After the Rain, episodes 4-6
Don't break my heart like this, Kondo.
Or my spirit.
A really solid set of episodes here. The comedy value's been upped a bit, but not at the expense of the drama and it all works well without the two aspects jarring. Aside from the romantic aspect of people growing together, the show has a lot to say about growing up, growing older and growing apart as well. Kondo's wistfullness over his own youth and Haruka's fear over Akira growing up faster and leaving her behind are essentially the same, a feeling of powerlessness to prevent the inexorable march of time, its effect on you and others and also people's perceptions of each other.
It's the perceptions part of this which particularly makes me root for Kondo and Akira - They have to worry about this when really, there's no good reason for them to other than the judgement of others. Our time here is brief, and as time itself slowly but surely continues on its way to obliterating absolutely everything, who is anyone to deny anyone else happiness wherever (and with whoever) they find it?
Also featuring a cameo appearance from Miu Matsuoka's
evil good twin. The other girl looks strangely familiar too...
The Promised Neverland, episode 5
Streaming discussion seems to have ground to a complete halt so I'll put this here.
So Ray is a genuine psychopath and more than Norman's equal, that's a more satisfying turn than I was hoping for. But other than that and Don being an idiot, there didn't seem a whole lot of content to this episode. I've just watched it, yet I can't actually remember anything else happening. Exposition is all well and good but geez, next episode I think I'd actually like something to happen other than conversations.