Recap: After things went well with Rokka at the Ramen store, the ghost of Atsushi is trying harder than ever to put Ryousuke off his game. Ryousuke isn’t one to give up, and has decided to become bolder in pursuing her affection.

Thoughts: I never expected the romantic pursuit to be progressing of the first episode. I really enjoyed it as a change of pace from your average love story where shyness and missed feelings seem to dominate the entire relationship dynamic. That’s why it was really disappointing starting the beginning of this episode. Atsushi’s constant cock blocking has made it hard for him to talk to Rokka, making it seem like a total reversal in the momentum. Thankfully my fears were short lived and Ryousuke manned up to ask her out on another date.

After quite the successful date, he manages to win his way into the manager’s apartment. The sequence of this scene was annoying, but understandable. Ryousuke basically talks to the ghost whilst forgetting he’s face to face with Rokka at the same time, causing him to say something devastatingly stupid. However he still manages to pull off some charm in the end before getting the boot. The whole scenario was both understandable and somewhat cliché. I understand that tension needed to be developed otherwise this would be a very short show. However, you would think after a week of the specter’s taunting that Ryousuke would know better than to talk to him.

One of the most annoying anime tropes for me personally is how apparently no one in Japan can take a fever without it looking like they have anemia or something, fainting and whatnot. Well, it would appear Rokka is not immune to such effects. While it is an incredibly contrived scenario, I did really love how it showed the relationship between Rokka and Atsushi in his final days. It’s the little touches that really make me like this show. A cap hiding a bald head, Atsushi had cancer. While he knows he can’t touch her, he still tries to pat her hair and comfort her, but when he knows he cannot do anything to help her; he realizes he must rely on Ryousuke in his stead. The devastation on his face, not being able to support the woman he loves.

So far I still really love this story. It’s a real change of pace from your everyday anime romance. That the main character can actually express himself without ten episodes to make up his feelings is a real breath of fresh air. I also love the character dynamics at play here. Both Ryousuke and Atsushi are using everything they can to their advantage in order to win the war for Rokka’s heart. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Natsuyuki Rendezvous can be found on Crunchyroll.