I notice that for this series’ run, only one of the episode posts has generated any comments. Which is not entirely surprising, since you’d barely know it exists based on how little attention it generally gets in English. It’s a shame though, not just because Uchi no Otouto-domo ga Sumimasen is quite good – which it is – but because I think it gives you rather a lot to talk about. It’s another of those “balancing act” shows in a season with quite a few of them, and that’s usually interesting.
This was another very good episode, but as with most things with this show I have conflicted feelings. We get a short break from the Gen-Ito drama, and that’s probably a good thing. Syu takes center stage this time, courtesy of an online friendship with Komugi – one of the party we saw Syu and Ito playing the MMORPG with. Turns out Komugi is a LN writer, Syu is an artist, and the two of them have bonded over a shared fandom. So much so that Komugi invites Syu to participate in an upcoming doujin event, which sparks some interesting responses from Syu’s eldest siblings.
Like so much of what Gen does, his reaction makes sense on a surface level but reflects a fundamental lack of understanding of what’s really going on. Syu has makeup exams, he has entrance exams upcoming. He missed time, those things are important. And yeah, with online friendships and kids there are always risks that must be considered. But from my perspective Ito – though she obviously didn’t think things through – is in the right here. What was arrested more than anything else in Syu’s life was social development. He needs that to be happy a lot more than he needs to pass his makeup exams. He has catching up to do in more than just academic terms.
Frankly, the fact that a kid with social anxiety was willing to do an event at Big Sight reflects how much this means to him. So I think he should have been encouraged to do it, with supervision from Ito or Gen (obviously Ito makes more sense) to make sure Komugi wasn’t some creepy predator. Speaking of Komugi, I immediately said “that’s a guy” when Syu flashed his cosplay photo. It’s just an instinct after watching this much anime, I guess – I knew long before Murase Ayumu opened his mouth. But that’s fine – he and Syu were both playing as girls in the RPG after all.
As to the event, there’s a fundamental difference between Ito accompanying Syu (good) and the brothers following them (bad). He never should have had to sneak off, of course. Ito was more or less on-point here – make sure he gets there, then watch discreetly and make sure Komugi is kosher. Now, it turns out Komugi is actually Endo-kun. And of course, it’s hard for him to admit to Syu (who he may very well have assumed was a girl too) who he really is – especially when Syu babbles on about what a genius he is. Syu is just so desperate for contact, it really is quite moving. Then Rui steps in to give Nii-san a lesson in courtship (ROFL) and all heck breaks loose.
This is just disastrous behavior from the brothers here (Rui’s a grommet, he has an excuse). And Ito too, it must be said. They terrify Endo and he flees. Then after it turns out he goes to their school (in Raku’s year) Ito and Gen effectively kidnap him and take him home, forcing him to call Syu. The thing is, it’s Endo’s decision about whether and when to come out to Syu about his true identity – not theirs. They had no business forcing him to do so, and it could have ended disastrously. It didn’t but hey, this is fiction – that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a rotten thing to do.
In the all’s well that ends well department, sure – these boys could be friends and very good for each other. I think it’s rather presumptuous of Gen and Itou to assume this is or isn’t love, given that they have no idea what either Syu or Endo is looking for in that department. But either way, now that we’ve reached this point the main thing is that both of them should butt the hell out. Let Syu figure out how to be somebody’s friend and both of them figure out if that’s what they are – it’s none of their damn business. Syu does need protection in some ways, but he doesn’t need overprotective troublemaking. Itou is more likely to figure that out (though she likes to interfere anyway by nature) but Gen just doesn’t seem to get this sort of thing.
