Recap

Tada Banri and 2D-kun suspect Mitsuo has a girlfriend, as he continues to bail on them during Summer break. Koko joins them in staking out their #1 suspect, which somehow turns into everyone making beach plans.

Jel’s Thoughts

Despite a large portion of the episode focusing on Chinami, Ms. Ultrasonic’s jump into screentime was really more important as an opportunity for Koko to vent. It’s been a while since we’ve peeked into what she’s thinking, and her solid grasp of how Tada Banri is feeling really demonstrates she’s a more intelligent and emotionally mature woman than she might appear to be at times. You could argue parading her around in a tiny bikini kind of undermines that sentence, but personally I thought the way Golden Time snuck in their fanservice quota amidst the girl talk was both clever and funny. Chinami’s surprising frankness made the whole conversation feel more like a great bonding experience than a creepy voyeuristic scene.

Of course the big bombshell was the reveal of how Mitsuo has been spending his summer, which I am kicking myself for not seeing coming. Even the suggestion of pairing up with Linda triggers all kinds of possible meltdowns, whether it’s Tada Banri via Amensia Ghost, Chinami at her lost opportunity, or even Koko if you want to take a longshot. It should be interesting how far they take this angle — as it doesn’t seem like anything in particular is happening between them at the moment — but at the very least it’s a great way to stir the cauldron, so to speak.

The big reveal certainly made the closing moments of the episode that much more menacing, as we see Amensia Ghost silently watching things develop. After seeing how much power he wields last week, I am kind of afraid to see what kind of repercussions there will be as Linda slips further and further away. Could he do something that seriously hurts Mitsuo? I wouldn’t leave the possibility off the table, and it’s that shot of tension in the usual mix of romantic comedy that is making Golden Time so good to watch.

Marlin’s Thoughts

Golden Time has been getting better and better every week. I liked that we finally got to see things from Koko’s perspective this time. Just like Jel, I can forgive the blatant fanservice, as comparing swimsuits seems like such a natural thing for Koko’s character to do — both in her weird desire to outclass Chinami and her desperate struggle to increase Banri’s affection for her. I can’t blame Chinami for thinking Koko was just trying to find something that would say “Take me, Tada Banri”, so I hope the guy starts to understand what he has in Koko instead of lingering on about the past. Koko needs to get some confidence in herself, and all Tada Banri is doing is dragging her down.

I have to give a shout out to blame the Jtor AM crew for totally spoiling any surprise I had at the revelation between Mitsuo and Linda. The more I heard them talk about it the more it made total sense. The two seemed attracted to each other at that rave party, and if you go back you can see Mitsuo complimenting Linda way more than just a guy ogling a woman would. I wish Banri wasn’t such a secretive asshole about his past. What good is there in saying he doesn’t know Linda? Mitsuo will obviously find out if he continues to have a relationship with her. Once that happens, it’s guaranteed to cause needless friction. In the words of Jel, this cannot end well.