It’s really a race to the bottom with Eren and Akari. In truth I usually feel like no one can match Akari for sheer awfulness. But boy, episodes like #11 sure have Eren giving her a run for her money. In the end I think Akari has to take it, though. She doesn’t have an unselfish or non-narcissistic thought or emotion in her body. I mean seriously, can she just get to 27 already and give us all some relief?

At least we’re back in advertising world this week. Even if the toll is a bunch of Akari the tradeoff is worth it, because this is the one thread where Hidarikiki no Eren really seems sure-footed. Kouichi is leading the charge on Chiaki’s new ad campaign, determined to for “empathy rather than admiration”, as Chiaki puts it. A cattle call is held, the hunt is on for “non-talent” – a model who isn’t famous but has something to her. Kouichi is on his home turf here, he has Chiaki’s trust, and he’s as confident and assured as we’ve ever seen him.

So naturally, Akari is going to come along and fuck it up. She’s still under contract for the campaign, and yeah, maybe she’s pissed that the company wants to change its public face. But I doubt she would have bothered if Kouichi hadn’t been involved – screwing him over is her main motivation. Kouichi does his best (that “28” comment definitely landed full-on) but she’s a big enough star that once Akari gets her claws in, she’s not going to be denied. And immediately she goes into full high-maintenance diva mode, prompting that sewer rat Rukawa to try and get Yoshida to poach the gig from Kouichi again. But he’s not interested, at least not until his price is met.

Akari refuses to work with any of the photographers the agency offers. She wants Sakuma-san, the dipshit we saw last week in New York. Even though he, of course, is way over budget. And it turns out he has a connection with Yanagi – they went to school together, where Sakuma was bullied and Yanagi actually (sort of) encouraged him in his art. Sakuma has synesthesia, which lends his aesthetic a certain uniqueness. He’s yet another pretentious poser but in that he fits right in. Since he’s also obsessed with Eren now, and Eren is back in Japan, that’s another indication worlds are going to collide in the final episode.

I still have no clue how this is going to end, but the funny thing is that’d probably be true even if the manga weren’t ongoing and way longer. I can say that among the main cast the only one who I care about getting a decent ending is Kouichi – the rest of them can pound sand. Kouichi is an irritating guy but at least his frailties are relatable. I have no idea if he’s Kappy in any sense, or just how autobiographical any of this is beyond the setting. But the guy hasn’t caught a break for 12 episodes so it’d be nice to see something good happen to him before this all wraps up.