I use the word “balance” a lot when talking about Seihantai na Kimi to Boku, I find. There’s something almost magical about the way it keeps everything in, well- balance. The main couple and the supporting cast sure, we’ve covered that. But also the tonal elements. From my perspective that’s where the miracle happens. The way Seihantai manages to convey all the awkwardness and uncertainty of first romance and general adolescence while still being a completely stress-free viewing experience should be impossible. But it does it.

There is a structural formula the show usually follows, but that was completely changed up this week. Instead of the supporting cast first and then Yuusuke and Miyu, it was all mixed together for Christmas and New Years. It starts with Taira dressed as Santa selling Xmas cakes outside Popuri. And getting snickered at brings unpleasant memories back. Taira is the most stress-inducing character of the lot, it’s true. He overthinks everything and struggles with “flow”, to use the Iruma-kun terminology. I don’t recall ever seeing his middle school form but it seems he underwent quite the physical transformation (as boys often do). But what matters is that it was just that, physical – he was the same kid inside.

Taira’s slow (very slow) emergence from his cocoon is one of the most rewarding elements of You and I Are Polar Opposites. He and Tani are both introverts but it expresses very differently (we’re like snowflakes that way). Tani never really stressed about not fitting in – Taira never stopped doing so. With Yuusuke getting into a relationship is what pulled him into a social dynamic and drew him out of his bubble. With Shuuji it’s just the opposite – the friends came first, and that’s slowly thawing him to the point where he might be ready for a romantic relationship. His circle is small, but that’s better for a guy like him. Finding people around whom he can comfortably be himself is everything for Shuuji.

Pretending he got a cake for free when he actually bought one (with an employee discount I’m sure, but still) to share with Yamada and Tani is the most Taira thing ever. Kentarou seems totally stress-free, but he’s a bit like Azuma that way – his relationships with the opposite sex have tended to a mile wide and an inch deep. Confessing to Nishi-san is no easier for him because he’s a bubbly guy – if anything it might be harder. Somehow the words matter way too much. They both know they’re dating, on some level. But until they formally acknowledge it they can pretend it’s all casual, which makes it easier to deal with. Except that all the time he’s with Natsumi Kentarou is thinking about how much he wants to make it official.

By contrast, things with MiYuusuke really are pretty stress-free. What issues they have run along the lines of “this is good, maybe it could be even better” and “this is good, I want more of it”. First-world problems in relationship terms. They’re at the oversharing stage now – while they’re having fun, their first thought it letting the other know how fun it is. It’s probably Tani-kun who’s changed the most of anyone in the cast at this point. I certainly don’t think the Tani of the first few episodes was capable of smiling this much. This is kind of tough on Taira, actually. He knows he should be happy for his friend but part of him is irritated by the fact that Yuusuke is growing socially faster than he is.

This is another bit of balance Seihantai is just really good at. At this time of life, romantic relationships and social relationships are inseparable. They feed off each other and build on each other. That’s an aspect of teen romances that often gets short-shrift from the writing, but the great ones get it at the molecular level – Bokuyaba being perhaps the ultimate example. This is where hope lies for Shuuji – he’s building a foundation the right way. Patience is not a natural quality for 17 year-olds, but he’s evolving sustainably. For someone for whom life isn’t a smooth and painless experience, that’s a good thing.