TL;DR Version:
After the failure of his recent publication, Nekoyashiki wants to abandon it and start something new. At the same time, Issay and his idol group deal with an inflammatory article and his angry group mate who keeps getting angry with him. Nekoyashiki reaches out with emotional support and his advice inspires Issay to try something new.
Recap:
Nekoyashiki is still recovering from the exciting climax of the last episode, where he learned Issay’s backstory and received his heartfelt declaration. It feels like it was a dream.
Finally out of bed, he finds that Issay left him an invite to a performance. Nekoyashiki then has to fight off his mother and sister who desperately want it for themselves. The fact that Nekoyashiki wants to keep it though, seems to say something about his new attitude.
The idol’s manager reveals that the article seen at the end of last episode is the reason everyone had to come in. It shows what seems to be Tsubasa about to punch someone. Tsubasa acts casual, the other two idols panic, and Issay is the one calmly confronting the situation. He wants the full story from Tsubasa. But Tsubasa is only willing to say that it is him in the photo.
Nekoyashiki and his assistant/friend are getting comically full over dinner again. Nekoyashiki is still depressed about his last book sales and states that he is no longer drawing “suck my manly tits”. His assistant/friend thinks it’s the best thing he’s done and feels this should count. She calls him 傲 & 慢慢 (gou and man man), which is some variation of the word for arrogant.
Nekoyashiki is too afraid of not being on the wall. But when he’s alone, he hugs his second book and admits he loved it too.
Shiny Smile’s next performance is canceled and the idols are fighting because of the article. Tsubasa won’t be shamed and fights back. Issay steps in to give hugs and acknowledge that Tsubasa’s talent is what got them so far. He just wants to know the story behind the picture. But still, Tsubasa is a jerk, and Issay keeps smiling.
Nekoyashiki sees the article and gets the courage to reach out to Issay. Issay is dealing with one of the news guys and threatens to not forgive him if he writes lies about the group. The newsman seems taken aback.
Issay texts so rapidly Nekoyashiki can’t reply and then Issay is calling him. Before he answers, Nekoyashiki comments that this is why he doesn’t communicate with people. Which I totally get. He’s awkward and stiff on the phone, but his concern for Issay’s feelings comes through. He wants to know what’s really going on and if Issay is forcing a smile.
Issay says it isn’t that bad, but that he likes Tsubasa and doesn’t know how to help him. Drawing on their mutual past, Nekoyashiki advises Issay that trying to help without knowing the person he’s trying to help won’t work. It’s 傲＆慢慢.
Issay tells Nekoyashiki that just hearing his voice is magic. An emotional-looking Nekoyashiki hangs up and tells the empty room that it’s Issay’s voice that is magic.
The next day the idols, sans Issay, are dealing with a new set of rules as fallout from this scandal. Issay comes in late, and he’s brought a mysterious woman. Somehow she’s connected to the advice Nekoyashiki gave over the phone, and Issay declares himself to be 傲＆慢慢.
Thoughts:
This show is so interesting. It’s not full of a lot of warm fuzzies and giddy BL moments. Instead of contriving reasons to keep them together all the time the way some shows do (and I do enjoy those shows), this focuses more on their lives and their dreams and how they support each other in them. In this episode Nekoyashiki and Issay weren’t together again, like in episode two, but their relationship still advanced. The phone call between the two of them was really sweet because of how hard Nekoyashiki was trying after he’d put Issay off so much.
I still love the assistant/friend. The way she enthusiastically and unashamedly loves this manga called “Please Suck My Manly Tits” is adorable. But I also appreciated her point, that her love of it should count too, even if the crowds didn’t show up for it. It echoes how Issay’s goal as an idol is about Nekoyashiki’s admiration, not getting the love of the world. Nekoyashiki is the only one fixated on getting the love of strangers.
I also appreciated that Nekoyashiki clearly listens to his assistant/friend enough to use some of her advice in his advice to Tsubasa.
There really is a juxtaposition in how Nekoyashiki has so much support and Issay so little. In real life, different people need different things, so while seeing that makes me sad I’m not as concerned for Issay as I might be for Nekoyashiki in the same situation. But it also made the support Nekoyashiki gave him that much more special and important.