English Dub Review: A Couple of Cuckoos: “I thought you live by yourself”

Overview: Nagi (Nicholas Andrew Louie) and Erika (Lindsay Sheppard) do what they can to hide the truth of their relationship from Hiro (Amanda Lee). Later, Nagi better understands Segawa’s demanding duty to her family’s shrine. 

Our Take: Hiro ain’t no fool so, naturally, she would be suspicious of Erika and Nagi’s close relationship as it plays a big role in the episode with Erika also striving to help Nagi with capturing Hiro’s heart. Erika acts as their “cupid” but literally in actually dressing as one with Nagi the only one reacting normally in how bizarre it is, funnily enough. 

Erika acting as cupid allows us to see how Nagi constructively helps Erika study and catch up the intensive curricular thus far, while showing how sincere they are in their bickering and honesty. Hiro, jealous of how comfortable they are, wants to visit Erika’s house. Of course with her and Nagi living together, hijinks ensue to keep her from discovering the truth. Nagi’s sudden urge to strip at home, believing he’s alone and can be fully comfortable, is hysterical in him frantically fumbling around the house with a cartoon bun covering his junk acting as an amazing finishing touch. Hiro almost catching on to their living situation with close calls, like an excess of dirty dishes, secret rooms and Nagi being a clutz, making noise is where the bulk of the episode provides the most levity in preserving their secret. The stupid jabroni squad makes their unceremonious return, the creepers who harassed Erika previously. Nagi knocks the wind out of the main douche once again and throws them out, acting as an effective way to show how much he cares about Erika making friends and not letting those three idiots derail that. The strides Erika is making is also highlighted in how her feelings for Nagi continue to evolve and grow with her respecting his hard-working ethic. 

Hiro’s home life is also more deeply delved into with her and her family running an established shrine. Hiro’s mother and her suspicion/coldness towards Nagi illustrates how controlling they are and how difficult her situation is with her being hellbent on her arranged marriage. Hiro choosing to trust Nagi to handle the burden of truth, as opposed to Erika, because he can handle, is already painting a picture that she is starting to rely on him. Also Hiro not telling Erika to not plague her with the same burden sounds like a future problem mounting, just like Erika and Nagi about their situation. It will only be a matter of time until all the dishonesty circulating within the love triangle comes out and, more than likely, causes even more complications.