In the last episode of “Skip and Loafer,” Mitsumi mustered up the courage to approach Shima-Kun after the summer break. With a heart full of anticipation, she eagerly handed him three packets of squid crackers from her hometown.
The atmosphere at school was buzzing with excitement as everyone prepared for the upcoming festival, and Mitsumi found herself eagerly counting down the days until D-Day.
Skip and Loafer Episode 10 Recap: Preparations for the Annual Festival
The excitement was evident at Tsubame West High School, as the whole student body was absorbed in the preparations for the highly anticipated Annual Festival. This magnificent event was very important to the school and it was planned well before the summer vacation. The committed school committee put in endless hours and painstaking attention to detail to ensure that the event was nothing short of magnificent.
The student council was at the core of the festival’s organisation, working tirelessly to arrange the different programmes and performances. Their hard efforts intended to provide both students and visitors with an outstanding experience. They ensured that every aspect of the festival ran well thanks to their outstanding leadership.
The Musical Drama: “The Family Singers”
One of the festival’s highlights was the much anticipated musical drama play “The Family Singers.” Classes 1-3 are enthusiastically dedicated to performing this musical drama.
Everyone was taking part in it in some way. Since they have a famous child actor in their class, Shima Sousuke, everyone approached Shima-Kun, requesting him to play the role of the gardener, Johan, and portray the forbidden romance between him and the captain’s niece, Emilia.
Shima’s Popularity and Role in the Play
Shima is already a popular boy in the school. With his magnetic charm, captivating personality, and striking good looks he steals the heart of young girls without even trying. Unable to resist his irresistible appeal, every other girl is seen confessing her love for him every other day. It was no surprise that Shima was the ideal option to play the role of Juhan in the school play given his inherent charm and capacity to win people over with ease.
Shima was divided between his own reservations and his desire to help his classmates. He couldn’t, however, ignore the pleas of his peers’, fearing that denying the opportunity might cause others to regard him as strange or distant.
Despite his doubts, he eventually collected the bravery to give it a try, motivated by a sense of friendship and a desire to be perceived as a helpful part of his school community.
His friends were ecstatic to have him on board.
~Review Skip and Loafer épisode 10~📚
Quel pur bonheur que cette série ! #anime @Crunchyroll_fr pic.twitter.com/KrlragCeW8
— Esprit Otaku (@OtakuEsprit) June 6, 2023
Chris’s Concern for Shima’s Well-being: Shima’s Secrets and Past Scandal with Ririka
Shima’s friend Chris-Kun became more concerned about his well-being in the aftermath of his choice to join in the school play. Chris was concerned about whether Shima had actually made friends inside the school community or whether he was only doing a part.
From the last episode, we got to know that Shima was part of a scandal in his past days with his friend Ririka that had a tremendous influence on her life. Ririka maintained a grudge towards Shima, feeling that he should not be allowed to have a regular life after what he had done to her.
As a result, Shima confined himself to a life of mere survival, keeping his interactions with others at a minimum. However, everything changed with the arrival of Mitsumi in his life.
Shima had purposefully decided to maintain a certain amount of distance from others, despite Chris’ concerns. He did not want anyone to delve into his past as a child actor or uncover the scandal that had affected Ririka’s life.
Shima’s secrecy and self-imposed isolation allowed him to live his life while keeping his past buried. Shima was satisfied with this arrangement, even if it meant foregoing the possibility to develop genuine friendships as long as it protected Ririka’s well-being and maintained the delicate balance of his own existence.
Shima’s attempt to conceal his past from everyone indicated his tremendous regard and regret for the grief he had caused her. He was aware that disclosing his actual self would complicate her life much more, and he was ready to face the weight of isolation in order to protect her.
Chris, on the other hand, hoped Shima would put his worries aside and live fully in the moment. He was worried that Shima’s obsessive emphasis on upholding his persona and repressing his genuine emotions would eventually wear him down.
Chris thought Shima may reach a breaking point if he kept his distance and repressed his emotions, which would make him lose contact with reality and his friends.
Anime: Skip and Loafer
Status: Following
Score: 6.5/10Truth be told, I might just drop this one after the next episode. While I love a Fish out of Water story, this one just kinda falls flat for me. Maybe it's all the other better RomComs out there? I dunno…#SkipAndLoafer pic.twitter.com/SA0SQtNDaK
— Josh “Steel Claw Samurai" (@KhakiBlueSocks) May 8, 2023
Mitsumi’s Excitement, Guilt and Overheard Conversation
Mitsumi is shown doing errands while unable to participate in the festival’s “behind the scenes” activities in the meantime.
Already having a lot on her plate, she inquired if there was anything she could do for the performance to soothe her sadness about not being able to help with the preparations. She was assigned to do a task by her friend Asano.
She has more work to accomplish even though she is already worn out from her current workload. Her only choice is to work through the night, but her worn-out body could not stand it any longer, and she fell asleep throughout the process.
All the pleasure and excitement of the big occasion is something she wants to take in completely. She is experiencing a significant school event for the first time, therefore she is giving her all while really enjoying every moment of it even if it drains out all her energy.
She regrets being unable to do the task she voluntarily took from her friend Asano. Overwhelmed by a sense of guilt, she runs to Asano to discuss the task. That is when she overhears them talking behind her back, criticising her for being irresponsible.
Unknown to Mitsumi, Shima happens to overhear the conversation as well and immediately feels sorry about her and the situation she is in.
Mitsumi’s Regret and Shima’s Comforting Presence
We see Shima seeing his past self in Mitsumi which somehow makes him feel closer and connected to her. He relates himself with Mitsumi so much so that lately she is reminding him of his childhood days very often.
Shima takes the initiative to cheer her up and make her feel better. They converse briefly until Mitsuya worries Shima may have heard what they were saying and come to check on her. As a result, she begins to admire him more, and her respect for him increases.
Mitsumi regrets being so self-centred and causing him to worry about her when he is already experiencing a lot of problems in his life. She feels pathetic about her situation and sobs in his presence.
This may indicate that Mitsumi is not uncomfortable or uneasy around him.
When he is around, she can let her guard down and be her true self. They both demonstrate concern for one another, but they do so in different ways. One is vocal about it; the other one is not.
Skip and Loafer Episode 10 Episode Ending Explained
The episode ends on a happy note where we see them discussing the plot of the musical drama, the alternate ways it could have ended and also them dancing on the same piece Emilia and Johan are dancing on.
Mitsumi considers herself to be a person who learns from her mistake. She falls down a lot, dusts herself and faces the world head-on.
This trait of Mitsumi is so magnetic that anybody can draw motivation out of it and start admiring her immediately. This is exactly what happens with Shima all the time.
Mitsumi never fails to surprise her. He finds himself to be lucky to have a friend like Mitsuya who can actually give him lessons in life. Mitsumi approaches Asano with her views regarding the screenplay that proves to be helpful to them.
We also see that Shima turns 16 in this episode, and his classmates celebrate his birthday.
In the following episode, we will see how Tsubame West High School celebrates the Annual festival.
The school is seen brimming with anticipation as the final touches are being added to the skillfully crafted stage, the vibrant decorations adorn the halls, and the performers eagerly await their cue to shine.
