We Overthink Love This Anime Doesn t

You and I Are Polar Opposites is quickly establishing a space on the list of all-time feel-good anime. It seriously feels like every episode has my cheeks feeling sore from smiling the entire way through. It's a light show with love practically bursting from the seams. The directness of the series is one of its standout qualities so far too, where conflicts are never too large and they get worked out in short order. Our main couple got together in the first episode, and watching the relationship progress is incredibly sweet. Episode 5 of the season, though, offers the first wrinkle to the formula by introducing a second little love story. Like in most romance anime, this is surely going to be smaller in scope than the primary relationship. But this cutaway also does something really remarkable. In just 15 minutes, it summarizes what this show gets really right about love. What do we see in Yamada and Nishi's story that makes it practically jump off the screen, and how does it parallel the rest of the show's thoughts on love? Right off the bat, this episode gets our attention by shifting our perspective away from Suzuki and Tani. We've spent a little time in someone else's head before with Taira, but this is different. Nishi is someone we've barely seen before, she's in a different class, and we start the episode away from the main duo. We learn quickly that Nishi is incredibly introverted, overthinking any social interaction. With Honda's help, though, she realizes that she does wish to be more social, and is in fact a little jealous of Tani's new friends. Before any semblance of romance enters the fray, Nishi is an endearing character, someone you want to root for. Then Yamada enters the scene in Nishi's memory. She laughed at one of his jokes in the library, and he noticed. I love this little note, because it's the earliest indicator that she remembers him, even in an embarrassing context. And then, of course, Yamada enters the scene in real life. A chance encounter due to needing a book from Honda. Yamada shows a little interest in her again, and makes her laugh again too. From there, he keeps coming by their classroom to speak with Nishi, to the point where it's painfully obvious to Honda that he likes her. Still, it seems like things are moving excruciatingly slow. But on the last day before summer break, Yamada takes a surprisingly direct path, and asks Nishi to be friends. It's an awesome moment, with some ethereal music that sounds like the show is about to drop the hardest interstellar type beat you've ever heard. Of course she says yes, and it's more of the amazing vibes the show has just knocked out of the park thus far. And that's it for their story in this episode. Sweet, but I promised you something more important. What I think is so awesome about this side story is how simple it makes love. Yamada and Nishi are their own form of polar opposites, and yet the romance between them is not some grand affair. A few chance encounters and kind gestures are all it takes for a connection to form. This understated beginning has a beauty to it, a realism that breathes life into the story. Because love is a feeling. In that sense, it is simple. You can look for patterns, types, logic as to why two people may fall in love. And the show does that with Yamada and Nishi, pointing out how Yamada has been drawn to quieter people in the past, and how Nishi finds joy in the boisterous atmospheres of her class. But that's more speculation than anything else, isn't it? Yamada may have been interested in quieter girls in the past, but he didn't love them. And Nishi has been interested in other groups of people before, but it's with Yamada that she finds the courage to accept his offer of friendship. Trying to divine reason from love is a fool's errand. It's part of what makes rejection so difficult. But it's also what makes love so special. Why Yamada and Nishi's little story here is so sweet. Love is just starting to bloom between them. Maybe it's because he showed interest in her, and tried to do something small to show that he cares. Maybe it's because she's quiet and reserved, but shows her appreciation for his humor. But maybe it's easier to explain than that. They like each other, and want to spend more time together. Perhaps the reasons don't matter at all. That alone is enough. This idea that love is simple is the one that pokes its head all over the series. Tani and Suzuki's relationship is defined by the small gestures that feel grand. When Tani holds Suzuki's hand for the first time, or Suzuki confesses to him, these are simple gestures that carry a lot of meaning. We tend to overthink everything, especially when it comes to love. I think it's human nature. But the love itself is simple. That's the conflict and resolution loop of the entire show, and a large part of why I think it's such a delight to watch. Yamada and Nishi's story is the purest distillation of this idea. That love can seem complicated for a million different reasons, but at its core is simply the desire to learn about and spend more time with someone. And that ends this episode of Love and Anime. I've been eagerly keeping up with this anime weekly, and have noticed in the comments that a lot of you have been enjoying it just as much as I am. But I wanted to wait for something more specific to make a video on, and just that scene of Yamada asking Nishi to be friends was so good that I needed to talk about it. This show just oozes personality. I know I'll have more to say as it goes along. Speaking of, if you enjoyed the video today and like video essays about romance, anime, and romance anime, liking and subscribing helps a ton and will keep you in the loop, as does hitting the hype button on the mobile app. I'm Slam Anime, and I'll see you next time.