Dear men, please do not do the things that Keiya did in A Girl & Her Guard Dog episode 12. The episode begins where the previous one left off, Isaku tells Keiya that he is free to make his own choices. In response, Keiya, being the person he is, proceeds to lay her down on his bed, kissing her neck and attempting to lift her shirt. Isaku intervenes, instructing him to stop, and Keiya complies, moving away. During this interaction, Keiya expresses his love for her, and she reciprocates. Keiya interprets “free” as an invitation to engage in more intimate activities.
She leaves the room, believing their mutual confession will lead to a heartwarming moment, but it doesn’t unfold as expected. Feeling disappointed by the lack of a wholesome reaction, she questions Keiya’s intentions. She contemplates whether he is solely interested in her physically rather than emotionally, prompting her to reflect on their relationship and consider the future, whether they should pursue a romantic connection or remain friends.
The scene where he began lifting her shirt—I felt incredibly uncomfortable, prompting me to pause and reflect on what was happening. Now he is a 26-year-old man who had restrained himself for a significant period, waiting for the right moment with her. However, this revelation was both a relief and a source of stress.
Isaku was thinking about how he should react, which personally made me think about how innocent she is. It’s important to consider that she’s only 16, still young, and trying to figure out what love is. This situation shows how people can have different perspectives on love. Some may have a wholesome relationship, while others may dive straight into the more intimate aspects.
I want to emphasize the importance of not replicating such actions in real life, especially during moments of confession. Remembering that this is an anime and not a reflection of reality is crucial. Please consider this as a reminder not to engage in such behavior in real-life situations.
Now we’re at school and Isaku feels awkward with Keiya. Her friends asked her how she was, so she told them that she confessed and loves Keiya. She also mentioned that Keiya loves her too, but it’s very awkward interacting right now. So, they decide to follow him and see where he’ll go as they also want to witness the scene of a girl confessing to him. The girl turns out to be one of the popular kids and says that even though she knows she’s likely to get rejected, he should at least kiss her. Just as Keiya is about to kiss her, Isaku intervenes, stopping the moment. They are both shocked and Isaku, who is very angry, walks away saying she hates Keiya. At that moment, Keiya is confused and doesn’t chase after Isaku. The friends look at his frozen reaction after Isaku tells him she hates him now. He never thought that she would say that to him. In the end, Isaku decides she wants to go home by herself, and she does. Later, Keiya goes to her room asking her what was wrong. Isaku tells him that their “love” is different and he should leave.
I would be mad too if the person I confessed to, and who also said they love me, is suddenly going to kiss someone because they were told to. It would make me so mad. I agree with Isaku because I would talk away too, but honestly, I would slap him first, then go. At Least her saying that she hates him can also really affect a man’s feelings, so that was somewhat good enough for me. A Girl & Her Guard Dog episode 12 helped me think men are interested in how they can interact with women.
The next day at lunchtime, Keiya got rejected after he asked Isaku if she wanted to have lunch on the rooftop. Instead, Isaku decided to eat with her friends, so they chose the courtyard for lunch. Her friends tell her they will always be with her and offer help with anything, understanding the awkward situation between Keiya and Isaku. They comforted her, which made her feel better in a way. Later, one of her friends received a text message while eating lunch.
After school had ended, Keiya said he wouldn’t go home with her because he had an errand to run. They parted ways, and Isaku’s friends approached Keiya, showing him the text message he sent to her. He mentions needing advice, and they decide to go to a burger place, and he pays for everything they eat as a thank you. They tell him that they know it’s about Isaku and try to explain what went wrong, discussing the events after she confessed. They realize he is even weirder than they initially thought and give him hints about how she feels. The next scene is a day after, and they decide to go home together. That’s how the episode ends, with an awkward car ride home.
I expected all of this to happen in A Girl & Her Guard Dog episode 12, where her friends got a text from him. Of course, he doesn’t know what’s going on, and he knows that they will help him, even if it means buying them food. He is a lost guy trying to figure out how she feels, so his only option is to contact them and ask questions, trying to get answers from her friends. It’s a typical thing that would happen in a way to figure things out with people’s feelings — not asking the person themselves but asking their friends because the situation is very awkward between them two.
Overall, I think A Girl & Her Guard Dog episode 12 falls into the type you often see in shojo anime or read in manga with these typical tropes. Other than its focus on communication skills and stressing out the main character’s feelings, I didn’t expect anything too special from this episode. Although it got me thinking about how quirky this show is, and animation-wise, it isn’t really better than before. Not because there weren’t a lot of motion changes, but there were some parts where they looked like NPCs, so I can’t say much.
Next week will mark my last review of the series, so it would be amusing if they suddenly had excellent animation, as if they saved all their budget for the last episode. I would find that funny. That aside, episode 12 was okay; it’s just a typical episode, except for the ones I enjoyed like when Keiya got rejected. I’m not the biggest fan, but it is what it is.
I give this episode of A Girl & Her Guard Dog episode 12 a 4.5/10. If you enjoyed the episode, vote for it in the weekly polls.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
© Hatsuharu, Kodansha / A Girl & Her Guard Dog Production Committee