REVIEW: ‘Whisper Me A Love Song’ Episode 2 — “Love, A Date, And…”

Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 2 refuses to hold back as Yori Asanagi (Asami Seto) and Himari Kino (Hana Shimano) continue to dance around one another. Yori fully accepts her crush on Kino, to the point where, by episode end, she lays herself bare, telling Kino plainly that she’d like the two of them to date. Kino, meanwhile, is just completely oblivious or totally believes that her love for Yori is different — more platonic. Regardless, even if Kino denies it to herself, “Love, A Date, And…” sets the two up for greater development now that Yori is transparent with her emotions.

What leads up to this declaration of love is a sweet collection of moments between the two. Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 2 primarily develops these two as a duo rather than individuals. Moving forward, the series could afford to spend more time specifically developing the character’s personalities separate from the love story. Regardless, we learn a decent amount through their shared interactions.

One is that, even if she thinks it’s just platonic idolization of her senior, Kino is harboring a major crush on Yori. She’s utterly infatuated, spending her days looking forward to any interaction. From time spent on the rooftop listening to Yori play her guitar to seeing her at lunch and walking home with her, she’s always looking for Yori. It makes the one rainy day miserable, which the animation captures wonderfully as we watch Kino visibly deflate. But even still, they find ways to hang out, bonding in the process.

We already knew that Yori was a fan of cats, going out of her way to collect cute merch. But it turns out that Kino, too, is a fan. This prompts Kino to ask Yori for a “date” to a cat merch pop-up store. Kino is none the wiser of the turbulent emotions this sets off in Yori. Everything Kino says can be misinterpreted, resulting in Yori having to accomplish mental gymnastics to decode the actual meeting. She means to approach the date as friends but finds that, once there, it’s increasingly difficult.

Yori is the more developed of the two characters as we get more of her internal dialogue. She is constantly flustered by Kino, finding her cute and sweet. Their date makes that even more apparent as she gravitates towards levels of affection. From holding her hand so they don’t get lost in the crowd to buying her the matching phone accessories she wants, we see her actively treat the day as a romantic date. The character designs of the two continue to be highlighted, especially their contrast in looks and personalities. It even comes across in their wardrobe, highlighting Yori’s perceived mystique and maturity versus Kino’s bubbly sweetness.

The entire date is wonderfully rendered as we, too, get swept up in the moment. Everything from lunch to visiting a music store is charged with potential romantic energy. The music store stands out, as it allows Kino to be more discerning than usual. Yori mentions that, despite playing guitars, she doesn’t know much about them. Instead, she uses whichever old guitar her dad passes her. Kino shares that, despite enjoying hearing Yori play just for her, there was an electric quality to Yori playing with the band.

Yori initially has no interest in returning to the band beyond helping write them a song. But with Kino’s words of encouragement, she considers the idea. Yori’s love of music is critical to the character, and that development is just as integral as the love story, especially in how the two can intersect. How does love manifest and inspire us to be better and brighter? It leads to Yori’s confession, telling Kino that she would like the two of them to date. She doesn’t pressure her; she just asks Kino to consider it.

Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 2 is a strong follow-up to the premiere that captures the youthful curiosity and awkwardness of love and dating. With its sorbet color pallet and romantic lighting, the series seeks to sweep us off our feet in tandem with Yori and Kino. Character-driven and endearingly wholesome, the series continues to be off to a great start.

Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 2 is available now on HiDive.