Here we are… on the last stretch to the end of the series. Of course there is 4-part OVA coming in March, so that is worth looking forward to. It’ll be interesting to see how it all ends really. But sad in a way because this was such a great series. For me, it’s kind of like Kamigami no Asobi, in the sense that I can binge watch it and not get tired of it. Let’s begin!

The episode, like all, starts where the prior episode ended. So we get to see Honoka speaking to Arata and Hishiro, and how at first she didn’t want to play volleyball in high school. But it turns out her accomplishments are mainly in sports. Honoka admits to Arata and Hishiro that sports was the only thing she was good at. She always felt she hurt the other team mates because she always had better times or scores.

So this episode focuses on Honoka in the beginning, and then starts bringing Kariu into the picture. And then there is Hishiro and Arata who try to get them to talk again. Honoka explains how she ended up playing high school volleyball and when she met Kariu. As we know, Kariu has a very hot temper, and even though she may not be trying to hurt someone, it ends up she does anyway. Kariu asks if Honoka was mocking the team, and Honoka says no. Kariu throws the volleyball to Honoka, who hits it hard, and it smacks Kariu in the chin. She discovers that Honoka had been holding back.

Meanwhile, they still are being spied on by Honoka’s friends and Kariu. It turns out the random guy that was listening in to the conversation before Nobu, Aki and Kariu arrived was Oga. Hishiro opens up to Honoka, telling her she has been envious of the bond that she and Kairu have. She tells Honoka about herself, and tells her she should value the friends she has. When they finish the conversation, Arata, Honoka and Hishiro open the door, and catch the four listening to them. Kariu starts to run off when Honoka tries to talk to her and she stops only to hear Honoka say her ankle is better and she can play at the tournament. Kariu doesn’t speak, she yells, at Honoka, telling her she already told the teacher she wanted to retire. She walks off, only having Hishiro follow her to see if she can change Kariu’s mind.

Arata is home when he gets a text from Hishiro, and she basically tells him she wouldn’t have been able to talk to Honoka without his help. Soon after, Yoake calls him and asks what he is doing the next day. Arata tells him he’s going to watch the volleyball tournament with Hishiro, and Yoake teases him by asking if it’s a date. As usual, Yoake finds a way to get Arata to freak out, and I think he likes getting him in a panic for some reason. But that’s what keeps the comedy going in the series; is the communication between Yoake and Arata.

So the tournament begins the next day, and Kariu is a no show. Honoka’s friends are standing in the bleachers with Oga, Arata and Hishiro. Aki tells them that he knew Kariu wasn’t going to show up. Hishiro steps up and takes things into her own hands. This is when we really get to see the change in Hishiro. Having Arata around shows he affects people in positive ways.

Hishiro doesn’t know where Kariu lives; no one does. Except for Yoake for some reason. He texts the address to Arata, and that makes him think Yoake is weird. But he rushes off with Hishiro to change Kariu’s mind and bring her to the tournament. Once they arrive at Kariu’s place, they ring the bell and before Hishiro can respond to Kariu’s response, Arata uses the “delivery guy” trick, and tells Hishiro that if she said their names, Kariu most likely wouldn’t let them in.

When Arata stops Kariu from closing the door on them, they manage to get in and they start talking to her. Hishiro calls her out; saying Kariu wanted to go to the tournament all along as she has her jacket and uniform on, and that she really did want to play one last tournament with Honoka. Kariu’s temper gets a bit too much throughout the series, but most anime that I’ve seen has at least one tsundere character, and that’s pretty much what Kariu is. It may get annoying at times when watching the episodes, but it actually works, because it shows the frustration the other characters have with her temper.

When Kariu begins to argue again, Arata asks her to at least let her “Iron Guard” down once. Kariu of course is stubborn as a mule, and doesn’t do it until Hishiro gets fed up enough to slap Kariu on the forehead, and Kariu falls to the floor. Arata is startled by Hishiro’s actions. Hishiro reprimands Kariu, telling her to stop being a fool.  She asks what Kariu’s selfish desire is, and Kariu admits she wants to play in the tournament but feels the team mates don’t want her there.  Hishiro lets her know that Honoka wants her there and tells her that all their selfish desires align with one another.

Arata is told by Oga that the team lost the first set, so they rush off to the tournament and Kariu joins in the game.  They end up losing anyway. When Kariu asks Honoka if she plans on attending Aoba college, and she says yes, Kariu responds by saying it isn’t over yet. Throughout the series Hishiro has been seen as a socially awkward girl who doesn’t know how to respond to other people’s actions or what they say. But it’s her that repairs the gap between Honoka and Kariu. Kariu and Honoka are ecstatic and pretty much thank her. Hishiro smiles when they do, and suddenly Kariu screams about her smile being creepy again. This time we don’t see it though.

The episode ends with people spying on one another….again. We get a shot of Oga, Arata, Nobu and Aki spying on the girls from around the corner of the building. Arata uses the phrase “All’s well that ends well”, and it does work in this instance. Aki says thanks to them, but not one of them knew why he was thanking them. It doesn’t really say, but it can be assumed that it’s for Arata stepping in and helping Honoka. And finally it shows An and Yoake watching them from a distance. Three more episodes to go! I am hoping when I finish this, I can get Food Wars! done before school starts up again in February. Stay tuned for the last three episode reviews, and thanks for reading!