English Dub Review: Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki “Battles go better when you’re fighting alongside someone whose signature move is the opposite of yours”

Overview

Tomozaki enlists the help of friends to help Tama improve and boost the mood at school, but Aoi Hinami is vehemently opposed to Tama changing at all…

Our Take

This time around, a dispute arises between the titular Tomozaki and his secret mentor Aoi Hinami as they both debate the possibility of helping/changing their bullied classmate Tama. While Tomozaki aims to empower Tama to stand up to her bully Erika, Aoi believes that the current bullying will naturally come to an end, discouraging any intervention. Initially, Tomozaki’s approach seems effective in the short term, but the bigger challenge lies in transforming the overall class environment and boosting morale.

Speaking of Aoi, her reluctance to take a stand against Erika’s actions raises questions about her motivations and whether or not there might be an ulterior motive behind her approach as her indifference makes her look hypocritical. Despite being her friend, this bullshit contradicts the idea of standing up against bullying, let alone self-improvement. I also feel uneasy that Aoi is also going behind the scenes and talking to Erika’s friends into stopping this bullshit because part of me feels like Aoi could be plotting something with Erika that’s even worse…

Overall, while there’s a positive message about learning to further connect with people in a positive way and standing up for yourself, I’m also left questioning Aoi’s motives and the ethical implications of her actions. There’s a juxtaposition of Tomozaki showing genuine concern and empathy, while Aoi’s recent behavior raises doubts about her character and intentions. What is Aoi trying to accomplish with her unwillingness to help others outside of Tomozaki? And what’s her endgame out of all of this? Hopefully, there’s a proper conclusion in the next episode.