Kekkon suru tte, Hontou desu ka Episode 8 Discussion

WatchTillTandava said:
Since I ideally like following and maximum focus being spent on the main characters, especially when it's two or a very few main characters, especially with some sort of romantic dynamic at play, I usually detest in series like that when side characters randomly hijack an episode out of nowhere and dominate most or all of the screentime in it (regardless of it here all being connected thematically to the broader story about uncertainty of romantic endeavors and trials and tribulations of modern romance and all that). But here, I honestly cannot say that I hate it. Admittedly was a little disappointed and turned off at first when it became apparent very quickly after the first few minutes of the episode that they weren't going to move into really right away continuing and building upon the storyline from last episode, especially with the the serious Honjouji scarcity.

But at the same time the main characters and main plot itself don't seem...all that important? So it comes across as less of a big deal to me when they want to spin their wheels in place for however long and take detours. Don't get me wrong - that sounds like a criticism against or some dig at the show, but it really isn't. I just mean that the main plot is in many respects so low stakes and the two leads have such a lack of any sense of urgency even to speak, having to psychologically prep and internally work themselves up to even engaging in brief civil and polite conversations of a few minutes long apiece, that it seems unimportant if we divert to hang out with the supporting characters instead as even when Honjouji and Takuya are both onscreen together, it's not uncommon for very little to no real progress to be made anyway.

I guess that the only real "stakes" (well, besides the open question of whether they'll have any form of real romance flourish which would require them both opening their minds to dispel their self-inferiority and inadequacy complexes and opening their mouths to each other more, but I'm talking a time-sensitive one) is the now-less-than-a-year countdown to the date when employees from their office are supposed to be selected to depart for Anchorage. And whether anyone in their office will still care or be talking about their "marriage" by that point, whether they couldn't keep the ruse going or whether it will cease even being a ruse and become something authentic or closer to the truth by then than it is now. But it's treated as such a distant tertiary concern at this point it's whatever.