My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex episode 1 finally aired, and we were able to witness a strong start to the series. The anime was one of the most-anticipated series in the Summer anime season, ranking 6th in our most-anticipated anime poll.
Based on the title itself, we can already discern that My Stepsister’s Daughter Is My Ex can be chaotic, as the premise is quite messy. Especially if the two characters still have feelings for each other and are sucking it up just to appease their parents.
Mizuto and Yume handled their unique situation very well, as they discussed it to avoid potential problems. The reason for their break-up was not revealed in the first episode, but we kind of know that their relationship had an impact on both, Yume especially. As the premise of the story is unique and a little baity, many, including my editor called it “trash” in the past. However, the first episode actually proved them otherwise – the story is really wholesome.
The premiere didn’t focus on fan services at all. The most notable event was when Yume called Mizuto “big brother” because even though she is sensitive and always picking on Mizuto, she still tried her best to act as a proper sibling. In school, the boys are also using Mizuto so that they could try and get close to Yume. Fortunately, Yume told them that she has a brother complex so that people would stop disturbing them. Though normally, you won’t say this kind of thing, especially when you have a reputation to protect, so maybe Yume is still in love with Mizuto, but she just doesn’t realize it.
Important Things to Note in My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex Episode 1
According to Yume, the reason she said those things is that she just can’t stand the people who look down on a member of her own family and Mizuto is now a part of it. Although, I really think that the reason for this is that she still has feelings for Mizuto. What I’m going to narrate is very important:
When Yume told the people that she has a brother complex, she squeezed her chest against him, and she couldn’t stop thinking about it. However, Mizuto didn’t care at all, and Yume got really annoyed since he was acting indifferent after what she has done, but I think it’s because Mizuto is really treating her like a sister. Maybe that’s the reason for his indifference. Because of this, Yume tried to talk to Mizuto while only wearing a towel so that she would catch Mizuto off-guard, and break through his indifference, and she was right. Mizuto blushed, and couldn’t maintain his cool. Unfortunately, Yume tripped and she fell down with Mizuto on top. There, Mizuto called her “Ayai”. I’m not sure what it is, but maybe it is what he called her when they were dating. Yume couldn’t resist and closed her eyes, waiting for a kiss. Although Mizuto was really serious about kissing her, their parents suddenly appeared, and fortunately, they were able to hide.
I’ve mentioned above that the series didn’t focus on fan service at all, and the bits that could be seen as such were necessary for character development. Not to mention, they need to get used to potentially awkward situations since they are now living together and this won’t be the last time. Nevertheless, we can clearly see that they still have feelings for each other. For me, they just proved that they can’t remain indifferent to each other, and that’s what episode 1 of My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex is all about. The big question is how are they going to deal with their feelings, knowing that they are now stepsiblings, and how it might affect their parents’ relationship.
Clearly, the anime is not like the other rom-com out there wherein the story revolves around couples simping for each other while not confessing their feelings. I’m expecting that the anime will focus on how are they going to deal with each other as a family, and surely, they’re going to have character developments that will be crucial to their feelings in the long run, and that’s something to look forward to. Now, we can just wait for what is going to happen in episode 2, which will be released on July 13, 2022, on Crunchyroll. If you also think that episode 1 of My Stepmom’s Daughter Is My Ex made a strong start, you can vote for the anime on our weekly poll.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
© Kyosuke Kamishiro, KADOKAWA / “TsureKano” Production Committee
