You thank Saya for helping you study for your entrance exam by taking her to karaoke and a Ferris Wheel.
Episode 9 – “Orisaki Saya Takes a Hint”
Hmm.
The cliffhanger, if we can call it that, at the end of One Room made me realize Saya will have four episodes like Akira. I had figured that the last two girls would each have three episodes, because Yui is Best Girl of Kantoku’s One Room series and would need more than one episode for a revisit. So, Yui now gets at most two episodes. There’s not much time to introduce a big dramatic plot for her in only six minutes to work with.
Turning to the drama in Saya’s story, I thought she would be the only source of emotional turmoil. “You” have been a rock-solid friendly guy throughout all the prior stories, which let the girls carry all the cute reactions to their plot points. Saya had circumstances that could have carried through to a satisfying scene of “you” and her entering a relationship. She had work-life issues and she needed to confess she had no boyfriend so “you” could slot right in there. However, she is the more mature person in this One Room chapter and has been the comedic foil, so it’s a good idea to make “you” the source of dramatic tension.
Will “you” be a ronin for another year? Based on the tone of the whole One Room series so far, I’ll predict there’s a more than 50% chance that “you” just made a typo when trying to look up the entrance exam results. It’s too bad that in the digital age we’re not getting the traditional scene of looking for “your” registration number on a big board and Saya suddenly hugging “you” and then getting embarrassed about it. I’m hoping One Room sets up something just as satisfying.
Heh.
Congratulations! “You” successfully came back from the entrance exam. Is that really something to celebrate? Cute. Saya fidgets with her hair. Yes! Thank Saya with a date! It’s okay to call it a date, right? Yay!
Ooh. Saya in date mode! Karaoke. “You” and her in a private room getting sweaty… That’s right. “You” keep asking about Saya’s boyfriend and she keeps up that lie. “No comment,” she says. “You’re” wearing down her defenses around that subject matter. “Working adults have a lot going on, you know!” claims Saya. She’s forgotten “you” live right below her. Coming over to “your” apartment has been the most she’s had “going on” since that one drunk morning.
This is an authentic date. Saya took “you” on the Ferris Wheel. Ha. There’s the boyfriend question again. Nice knees… Finally, Saya admits there was no boyfriend. Yes, “you” knew it was an obvious lie. Working adults have a lot going on, right? Cutely oblivious Saya realized “you” found her attractive. Uh, duh. Saya tries to act mature, but we can see she’s flattered and flustered.
So, let’s see if “you” passed the entrance exam. D’oh! FAIL. How are “you” going to tell Saya?
Saya sings her heart out at karaoke in the end card.
One Room Third Season streams on Crunchyroll.
