REVIEW: ‘Twilight Out Of Focus’ Episode 9 — “You Should Want To See Me More”

Twilight Out Of Focus continues to find some reinvigorated life in Episode 9, “You Should Want To See Me More.” Shion (Soma Saito) and Rei (Takuya Eguchi) are such unlikely protagonists and romantic partners that it makes for a vastly entertaining pairing. And while their romance is yet to really sell itself, especially with both Shion and Rei struggling to define their relationships, the characters themselves are wonderfully engaging. Shion’s exuberance with Rei’s deadpan attitude shakes up for something unexpected yet hilarious.

Soma Saito’s performance as Shion, in particular, keeps the more stagnant moments afloat. His delivery gives Shion’s energy an infectious tilt, especially when up against more subdued characters. Everything from disagreements with his roommate, Kirito, to his potential love life inspires heated reactions. Shion is dramatic by nature, as is evident from his self-narrated journal entries that launch this episode along with Episode 8. But the performance keeps the character from teetering into something obnoxious.

Twilight Out Of Focus Episode 9 sidelines the romance to emphasize Shion and his character development. The main thrust of the drama comes when Shion is told he’s been picked by the film club to help shoot their latest project, a music video, over Kirito. Shion, to help Kirito out, tries to pass the job along to him, noting his roommate’s extensive interest in music. This is especially true after hearing Kirito confess that he joined the club because of his desire to direct music videos one day.

However, even while making his point, Shion realizes he’s made a mistake. And Kirito is rightly furious, not wanting a handout. He’s especially angry as he accuses Shion of not caring about anything other than himself, even his new boyfriend. While there’s justification for Shion’s attempt, it doesn’t look good for him to talk about how little interest he has in the film while a member of the club — a member who is already being noticed. His apathy is what frustrates Kirito the most.

This argument leads to the significant scene between Shion and Rei. The latter finds him hiding and invites him to spend the night in his room rather than return when he and Kirito are still fighting. Rei might be aloof by nature, with all of his friends urging Shion to keep an eye on him when he’s lost in projects, but he’s perceptive.

It’s not just that he knows about the fight when he finds Shion. He also realizes when Shion’s thoughts pivot away from the PG, teasing him about it in the process. While they don’t do as much as a hug, Shion is still comforted by spending the night in his boyfriend’s room while listening to his work endlessly into the early hours.

It’s a sweet and playful sequence that defines what’s charming about Shion and Rei’s relationship. While the previous two relationships in Twilight Out Of Focus deal with various romantic tropes, these two seem relatively trope-free. It will be interesting to see if the writing tries to derive any unnecessary drama from them, especially as we reach the point where we need to be able to root for their actual romance.

For the most part, the storyline is focused on Shion and his commitment to the film club. The last portion of Episode 9 largely revolves around him settling into what it means to be a club member. From learning how to read storyboards to taking criticism from Ichikawa and co., when he messes up, the entire shoot awakens him to the possibilities of film and clubs. He recognizes that everyone in the film club is a little odd. However, more importantly, they’re all kind too. If anything, the episodes make us wish we’d had more time simply enjoying the antics of the film club the way we’d enjoy the team escapades of any sports anime.

Twilight Out Of Focus Episode 9 isn’t perfect and suffers from the expected and stilted animation, but the characters are fun. “You Should Want To See More” succeeds by leaning into character-driven antics rather than forcing a romance to speed ahead of itself.

Twilight Out Of Focus Episode 9 is out now on Crunchyroll.