Senpai is an Otokonoko

Episodes 10-11

One of the most key parts of relationships – and the easiest to forget – is that of communication. When we're caught up in our feelings, lost to the waves of human emotion, it's tempting to avoid others, turtle up, and let our worst fears metastasize. Yet as we saw with Saki's senpai dragging her out into the world, that's rarely the right answer. Humans are social beings that need a little help putting themselves out there sometimes. That's what made it so cathartic when Saki finally embraces her friends' guidance, and it is so damn sweet when Ryuji and Makoto sit down and address each other's feelings.

Granted, that doesn't mean those problems have all been resolved, but the two are finally in a place where they can encounter friction without assuming they hate each other. Instead, they can actually...be friends? Or more? It's not entirely clear, nor does it have to be right now. That's incredibly refreshing, and it leads to a pretty special episode where their relationship advances by developing with others. Makoto's able to embrace an old connection from before he was outed, rebuilding some of the social life he once had. Ryuji can witness a relationship be born that resists the typical social baggage he's always so aware of. They're small moments, but only possible because Saki forced this pair of self-sacrificing dinguses to talk, and it's a wonderful sequence.

Then there's Saki's mom. As much as I appreciate Gramma Aoi's protectiveness – even without knowing the details, Mama Aoi's departure left a lot of scars, and it's only natural to safeguard Saki from all that again – I think it's a good idea if they want to meet up again. Saki's dad isn't carrying the emotional weight as a parent, and if her mom is in a spot to start doing that, it's at least worth a try. I wish we had more context on why she left, and what the pair are working through. Still, I greatly appreciate that the story attempts gradual means of reconciliation.

Finally, we're tackling Makoto's mother, and I'm conflicted. It would seem there is a strictly personal reason for her disdain for Makoto's gender non-conformity, and there are a lot of pitfalls that come with that. Assigning a specific, personal motivation for bigotry has a nasty way of simplifying and dismissing it. People rarely logic their way into these beliefs and rarely logic their way out of them. The show has been good enough to earn my trust on this one, but I'm hesitant as we enter its finale.

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Senpai is an Otokonoko is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.