More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers

Episode 10

OK, I think we can all admit that the cliffhanger from last week was dumb, and the first couple of minutes of this episode carried on the joke about Saori saying suggestive things in an innocent voice. So definitely not the strongest start this episode could've had, but I do like the build-up to the emotional confrontation at the end. This is the first time we've started seeing these characters away from their curriculum-induced married life. I had faith that this scenario would take advantage of the situation to see how our characters would interact when they don't need to be affectionate to earn points. The main idea here is that Akari and Jiro are incredibly afraid and self-conscious about their relationship when you remove the married couple label.

Jiro is incredibly self-conscious and constantly seems to tell himself that he's doing Akari a favor by not staying close to her because he doesn't think he compares. He's even a lot more self-deprecating than I initially thought, considering his first instinct is to apologize whenever he feels like he's done something wrong. Still, to the show's credit, it's established that he is an introvert, and this is the first time we've seen him in an overtly public place, so that might have something to do with it. Still, he wants to interact with Akari more. It's just that it doesn't come as easy to him outside of pre-established situations because he thinks his presence does more harm than good. It's easier for him to interact with Saori because they have a history and established character dynamic, which is ironically the thing that's preventing Jiro and Saori from getting closer.

I like that the show put Akari in a position where even Jiro couldn't ignore the fact that she acted like an attention-starved, jealous girlfriend. She wants Jiro to continue calling her by her first name, pull her close, and claim her as his. She wants him to not just look at her body but also look at the different emotional sides of her. She is scared that the only reason they got as close as they did is because of an unorthodox school assignment. While I argue that is true, the theme is more about reaching that inevitable turning point of separation. Akari is just one step away from fully embracing that she doesn't want to leave Juro's side, while Jiro is a few more steps behind her. But I appreciate the subtle approach to this revelation, given his personality. His lingering on the word “still” at the end shows that he is also self-conscious that their current relationship dynamic is temporary. He needs to decide for himself what he wants out of this dynamic instead of constantly looking to Akari to tell him how things will be. Once these two overcome those insecurities and embrace those wants, this confusing circumstance will get clearer.

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More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.