Mayonaka Heart Tune • Tune In to the Midnight Heart

Mayonaka Heart Tune • Tune In to the Midnight Heart - Episode 3 discussion

*Mayonaka Heart Tune*, episode 3

**Reminder:** Please do not discuss plot points not yet seen or skipped in the show. Failing to follow the rules may result in a ban.

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**Streams**

* [Crunchyroll](http://crunchyroll.com/series/GT00365772)

**Show information**

* [MyAnimeList](https://myanimelist.net/anime/61211/)
* [AniList](https://anilist.co/anime/187942)
* [AniDB](https://anidb.net/perl-bin/animedb.pl?show=anime&aid=19210)
* [Kitsu](https://kitsu.app/anime/49680)
* [Official Website](https://mayochu-anime.com/)

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**All discussions**

Episode|Link
:-:|:-:
1|[Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1q5jf6v)
2|[Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qbs4qd)
3|[Link](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1qi1x19)

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Commentaires

AnimeMod2026-01-20 15:03

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szalhi2026-01-20 15:15

[Yes, for once, don't take all the blame for an easy incident.](https://i.imgur.com/egLbBn9.jpeg)

[Everyone loves gap moe.](https://i.imgur.com/NhmpE5d.jpeg)

[*Wait, what was I commenting about again?*](https://i.imgur.com/Ruuh2M8.jpeg)

Frontier2462026-01-20 15:44

Every romcom MC who has been blamed for walking in on girls because the girls didn't take proper security measures: "Yamabuki, you're the GOAT!"

Iko feels like she's got the "biggest cutie in the Harem" down to pat, especially with that smile and when she gets embarrassed.

messem102026-01-20 15:47

It’ll go up there with the other fun responses such as:

- Who the heck hired a stripper?
- Says nothing, merely joins her/them in changing.

Skawt242026-01-20 21:30

The Chads Yuuji and Ikki.

ChoiceSupermarket2302026-01-20 15:19

Entry while changing clothes

check

avboden2026-01-20 15:22

Blames the girls for not locking the doors instead of taking the unfair blame himself because he’s the most Chad of chads? Check

Frontier2462026-01-20 15:48

And he also still apologizes for seeing them half-naked because he's man enough to take responsibility for himself while also educating them to handle themselves better in society.

testthrowawayzz2026-01-20 17:47

Love this uno reverse

thisisdropd2026-01-20 15:27

Our man Arisu so easily defeated the walking-in-on-girls-changing-clothes trap that had caught many romcom MCs before him. He refused to dance to the usual tune. Hilarious how he yelled and scolded them before they could even utter a single word. Having said that, he still bowed before them for seeing them in an uncouth state even if it's totally their fault for not locking the door.

So that's what he meant when he said the intervention would be a little drastic. Guess having a flair for the dramatic is the Yamabuki way.

Frontier2462026-01-20 15:52

Yamabuki is a fairly rational, intelligent, and dedicated human being. He won't let himself be blamed for something that's not his fault, but he also genuinely respects and wants to treat the girls right as well.

And there is no measure he won't take to help bring them all out of their shells...and make them fall for him in the process.

pietya2026-01-20 15:27

Stalking the anime!

"How to teach toddlers Japanese" - Nene getting dunked on on her own stalking mission

Frontier2462026-01-20 15:47

I love how Shinobu was the only one who thought it might be problematic up until she felt like a detective lol.

Nene is obsessed with porn and still considered a toddler when it comes to Kanji.

gnome-cop2026-01-20 20:24

Look, everyone knows that tsunderes are “secretly” the thirstiest people of all.

WhoiusBarrel2026-01-20 15:27

Viewers dropping over a shy Vtuber not showing expressions, these fans are clearly not devoted to their Oshi enough.

Very cute Forget-It-All Beam, couldn't tell you what happened before that though.

Frontier2462026-01-20 15:45

I'm sure those around 200 viewers who stayed were the true fans who believed in her and loved her for her voice and personality that shined through her stoic avatar!

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 16:44

> Viewers dropping over a shy Vtuber not showing expressions

I don't reallly follow the vtuber stuff, but I imagine they want to SEE the shyness (like, her blushing or what not) and not just *deduce* the shyness by her not showing much and all!

>Very cute Forget-It-All Beam

That was fucking adorable, and made up for the fucking sad scene of [her having to say bye to her fans dropping her...](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/85bb20ed53b6.png)

[](#emptyinside)

mekerpan2026-01-20 17:57

That Forget-It-All Beam was an unexpected delight. A real reward for her loyal viewers.

testthrowawayzz2026-01-20 20:27

Maybe she could lean into it and switch to the expressionless/cold reception (塩対応) type.

pietya2026-01-20 15:29

> My father's the one who is rich. I'm just a high schooler.

Is a relatively healthy mindset behind the ego and pride

Ok-Anxiety81712026-01-20 15:41

He doesn't have an inflated ego, he just sincerely considers himself the best person in the world.

Frontier2462026-01-20 15:49

And every time he goes to bat for the Harem, rolls or calls out the typical romcom nonsense like a chad, or puts in as much effort as possible he proves that it's not all talk.

BatFun72762026-01-20 15:55

I don't think he thinks as himself as the best "in the world" since he realized last week that he messed up with Nene's audition and actually apologized. And also with Rikka singing. He's just aware of his own qualities.

Ok-Anxiety81712026-01-20 18:57

Well, he's the best person in the world, not God. It's natural for people to make mistakes and not be good at something. Actually, MC's ability to admit that he was wrong only brings him closer to the status of the best person.

mgedmin2026-01-21 11:39

As he himself said, he's only 99% perfect.

Ham_PhD2026-01-20 16:30

"It's not a lie, if you believe it."

avboden2026-01-21 06:46

"my ego is perfectly sized for how amazing I am"

pandavova2026-01-20 15:29

You do really notice some weird faces here... I wonder why it's so noticeable to me... Maybe some uncanny valley effect?

eightcheesepizza2026-01-20 16:04

I agree, some of the faces in the scenes seemed oddly inconsistent. Was it always this way in previous episodes? I'm worried that they're rushing too hard to meet the deadlines.

BatFun72762026-01-20 19:40

Yes, it's unfortunaly easy to spot and it's really disappointing since the manga looks amazing. It deserved a better adaptation.

mrkorb2026-01-20 20:52

Yep, I saw this as well. Just 3 episodes in and the quality control is taking a dive.

Primary-Paint-17162026-01-20 15:29

Everyone,

Care to join the ikosystem? It's comfy here.

Frontier2462026-01-20 15:54

A daily dose of Sayumi Suzushiro ASMR would be enough for me...

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 16:56

*r/ikosystem*

[](#emptyinside)

Aww, I'm a bit sad that this isn't a sub!

Reminded me of the Gotoubun era, with the girl specific subs like Itsuki's classroom and all that!

Ham_PhD2026-01-20 17:32

No individual subs, but each faction does have a dedicated name that was "voted" on by the series sub! We've got flairs for them and everything.

mekerpan2026-01-20 17:55

Iko really carried this episode, didn't she. Such a charmer (especially when she DOES abandon her poker face).

Apprehensive_Ear86752026-01-20 18:21

Yes

HolyDragSwd25002026-01-20 18:45

Forget it All Beam 🥰

Zooasaurus2026-01-20 15:30

This is the most unrealistic episode so far because there's no way she's not getting cancelled by talking with a *guy*

Frontier2462026-01-20 15:47

The Forget-Me-Beam made everyone forget about everything but her winning Ikon smile.

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 16:59

The NTR scene must be larger than I thought if a vtuber talking to a guy **boosted** her fanbase

[](#bigthink)

DaisyChain22222026-01-20 15:32

Severe animation error in the very first shot - foreground characters passing behind background elements.

Atario2026-01-20 16:15

I had to look like six times before I could even find what you're talking about

[](#yuishrug)

Farmaceut72026-01-20 18:26

Same!

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 17:05

[*Do you have body wipes? I've been impaled by a pole!*](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/6213d76f373e.png)

[](#azusalaugh)

SSjjlex2026-01-20 17:22

Is that a background pole coming out of your skirt or are you just happy to see me

PM_me_meta_usernames2026-01-20 18:10

yamabuki also has a gigantic hand 13:19 into the episode, pretty noticeable error too

NanDemoKnaives2026-01-20 18:51

This one was blatant and then it made me notice some of the quality drops after.

Awkward_Patience32952026-01-20 18:50

Its really a shame this series is getting a low budget anime. This is a clear money laundering effort of hoping the story and plot carries them and covers for the massive downgrade in animation on the art of the manga just so they can make a profit

daspaceasians2026-01-21 00:57

Thankfully the characters and the plot are able to carry this because I barely noticed it except for that huge as fuck hand.

Primo292026-01-20 15:40

What was a great chapter in manga felt a bit weak in animation. Too bad.

If ever they'll show Iko's smile, fans will flock to her!!

Frontier2462026-01-20 15:43

It's pretty much inevitable for a romcom protagonist to, at some point, walk in on his Harem undressing. Of course this may be the first time I've seen an MC straight up lecture said Harem on how dumb it is to use their broadcast room to undress, complete without locking the door, and then still dogeza in apology for seeing them in their underwear. Yamabuki takes no half-measures.

It's nice to see that the girls feel comfortable enough inviting Yamabuki to join them for going out to eat, and are slightly disappointed he can't come, too bad Yamabuki has other plans. But Nene won't be satisfied until she catches Yamabuki in something embarassing too. And thus the "catch-Yamabuki-with-his-pants-down" alliance is formed (Shinobu got outvoted)! Even if Nene's attempts to catch him with porn just turns into another reminder of what language level he thinks she's at and all Iko really cares about is ice cream.

But Yamabuki actually has a part-time job! Despite coming from a rich family, he wants to make money on his own terms and help pay for better audio equipment for the club! Even if he was initially disappointed in the girls, he's seen their resolve to improve and commit to their chosen career paths, and wants to continue to help them through it. Not bad, Yamabuki!

And now with Yamabuki having shown the girls' his more embarrassing side, it's time for Iko to reveal hers...like how she's basically hit a wall as a VTuber and is losing viewers. It probably doesn't help that her avatar is as stoic as she is. This calls for Yamabuki to use all his computer programming knowledge, and Iko drawing as much visuals as she can, to breathe new life into Sumeragi Ikon!

The only problem is that Sumeragi Ikon 2.0 is still subject to Iko's expressions, and if she can't emote, neither can her avatar. Which calls for the ol' Yamabuki tickle torture and goofy mask gags! And the two of them landing on top of each other. But that lets Yamabuki see Iko's genuine, beautiful, smile so it was totally worth it!

Welp, it's off to jail for Yamabuki for "having his way" with Iko! Seriously Iko, phrasing!

But then comes her first stream with her updated avatar...and she just can't emote. She gets super stiff when she knows the camera is on her and she just can't properly express herself. And she keeps losing viewer after viewer. She needs Yamabuki's help!

Imagine the first thing Yamabuki tells a girl to help her...is to strip. Not that I didn't mind seeing Iko with her jacket off or taking off her tights though. But he also challenges her and makes her go all out on her true emotions: how much she loves streaming and wants to be true to her fans and to herself. And, luckily for her, Bucky made sure the audio was still running so everyone can hear her true self and the viewers come back ind droves! And then she closes out with the most genuine version of Ikon she can deliver!

Imagine having a private conversation with a VTuber on the toilet. But Yamabuki has found a critical hit with complimenting Iko's smile, and now she can't bring herself to look at him with feeling all hot and the face...the telltale sign of her falling for him.

Farmaceut72026-01-20 18:30

Yeah, Yamabuki is GOATed harem MC alongside Rentaro! If this happened to Rentaro he would probably break the 4th wall and start beating the shit out of the author or something!

testthrowawayzz2026-01-20 22:40

Can we have a crossover with Rentarou and Naoya please? Hahaha

NationalStrategy2026-01-20 15:49

♫ I chime in with "Haven't you ladies ever heard of locking the goddamn door?" ♫

Frontier2462026-01-20 15:53

It's also kind of funny that in the same episode where he calls that out he also tells one of them to strip in front of him lol.

oxlemf102026-01-20 16:04

Damn Yamabuki, don't make me admire you even more, he's a teenager and he's constantly working for these girls, this is amazing.

Iko is so cute, you can't blame her for being shy even on a Vtuber, since she's spent her whole life acting like that, and I have to agree with Yamabuki, her smile is beautiful

Frontier2462026-01-20 17:11

The best Harem Romcoms are the ones where you can totally understand why so many girls would fall for this one guy because even the audience kind of is.

AdHaunting29542026-01-20 19:26

You mean a protagonist might have more qualities than being useless, a pervert, and being a somewhat "nice" person??

Chronigan22026-01-20 20:50

Does that make him a simp? He's working to buy things for girls he is not in a relationship with.

KumaKumaGambler2026-01-20 16:04

Kirino should have transformed into rectangular cat blob form. She is far more expressive when in rectangular cat blob form.

I also think they would make good stickers / emoticons when she is streaming.

Now that I think about it, perhaps Kirino is the mascot for this title. Lol!

Eigarlll2026-01-20 16:06

[deleted]

HolyDragSwd25002026-01-20 18:47

Goatabuki

Broad-Pound12622026-01-20 16:13

This episode stresses the suspension of disbelief. If I heard a male voice on my favorite vtuber's stream I'd be crushed. I'd probably start DMing her cartel execution videos and spam her art tags with pictures of dead animals.
She'd lose her popularity.

Zxzxzx00882026-01-20 16:22

Never failed to amaze me, Yamabuki! Instead of getting unreasonable violence from girls like an old school style of [lucky lecher](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/157b3548a742.jpg), he perfectly turns the table by [scolding them](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/92a0c9b5bd22.jpg) with sound reasoning. This the 'perfect' example of harem lead should be. Always above of his girls.

Never thought Yamabuki need a full episode to[ conquer Iko](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/609aeb4f41d6.jpg) since Nene and Rikka only get half of an episode lol.

As expected of Yamabuki. Even [video call on toilet](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/d4c57d590421.jpg) won't faze him a bit.

Idk whether this episode was outsourced or budget constrained or saving budget or whatever, I hope Gekkou up their game for the rest of the episodes since it's a bit disturbing to watch their [derp](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/8b5bf2f557ee.jpg) [faces](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/f500767f7ed5.jpg) lol. At least keep the character design steady even with little animation to offer. Can Yamabuki group fund this studio please....

Frontier2462026-01-20 17:15

To be honest I don't think the girls would have actually hit him (maybe Nene) but I love how even they were kind of thrown off by having to be the ones scolded in this situation because of facts and logic lol.

Will Shinobu get a whole episode to herself? Though I feel like Iko's fallen harder than the other girls so far but she also had the most one-on-one time with him (that wasn't speedran like Nene's dating arc).

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 16:34

[Blessed be anime](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/bb411a78210b.png)

[](#utahapraises)

Even more blessed given [THEY got talked to, for changing with the door unlocked, and not him for 'opening a door' like it usually happens!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/0e1c4961a110.png)

[Well... For the most part, anyway!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/f47d030ba274.png)

[She wants to see him changing too!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/96c2695adeee.png)

[Hentai!](#lewd)

[She didn't mind too much! Well, she wasn't showing panties like Nene, but still!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/e42e681315cf.png)

[Rikka and Shinobu keeps doing/saying stuff that makes me think it's definitely one of these two!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/0e93a7830cac.png)

As if author-kun wants to make sure not to give them a 'flag' or anything.

I don't often 'laugh out loud' when watching anime, but [I had a little giggle when she said OKAY in her deep voice!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/5a507808877d.png)

[](#azusalaugh)

[I thought he figured it out and was just playing along to fuck with them, but I guess he has his 'dumb as a brick' moments!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/2c4c1adb39bd.png)

[Good bondage skills, if she's the one he's in for a kinky time!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/904647aab7fe.png)

[](#towel)

[Will she bring him oranges in jail?](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/19ac624f18c9.png)

[Ok that was fucking sad...](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/1e4835d33b33.png)

I could never ever be a streamer, seeing people 'drop' me (and having to keep talking to the others and all) would tear my soul apart.

[She did manage to give them something a bit more 'real' in the end, and they loved it!](https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/750b55d17c51.png)

But yeah I'd be just like her if I tried streaming, not showing emotions and all... Quite relatable in this!

Frontier2462026-01-20 17:13

I respect Iko repping a sports bra and Nene having on-brand pink panties. But all the ladies looked great in their underwear.

Zyr0-2026-01-20 16:35

My only gripe about this show so far is that I feel the title drops could be done so much better. Like at least time it with the OP/ED song or something rather than it being muted. It's one of the core features in the manga

lurkingc012026-01-20 16:36

I know people were complaining about the animation/production quality for the first two episodes, and if I'm being honest, I couldn't really tell what they were complaining about. However, I do have to admit something felt off in this one. Still enjoyed it and probably gonna keep watching though.

Shadowwhale472026-01-21 02:14

The reason complaints are there is because there is a big audience of source-readers that believe the quality of the manga work (art/etc.) isnt properly represented.

And when you look at the general adaptation quality of most animes (except some obvious outliers), there is dissapointment when the animation quality would probably be considered average years ago.

There is/was firm belief that the series would be a huge hit with a decent level of budget and time.

Personally i will also still enjoy it, because of some great voice acting and the content that will be coming, but there is the feeling of «what could have been». And maybe even a prayer for a different studio or more investment in a season 2 (or cour 2)

somerandomguy5762026-01-21 05:02

As a manga reader thats the exact feeling. Its like introducing someone to your favorite singer with their worst song or concert. Like, "I swear they dont sound that bad". Here are some Manga vs anime examples from this episode for people curious.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TuneIntoTheMidnight/s/XABnQSvd9n

https://www.reddit.com/r/TuneIntoTheMidnight/s/alwkyxCY1N

There is just less detail and the faces look more generic or weird. Beyond all of the mistakes/poor animation people have pointed out.

Maccaz152026-01-21 13:04

Anyone who thinks an anime looking good as a manga's art in a realistic scenario is deluding themselves. The better the art of the manga, the lower the chance an anime will actually be able to emulate it.

wloff2026-01-20 16:42

This episode feels super ironic...

One of my main issues with the animation of this show is how the characters feel expressionless and almost always have the exact same face.

[](#thoughtful)

itsconsolefreaked2026-01-20 16:53

After ten minutes the animation team must have lost some brain cells because it stopped animating

Atario2026-01-20 16:55

[However,](https://files.catbox.moe/9toum9.jpg) luckily, people rarely burst into a room with a camera running [](#kukuku)

[Selfie stick](https://files.catbox.moe/d3u56v.jpg) for people who use telephoto zoom mode [](#drunkhisone)

[Erm,](https://files.catbox.moe/uhkt5r.jpg) isn't the idea of vtubing that you're *not* in front of people? She has it so bad that even that isn't enough [](#hardthink)

I didn't hear a thing [during this.](https://files.catbox.moe/7e9ugu.jpg) Are the Japanese viewers lip-reading this? [](#mindmelt)

Emi_Ibarazakiii2026-01-20 17:21

>[Selfie stick](https://files.catbox.moe/d3u56v.jpg)

She must have that Tsundere strength, because even a phone would be quite heavy at the end of that pole!

ObvsThrowaway51202026-01-20 16:59

Bro scolding the girls for not looking the door then apologizing for seeing them in their state of undress was pretty funny. He’s a good dude, that Arisu. Guy’s even working part-time to support the club even though he’s rich.

I liked how Arisu was helping Iko this week. He’s making his way through every girl, but like instead of trying to get with them he’s actually helping them try and achieve their dreams. What a guy!

Trash_luck2026-01-20 23:53

Yeah honestly most walking into someone undressing scenes are kinda stupid. It’s both the guy’s fault for not knocking before entering and the girl’s fault for not locking the door and yet it’s always the guy’s fault only

Ikari_212026-01-21 05:17

Yeah that was super refreshing to see him scold them. Like seriously, you’re at a school. Any student or teacher can just walk in and see. Be smart and lock the door if you’re gonna change lol

Andreiyutzzzz2026-01-22 14:51

It's the guys fault for not knocking to a room one would expect someone to change though. bathroom, bedroom. can you blame him for not knocking on the broadcasting club room?

karlzhao3142026-01-20 23:55

He also specifically used toy hands to tickle Iko.

What a guy indeed.

FluffyEcho17762026-01-20 17:08

I am enjoying the series quite a bit, so much so I plan to buy the manga. I didn't really see the animation problems before, but this episode had some messy bits I noticed right away.

Anyway, Nene best girl.

ActualRound76992026-01-20 17:10

this was a cute episode. I get they’re going for harem. Iko is already feeling the MC. The others will too in upcoming episodes.

I think the hunt for Apollo is going to get more interesting. it’s clear that whichever of them is Apollo, the other three know about it and know why she decided to go dark years ago. So, it’s not only a combo of who it is, but why she stopped in the first place all while probably actively trying to protect one another since none of them are ready to out and out confess and explain things.

Frontier2462026-01-20 17:17

Honestly I'm suspicious how when they all talked together Yamabuki seemed to get a kind of "Apollo resonance" moment.

ActualRound76992026-01-20 17:31

yeah, true. I am curious to see how the mystery continues to unfold…which means get more complicated

FarCritical2026-01-20 17:39

It's so damn funny just how much Yamabuki managed to roast Nene just by reading a book while not even being aware of it.

I really respect the dedication to ensuring any help that goes to the potential Apollos comes out of his own pocket, and love that that wasn't lost on any of them.

SYZekrom2026-01-20 18:34

Oh is the expressionlessness actually part of the plot? I thought it was just one of those cases of a show covering a topic and having no idea how to actually make it like with video game pixel art almost always looking off.

I've never seen a girl with a personality so I would never want to be a Vtuber as this girl. Why does she wanna be a vtuber lol. Like it's also a bit annoying b/c it makes it out as if simply not having crippling anxiety in front of a "camera" would let her be successful. Girl has no visionfor entertainment, a vtuber isn't just someone hanging out in a voice chat with an anime avatar that shows their real life expression. Or rather, a successful vtuber isn't that. The existence of people that can talk in front of a camera are a dime a dozen.

Also like. Why the hell is the default expression of her avatar a face of utter disinterest?

Ok. She wants to be a vtuber b/c she likes interacting with so many people. That's why she's so uncomfortable when she has to interact with so many people. Yep. That makes sense.

BillPlunderones23fg2026-01-20 18:40

weird how im enjoying this more then the manga version

HolyDragSwd25002026-01-20 18:48

Iko smile ❤️

NanDemoKnaives2026-01-20 18:50

LOL The twist with the walking into girls changing trope was hilarious! I laughed so hard, what a great opening scene. I'm glad Yamabuki scolded them, he was right considering they all want to be in the public eye.

Lol Yamabuki was reading a book on how to teach toddlers for Nene, wasn't he?

I'm guessing the next episode will be about the aspiring announcer.

Aryan__Chawla2026-01-20 19:08

Was it just me or this episode had really bad and low quality design for characters.
For instance at around 13:30 timestamp, all the characters are looking too fat and badly shaped, basically having faces of obese people.

LeonKevlar2026-01-20 19:13

* [**Kirino Iko**](https://i.imgur.com/XVnqaHP.jpeg)

I absolutely love [Yamabuki's take](https://i.imgur.com/WaJ4djJ.jpeg) on the usual [lucky pervert trope.](https://i.imgur.com/AxEDo4G.jpeg) Instead of the girls getting upset, he's the one getting angry at them for leaving the door unlocked because anyone could walk in while they're changing. I also love how [he still ends up apologizing in the end.](https://i.imgur.com/SKS7iZ5.jpeg) xD

[Yamabuki telling his boss that his dad is rich and he's just a high schooler](https://i.imgur.com/b6meO8r.jpeg) was actually pretty awesome. If only we had more people who thought like that IRL. Funny how Nene thought she'd get some blackmail material, only for them to learn how great Yamabuki is.

[It's finally time for Yamabuki to help Kirino!](https://i.imgur.com/ujIqf8f.jpeg) I'm honestly amazed how Kirino even got a following despite her [avatar being too lifeless](https://i.imgur.com/HxGdNI9.jpeg) and how [she barely changes facial expressions IRL.](https://i.imgur.com/oJp8sTN.jpeg) Yamabuki did an amazing job at [baiting her into finally showing her true emotions.](https://i.imgur.com/iwnRkVZ.jpeg)

Trash_luck2026-01-21 00:49

>Funny how Nene thought she'd get some blackmail material, only for them to learn how great Yamabuki is.

And then she got roast by him reading how to teach toddlers Japanese

FLorianGran2026-01-20 20:18

It’s a shame, the characters and comedy are there but the stiff expressions and wonky art drag it all down

gnome-cop2026-01-20 20:18

“He can wait outside.” Girls, come on, you should know well enough by now that that man is completely insane and is just not going to fucking do that.

Can’t say I’ve seen “Actually, you’re the perverts” said before.

If only they knew that one among them has the only piece of blackmail material he cares about. Anyway, let the stalking commence!

White hair, cat, matcha, where have I seen this before… THAT DAMN STRAY CAT!

Okay, now I’m genuinely interested. Was he lying about the stock market or did he burn it all already?

I’m in love with the running gag of the four of them speaking in unison and him just getting blasted by Apollo flashbacks.

And now he’s just given them even more blackmail material. Quest “get rid of Apollo’s leverage” progress, negative.

Welcome to the “absolutely hopeless at expressing human emotions” club, Iko. We may not look like it but we’re all really excited to have you here.

Iko has officially entered the list of characters that are baby and should be protected from everything evil in the world. [Insert “If Iko has one fan” rant here.] I love this cat already.

Jerapi2026-01-20 20:43

That's crazy, Kirino getting all shy and tee hee while Arisu is nonchalantly in the toilet taking a dump

I liked this episode more than the last one. I still dislike how they skipped all the process of Arisu and Kirino working on the model (like they did last episode with Rikka and Nene), but at least this time they dedicated most of the episode on one character.

It was a bit unrealistic that her fans didn't care about a male being on stream, but it gets a pass because of the kind of vtuber she is and her circumstances. She is an indie and a high schooler, so demanding something like "NO MALES" would be crazy from the viewers. She also doesn't do any GFE and was very lacking in expression, so I don't believe she up until now had enough "charm" to attract the kind of viewers that would seriously care about her interacting with males.

I mean it was still crazy that Arisu just told her "take off your clothes" while knowing that the mic was on. But maybe that was just his purity shining through. He had no ulterior motives, nor was it any innuendo, he was being 100% sincere telling her to take of her clothes if she was sweaty.

I bet if Arisu became a vtuber, he could quickly become famous...the viewers would think he is just acting a character and laughing at his antics, not knowing that he is being real.

If I had something to complain about this episode, it would be the whole part-time job scene...The girls just happened to stalk him on the day of his part-time job, and Arisu just so happens to talk to his boss about why he is working so hard and that it is all for the girls' sake...

like come on, I know I am watching a romcom anime, but surely there was a less jarring way for this to have happened. Like the only way I see this being realistic is if his boss somehow knew everything about Arisu and the club, knew that they were tailing him on this day, and so the bossman was setting him up to look good in front of the girls. As stupid as that sounds, I would have preferred that route instead of the author making it seem like it was all a bunch of coincidences stacked on top of each other to create this miracle.

djthomp2026-01-20 20:46

Cat blob Iko is great every time she's on screen like that so I am happy it keeps happening.

In spite of the heavy Iko focus today they didn't appear to ever have her quote Apollo like happened with Rikka, which seems like more evidence for Rikka being Apollo.

Yamabuki giving the girls a hard time for changing in an unlocked room at school is fair, Japan really does have huge problems with peeping toms and candid shots so it's something they should be thinking about.

Niwaka_Samurai2026-01-20 21:03

Yamabuki made a grand entrance into the room. What a view ! And he started chewing out the girls instead of the other way around lmao

Yamabuki is so serious about the girls future that he's willing to work part-time for their sake..I don't think even the girls are that serious about their talents. Hats off to him !!

Kirino was really sweet in this episode. Yamabuki really helped Kirino big time by fooling her. That 'never happened beam' was so cute. Gap moe 💯😘😘

Queue_Jumping_Quack2026-01-20 21:50

It rare for a male targeted romcom, especially a harem to have the male lead as its best character. But it is true for this series. Makes for a nice change when the lead character has an actual personality and some concrete purpose of his own Instead of being a complete cypher.

I don't really "get" the whole v-tuber thing, but Kirino's anxieties weren't badly portrayed. Having Yamabuki actually help her in a major way makes it beliavable for her to even develop a crush on him.

As for the identity of Apollo, I feel there weren't any hints one way or another in this episode. Might actually be an interesting twist if Yamabuki falls for one of the girls for real and turns out Apollo was one of the other three... or maybe that is actually too predictable and not interesting? Don't usually watch harems so don't have a real feel how this will turn out.

No favorite among the girls yet, though thanks to their focus episodes I kinda like Kirino and Himekawa the best for now.

CrimsonGear802026-01-20 22:55

Sorry, what happened in this episode? I seemed to have forgot…

pseudometapseudo2026-01-21 00:35

Yamabuki is really warming up to me. He was a bit off-putting at first, but has been steadily collecting green flags ever since.
- subverts romcom tropes by scolding the girls for changing without locking the door
- rich, but still wants to earn his own money
- big ego, but he actually tries to live up to the expectations he builds up
- genuinely trying to help every girl
- feels actually like the most adult character
- and even when tickling Iko, he uses toy hands. A nice detail that underlines that he isn't doing it to sneakily touch her.

daspaceasians2026-01-21 00:44

That was adorably sweet. I like that Yamabuki is very self-aware at all times and can balance between his cocky front and his altruistic self. Also, just having him that scene with the infamous walking in on the changing girls being handled in a reasonable fashion was wonderful.

Otherwise, Iko's story this episode was super charming and really had me rooting for her. That quote about V-Tubers accidentally letting themselves out was perfectly timed and reminded me of V-Tuber Legends.

Jacob-C2026-01-21 01:17

FINALLY someone said it! You can't just change anywhere and then be mad when someone sees you. By law that would be public indecency before it would be voyeurism or anything of the sort. Any other anime would have the girls beating him senseless in that situation. They're still guilty of harassment by stalking him, but at least there was no violence.

ArchadianJudge2026-01-21 01:49

Another great episode! The male lead is quite likable and despite being well-off, he has to prove himself to the girls. They don't just automatically like him. He even has to use his own money from work instead of using a family credit card.

Iko had nearly an entire episode to herself and it didn't disappoint. I like all the girls now :/ I love the mix of humor, fanservice, and endearing characters in this anime. Heck, the ED is incredible too!

StardustGogeta2026-01-21 03:10

I see Yamabuki clearly went to the [*VTuber Legend*](https://myanimelist.net/anime/54284/VTuber_Nandaga_Haishin_Kiri_Wasuretara_Densetsu_ni_Natteta) school for becoming popular online.

Him reprimanding the girls for changing out in the open with the door unlocked was a very pleasant surprise. I've seen that whole thing played straight too many times where the guy ends up getting slapped for no reason.

Too bad this episode was marred by art/animation issues. I don't need a show to be beautiful for me to like it (though that's obviously a plus), but there were some moments with egregiously off-model proportions and such. Hope it's not indicative of a larger problem.

Perfect-Try-49182026-01-21 05:10

Man, sucks that the animation looks rough. It's a shame that the story, characters, and voice work are hampered by shoddy animation.

renorosales2026-01-21 05:48

As a manga reader, I questioned where the “Bucky” nickname came from, and it was only until now that I’ve heard it spoken, I realized it was just “Buki” from Yamabuki.

I feel so dumb…

Cold_Ad82762026-01-21 05:59

All these girls have firm abs, that's can't be true

Economy-Tear-83892026-01-21 06:16

Ngl so far haven't been very impressed, maybe because I loved QQ a lot, but so far this doesn't have the same draw. Something just irks me aside from production quality.

kaitodash2026-01-21 12:34

This dude is a gigachad.