#hot take: Hananoi looks better in glasses than he does with long hair

[ecargmura]

A Condition Called Love Episode 6 Review - Fears and Insecurities

This was the best episode by far! Hananoi gets called out for his behavior by Hotaru and the two work together to try and find a middle ground so that both sides can be happy with their relationship! It’s a lot different from previous episodes where Hananoi does something creepy and Hotaru doesn’t pay too much mind to it. I guess falling for Hananoi helped Hotaru realize these things now. I’m applauding for the positive progression!

Congrats Keigo, you’re no longer on the top of Hananoi’s kill list as Yao takes first place now. Yao as a character seems very friendly to the point that it can cause misunderstandings…and it did in the past and in the present. In the past, Yao was liked by many girls, including Hotaru’s friend Non-chan. However, there was a rumor going around that Hotaru liked him too, which caused Non-chan to get to a breaking point and cut off Hotaru’s hair in retaliation. Like I mentioned in a previous review, what Hotaru experienced was bullying. What kind of friend chops off your hair just because she liked the same person you did? That’s insanity.

Yao’s existence causes misunderstandings in the present because his friendliness towards Hotaru causes uneasiness towards Hananoi. Hananoi becomes insecure because the thought of someone better for Hotaru makes him anxious. The way that his obsessive behavior slowly increased to the point that Hotaru, who normally didn’t mind it at first, now becomes bothered by it really does show that they do like each other, but they need to communicate. Hotaru said it best: it’s not that he’s worried about her but more that he’s worried about himself. I’m glad that these two actually talk things out without being all dramatic or over the top. This is what communication does! Hotaru communicated and Hananoi realized his mistakes. I do wonder what Yao’s purpose in this story is. Is he there for pointless love drama? If so, will he learn about what happened to Hotaru during elementary school? How will he react? Also, it seems that Yao seems to know Hananoi because of the way he said his name when Hotaru said it. Does he know him?

It turns out that the reason Hotaru doesn’t know love was due to her being bullied by Non-chan in elementary school. I think that’s understandable. She didn’t understand why liking someone so much would cause her to retaliate and cut her hair. She didn’t understand why people’s behavior changed when in love. Because she had witnessed that, she was scared of falling in love. That makes absolute sense. A bad experience can make someone have negative opinions about something, after all. I think this was rather clever writing. Now that Hotaru has fallen for Hananoi completely, she understands the complicated stuff about love like the uneasiness that comes with it or discomfort that comes from your partner not respecting your boundaries. This is such good progression and I love how mature both are handling it.

The Valentine’s scene with Hananoi not being a skilled baker and even looking dorky with thick glasses is probably the most casual Hotaru has seen him. She knows that Hananoi isn’t all too perfect underneath his perfect mask and it seems that she prefers what’s underneath too. I also liked that her confession was said to this version of Hananoi and not the “perfect” version of him that she always sees. It feels more refreshing in a way? Speaking of which, I also like that the confession was just blurted out like that. It feels more natural when it’s not all sparkly shoujo bubbles and not in a fancy or special location. It’s just them in his house in their natural state. I really like that.

I just hope that Hananoi’s character progression stays on the positive side and not stagnate after this. I feel like the author is pretty clever with her writing. Hopefully, Hananoi will learn to be nicer to Hotaru’s friends, make some friends for himself and that Hotaru will call him out for anything about him that bothers her more often. Is this the best episode of this show for you?