It's Hard, but Not Impossible

Several character threads run in parallel through this episode. Izumi Miyamura finds himself dealing with a handful of hostile encounters. Kyouko Hori, meanwhile, tries to coax him into indulging a darker want of hers. Another strand follows Taiki Mizouchi, whose romantic feelings are not returned. The episode also brings Makio Tanihara face to face with unresolved history tied to Miyamura.

The unfriendly run-ins Miyamura endures underline how his changed look and reputation still invite judgment from strangers. Hori's coaxing plays on the couple's growing ease with each other's private sides. Mizouchi's one-sided affection adds a bittersweet note among the supporting cast. Tanihara's confrontation drags old feelings about Miyamura into the open and gives the two a chance to settle the past.

Takao Yoshioka wrote the script, and Tadahito Matsubayashi oversaw both storyboard and episode direction. Chief animation direction was shared by Haruko Iizuka and Hiromi Ogata, while Shunryou Yamamura and Keinosuke Abe worked on animation direction. Japan saw the broadcast on March 7, 2021, with the English release following on April 10, 2021. The episode weaves together material from manga chapters 38, 46, 47, 54, and 55, shuffling some beats around for smoother pacing. It falls between the eighth and tenth episodes.