Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me episode 8 beautifully illustrated the convergence of unique dynamics, emphasizing how friendships can forge strong bonds even between individuals from disparate worlds. It started at school when Runa was talking to her friends and when seats were changing, she noticed Maria by herself reading her book. After the events of the previous episode, Runa attempted to approach Maria, but the latter decided to walk out. Ryuto also witnesses this and recalls how Runa said she wanted to rekindle their relationship.
Later at lunch, Ryuto suggests it would be awesome if they were free on Saturday to try something out with friends. The next scene unfolds with them playing a survival game with Runa’s friends. All six of them engage in the game together, creating an interesting mix of Ryuto’s friends (the geeky ones) and Runa’s friends (the popular and pretty girls at school.) Despite their differences, they all have a great time.
However, before leaving, Runa suddenly realizes that one of her earrings is lost, which is apparently very important to her. She eventually finds the earrings and while Ryuto wonders about the meaning behind this, he sets his thoughts aside for the time being. Afterward, they decide to grab something to drink and engage in more conversations about each other’s interests. All in all, this part of the episode is a wholesome portrayal of the development of cliques and friendships.
After everyone else had gone, Runa and Ryuto went on a date on the Ferris wheel. While enjoying the ride, Runa looked down, prompting Ryuto to consider kissing her. Runa, caught in the act, began to share a manga-inspired moment with him. She mentioned her mom having a manga with a scene where characters shared chocolate on a Ferris wheel, and then kissed. Ryuto jokingly pointed out that they couldn’t eat chocolate on the Ferris wheel, to which she responded with, “Well, yeah, we don’t have chocolate anyways. But… can we?” They shared a kiss, and Runa discussed her lip tint being peach tea flavor, which she loved.
Runa, who was enjoying their relationship, openly expressed about how much she liked Ryuto. This is adorable. Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me episode 8 showcased Runa’s desire for a pat on the head as a reward, adding a cute dynamic to their relationship. What’s more, after the Ferris wheel, they continued talking about anniversaries, to which Runa suggested that they stop counting them — she emphasizes that she now values the moments they share more than celebrating monthly anniversaries. The fact that they have moved beyond formalities to a first-name basis and have stopped counting anniversaries emphasizes their comfort and growth together, choosing to savor each moment with one another. It’s a heartwarming portrayal of their evolving connection.
The next part of the episode unfolds with a new character introduction. When Ryuto attempts to avoid a confrontation with Maria at cram school, he meets Sekiya who intercepts him at the door, supporting and acting as though they knew each other well. This is a facade to prevent drawing attention from other students in the class. They eventually go out for a drink and Sekiya shares that he’s a ronin and it has some downsides. Meanwhile, Ryuto also proceeds to confide in Sekiya, explaining the complexities of his situation with Maria. Sekiya then offers his support to keep an eye out for Maria and notify Ryuto of her whereabouts. He assures Ryuto that he’ll send a message to keep him informed whenever he spots Maria, essentially watching his friend’s back.
Sekiya’s introduction as a new supportive friend in Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me episode 8 adds an interesting dynamic to the storyline. While I’m hopeful that Sekiya remains genuinely supportive to Ryuto, there’s always a concern in anime that new characters are potential drama for the future . However, it appears that Sekiya is genuinely looking out for Ryuto, so for now, it makes his character a welcoming addition to the story.
In the final part of the episode, the students are recruting committee members to organize their school cultural festival. However, despite all the help they needed, everyone appeared busy. So in a surpsising development, Maria volunteered and shortly after, Runa volunteered as well. The episode comes to a conclusion, marking the beginning of Runa and Maria’s plan to rekindle their relationship.
Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me episode 8 was relatively straightforward without any profound complexities. Although, there was the incident of lost earrings that left viewers with a lingering curiosity of its meaning. Storywise, objects with profound significance have the potential to provide deeper character insights, which in turn, gives the series an anticipating future development to explore.
Other than that, the episode mainly consisted of the characters creating enjoyable memories and engaging in simple bonding activities, fostering friendship among them. It’s another episode filled with peace and wholesomeness, leaving me with a joyful feeling inside. However, as much as I enjoy lovey-dovey stories, watching the show evokes a sense of envy in me and makes me feel bittersweet because it also highlights my single status. Anyway, I’m delighted that there was no added drama, and so my heart flutters with happiness. In the end, I give Our Dating Story: The Experienced You and The Inexperienced Me episode 8 a 8.5/10.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
© Makiko Nagaoka, magako / KADOKAWA / Kimizero Production Committee
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