Orange

Episode 6

Orange can definitely be a difficult watch at times. On a general topical level, it's a show about very insecure adolescents framed against a backdrop of suicide and regret - it's anxious relationship drama layered over the constant threat of tragedy. But even beyond its general subject matter, Orange's storytelling choices make it uniquely tough to get through.

This episode's first scene really brought that home for me, as Kakeru and Naho haltingly asked each other “who would you most like to be asked out by” among their group of friends. Kakeru raises the topic, which is unsurprising - as timid as Naho is, even this tiny gesture towards romantic honesty would be far too much for her. But it's already one of the most lukewarm, mealy-mouthed ways anyone could approach the question of “do you like me?”

That's intentional. Orange isn't one of those shows where characters get closer through organic events and then suddenly realize they like one another. Naho is attracted to Kakeru from the start, and it's not long before Kakeru starts feeling the same way - their feelings are both fairly superficial and long-simmering. The question isn't “do they like one another,” it's “can either of these kids possibly get over their anxiety and regrets long enough to make a move,” which makes Orange far more realistic than many adolescent dramas but also far less dramatically satisfying. It's an interesting choice to make; realism is always a valid option, but the fact that Orange's decisions make it frustrating to watch demonstrate how we partially appreciate fiction for the ways it condenses, revises, and generally makes theater out of the raw ingredients of human conflict.

As an intimate portrayal of believable human feelings, many of this episode's scenes were clear winners. I particularly liked Kakeru stressing over his feelings for Naho, admitting that he didn't want to repeat the mistakes he made with Rio again. It's the sort of thing that would seem bafflingly wrongheaded from a clearer perspective, but makes perfect sense given his immediate experiences, as well as how much he relies on the friendship of their core group. Yeah, Kakeru would like to go out with Naho - but their overall friendship is his rock, and anything that could threaten that is clearly not worth doing.

But as a compelling narrative drama, some of this episode's sequences fell flat. The leadup to Naho and Kakeru's moment at the pool was a particularly questionable stretch; Rio's interference played as true to her character, but given that the whole conflict resolved with Naho's friends saving the day before anything bad could happen, I'd much rather have given that time to exploring something like Suwa's feelings or even Kakeru's concerns as he waited for her to show up. Orange is a smart enough show that it shouldn't have to rely on artificial injections of external conflict - the disconnect between the emotions of the central characters is more than enough to carry the drama.

The strength of those emotions was clear in the episode's last major sequence, one of the best scenes of the show so far. Naho prodding Kakeru on his feelings about his mother was a perfectly misguided gesture; Naho had been told by the letter to make sure Kakeru came to terms with his mother's absence, but to her, that meant “I must get him to tell the truth and tell him it's alright, even if he hates me for it.” This is a terrible solution to the problem at hand; the increasing deviations from the letter's predictions make it clear that Naho has already changed Kakeru's feelings to a significant extent, and to an outside observer, it's also clear that he really needs a friend who won't abandon him and let him explore his feelings at his own pace. But because Naho doesn't think much of herself, she doesn't see her existing presence as the help he needs, so she thoughtlessly oversteps by continuing to prod at him.

Kakeru's ultimate confession was unsurprising, but beautifully sold by the episode's light music and intimate framing. The lead-in where Naho first notices that he's crying, his admission that he was scared about pushing Naho away, the slight selfishness and understandable self-hatred of his ultimate “crime” - it all came together perfectly, making for a moment that rang absolutely true. This scene was clearly one of the central turning points of the series, and Orange nailed it.

Things will definitely change next week, now that we know Naho isn't the only one who received a letter. But for now, even if there are some bumps along the way, I can't complain about episodes featuring scenes this good. That emotional intimacy is what human drama is all about.

Overall: A-

Orange is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Nick writes about anime, storytelling, and the meaning of life at Wrong Every Time.