REVIEW: ‘Whisper Me A Love Song’ Episode 3 — “Confession And Hesitation”

Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 3 grounds itself in reality. Based on the manga by Eku Takeshima, the series, directed by Akira Mano, delivers honesty to the coming-of-age blueprint. While Yori Asanagi (Asami Seto) and Himari Kino (Hana Shimano) are still in their will they/won’t they stage, the writing makes sure to highlight and honor both perspectives. Both are head-over-heels for the other. Yori knows that means she’s romantically in love with Himari; the latter is unsure of where the emotional dial is pointing her.

It’s interesting to look at Whisper Me A Love Song (Sasayaku You ni Koi o Utau) and its season companion, A Condition Called Love. Both deal in similar areas, though with much different romantic entanglements. Both have a protagonist who deals with the complications of what it means to grow into your own while grappling with what it means to fall in love.

For Himari, she’s used to expressing her love to anyone. She loves her friends, so she tells them about it. But as she’s getting older and in high school, she contends with the reality shift of what “love” means to hormonal teenagers and beyond. Because now, love implies the promise of something more beyond platonic companionship.

She’s dealing with the weight of Yori’s confession in Episode 2. With the help of her friend Miki, she deals with what her emotions are telling her and whether or not she reciprocates Yori’s feelings. On the one hand, Miki (Aoi Koga) is shocked to learn that Yori confessed and not vice versa. Himari’s affections are loud and vibrant, indicating romantic love to outsiders. Himari doesn’t want to lead Yori on, nor does she want to stamp out the potential of romance without entirely giving their relationship time.

It takes her conversation with Miki and her mom to decide and confront Yori. Both conversations assuaged some of Himari’s worries. Miki reminds Himari that dating doesn’t have to lead to love. Dating is integral to deciphering our emotions and identifying the personalities with which we align. Himari’s mom doubles down on this point, confessing that when she and Himari’s father first met, she didn’t share the same feelings she did. Our teenage years are riddled with these types of awkward growing pains and the give and take of new, first love.

Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 3 smartly spends more time with Himari. While the first two episodes gave viewers much time with Yori, “Confessions and Hesitation” allows Himari greater development. Yes, she can be a little forgetful, but she isn’t careless, especially with the emotions of others. Her consideration of Yori’s feelings is what causes her prolonged deliberation.

When she finally tells Yori that she wants to continue to spend time with her to see if emotions develop, the moment is well-earned. While it’s easy for viewers to see that Himari’s feelings run deeper than strictly platonic, the show justifies her needing more time to realize the same.

Yori, meanwhile, takes a bit of a backseat. She’s thrilled that Himari wants to give her a real chance. This leads to her approaching her friends and telling them she wants to join the band. While this is a blatant attempt to further woo Himari, who continues to be enamored with her singing, it’s a triumph for the series as a whole. The score by Hiroshi Sasaki and Wataru Maeguchi is one of the more vital elements of the series, and utilizing music more only helps bolster the story.

Yori joining the band will also help further establish her personality outside of a romance while allowing her bandmates more ample screen time. One of the more shocking highlights of Episode 1 was those members who added color to the story.

Where Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 3 falters is its animation. While there is nothing excessively egregious about it, the episode lacks any natural energy. It’s all relatively static and stagnant, relying on some panel images to move the story forward. By restricting motion it takes away from the visual appeal despite the solid colors and charming character designs.

Despite some visual hiccups, Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 3 continues to demonstrate immense care for its characters. Their burgeoning love story is impossibly sweet, no matter how long it takes for them to be on equal footing. With relatable personal dilemmas and intriguing new developments, the series surprises in the depths it reaches.

Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 3 is out now on HiDive.