Second Prettiest Girl Episode 5 Was a BANGER

Article at a glance:

• We’re breaking down why Episode 5 was a masterclass in character writing, exploring Umi’s relatable struggle with “friendship shadows” and her complex feelings toward Yuu.
• A look at Maehara’s subtle but massive growth, from his maturing assertiveness to the selfless call to prioritize Umi’s peace of mind over their hangout time.
• Discussing that ending, the confession and cheek kiss that no one saw coming this early, and what it means for the remaining 7 episodes of the season.

Yeah, bro, what is up with these rom-com shows absolutely dumping some of their best episodes back to back? Angel Next Door Season 2 has been going CRAZY as is, and now the newcomer, Second Prettiest Girl in My Class, has dropped some absolute HEAT in Episode 5. Like, yeah, putting the ending scene aside, which was very unexpected, Episode 5 was such a great character piece for Umi in general. Episode 5 also made me respect Maehara more.

So yeah, welcome back to another mid-season review, and today we are talking about Second Prettiest Girl in My Class Episode 5! And uh, spoiler warning because there is some stuff you’d better experience for yourself in this episode. So let’s get right into it

What did I think of Second Prettiest Girl in My Class Episode 5?

First and foremost, I LOVE how nice a character piece this was for Umi, in general. I can understand the pain of people wanting to hang out with your friend but not you. Despite YOU being the person who introduced them all. It is something I’ve experienced myself, unfortunately, and it sucks. I really like how Umi handles it. She does not resent Yuu for it. She still loved Yuu, but there’s just a part of her that dislikes Yuu because of these experiences, too. So what did she do? She kept her friendship with Maehara a secret from Yuu out of the same fear.

And then I really like how Maehara stepped up to help tone down the drama as well. He was the one who suggested that he and Umi should stop hanging out for a while till she talked things out with Yuu for good. Sure, it would be hard on him as well, but since it was the best thing to do for Umi, he accepted that compromise. I also like how Maehara has slowly but surely been learning to get more assertive over the past few episodes. It is subtle, but he has grown a bit since Episode 1, which is always good to see.

Also, Yuu is just so sweet. She’s so innocent, she had no idea any of this was going on behind her back. But it obviously did hurt her to realize that she had indirectly been hurting her best friend. And of course, she’s the perfect wingwoman for Maehara and Umi LMAO. Absolutely based.

And then of course, the episode ends with Umi confessing to Maehara and literally kissing him on the cheek! In Episode 5, bro! We still have 7 more episodes to go! Hopefully, they won’t delay Maehara’s response because Umi was VERY clear about her feelings. I did not see this coming, and well, I am even more interested now.

That is all for now

So yeah, absolute peak cinema of an episode. I cannot wait to see more of this anime. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. I will take my leave here. I have some work to attend to. See ya!

Also, check out my thoughts on Angel Next Door Season 2 Episode 5 here!