“Girlfriend, Girlfriend” episode 12 wraps up the first season of what has been one of the funniest shows this year! Nagisa reveals to Saki how she had become so infatuated with Naoya, while the revelation of their two-timing secret reaches a spicy conclusion! Let’s look at some key talking points from Girlfriend, Girlfriend’s season finale. Spoilers ahead!
Nagisa’s rise from mediocrity
“Girlfriend, Girlfriend” episode 12 allows Nagisa to share how she developed feelings for Naoya. She shares that before encountering him, she’d led a life of mediocrity. To her, there was nothing wrong with being average. However, she then came across Naoya. At the time, he was nothing more than a boy persistently begging a girl to be with him.
But there was something about him that had captured her interest. There was an elegance to his persistence, one that tugged on Nagisa’s heartstrings. His never-give-up attitude is one that contrasted hers perfectly. It left her wondering just how and why he could maintain such persistence.
It’s this little encounter with Naoya that led Nagisa to change her life for the better. She began to exercise, learned how to cook, and even got a job at a supermarket. Nagisa reasoned that just like Naoya, she’d do everything in her power to get the person she loved to recognize her.
This is how the Nagisa of the present day came to be. It really does a great job of fleshing out Nagisa as a character. Sure, the motivations are still kinda cartoonish and whacky. However, it’s perfectly within the tone that “Girlfriend, Girlfriend” has set out to achieve. It’s this interesting bit of backstory that makes Nagisa the most interesting of the girls by the end of this season. And that’s even without mentioning what happens later on in the episode!
The secret is out?!
It turns out that Naoya heard everything Nagisa shared with Saki. Mortified, Nagisa starts running. It’s the only reasonable thing to do in that situation, right?
This starts a wild goose chase between Nagisa, Naoya, and Saki, with Mirika and Shino somehow getting involved midway through too. Ultimately, Nagisa and Naoya’s stamina are the ones that prevail in the end, with them being the remaining two in the chase. And while the chase was riddled with comedic moments, the heart of it is rather touching.
Naoya takes the time to reassure Nagisa that she is a big priority of his, and to remind her of his feelings for her. The two share a moment, being true to each other in their words. Their conversation relays the hardships they’ve had to face in such a taboo relationship. It encapsulates all the struggle and emotion Nagisa’s kept bottled up for this long, and to see them reconcile here is heartwarming and cathartic.
It makes what happens next feel all the more climactic. When confronted with the question of their relationship being a two-timing one, while Naoya and Saki are lost for words, it’s Nagisa who makes the boldest of moves. She puts her faith in Naoya, plants a kiss on his cheek, and reveals to Shino that she is his girlfriend too.
It really doesn’t get more climactic than that! What a resolution to the season. It feels like an ending that’s well earned, and though it leaves quite a few questions still, it wraps up this season’s story pretty nicely!
The aftermath
What happens after Nagisa’s bold statement serves as an epilogue to this hilariously heartwarming series. Shino sits the trio down and demands to understand the truth behind their relationship. And though the trio answers honestly to her questions, Shino gets all the more frustrated and furious. Why would Naoya do this? How could Saki be okay with this? She gets honest answers, but she doesn’t get any closer to understanding.
What’s interesting is that Naoya ends their little chat by expressing how happy he is to know that Saki has a friend like her. At that moment, as Shino looks into Naoya’s eyes, the background fades to black. Petals start to drift in the wind. Oh no. Viewers will be all too familiar with that means. To hammer it home further, she says a few words to herself afterward, saying that she won’t “give up” on Naoya, even if he’s her friend’s boyfriend. Whatever that means looks like it will have to wait for another season.
“Girlfriend, Girlfriend” episode 12 wraps up season one with the trio enjoying their meal in the warehouse. Nagisa’s as cute as ever and Saki relishes in getting to feast on her cooking. Mirika then drops in to bother them, with Shino following shortly after. It’s oddly heartwarming to see everyone together and is a reminder that though the season is over, that doesn’t mean the crazy shenanigans have to be.
That’s a wrap!
And with that, Girlfriend, Girlfriend’s first season comes to a close! This dumb and hilarious show has been quite the ride from start to finish. From the very start, it knew what kind of show it wanted to be, and was nothing but earnest and genuine with its storytelling. A boatload of laughs later, and it has wrapped up its first season in a neat little package.
Who knows if a second season will ever come? Whether or not it does, it was a blast getting to know these kooky, crazy characters. To join them on their adventures through romance and relationships has been nothing short of fun. These lovable misfits have been so entertaining to watch, and hopefully, viewers will get to see more of them sooner rather than later!
©ヒロユキ・講談社／カノジョも彼女製作委員会2021
