REVIEW: ‘Whisper Me A Love Song’ Episode 6 — “Love At First Sight And The Big Day”

After a few episodes bolstered by troubling bouts of jealousy, Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 6 course corrects with a true declaration of love. Apart from the closing moments that promise greater drama, much of “Love At First Sight and the Big Day” feels as if it could be a season finale. The central storyline gets a conclusion, and even how it’s paced and shot emulates a closed chapter. But the end of the episode propels us into a new narrative sphere. One that, hopefully, allows for greater momentum in the story it’s telling.

Because while the love story between Himari (Hana Shimano) and Yori (Asami Seto) is sweet, there’s no real tension in it. Yes, we’ve needed to wait for Himari to realize what she feels for Yori goes beyond admiration. But their coupling is inevitable. The stakes must be placed internally or in storylines removed from the central romance. Until now, those side plots have been relatively light on ambition. There’s Yori’s jealousy in the previous two episodes and the realization that her closest friend, Mizuguchi, harbors secret feelings for Yori. Still, most of the episodes are on the will they/won’t they (they definitely will) dynamic between Himari and Yori.

So, by the time in Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 6, Himari confesses to Yori, it lands softly. Partially because the two have already been acting like they’re dating. This is something even Yori recognizes. But it’s also mainly because there’s no real surprise. Yori asks Himari to give her a final answer after her performance, a performance where the former sings a love song written for the latter. Himari shares that she likes Yori and asks her to be her girlfriend.

Despite the lack of surprise, it’s still a relatively sweet moment. And there doesn’t need to be big drama for the sake of it. That said, there’s a difference between a meditative slice of life and one where nothing seems to happen. Skip and Loafer is a relaxing, down-to-earth, and grounded coming-of-age story, but the stakes for the lead characters exist. It doesn’t need to be Given level extremes of music as catharsis, but some invigorating energy should aid the primary musical performance.

It seems like a lot of nitpicking, and again, for the most part, Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 6 is perfectly serviceable and cute. There are sweet moments between the two characters as they shop for one another’s outfits at the start, and the voice acting by Asami Seto is particularly dynamic. But for an episode that hones in on something that feels like a finale, we expect more through the declaration or the musical performance. And instead, we get neither.

The musical performance, in particular, is a letdown. This is partly due to fellow anime based on and/or around music. When we watch something like Given, Your Lie in April, or Liz and the Blue Bird, the animation can transport us, so we feel the passion of these characters. Either through the song or how the animation captures the performance as they lose themselves to the music. For all that Yori proclaims to love music, it’s an aspect that’s rarely captured.

Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 6 centers itself around the performance, and we only see and hear snippets of it. With the major setup in the back half, this might be designed to withhold the biggest musical moment for a big showdown. The SSGirls group remains one of the more intriguing dynamics of the series, making their upcoming plight all the more exciting.

Instead of just getting to perform at the school festival, they have to audition since there are so many acts vying for the spot. This places them in direct competition with the band’s previous singer, who Yori replaced. She torments the group, Yori in particular, by slamming her most recent performance and asking how anyone could be satisfied with it.

This is a fantastic shake-up since it allows more time with the colorful band members while touching on Yori’s significant insecurity with performing in front of a crowd. She’s grown a lot since the first episode, is able and willing to perform in front of people, and is confident due to Himari’s support. But can it withstand this level of scrutiny from a fellow musician?

As we meet the halfway point of the series, Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 6 closes one chapter while flipping to a new, more energized page. As Yori and the rest of the SSGirls ready themselves for the audition, the series must find new ways to approach her and Himari’s relationship. Hopefully, it will reach beyond simple sweetness to achieve it.

Whisper Me A Love Song Episode 6 is out now on HiDive.