So, yeah, the short version is I like what I'm seeing: interesting spin on a not-uncommon premise, looks good, I'm already a little bit in love with Rui--all good things. And I'm always up for a love triangle. Thumbs up.
The longer version is I like a lot of what I'm seeing, particularly in the first half, where a series of unlikely events are handled self-awaredly enough that they seem special in their extraordinariness, rather than unbelievable (especially in succession). The...ingloriousness of the reality of losing their virginities, and then the earnestness (however brief) of the conversation with the friend--and the pacing for all of this stuff was really, really good, by the way--we were dealing with something contemplative, there, where the extraordinary (though not at all impossible) circumstances were offset by the grounded and, importantly, unpretentious follow-up (or lack thereof, in Rui's case): that nothing has significance or resonance inherently.
But then we get the second half and...I'm concerned that the show isn't going to stay in its lane, as I like to say: is this situation dramatic or goofy? It can be played for laughs and still be serious, of course--and, in fact, I think that's exactly how the second half should have gone. But things like the topless gag (and other, smaller stuff) veer from that "if you don't laugh you'll cry" tension into "oh nooooo I can't believe that haaaaaaappennnnnnned!!!" un-realism. And with how strong the first half of the show was--I mean, even the dorky friend is handled in a normal, un-cliche way--it was a little bit jarring to see the second half give in as often as it did to the zaniness of such an absurd situation.
Admittedly, once we put aside how strange it is that Fuji-kun doesn't know his dad has a girlfriend (that he is indifferent to his father's activities, I understand, but that he is entirely unaware of them...), it's mostly Hina, at the moment, that's confusing things, but I don't think it's just her--or, rather, just how she's written that's tripping up the seriousness/"seriousness" of the first half. However...like, slapping your male students on the ass is, y'know, confusing, as an audience member. It's actually more confusing than being flirty in how she addresses the boys. I mean, how are we gossiping about Male Teacher Guy but not gossiping about Winky Buttslapper-sensei?
That said, I actually quite like Hina and how she's obviously (more than teasing-)flirty with Fuji-kun because she likes that he--as in him in particular--likes her, whatever the reason she likes that might wind up being. And don't think for one moment that she doesn't know what wearing that nighttime outfit was doing to him. She might be trying to seduce him, but the question is to what degree: to make him hers, to reinforce her sense of self-worth, to compensate for self-loathing, to...?
Plus Rui's hidden whatnot.
Plus Fuji-kun's constantly spinning internal compass.
Plus--
