Another episode in, I’m still not sure just what I’m watching with Hananoi-kun to Koi no Yamai. In turns in appears to be a typical fluffy shoujo romance and School Days. That mostly stems from the title character of course, and Hananoi-kun is still tough to get a read on (as indeed is noted on-screen). Hotaru has her own issues she’s working through of course, but they’re rather benign compared to what’s being implied with Hananoi. If indeed it’s being implied, which I’m still not 100% certain of.

I guess it’s probably safe to assume Hananoi is supposed to be troubled, at least. If indeed his perfect boyfriend routine is being played straight that’s Shigatsu-level dysfunctional writing. So much of what he does here just screams out M.I.T. (man in trouble). That business about a stack of notebooks with impeccable class notes. Showing up in the middle of the night to wait for Hotaru at school. That one stands as sort of a challenge for her, as she’s trying to be “girlfriendy” without really knowing what that means. Maybe that bit is supposed to be cute but like much of this show so far, I find it kind of unsettling.

The most disturbing stuff with Saki, however, has to be either the statement that he “admires” Hotaru or the shrine he says he’s built for her in his room. I guess until we see what’s behind that curtain I can’t say which is freakier, but in this context his expressing admiration for her is really off-kilter. I think the very best-case scenario here is that he’s just incredibly needly and insecure, and desperate to make people love him. The fact that he’s living alone (this is animanga after all) might help explain that. Abandonment issues can be powerful things.

That said, there are elements of their discussion where he’s more on-point than she is. The whole thing about not wanting to be friends is a grey area – I get where he’s coming from, but it also fits the notion that he’s got serious issues he’s dealing with. But Hotaru shows a pretty stark lack of sense in just following him home and hanging out in his empty apartment. And by blithely stating that she can’t imagine anyone being interested in her physically, she’s actually being disrespectful of Hananoi. Not only as theoretically her boyfriend, but in the sense that his taste must be pretty whack if he likes someone who’s not worth liking.

A little relationship dysfunction can certainly make good romance drama, so that in itself isn’t a problem. I just feel like until I have a better sense of where Hananoi-kun to Koi no Yamai’s head is at with all this, I can’t decide what I think of the series as a whole. That too is not a bad thing – I like being surprised, and not being able to confidently predict where a series is going adds a layer of intrigue. I can’t say I find the show wildly entertaining or the characters particularly likeable yet, but it’s certainly interesting in its particular sort of way.