Recap

Mashiro tries to wrap her brain around Benio’s existence as she settles into life at the Yonomori household. She mentions an incident involving Hakuya and Kobeni from when they were children, but Kobeni can’t seem to remember the period of time when they knew each other.

Jel’s thoughts

This episode was pure, unfiltered, Slice of Life and I mean that as a complement. Mashiro’s mix of childhood hubris and innocence as she spends time with Kobeni almost felt reminsicent of Yotsuba, and I think it’s clear most of the story is going to be about their relationship as opposed to with her brother. It was adorable to see her admission that Kobeni is doing a good job on that front, and the way they tied her obsession with aliens around to her fear of Benio was very well done.

Honestly that would be enough to make an enjoyable series by itself, but the fact that we also have the plot with Hakuya going on makes things even more interesting. I kind of love the role he’s playing so far, silently waiting in the background to chime in when he’s needed. I am a bit wary how this whole hazy childhood memory thing could turn out as it seems to be the least original idea Engaged has brought to the table so far, but there’s so little we know about the situation right now that it’s impossible to judge. I do like how Kobeni didn’t just let Mashiro’s bit of information slide but tried to approach the topic again later, even if she did fail at it. She’s such a likable character so far, accepting her situation but not letting herself be pushed around either. Having her at the center really makes you want this mess to work out somehow.

Overall this was a solid second episode as Engaged gets its footing and sets up where it wants to go. I’m looking forward to seeing how some of the other characters like the cool and responsible vice president get integrated into the mix, which is just one more tool in the series’ tool box that they can work with. Add that in with the adorable antics of the girls and a slow burning love story, and it’s going to be hard to get this one wrong.

Marlin’s Thoughts

At this point it’s pretty much assured this show won’t be as good as the Summer’s sleeper hit. Still, I have been finding myself having a bit of fun with this new group of weirdos. Having the straight main be the main character has really worked out for the best, as Kobeni has a lot of good chemistry with both Mashiro and Benio. I do hope the romance moves at a bit of a quicker pace, though. Jel might be loving the little sister but I’m starting to find some of her quirks annoying (Jel’s note: you monster), and having something else to focus on would alleviate my irritation nicely. It’d also be nice to actually get something out of the normally unflappable Hakuya. Hearing his side of things would put the whole setting into perspective. He seems to care about Kobeni, but how much, and for what reasons? Does he really want to get married too, or is he also just under the will of his family as Kobeni is? With secret pasts already on the table, I hope it’s not too long until we get some answers.