Eps 5

--------


The two superfans (the class rep and the legacy girl) are surprisingly the key source of comedic relief in the series. They're so overly serious about the troupe that it breaks the tension of any scene, far more than Sarasa's ignorance and genki outlook, or Narata's social struggles with finally having friends again.

Seeing Narata's hair starting to grow back out as a sign of progression this early was also a nice touch. We knew from the OP that it would, but it's so insanely rare in anime and manga I was mildly surprised.

All of that is a pleasant counter to the bleakness in Yamada's storyline. I was also surprised that the teacher that triggered her recognized the signs and symptoms immediately. Her friends have noticed too, they just hadn't said anything. The whole staff room scene was refreshing to see.

Not gonna lie, I got a little misty-eyed when the effeminate teacher was telling her that while she's 40th, she's ahead of 1,100 other girls. He didn't even mention that she got in on her first try, and there are others in her class and above that tried for years to get in.