You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2

Episodes 1-3

You and I Are Polar Opposites has already made a pretty strong case for being one of the most aggressively charming romcoms of the year, so I'm glad we didn't have to wait too long for its second outing. Balancing three different romance plots with three very different stages of progression seems like a pretty mean feat, but the show's managed to continually pull off this trick successfully, and even if the ratio of screentime for these pairings hasn't always been perfectly balanced, there's usually enough good humor to make up for that deficiency. With this many characters to keep track of, it's only fitting to kick this off by checking on these couples individually and to see how much progress they've managed to make, if at all.

As always, Miyu and Tani are the easiest to start with, and their relationship remains the most straightforward. Since so many teen romcoms are built on a constant tug of wondering when the characters will actually hook up, the fact that they got together right at the start of the show and have stayed a perfectly functional couple ever since has been a refreshing change of pace. This allows moments like the two of them trying to bake a Christmas cake together or determine who liked the other or first to come off as some perfectly cute couple interactions, and even when they aren't always engaging, they're still pretty pleasant to watch. The fact that they're so functional does mean that whatever conflicts they run into are usually on the smaller side, but it doesn't mean the show can't still mine some good material out of them every once in a while, and episode 3 is a perfect example of that. Miyu has generally never been the type to be shy about who she is, so there is something both comical and sad about seeing her trying so hard to look proper for her first meeting with Tani's parents, to the point that she even bleaches her hair. Watching this gradually explode in her face is pretty funny, but the fact that Tani clocks her discomfort almost immediately and apologizes for springing this meeting on her so suddenly shows how well the two of them are looking out for each other. A lot of the beats here were pretty predictable, but the punchline of Tani's mom giving Miyu the staredown because the picture of her that Tani gave to his mom was so awkward that she genuinely couldn't tell if it was the same girl, does at least show that we can get some good comedic curveballs with these two, and that should help keep their interactions from getting stale.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have Taira and Azuma, who are still about as far from being a couple as it gets. While these two might have more of a connection than either of them realizes, it hasn't reached the point where it could be considered romantic, and both parties are a little too trapped in their own baggage to think about how the other feels. For Azuma, that baggage comes from her being so fearful of having to navigate her way through dealing with how cautious normal people are that she's ended up being overly accommodating towards guys who are clearly bad news since, in her mind, they're far more approachable. Taira, on the other hand, has more or less been forced into learning how to read other people, as his experience with being bullied in middle school and briefly going out with a girl who was only interested in his looks has left him with an overly pessimistic view of social relationships that's caused him to keep his distance to avoid getting hurt. Fortunately, in the case of both, they've managed to find a supportive network of friends who've helped them to avoid spiraling into their worst habits, but they still have a lot of difficulty in dealing with each other. Taira's so self-deprecating that he purposefully goes out of his way to avoid being alone with Azuma even when they're enjoying themselves, and in turn, this keeps leading Azuma to default to the assumption he simply doesn't like being around her since he's so hard for her to read. It's a very sorry state of affairs, but it doesn't look entirely hopeless, as Taira at least has the self-awareness to realize he's been subconsciously judging Azuma the same way he's gotten used to others judging him. He has been doing his best to actually consider her feelings when hanging around her, even if that is easier said than done with his personality.

Finally, we have Yamada and Nishi, who lie somewhere in the middle of these extremes and who have also been left with the least to do in these episodes. Since the first season ended with the two of them going on a date, their couple status seemed all but official, which made it all the more surreal to have this one kick off with the revelation they're still stuck in “almost dating” limbo. This does at least lead to the hilarity of Yamada trying to set the mood for a confession while the two of them are on a study date of all things, but since that attempt fails spectacularly, it looks like there's going to be a question mark status on their relationship for a little longer. The fact that they're so close to the edge of getting together does make me slightly worried the show might use that as an excuse to feature them less, but considering it's been more than happy to flaunt Miyu and Tani around as a happy couple, I'm fairly optimistic we'll get the same for these two before the season's through. Even if not all of these relationships are moving as swiftly as I'd like them to, though, I'm just happy to have this show back, and as long as its sense of charm remains intact, it looks like there'll be no shortage of ways to watch these opposites figure each other out.

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You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.