Warning: The following contains spoilers for Episode 3 of Masamune-kun’s Revenge R, "They Show Up When You Least Expect It," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
We’ve already established in the analysis for the previous episode that the story of Masamune-kun's Revenge R is built on top of a misunderstanding. Something traumatic happened to the two main protagonists, Makabe Masamune and Adagaki Aki, when they were younger, and now they have to bear that scar in their hearts as they grow up.
Episode 3 of Masamune-kun’s Revenge R dive a bit deeper into that territory. Rather than covering the two main characters like in episode 2, however, this episode focuses more on the supporting characters, specifically Gasou Kanetsugu and Yoshino Koiwai. Both of these characters tell a blatant lie to the protagonists, one of them even has a clear ulterior motive behind it. Whether they realize it or not, their deceptions negatively affect Aki and Masamune.
The Lies and Deceptions Told
So there are two characters that are revealed to have been telling lies all this time. The newcomer Gasou Kanetsugu and the long-time supporting character, Yoshina Koiwai. Interestingly enough, the way the story treats their deceptions are different from one another. From the actual content of their lies, to how we as the audience find out about those lies, and the effect those lies had on the characters, particularly the two main protagonists, Makabe Masamune and Adagaki Aki.
Let’s start with Gasou Kanetsugu’s lies and deceptions first. Episode 3 blatantly tells and shows his lies. Or rather, “her” lies. Because as it turns out, Gasou Kanetsugu is actually a girl. We know about this surprising fact because this episode shows Gasou wrapped her chest with a piece of cloth in order to hide her identity. That being said, we will still refer to her as “him” for now until Gasou herself officially reveals her true identity in order to avoid any confusion in this article. Anyway, after that short cloth binding scene, Gasou begins to have an internal monologue about how he pretends to be the “Masamune” that used to be Aki’s childhood friend. The reason is because he wants to marry into Aki’s rich family, and use their wealth to make a better life for his own family.
Contrary to how this episode blatantly showcases Gasou’s lies, Yoshino’s deceptions are treated in a much more subtle manner. It is heavily implied that Yoshino is actually the one who reject and mock Masamune when they were little. She pretended to be Aki, and spew all of those hateful words to the little Masamune. Yoshino herself haven’t confirmed or deny this accusation yet. And unlike Gasou, we still don’t know the reasons behind her action, if she truly did it. One thing for sure, both Gasou and Yoshino’s lies affect the lives of Aki and Masamune.
How This Affects The Characters
It goes without saying that lies that were told years ago will have a much bigger impact than a recent deception. So assuming Yoshino actually pretended to be Aki and hurt Masamune’s heart all those years ago, then her lies clearly had a greater impact on both Aki and Masamune’s lives.
For Masamune, because of those hateful words and rejections, he came to despise the girl that he used to love, Adagaki Aki, but even worse, he came to hate his own body. From that moment on, Masamune believes that the source of his insecurity, frustration, and depression is none other than Aki and his own chubby body. As for Gasou’s lies, it doesn’t really affect Masamune too much other than the fact that he now has an annoying competition in his race to steal Aki’s heart.
For Aki, Yoshino’s lies are quite possibly the reason why Aki develops a cold and untrusting heart towards others, especially when it comes to men. She liked and trusted the cute and chubby little Masamune, but then out of nowhere, he suddenly vanished and left her behind without a word. Interestingly enough, losing Masamune is also one of the reasons why she developed a random craving for foods, especially sweets. As for Gasou’s lies, he unknowingly gives hope to Aki because she thought that her first love finally comes back to her now. Not only that, she also put a great deal of trust in Gasou, which will be that much hurtful when she inevitably finds out about his lies.
Building The Story Through Lies and Deceptions
As mentioned in the review for episode 2, the story of Masamune-kun’s Revenge is built on top of a misunderstanding. As time goes by, misunderstanding breeds contempt, and it inevitably leads to a desire for revenge, at least that is the case for Masamune. That being said, such a premise can only take the story so far, so in order to advance the story and keep the plot together, another building block is needed. That is pretty much the role of the lies and deceptions that are revealed in episode 3. After all, the one thing that causes the misunderstanding and keeps it alive for so long is none other than the lies and deceptions, particularly Yoshino’s.
The thing about lies, however, is it will be unraveled at some point. That is especially true in a work of fiction where lies are merely a device to tell a story. And more often than not, as soon as the lie is uncovered, then we can expect the story to be heading, or already in, its final lap. Sure, there are all kinds of things that can be done to prolong the story, but we can safely assume the moment Yoshino opens up about her lies to both Aki and Masamune, then the only thing left to do is a peaceful resolution, and the eventual union between the two protagonists. Considering how the story has developed so far, it’s clear that we are on a clear path to that resolution.