Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable Episode 8 continued Rena and Tsubasa’s promised date. The last episode ended with Minami receiving a text message from her mother about Rena and Tsubasa on this date, sending the blonde gyaru on a mission to eavesdrop on their romantic venture. I was happy to see the girls in this episode getting along with each other despite all having some kind of feelings for Tsubasa. There were also more great references to Hokkaido in this episode about Genghis Khan, yakiniku, and Kitami City character mascots.
Yakiniku With Friends Is Super Delish
Tsubasa and Rena are sporting traditional Japanese clothing while on their date– a date that Tsubasa isn’t too sure about but must fulfill anyway because of his promise to Rena who helped him study for exams. Minami also brings Sayuri along to spy on the date, which brings us to the arcade scene where Tsubasa tries to win a stuffed animal from a crane game machine full of mascots from all over Japan.
He ends up winning Kitami City’s own “Mint-kun,” an actual mascot from the area to represent the famous Kitami mint. Rena joyfully accepts the stuffed animal as Tsubasa offers it to her. Meanwhile, Minami, who is spying nearby, doesn’t seem to have any jealous emotions despite witnessing the interactions between Rena and Tsubasa.
Rena and Tsubasa also go to the movies where it is revealed that Rena often feels that she cannot succeed without thinking about other’s perceptions of her. Tsubasa listens as Rena explains that she rarely finds a point in accomplishments if others cannot appreciate her, somehow humbly saying that she desires praise.
Tsubasa, despite his clumsy nature, seems to always know what kind of advice to give to his Hokkaido Gals, and this leads Rena to ask if he has a girlfriend. After a long and awkward pause, Tsubasa admits to having no current girlfriend. Meanwhile, Minami blows her cover and confidently walks up to the two to greet them, much to Sayuri’s confusion. Minami’s mother also surprisingly shows up and the five of them go out for some Hokkaido-style yakiniku (grilled meat). This is my favorite scene of Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable episode 8, with its tiny lesson about Hokkaido meat, including the famous Genghis Khan lamb meat.
The gals explain to Tsubasa that Genghis Khan (Jingisukan) is commonly eaten at home in Hokkaido in contrast to other areas of Japan where you normally go to a specialty restaurant for the dish. In fact, the first time I had Genghis Khan was in Hokkaido, using the same type of grill as mentioned in the scene.
Minami praises Rena for her good looks and grades, while also recognizing the hard work that she puts into her daily life. This pleases Rena, and the three gals all seem to get along well with each other. It’s obvious that each girl has a thing for Tsubasa, but none of them are letting that get in the way of their relationship with each other, which to me, is refreshing. It’s nice to see a group of girls not letting a guy ruin their friendship. However, with romantic feelings for Tsubasa bubbling up in all of them, only time will tell if drama will break their bonds. Now that all of the girls have interacted directly with each other, I’m excited to see how their relationships will blossom in the next episode.
Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable Episode 8 images via Crunchyroll
© Kai Ikada, Shueisha / Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable Production Committee
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