REVIEW: ‘You and I Are Polar Opposites’ Season 2 Episode 7 – “Gradation”

Something that stands out in the uniformly great You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2 Episode 7 is the similarities between couples. Yes, that goes against the series’ thesis that people are drawn together despite their differences. But it’s also what makes their slight differences so important to the story itself. 

Each pair operates with a level of extrovert meets introvert but their are slight variations to what makes them so oppositional. Their similarities, however, are what add to the persistent charm of the series, because so often it takes getting together to realize them. Yamada (Anji Iwata) is outgoing and playful while Nishi (Kokoro Ōmori) is quieter and studious, and yet both have a childlike wonder that comes through on their date to the aquarium. 

Nishi spends so much of the date worrying about what Yamada thinks, anxious that by choosing a date based on what she enjoys was somehow a bad thing. However, once she confides this to him her worry evaporates and the two are able to indulge in some of the more fun attractions. 

The characters similarities are just as important as their differences. 

Suzuki (Sayumi Suzushiro) is bold while Tani (Shogo Sakata) is content enough to go with the flow and keep to himself, but both are unmoored and comfortably themselves. Tani is deceptively even more confident than Suzuki’s fashionable appearance might suggest, only moved ever by what Suzuki is thinking. 

Tani’s development on the whole is a much quieter throughline than someone like Taira (Wataru Katoh) or Azuma (Miyuri Shimabukuro) who occupy the slow-burn narrative. But still You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2 Episode 7 makes sure to show signs of growth. He’s constantly trying, trying to live up to his own expectations of what it means to be a good boyfriend. And while the seasons shift and the group is divided into different classrooms for their senior year, that effort is increasingly notable. 

Because while the two spend time together for Suzuki’s birthday as Tani tries to make the day special, both are worried about what the future holds. But Tani reassures her that, even though they might spend less time together, that won’t change their feelings. 

Taira and Suzuki spend her birthday together as the new school year promises change.

But of course, it’s Taira and Azuma who share the most profound differences. And that’s clear in scenes they don’t even share together. Early in You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2 Episode 7 , we learn that, on an outing, the girls almost invited Taira out to join them since he lives near where they were hanging out. Azuma shuts the idea down, of course. This is mainly due to self-preservation as she tries to reckon with these new, burgeoning feelings. But she also thinks he might feel weird being the only boy. 

This is an idea the rest of the group doesn’t agree with but goes along with. Even Tani later mentions that Taira likely would’ve griped but come along regardless. More than anything it shows that, despite her aloof demeanor, Azuma is just as caught up in her head as Taira is, she’s just better and shutting it all off when it’s causing too much excess of stress. 

It also shows the difference in how they view friendships. Because later, Yamada invites Azuma to join him and Taira while they’re out at dinner. She’s not bothered at being the only girl, and the boys aren’t bothered either. They’re all simply friends and it’s another one of those subtle, but wonderful dynamics of the series where platonic friendships are just as much a highlight between genders as romance. 

You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2 Episode 7 brings Azuma’s conflicting emotions to light.

These scenes allow us to gain access into Azuma’s greater insecurities. It’s not that she doesn’t believe her and Taira are friends. It’s just that she believes she comes second to most people who already have people they’re closest to. That, plus how she’s always gone along with men who express vague interest in her for the sake of avoiding awkwardness, and it builds into a character trying to deal with what it means to be liked simply for herself, and not for expectations of who she is or could be. 

It’s what makes her genuine connection and friendship with Taira so perplexing to her. Are they just friends? Does she have romantic feelings for him? Or is she just happy to be around him as a friend who understands the nuances of what makes her tick, even if he can’t comprehend the whys. Regardless, these questions are what drives her in You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2 Episode 7 as she internalizes her worries until, finally, confronting him about no longer being in the same class. 

And sweet, anxious Taira rids herself of her concerns that she doesn’t matter to him as much as he to her in a simple, frank statement. He figured that it didn’t matter too much that they weren’t in the same class anymore because they’d still be hanging out after school on their commutes home. These conversations are important enough to him that he’ll continue to seek them out. So, yes, it makes sense that she literally skips home. 

Lapin Track delivers vibrant, colorful scenery that backdrops the springtime of their youth. 

For all that the series is a coming-of-age wonder, it’s easy to overlook the fantastic animation and production that keeps the story moving. It’s a gorgeous episode from Lapin Track that uses the series’ penchant for vibrancy to double down on settings and scenery. 

The shifts between the three pairings demonstrate as much, from the glowing lights of the aquarium, to the overwhelming pink of the cherry blossoms in bloom, and the sunny nostalgia of Taira and Azuma’s walk, these distinctions posit each stage of the characters journey. New romance, a settling relationship on the cusp of change, and the will they/won’t they shadows of doubt eclipsed by springtime of youth. Things are changing, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. 

You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2 Episode 7 is a warm exploration of the characters and their most significant relationships as their discover more about themselves in the process. It’s sweet and wholesome, with laugh-out-loud moments and super character beats. In a year that is becoming of the best in recent memory for anime – especially anime that strays from typical shonen – You and I Are Polar Opposites remains an under-the-radar bright spot. It’s hard for it not to when we care this much about the characters. 

You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2 Episode 7 is available now on Crunchyroll. 

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