he finally stops and sets Chiyomi down on the wall. She stretches and says she only hurts a little bit. Chiyomi then notices Shunichi’s expression, he looks so worried (bless his little cotton socks). Shunichi puts his blazer back on, seemingly a little embarrassed.

They are unable to rest, as Yabuki comes charging onto the roof shouting for Shunichi. Yabuki asks him to participate in a Kendo match as they don’t have enough members. Shunichi is not interested, so Yabuki continues with his pleading. If they don’t participate in the competition they won’t get any new freshman members, which could mean the disbandment of the club. This gets a reaction from Shunichi but he still doesn’t agree, much like after when he hears about the opposing team having a very good player that he could have a good match with.

Yabuki is near his wits end, as he tells Shunichi he wouldn’t be asking him if there was someone else. Shunichi tells him that he doesn’t have time as he needs to study for to get into a medical school. Yabuki shouts after him that he will call him later (I love this guys passion and perseverance!).

Somewhere else on the roof, Shunichi wonders why Chiyomi isn’t ‘gobbling’ up the food he has set out for her like she normally does. Chiyomi relates to him his morning schedule, which includes Kendo practice. He says its to build stamina for him to study, but Chiyomi disagrees and shouts at him that he is itching to play Kendo.

She asks him if he is scared, that he just doesn’t want to be defeated. She shouts at him that it’s okay to lose, as he hasn’t practiced the sport in such a long time, but it only matters that he tries his best. Shunichi shouts at her to shut up, but she comes back, just as loud with:

“The Minami-kun I love is not such a coward!”

Chiyomi is shocked by what she says, while Shunichi tells her not to talk big, as she can do nothing without him (is he flustered?! So cute). 

They can’t say anything more as Shunichi has to hurry and hide Chiyomi because Nomura appears.

Nomura notes that he often eats alone on the roof (does this pumpkin have no friends?) and that from now on she will eat here as well. Chiyomi elbows him in the chest, to try and relate that fact that she can’t eat if that happens. He blurts out no and this somehow leads Nomura to ask whether Chiyomi really went to Tokyo.

She dismisses the question and then steps close to him to ask if they can meet after school.

The next scene moves a cafe, which annoys Chiyomi who grumbles that if they are studying they should have gone to the library instead, because this feels more like a date. Chiyomi begins to feel sleepy, and when Nomura asks Shunichi for help on a question, they are both shocked to hear some snoring (cue bad acting from Shunichi!).

He starts to pretend cough, rather violently, and hit his chest to wake Chiyomi up. This all seems very funny to Nomura who begins to laugh at his fake cough, as she thinks he is masking his stomach rumbling from hunger (he looks so confused!). She suggests they order sandwiches.

On the walk home, Nomura brings up his father and how he left. Chiyomi, who thought this to be a taboo subject, is shocked to hear Shunichi so easily give out the details that his father left for someone else. That he doesn’t consider him his father now. Nomura is in the same situation with her mother. Chiyomi notes that it seems they can understand each other without words.

Once they get to his house (do they even live close by for her to keep walking him home?) Nomura goes in for a kiss. However, a elbow to chest snaps Shunichi out of his stationary shock. Nomura laughs and understands that he hasn’t kissed anyone before. Instead she kisses him on the cheek and asks to reserve his lips. Shunichi just looks very shocked and confused as she leaves. Chiyomi on the other hand is angry and upset, especially as his heart is beating louder next her.

Inside, Chiyomi is dancing violently along to music, but then stops and thinks back to a time where she watched Shunichi and his father practicing Kendo moves on the beach.

Chiyomi quickly turns of the music and hides when someone comes into the room, however, it is only Shunichi, who sets a plate of food down for her.

Once again, Shunichi’s father is brought up in conversation. Chiyomi asks him if the reason he still practices the Kendo swings is to stay connected somehow with his father. Shunichi denies this and and Chiyomi saying that he may still love his father angers him. He turns on Chiyomi and shouts at her that of course he had to change, because he needed to protect his mother and grandma. How she wouldn’t understand (erm, just a little comment here: you wouldn’t let her in to understand). 

Chiyomi agrees with him, but insists that she has always wanted to be of help to him. Shunichi says he doesn’t need anyone’s help. That he will become a doctor to give his family a comfortable life (does he even want to be a doctor?), therefore he won’t waste his time extra-curricular activities or superficial friendships.

Chiyomi asks if that is the real reason for him not participating in the match. Shunichi, who looks close to tears, turns away from her without replying.

Downstairs, Minami-Okaasan is not looking too happy as stares at the piece of paper she is holding, which she hides when Shunichi comes down the stairs. Both of them are having trouble sleeping. They sit at the table and Shunichi asks his mother if she holds a grudge against his father. His mother jokes around, but becomes serious when he asks her to be. She tells Shunichi that she has always lived her life with all her might, so she has no time to hold a grudge.

She tells him that she had a hard time after her husband left, but without him, there would be no Shunichi. She says that her son and living with his grandma now, evens things up, especially as she is happy.

This serious and heartfelt mood is shattered when Minami-Okaasan starts playing up and Shunichi realisesshe is is drunk (but she is right, he does need to loosen up haha!). 

His grandma then comes down to complain about the ruckus and she is disappointed by how little it took for her daughter (is grandma her mother or his father’s?) to get drunk. Much to Shunichi’s shock, grandma then sits down to drink with his mother. He watches them and his expression softens.

The next morning, Shunichi is out on the beach practicing, while Chiyomi waves her handmade flag and cheers for him.

While watching the match, from Shunichi’s bag, Chiyomi is annoyed that, instead of cheering for Shunichi, the rest of the team are moaning about how they are losing 4:0 and that no freshmen will join at this rate.

Suddenly, Nomura starts cheering for Shunichi, as do the few other girls present. This allows Chiyomi to cheer as well. Upon hearing Chiyomi cheer for him, Shunichi’s motivation rises and he wins the first round, however, he was unable to win the whole game.

An exhausted Shunichi comes out to the back of the building and cries, while repeating ‘damn’. Nomura comes round the corner, but sees his state and chooses to just watch him from behind the wall. This is also the case for Chiyomi who doesn’t know how to approach him in this moment.

While Shunichi is sleeping (her bed is right next to his! That’s adorable!),
Chyomi is on his phone. She is on her writing site. However, she opts not to write an episode of her fairy story, but starts to furiously type (I love how she dances to type, it’s so cute).

At home, Riku is once again at his laptop to see if Chiyomi has updated her story, but is disappointed to see that she hasn’t. But he does notice that there has been an update: Chobiko in the Pocket.

The post is about how the experience in the pocket is almost like being in the womb, because of the warmth, the protection and how you feel nurtured. Chiyomi has one person on her mind, but Riku is super happy to see that Chiyomi has a new work out (I feel for this cutie).

The next morning, Shuncihi rolls over and is confused to see that Chiyomi is not in her bed. He looks around for her and sees her sleeping on his phone. He sits up and smiles at her (well, it’s not a full smile, but it definitely looks like he finds her cute) and he even brushes her hair out of her face with his finger (the effect here looks very weird and overly fake).

At school Riku is showing off the little figurine he made of Chiyomi during the night. They ask why he made it and he says that he just wanted to and happily puts the figurine in his blazer pocket. Shunichi, who has been listening, looks at this action with blatant shock. When he hears Riku answering that he is in love with Chiyomi, he gets up from his seat. As he walks past the group, he and Riku meet gazes when Riku admits that Chiyomi knows about his feelings (someone is so totally jealous! Also… where is Chiyomi?).

Chiyomi is at home eating, while she grumbles that Shunichi should have woken her up.

Shunichi rushes into his house and goes into his room, the door of which he has put up a poster saying not to enter due to a ‘drying model’ so he will clean the room himself. Inside, an upset Chiyomi demands to know why he didn’t take her to school with him. He explains that she wouldn’t wake up.

Chiyomi then asks if he got her the magazine she emailed him to get, but he never got the message because his battery died. Shunichi crouches before her and offers his hand, saying they should go get it now. Chiyomi notes that he has only just got back from school, but he knows that she wants it (aww he’s actively doing and getting the things she wants now).

Outside the house is the same man that appeared at the Kendo match earlier, wearing the same surgical mask and big black sunglasses. He hides behind a wall when he sees Shunichi come out of the house and watches his run down the street.

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Additional Comments:

This episode was so cute! And also rather emotional. We definitely saw Shunichi come more out of his shell, in terms of him vocalising his thoughts about his father, or talking with Chiyomi about things. He is becoming a cute little pumpkin who I just want to hug and see being happy. Shunichi’s behaviour is changing, little by little, towards Chiyomi and I think it is so sweet seeing his do things for her, subtle things, which before he would have moaned and groaned about.

You can also see that he is a teenage boy. He gets a little flustered when Nomura gets too close to him and I don’t think it’s because he has any feelings for her, but just that it’s a new experience and he’s shy and hormones haha ^^”

Also there are definite signs of Shunichi becoming jealous and protective of Chiyomi in regards to Riku, this episode, especially at the end. There were hints of this in previous episodes, but it looks like it’s getting stronger now, which makes sense because of the interaction between Chiyomi and Shunichi. They are getting closer, sort of.

I like that Chiyomi cheers and stands up to Shunichi when she knows that he isn’t telling the truth or whatnot. I do wish that she would not back down as often as she does though. I especially like her fighting spirit when it comes out.

Nomura is annoying and I don’t think my feelings towards her will change, especially as I get the feeling that she is going to cause trouble for Chiyomi. She asked about her twice in this episode and I think there is a lot of thinking and maybe scheming going on in Nomura’s head.

Also, I am just assuming that the creepy mask/sunglasses guy is Shunichi’s dad. And his involvement may have something to do with what Shunichi’s mother was reading when she was drinking alcohol this episode. I am not sure at all, why he is in the picture now, so I am looking forward to seeing that strand of the plot come out.

As for the plot, I think these episodes are nothing overly special. However, it’s just so easy to get wrapped up in the simple events that are going on. Chiyomi is so cute and little and Shunichi is so complicated, yet so dumb and oblivious. I find myself just wanting more and I say this every time, but the episodes go by so quickly! I swear if I didn’t watch and recap as I go along, I would have caught up with the episodes completely by now!

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Thank you for reading~