Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable Episode 10 – Sayuri's Feelings

The fan-favorite, Sayuri Akino, finally gets more spotlight in Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable episode 10. As a new school year starts and Hokkaido welcomes spring with melting snow, Tsubasa and Minami get chosen as their classes’ president and vice president, sending Sayuri into feelings of jealousy.

Sayuri’s envy doesn’t lead her to lash out and make a scene, but instead hold the feelings inside until she gets the chance to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Tsubasa.

Time Flies Super Fast

The episode starts with a slow-paced yet compelling scene of Tsubasa and Minami walking to school together, having a conversation about the start of spring in Hokkaido and how it differs from Tokyo. In most anime during the beginning of the school year, you’ll find characters walking along a backdrop of cherry blossoms in full bloom, but in Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable, there’s still snow and barren trees along the walk to school in April. The scenery in the episode perfectly matches what students in Kitami City actually experience on the first day of a new school year.

Continuing on their way to school, the conversation shifts to classroom assignments, as the duo hopes to once again be in the same classroom together. Not only do Tsubasa and Minami find out that they’ll be in the same class, but so will Sayuri and Matsuo. With everyone in the same class, we’ll see our characters interact as much as possible. Half of the episode is very slow, but I’m a fan of that pacing rather than rushing conversations and interactions between characters.

The second half of Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable episode 10 explores Sayuri’s feelings after Tsubasa and Minami get chosen to be president and vice president of their class. Sayuri’s discreetly lowers her hand after starting to raise it to volunteer to work as Tsubasa’s nice president, but Minami gets the edge on her first. Sayuri and Minami have a good relationship – one that Sayuri treasures enough to not tarnish over a boy.

Later that night, Sayuri and Tsubasa are on a phone call while they play a video game together. The video game portion of the episode is extremely fun due to a parody of Animal Crossing New Horizons – just replacing islands with mountains. A reference to Hokkaido is made here when it is revealed that Sayuri names her mountain “Taisetsu” after the actual famous Daisetsu mountain rage that runs through the center of the prefecture.

The two chop trees, furnish houses, and chat the night away. During this, Sayuri becomes vulnerable with Tsubasa and admits that she feels like she hasn’t grown or changed like her peers at school. Tsubasa denies this, encouraging Sayuri to remember how closed off she used to be during the ski trip. It’s obvious to me that Sayuri and Tsubasa do have a special relationship and could be a cute couple, despite me being team Minami (for now).

Only two more episodes left of Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable, and I have the feeling we may see more of Rena and possible a new character before the season is over!

Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable Episode 10 images via Crunchyroll
© Kai Ikada, Shueisha / Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable Production Committee