Highlights
- The lies and deceptions of characters like Gasou Kanetsugu and Yoshino Koiwai are integral to the plot of Masamune-kun's Revenge, motivating the main characters' actions.
- Episode 4 reveals the importance of managing expectations in relationships, as unmet expectations lead to disappointment and misunderstanding.
- The series is moving towards its resolution sooner than expected, with important revelations happening early on, potentially indicating that the story will surpass its expected ending point.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Masamune-kun’s Revenge R Episode 4, “I’m Not Going to Fall In Love With You, Pig’s Foot”, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The analysis of episode 3 mentioned how the lies and deceptions of some of the characters, particularly Gasou Kanetsugu and Yoshino Koiwai, are the things that help build the story thus far. After all, it is their lies that motivate the two main characters to do what they do, which is especially true for the main character, Makabe Masamune.
And then episode 4 comes along, and we get a deeper and clearer perspective into the core of the issues. In other words, we find another piece of the puzzle that will better explain the story of Masamune-kun’s Revenge as a whole. Another building block for the plot of this Rom-Com series. And it has to do with managing expectations.
Expectation Is The Mother Of All Disappointment
Episode 4 reveals the secret that Yoshino has been keeping to herself for years. As it turns out, she was the one who rejected and mocked Masamune on that fateful night. As somebody who has devoted all his life to Adagaki Aki, Yoshino was shocked beyond belief when Aki mentioned how much she enjoyed spending her time with little Masamune. She never mentioned Yoshino’s name even though she had been working hard to follow Aki’s whims.
Yoshino expected Aki to acknowledge her hard work, and when Aki failed to do so, Yoshino was overcome with anger and disappointment. So when she heard Masamune calling out Aki’s name that night, Yoshino decided to pretend to be Aki and blasted the clueless Masamune.
As for Masamune, he came to meet Aki in the middle of the night hoping she would reciprocate his feelings. What he got instead was insults and mockery. His expectations turned into disappointment, and later on evolved into a deep hatred.
On the other hand, Aki expected Masamune to be there with her during her most difficult time. But then he suddenly left her without a word. She kept waiting every day, but he never came back. Her expectation slowly turned into a terrible disappointment. Furthermore, because of that painful experience, Aki ended up with a cold heart that disregards any men who dare to approach her. All of them have a certain expectation, and all of them are disappointed.
Expectation, Lies, Misunderstanding
Thanks to this episode, we finally have the main building blocks of Masamune-kun's Revenge. Expectation, lies, and misunderstanding. Everything began with an unmet expectation that turned into lies and deceptions, which developed into a misunderstanding. As time goes by, the misunderstanding evolves into a traumatic experience that affects the characters’ perspective in life, which makes it harder for those who lied to admit their sins to the victim.
Masamune-kun’s Revenge threw in lots of other details and ornaments in the form of comedies, lots of supporting characters, other love interests, and even fan services to make the series feel and look more vibrant. But at its core, it is a story about expectations, lies, and misunderstanding. Everything else comes second and merely acts as a way to support the main storyline. It is a rather simple yet effective way to tell a rom-com story, and when done right, the viewers will easily be drawn into the story and enjoy the roller coaster ride.
That being said, its simplicity is also its main drawback. After all, there’s a limit to how long you can tell a story that is based on lies and misunderstanding. Sooner or later, you will have to unravel the lies and deceptions in order to move the story forward. Otherwise, the audiences will get bored and begin to lose interest in the characters who are seemingly unable to see the lies that have been staring them right in the eyes all this time. So according to what we’ve seen in episode 4, it seems that the end is quite near.
End So Soon?
Back in the first episode of Masamune-kun’s Revenge R, Masamune talked about how a romantic comedy needs to tease its audiences for as long as possible. The moment the main characters finally get together means about 80% of the story is done. Interestingly enough, the end of episode 4 implies that the time to unravel the lies has finally come.
Masamune finally hears the truth from Yoshino and realizes that the source of his pain and hatred is nothing but a misunderstanding. So he decided to confront Aki about it, and he is ready to reveal everything. That means the resolution is already on the horizon. It might take some time for the characters to settle everything down, and we might get a filler episode or two, but the series seems to be heading to the finish line sooner rather than later.
At least that’s how it is supposed to be. The first season of Masamune-kun’s Revenge consists of 12 episodes, so we can expect this one to have a similar number of episodes. So the fact that this revelation comes in episode 4 is actually quite surprising. After all, if the series has about 8 more episodes to go, why reveal such important information now? Does it mean the story will be dragged beyond its finishing point? Are there more secrets that haven’t been revealed yet? Well, the only way to know is to keep watching new episodes every week.