English Dub Review: A Couple of Cuckoos: “I want to grow up already!”

Overview: Nagi (Nicholas Andrew Louie) takes his mind off of things with a date with Hiro (Amanda Lee) and eventually takes a trip down memory lane with Sachi (Bryn Apprill) and about how their relationship could change.  

Our Take: With Nagi contemplating how to proceed with his Mr. Amano holding out on him regarding Erika’s brother, a date with Hiro is just what the doctor ordered. Their date is a good way of showing how much she genuinely cares about how he is feeling in simply being there for him and giving him an outlet to let out all his pent up anxieties by taking him to the ocean to scream it out at big blue. It is definitely a cliché but without a doubt therapeutic as is the date overall with the wholesome freeing tone and continues to show why she is one of his best love interests in the series.  

Sachi and Souichirou have one of their dinner rendezvous on the topic of marrying Nagi with her. She is noticeably into and flustered by the idea. Their grocery store excursion is fun in how different they are with him being money conscientious and her nonchalant, making for a fun juxtaposition. Their trip home sheds light on how much their current relationship is defined by their warm memories of them making dinner for their parents for dinner. It helps cultivate how she came to like him in his dedication. She teases him with the possibility of their marriage causing him to struggle with how they would tell their parents, before she reveals the “ruse.” It makes for a sweet ending scene in her pure happiness at him entertaining the idea. Her teasing Nagi is also a nice way of showing how similar Sachi is to Erika in their own cheeky way. 

Nagi’s swiftly complicit reaction to their marriage is indicative of the problem with their connection, however. Their relationship and dynamic needs to move past the sibling angle to have any hope of a romance, let alone holy matrimony, not feel premature and underdeveloped. Sachi not being a stereotypical annoyance would also help. Hopefully, the nature of their familial bond will continue to be tackled and challenged, like it was briefly this episode, and evolve properly, whether they are of love or not.