Recap: As Ryouske continues to try and convince Atsushi to move on, his continued advances on Rokka reveal that Atsushi might have more of an effect on the world than he realizes.

Thoughts

This show certainly has an interesting way of going about plot progression, being really be quite the roller coaster ride. We start out with another memory of Atsushi, this time an early one, when they both were still in college. It seems Rokka’s starting to see similarities between the two men in her life. At the same time, Ryousuke has finally become sick of Atsushi’s meddling, and has decided he will no longer let his presence be a distraction from his pursuit of Rokka. After more smooth talking, he once again tries to win the fight for Rokka’s heart. This triggers something new, unseen yet in Atsushi.

I suppose I should have realized this, but with this revelation is the fact that Atsushi is not just a regular ghost, he is a poltergeist, a spirit powered by emotion. With the realization of this new-found power, Atsushi markedly changes. You can see that now that he knows he has power he is not afraid to use it, and lusting for even more ways to interact with the world that for the past three years seemed to abandon him.

This new mindset is actually unsettling to watch. He realizes how much Rokka is slipping from him, how she talks to Ryousuke, how she feels for him. It is genuinely creepy to watch him stop floating around and legitimately haunting him, demanding his body so he can have what Ryousuke has now totally stolen from him. Once again, Ryousuke has shown a level of devotion almost admirable if it weren’t for its noticeable underhandedness. He has decided to divorce the ghost from the conversation and take Rokka outside. Unfortunately he strikes a chord, setting back the scales towards Atsushi’s favor.

Originally, as this anime showed the relationship developing quickly and naturally, I was wondering what kind of curveballs would have to be thrown to keep the plot dramatic. All of these new developments each episode have never felt too cheap, fainting flu notwithstanding. Once again I have to applaud the portrayal of these people as real, with motives and wants. They are not beyond tricks or forcing hands in order to get what they want. However, I was worried Ryousuke had too much power, and that his corporeality would easily win out. With the introduction of his new powers, and an accidental of old feelings, it feels right that it seems like the ghost has been gaining in the fight. It’s anyone’s game now. Here’s to a good showing by both men in the future.

Natsuyuki Rendezvous can be found on Crunchyroll.