I suppose if so inclined one could look at Kubo-san wa Mob wo Yurusanai as a sort of split cour.  Six eps now, six more in the second half of spring.  I’m still inclined to believe I’d have covered it if it had finished its run in winter (I got through half of it as is), but spring is another kettle of fish.  Unless many shows prove to be disappointments I can’t imagine I’ll have the time to cover it, but I will try to at least watch those last six episodes.  I’m still mixed on this series but on the whole leaning rather positively.

The thing is, this was probably the most unironically nice episode so far.  The mixed signals I get on Nagisa’s character are interesting to chew over, but here the two of them were just straightforward sweet as a couple.  Apparently the ability to see Junta is definitely genetic, since her cousin Saki also shares it.  Saki is almost a dead-ringer for Nagisa (the hair color is slightly off), and according to Nee-chan intent on looking as much like her as possible.  Akina is definitely taking on the wingman role here, manipulating a compliment out of Junta that’s nominally for Saki but which she can twist around later to be about Nagisa.  Saki being jealous of that was rather cute.

Junta gets to check off one of his bucket listers when Nagisa volunteers to help him study after his mom threatens his game access if his grades drop.  He’s initially afraid she’ll tease him as usual, but – in keeping with the more earnest tone of the episode – she declares that she’d never tease someone trying to better themselves through hard work.  The funniest part of this sequence for me was the library girl telling Nagisa “No problem, they’re fake anyway” when Nagisa returns her glasses.

Finally, the eternal anime cold makes an appearance.  Junta comes down with one, forcing him to break his study date with Nagisa.  She grinds on what sort of PINE message she can send him, finally settling on the non-committal “are you coming to school tomorrow?” as a safe option.  Things take an amusing turn when Seita accidentally sends a “Miss you!” sticker (if I was Junta I’d have let it ride there), and the teasing response was as Takagi-san as it gets.  Junta’s cold was refreshingly low-key by anime standards, but the drama ratchets up when Nagisa gets sick the next day.  It’s a full-on anime cold this time, as Junta needs to help her to the nurse’s office, but it serves the plot.

And with that, we go on sabbatical (these six episodes will rerun at the start of Spring, for the record).  I’m always engaged by what Pine Jam does visually and Kubo-san wa Mob wo Yurusanai is no exception – it’s a very pretty comedy with a nice amount of flourish to it.  The central conceit of Junta’s quirk is a drag chute to an extent, and I’m sure not sure where I (and the author) stand on Nagisa in some ways.  Broadly speaking though I quite like this series, and I wish it were completing its run as scheduled.  We’ll see what happens in May.