Thoughts on Episode 9
It's kinda hard to talk about this episode while it feels it shouldn't be like that. By itself, I think it was good, better than the last two episodes, actually. While the first third felt a little slowed, the second and the third ones took the stories pace better (mostly because it's the manga's chapther adaptation). The best highlight is how the rest of the anime's cast are integrated in Nakamura's luck travel to be alongside Hirose in the play. This makes the protagonist's world more present in his life and Nakamura himself feels more confortable with the people around him. Besides, they managed to change the stage scene to make it work with the cronology of the series, mantaining Nakamura and Hirose's cute moment in the play.
However... the problem here arises on the episodes that are left. Thinking that they would close the story in one season, I think four episodes maybe not enough to make a satisfactory conclusion. And I say this not really blaming this episode, but the latest one, At least this one developt characters we'll keep watching, while episode 8 did it with one that probably we'll never see again. It's a fact that we'll get to see original content to fill the gaps to end the season, but at the same time, it feels the writers fought very hard to fit the manga chapters in a plot that should end in 13 episodes.
Also, we barely see any advance in Nakamura's relationship with Hirose. He acts with him as a friend (even with the natural nervousness that take talking to your crush), but we are at a point where, if they plan making Hirose corresponding Nakamura's feeling, it doesn't seem that he can make his feelings grow towards the protagonist. I really hope we get to watch a Hirose's POV episode in the future, because keepting the focalization on Nakamura the whole time, makes that any possible ending would feel incomplete. In summary, with the latest episode and, in some part, with this one, it feels they aren't using the time they have in an effective way.
With the leaks there have been telling how the next episode will be, I really hope they use it wisely to develop the main characters relationship and lead it to another narrative peak in the finale. This week's episode made it well, but it's time to the series to be a little serious again.