It’s only the 4th episode of The Quintessential Quintuplets Season 2 but this has got to be the best episode thus far! Part 3 of the Seven Goodbyes Arc was such a feel-good episode for all the right reasons. However, there were multiple events in the manga that the anime skipped out on.
We have a lot to discuss on this one since it also covered Chapters 46-50 of the manga. Hang tight, this is gonna be a long one but the episode was just too good!
Quick Recap
Here's what you've missed on the previous episode:
Futaro had an unusually calm conversation with Nino as he narrates his encounter with Rena
Nino finally discovers that Kintaro is actually Futaro in disguise which led her to drug him and move to another hotel
Yotsuba gets caught in between helping the track team with their competition and studying with Futaro and her sisters for the final exam
Ichika and Futaro formulate a plan to help Yotsuba quit the track team
Miku finds Nino at her new hotel to have, what seemed to look like, a really serious conversation
The full review of the previous episode can be found here. For this review, read with caution as there are spoilers ahead.
Deviations From the Manga
Since this episode covered five chapters in the manga, it’s understandable that not everything will be adopted into one episode. Even the regular opening and ending themes were taken out in order to fit everything and make it feel complete despite the omissions. However, there were very important narratives that were exchanged that would’ve affected the mood of the entire episode. Here’s a list of the major omissions and why we think it would’ve made the anime better had it had been shown:
Nino and Miku’s Conversation – While the gist of the entire exchange was captured, the anime failed to show how vocal Nino was about her feelings regarding their current situation. If it had been shown, the entire scene would’ve balanced out with Miku’s great dialogue on her perspective (and we would’ve all needed tighter hugs).
Futaro’s Phone Call – We’ll skip out on the details regarding this since it might be shown in the next episode. Similar to that conversation that Rena and Futaro had which was also shown in the previous episode. But for people who are curious, you can go ahead and read it on Chapter 48 of the manga.
The Ending Scene – The ending scene in the anime was not actually the real ending in the manga chapter it covered. However, out of all the omissions, this one made sense as it would’ve changed the entire mood of the episode. It would’ve made a great cliffhanger though! But we’ll give it the benefit of the doubt as it might also be included in the next episode so watch out for this one! This can be found on Chapter 50.
There were also other stuff that were omitted but based on personal opinion, it wouldn’t make much of an impact compared to the ones stated above.
Want vs. Need
The central theme of the episode is about defining wants and needs depending on what the situation calls for. This was especially evident with Nino, Yotsuba, and Futaro, but before we dive right in, this is your chance to skip to the next part as this’ll be very in depth and will definitely contain spoilers.
After seeing Nino and Miku’s conversation unfold, it definitely makes sense to say Miku is the most perceptive out of all the quintuplets (with Ichika as a very close second). She was able to perfectly explain the situation to Nino in a way that she would understand. It was a need for the Nakano sisters to experience different things that would affect their personalities as they grow but Nino wanted for all of them to stay individually the same – as only a fifth of a whole. But thanks to Miku's words, she was able to accept that she had to forget the past and move forward and as a sign of doing so, she cuts her hair really short.
Paraphrasing Miku’s beautiful words wouldn’t do it justice so here’s what she said:
“It’s true that the five of us used to be identical, and we never got into arguments or trouble. But we would have stayed at a twenty that way. We should laugh, get angry, feel sad, each experience life differently, complementing each other where we fall short and grow into the people we’re meant to be.”
Next is Yotsuba. She was caught in the middle of helping the track team with their competition and studying for her final exams. Her main issue lies in her inability to say no and focus on her own priorities. She wants to help others with their endeavors to the best of her abilities but she also needs to focus on her own thing to be an even better version of herself. Good thing her sisters, especially Nino, stepped up to help her realize this.
And lastly, Futaro. He was given a daunting task of being a tutor of 5 academically challenged individuals. He wanted all of them to learn the proper way to study so that they can get good grades. However, as the final exam approaches and they conduct their last couple of tutoring sessions, he realizes that teaching them the right methods to study isn’t enough. The quintuplets also needed a tutor that was willing to think about and understand their feelings in order for them to, not just get good grades, but be better versions of themselves as well.
What we want is not always what we need. That’s why it's important for us to experience as much as we can in order to gain brand new perspectives that we did not have in the first place.
The beauty of anime like The Quintessential Quintuplets lies in its ability to give fresh new perspective to its audience. The setting is only a way for the viewers to be able to perceive the show as something relatable but the scenes and dialogues of each character is where the magic is at.
A special mention also goes to the musical accompaniment in this episode. Such lovely pieces that complemented the scenes very well will surely be a favorite for people who can play the instruments.
This episode deserves all the praises for all of its heart-warming exchanges that make you want to hug someone. The emotional musical score/s definitely add to the feels and the perspectives that it shared are definitely stuff everyone can all learn from.
Episode 5 entitled “Good Work Today” of the Quintessential Quintuplets Season 2 airs on February 5, 2021 at 1:28AM (JST).
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read)
There were major deviations from the manga that would’ve made the episode better but due to the number of chapters covered, it still felt complete.
Defining Wants vs. Needs was the central theme of the episode and it was clearly evident with Nino, Yotsuba and Futaro.
The beauty of The Quintessential Quintuplets lies in its ability to give fresh new perspectives through its relatable setting, creative scenes, amazing dialogues, and heartfelt musical accompaniment.
Official Anime Website: The Quintessential Quintuplets ∬
Official Twitter: @5Hanayome_anime
What's the best part for you about this episode? Let us know in the comments below!
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