Kirio Fanclub Ep.06 - So that's who was Nozomi. They fooled me.

Episode 8 of Kirio Fanclub reveals the true identity of Nozomi, which was a well-guarded secret until now, using accurate camera cuts and misdirection to avoid revealing the surprise. Honestly? They fooled me completely because the name "Nozomi" led me to believe it was a female, and that, combined with the series' romantic undertones, led me to believe they were Kirio's girlfriend.

Turns out that no, Nozomi was Kirio's male childhood friend with whom he spent most of his life and shared a close friendship. As often happens with these drama plots, Nozomi kept the gravity of his disease hidden until it was impossible to conceal, leading to some emotional moments before the final goodbye.

Nami continue to deliver with her subtle attempts to get closer to Aimi. Well, subtle is a big word, but still...

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This doesn't change much regarding Kirio's struggle, but it opens up the "girlfriend" spot for any of the girls to take, something I thought was impossible considering Kirio's attachment to Nozomi. I don't think that's going to happen, though, because the series is likely going to end with Kirio smiling again and the "Kirio Fanclub" continuing to exist.

The thing that puzzles me, and this is speculation, is the connection between Satsuki, Hayato, and Nozomi. They clearly know what happened to Kirio and why he's in that situation, but were they friends of Nozomi, or did they simply learn about it through secondhand knowledge?

Also, three cheers for Manda Mitsuru in this episode, as he managed to plant the seed of doubt in Kirio's mind and overall acted as a really good supporting character. It didn't work fully, as Kirio ended up deleting the photo of Nami and Aimi at the end of the episode, but a seed can serve as a basis.

Speaking of Manda, that scene where he got cornered by the drunk women was downright scary, and when you thought that was enough, they circled the entire group to the point that the "ikemen" Hayato reacted with pure horror at their situation. It was hilarious to see him break character.

That shirt is quite something. She was trying to attract attention and whoa she did. Not Kirio's one, but mine at least.

Kirio delivering a scene that impressed Nami and Aimi by wearing a shirt inside out. Honestly he could do anything and it'd still impress him

We're four episodes away from the end of the series, but I can see what the endgame for Kirio will be. More uncertain is what will happen to the relationship between Nami and Aimi. Are Nami's feelings for her going to be revealed, or are they going to remain hidden, I wonder?