Masamune-kun's Revenge

Episode 11

From the moment that he first appeared, Kanetsugu radiated suspicious behavior concerning Aki, and in this episode, we find out exactly what he's up to. Unfortunately for Kanetsugu, Makabe isn't the only person in the opposition scheming against him, and there's even a third party doing their own scheming for purposes that work to Kanetsugu's benefit. The result is an episode loaded with all sorts of twists and turns set against the backdrop of a school festival – because nothing screams “intrigue” in anime like a school festival.

It turns out that Kanetsugu's plan is a simple money play; his formerly-noble family has fallen on hard times, so he's been asked to find some way to restore their fortunes. Marrying Aki would certainly do that, and being mistaken for Masamune gives him the “in” that he needs to win her over. As dastardly plans go, it's not all that bad; next to what Makabe is trying to do, it's practically angelic. If he wasn't relying on a big load of subterfuge to win her over, I'd probably be rooting for Kanetsugu instead. Somewhat surprisingly, he apparently doesn't know that he's already contending with the real Masamune for her, but Makabe also remains ignorant about Aki actually liking him back in the day. (You'd think he'd pick up on the oddity of Aki acting agreeably toward someone who looks a lot like he used to, but no, he's a typically dense romcom lead.)

The full exposure of this dynamic is just one of the things that makes this episode more interesting than usual. Both sides resorting to sequestering the prince of the other side out of pure coincidence is actually pretty amusing, especially considering that the person who should be the main villain doesn't know anything about what his side is doing. Poor Aki is unknowingly caught in the middle of all of these shenanigans, but given her disposition throughout the series, she hasn't really earned much sympathy. Then again, neither has anyone else. The only character who actually seems to earn the audience's compassion is Kojuro for putting up with all the crap about him being effeminate, which is why his surfacing crush on Neko is one of the episode's neatest moments. Seeing that crush actually develop into something between the two would be a refreshing twist, but given that this episode is setting up next episode to be the finale, there just isn't time or room for it. On the less agreeable side, Makabe is still making “fatty” references, and the series is still poking fun at Aki's small chest. It's like the show really is trying to send the message that physical perfection is paramount.

So how much will be spilled next episode, where Aki is going to try and perform Snow White without her prince? (And isn't that a nicely symbolic statement?) I've heard that there's still a big unrevealed secret about Kanetsugu too, but will the next episode get to it? Regardless, the series is currently on an upswing even with its less pleasant elements still present.

Rating: B

Masamune-kun's Revenge is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.