This volume sadly for me, could not carry the momentum of the 3rd volume and instead, felt like a waste of time except the fact that Izumi and Nakamura are now going out.
Woohoo.
It is dope seeing Tomozaki have to now accomplish a task on his own almost after getting through the tutorial phase, having to rely on what he learned to communicate with others and try to in this volume, convince Erika Konno to be excited for the Sports Festival after Erika was displaying some bitchy attitude in class when deciding on captains (she really was an ass this entire volume for me at least).
Overall, this volume was boring. It felt like an Oregairu knock off volume this time, except way worse since at least with the Service Club there, there's tons of subtext to go through when deciphering thoughts and approaches, but here its just direct, serious-ish and overall, tedious to get through when its just about helping others like a Service Club approach.
Plus, the addition of the Izumi-Nakamura romance subplot felt really messy with the story here, and didn't connect well. This volume really just had a goal that I couldn't care for whatsoever, had a narrative that felt all over the place thematically and just didn't pay itself off strongly at all. Reading this genuinely felt like a waste of time and effort. Hinami and Misuzawa were again, just boring characters straight up like in the first 2 volumes.
Tomozaki was not bad, and I liked him trying to figure it out himself and show a level of confidence with his interactions to try and decipher the situation but man, he also bored me this time in parts since the overall narrative was dull this time around.
Just when the series started to show me its good side, this volume struck it down a notch or two. Not impressed with this volume at all, hope it gets better next time.
Compared with the previous 3 volumes, this one is the least enjoyable. It's true it was kinda boring at some points but that's not the reason I disliked it for.
I really enjoyed reading the first 3 chapters because I felt I'm the one who's gathering info for the mission, it really was funny in its own way. But the moment I read he was intending to make Mizusawa take part in it I thought: "Wait bro, it's your assignment right?". I understand he needs Izumi for info and maybe she'd be involved somehow but why you also let Mizusawa in?
After completing to read the rest I was really disappointed, It felt like all what he's done is useless. What the hell is going on here, Why's he counting on others to clear his assignment? What's the fking point out of this, I mean what's the EXP or growth in life he gained?
All Hinami's assignments should get him earn some EXP in this life, especially this one, right? I just quote this from the LN:
If you want to gain the right to manipulate the group—if you want to approach boss level—it’s important to develop those abilities. Just like she told me before.
“That’s why, starting today, your training will focus on developing the ability to manipulate the mood.”
So he should develop his ability to manipulate the mood? Ok no problem but how to do that? Aside from Izumi who barely can be counted on, By making 2 of the best Normies (Hinami & Mizusawa) who know very well how to manipulate the mood do his job for his sake? Really? WTF was that!!
I thought he will suggest something in the class and Mizusawa will intervene to help him sometimes when he needs, I mean this is the best way to increase his courage in situations like this and gain more EXP. Also, what is Izumi's reaction when he told her about his plan to make use of Konno's stuck feelings for Nakamura, was she ok with that? was she ok for that not affecting her relationship with Nakamura and Konno might steal him from her?
Say that's not important and she can manage it somehow, then what about Hinami's involving only when she said she won't say anything even if it caused for the assignment to fail:
“Yeah. Just know I’m not going to say anything, even if I think your plan will fail. I’ll do what you ask me to, and no more.”
I nodded.
“Yes, that’s all I want.”
“Otherwise—”
I interrupted, pointing at her. “The assignment is meaningless?”
So what's point of all of this? WTF he gained in return out of this assignment? had he gained the fkin EXP by putting strategies and moving everything behind the scene? absolutely not because this is not the point here, he was meant to do it by himself to grow up more AND not putting plans to make everyone happy in the tournament while that won't achieve any improvement for him. Or, Hinami forced him to clear this assignment for her sake because she's very obsessed in 1st place at everything?
Tbh, I was expecting her to be saying "you failed in this assignment because you hadn't cleared the mission yourself" but that wasn't the case, sadly.
Did the author create this plot hole intentionally? Because no matter how I look at it, it doesn't make sense for me.
To summarize all the thing, Tomozaki should clear an assignment that will make him grow up somewhat and gain some EXP to help him deal with these situations in the future, now after clearing that assignment we have these results:
- 0% increasing in courage to present his opinions
- 0% EXP and growth
- 0% position improvement
- 100% good at strategies whereas he's already good at them.
How in the hell he did a great job in manipulating the mood? by putting strategies and let others implement them instead? How's that will be beneficial for him? In which way and in what situations? I really don't get the whole thing here and it's very annoying to let it end like this.
Anyway, this volume was boring after that and as he said "The assignment is meaningless" practically. I really hate how Tomozaki is very weak at proving his logic against Hinami's or how he fails every time to face her, at least till this point.