Netsuzou TRap Episode 5 Review – “I’m So Fed Up with Myself…”

(Spoilers in this review)

Takeda and Yuma set up a date after eating lunch together like lovers. Yuma is relieved and convinced that everything she did with Hotaru doesn’t count because they’re girls, but Takeda later confides in Fujiwara and admits that he can’t act normally around Yuma and that he feels like a terrible person. Fujiwara, who knows that Yuma and Hotaru fool around on the side, cryptically remarks that “most women have a dark side.” You’re gonna throw some shade on most women like that, Fujiwara?

Yuma and Hotaru are out shopping together, but Hotaru’s mood sours when Yuma mentions her upcoming date with Takeda. She then leaves after picking up her phone, claiming that Fujiwara called her. All alone, Yuma wonders why she feels frustrated over Hotaru’s behavior just then.

Unable to decide on what to wear for her date, Yuma decides to visit Hotaru. However, she runs into a Hotaru who’s nearly naked and with an exposed black eye. After Fujiwara appears (turns out he’s been at her place since last night), Hotaru decides she has to interrogate him. Meanwhile, Takeda is stood up.

Fujiwara denies Yuma’s accusations. Yuma then asks if the rumors about him cheating on Hotaru are true. Avoiding the question, Fujiwara returns fire and says she has no room to act self-righteous since she’s cheating on Takeda with Hotaru. Hotaru then butts in and reminds Yuma that she has a date.

Arriving an hour late, Yuma receives a phone call from Takeda. She tries to apologize for her tardiness, but Takeda tells her that he would like some space since he can’t help but think she’s hiding something from him. The news leaves Yuma in shock because she knows she hurt Takeda with her behavior.

Yuma returns home after despairing in the rain and Hotaru drags her to her house since Yuma’s mother will probably freak upon seeing Yuma in such a sorry state. After some stiff, forced lines from Yuma (about love and stuff), Hotaru chimes in with her own twisted views on love. In Hotaru’s opinion, love divides the world into two: the person you love and everyone else. And if you can’t be with the person you love, then you want to make your beloved miserable instead. Hotaru then offers to comfort Yuma, who accepts. All the while, Yuma can’t help but think that Hotaru really loves Fujiwara.

Some time later (probably the following day), Yuma and Hotaru see Fujiwara chatting with Takeda. Upon seeing Takeda, Yuma runs away and is followed by Hotaru. Fujiwara in turn follows them. Takeda had just told Fujiwara that he had broken up with Yuma (which isn’t exactly what happened but Fujiwara is Fujiwara). Fujiwara expresses pity for Takeda since he’s the only one who doesn’t know about the secret activities between Hotaru and Yuma. He then offers to keep their relationship quiet if he’s allowed to join them during their next intimate session.

WELL there’s a lot of ground to cover here. Let’s start from the top.

Yuma is again dismissing her activities with Hotaru as not really cheating. It’s probably indicative of how she doesn’t quite understand the concept of lesbians. Not a good look for her. Fujiwara’s comment on most girls having a dark side is ironically humorous considering his own behavior.

I’ll spell it out for you – Yuma is in denial over her own feelings for Hotaru. It’s been clear as day since episode one, after all. That’s why she’s upset over Hotaru’s behavior at the store. She had wanted to hoard Hotaru for herself, but she’s still answering to Fujiwara’s “summons.”

If Fujiwara is telling the truth, then perhaps Hotaru gave herself a black eye. However, that seems very unlikely and I can’t think of any logical reason why she would do that. Probably Fujiwara is telling a lie, then.

Takeda’s senses are sharp – Yuma was late because she prioritized Hotaru over Takeda again. Yuma did so in the previous episode, opting to check in on Hotaru instead of trying to have a long talk with Takeda. As a result, Yuma was in Hotaru’s room when Takeda called her and her reactions to Hotaru’s conduct led him to think she was not alone (which was true) despite her protests. This in turn led him to not trust her words. Coupled with the fact that Yuma was over an hour late and didn’t explain why, Takeda made the decision to break things off.

Hotaru’s opinion on love is quite twisted and she seems to be putting it into practice on…Fujiwara?! No, Yuma, Hotaru loves you, not Fujiwara. Yuma’s obliviousness is mind-boggling.

The end of the episode cemented Fujiwara as a terrible boyfriend and person in general. Stooping to blackmail in order to get a threesome with Hotaru and Yuma? Not a good look, pal.

While this episode gave viewers a sneak peek into Hotaru’s mindset through her speech on love, the characters as a whole remain atrocious. Hotaru is manipulative, Fujiwara is a potential practitioner of domestic abuse as well as thirsty blackmail issuer, and Yuma is entirely too oblivious. Like what Hotaru said of Yuma, Yuma misses the important stuff. I guess seeing the rotten characters act the way they do is what fans of the show enjoy seeing, but it’s not doing much for me. As a result, I’m not the biggest fan of the series, which I feel is just forced drama involving a sadistic and twisted girl and her in-the-closet-and-naive childhood friend.

More of the same this week, in other words, but things are certainly getting more shaky considering people are breaking up and stuff!