Go for It, Nakamura! – Anime Review

Episode 1

Episode 1 Review

What did I love about the first episode of Go for It, Nakamura? EVERYTHING. I thought it was a really fun introduction to the series! I won't walk you through every joke and overexplain them, but the episode was packed with humour. Those silly one-liners… The ridiculous visuals… You name it, the premiere had it all. One of my favourite random gags is when Nakamura presses his hand against the aquarium glass, like he's having a deep emotional moment with Icchan's octopus fin. This anime is soooo unserious~ 😆

It becomes more obvious in later episodes, but the octopus is a metaphor for being gay. Nakamura is obsessed with octopuses, which isn't a mainstream interest. He keeps his love a secret because he's scared others will think it's weird and gross. Sound familiar? This is soooo gay-coded. Anyway, we'll analyze the actual symbolism later on. For now, I need you to indulge me in a totally unhinged conspiracy theory. Did you notice how there are three octopuses in the first episode? Could it be… THREE OCTOPUSES = THREE GAY CHARACTERS??? And they are Nakamura, Hirose, and the teacher? OMG! 😮

At the end of the episode, Nakamura wraps up his monologue with two simple statements. "I'm just an ordinary high school student." and "I'm shy, gay, and in love with Hirose." IMO, putting these two sentences together is powerful. First, Nakamura calls himself ordinary. Then, he describes himself as shy, gay, and in love with Hirose. His sexuality is just one more ordinary trait, no different from being shy or having a crush. There's no dramatic pause before the word gay. I love how this anime recognizes his sexuality while still treating it as a normal part of who he is.

Episode 2

Episode 2 Review

Nakamura is so relatable! …I say this while I watch him spin around in a chair, flapping his BL manga like bird wings. 😅 Nakamura using his BL manga as a relationship guide is a funny storyline. He reads dumb lines like, "I'll nuke your heart in the microwave!" and somehow believes that helps his love life. Beneath the humour, there's a sad reality. As a closeted teen, Nakamura feels like he can't talk to anyone about his secret crush. BL manga is his only crash course in romance, because what other option does he have?

Nakamura's favourite BL manga is Lovable Lunches. What is that manga even about??? Every time it gets mentioned, the plot sounds so bizarre. At first, it seemed like your usual love story. But then, we find out the villain is a talking housefly? Apparently, the lunches are anthropomorphized? Imagine if your bento boxes turned into Transformers??? The more I learn about Lovable Lunches, the less I understand it. After Nakamura loses his copy of the manga, I love the moment when he detaches from reality. "I am a shellfish. I am a tree. I am air. I am pancake." From now on, I'll cope the same way when I'm stressed. I AM SHELLFISH.

The last scene in the episode is amazing. I love the character development, since Nakamura stops feeling ashamed of his BL manga. I love the positive message, because Hirose stays open-minded and never judges him. Different strokes for different folks! I love how this moment brings Nakamura and Hirose closer, pushing their relationship forward. Best of all, I love the sense of humour. The story just delivered a heartwarming message, and then it follows up with a funny misunderstanding. This anime knows when to be heartfelt and when to make us laugh.

Episode 3

Episode 3 Review

I didn't like Hifumi's chats with her friends. Shipping your male classmates to the point that you're assigning imaginary top/bottom dynamics? That's kinda icky. One of the girls even described Hirose as a "total bicycle" and "total bottom". The fetishization is outta control! Their discussions remind me of stereotypical locker room talk, where some guys objectify women and brag about having sex with them. Either way, I find both kinds of conversations crude. I don't really enjoy listening to them.

I love Hifumi's character. She's a sweetheart. Her friendship with Nakamura is adorable, like watching two introverts overcome their shyness and get along. Thanks to Hifumi, we get to see a different side of Nakamura. He's a nice guy who praises Hifumi's art skills. Yeah, part of that is because he wants her to draw pictures for him. But also part of it is simply because he admires her talent. Later, he even compliments her kindness. I like how his encouragement makes her feel good about herself. Plus, I love Nakamura's reactions to her art. The first time he sees Hifumi's BL manga? A tear rolls down his cheek. He's so ridiculous. 😆

In the last scene, Hifumi realizes Nakamura has a crush on Hirose. I mean, asking her to draw gay artwork was a big giveaway. But that intimate moment in the gym storage room simply confirmed her suspicions. Yup, he likes guys! Earlier, Hifumi & her friends shipped their classmates. Nakamura's crush would make perfect gossip material. It's exactly what they live for. Yet, Hifumi keeps his secret. She knows the difference between shipping a BL fantasy and outing someone's feelings. Nakamura's sexuality deserves to stay private, so I'm glad Hifumi understands that.

Episode 4

Episode 4 Review

Nakamura's romantic fantasies are pretty tame. Most of the time, he thinks of wholesome situations, like holding hands with Hirose in a sparkly background. But in this episode, he pictures himself sharing a duvet with Hirose. Ooh, so spicy! I love how Nakamura describes their intimate moment in the gym storage room as "basically half a sleepover". His delusions always crack me up! Right now, Nakamura can't look Hirose in the eye without blushing and stuttering. If he ever got into the same bed as Hirose, he'd probably just stop functioning~

The octopus scene captures a common LGBTQ+ anxiety where you feel pressured to hide or downplay parts of yourself. Sadly, the voice in Nakamura's head tells him that he disgusts others. It's a heavy thought to carry, especially at such a young age. While the psychological trauma is complex, I like how the series makes this concept simple enough for anyone to understand. Even if you aren't gay, you can empathize with Nakamura. So what if he likes octopus? It's no big deal. He shouldn't feel bad about it! I hope viewers can take away the same understanding from this storyline and apply it real LGBTQ+ people in their own lives.

The other big storyline in this episode is Nakamura vs. The Occult Club. It's similar to the octopus scene, where Nakamura must deal with the stigma of being different. He meets the club leader, Miss Reiko Aokiyama. She's a proud superstitious weirdo, but we love her anyway because this gutsy girl is living her truth. She doesn't hide or downplay her interests (except in the beginning when she was tricking Nakamura 😅) to appease others. Nakamura could actually learn a lot from her. It's okay to love octopuses or the occult out in the open. Take pride in yourself!

Episode 5

Episode 5 Review

I thought this episode was funny! I laughed at Angry Nakamura & Jealous Nakamura's reactions when Hirose's friend flirted with him. My favourite detail is when Nakamura cries so much that his desk has a puddle of tears. 😅 That said, I was kinda bothered by his classmates. For these straight kids, pretending to be gay is just fun and games for them, like putting on a costume to entertain a girl you like. For Nakamura and many LGBTQ+ youths, this is their actual life. It stings to watch your sexuality get treated like a punchline.

At first, Nakamura's jealousy seems funny. Haha, look at him SEETHE over Hirose~ But then, it spirals into a dark place… Feeling pressured to bulk up and look more attractive, Nakamura takes too much protein powder. In the end, he makes himself sick. 🚨WARNING!!! 🚨 This is a serious escalation! In his head, Nakamura also calls himself weak and worthless. At one point, he even says he wants to die. 🚨CRISIS ALERT!!! 🚨We need a teen hotline, ASAP! Thankfully, nothing happens to Nakamura. However, this episode shows how easily his self-esteem issues could have taken a much darker turn.

The Hirose-Otogiri storyline is strange. I don't like the vibes between this teacher and his student. Where is the series going with their relationship? And yes, I've heard about the controversy surrounding this subplot. Apparently, the original creator (Syundei) faced online backlash and deactivated her Twitter account. Disclaimer: I haven't read the manga. I wasn't there for the original social media posts. I only know about what happened from an article. From what little I do understand, it sucks that such a good BL anime comes with this kind of baggage.

Episode 6

Episode 6 Review

This episode was iconic~ My favourite moment is when Nakamura grabs Hirose's hand and blurts, "Don't go! You don't have to force yourself to go!" Technically, Hirose is just boarding a boat with his friends. Nobody is shipping him off to war! Yet, this scene feels momentous because of the deeper meaning. Every teenager knows the fear of not fitting in, especially for LGBTQ+ youths. Hirose is pressured to conform to the group until Nakamura reassures him that it's OK to go against the norm. Hooray! Our leads are staying true to themselves!

This scene is even more powerful because Nakamura summoned every ounce of courage in his body. Earlier in the school trip, we saw all the times he hesitated around Hirose. He couldn't bring himself to talk to his crush. Poor Nakamura was so nervous. He kept fidgeting. Panicking. Even fleeing the scene. Typically, Nakamura is shy. He isn't some smooth talker who can deliver a heroic speech. So, it's brave of him to speak up and tell Hirose what he needed to hear. It was one of the first true "Go for it, Nakamura!" moments of the series. Our anxious lead finally finds his voice. And we're all cheering for him from the sidelines!

By the end of the episode, Nakamura works up the courage to confess. A love confession? Dear god, no. Instead, he takes baby steps and asks Hirose to be his friend. Normally, BL fans would hear a "please be my friend" confession and throw tomatoes. But with Nakamura, we're protective. We know what he means. We know how hard it was for him to get this far. When Hirose ran away after the confession, I hated him for 10 seconds. Oh, hell no! Then Hirose came back and said, "I thought we were already friends." Aww. My heart melted. Hirose, you're forgiven.

Episode 7

Episode 7 Review

Heh heh, I liked this episode! It's fun to see all the characters together in one place. Put them in a spooky school setting, and let the jokes write themselves. Was it that deep? No. Did it move the plot forward? Not really. But who cares? I still giggled at the silly supernatural shenanigans for half an hour. Plus, this episode gives more screen time to the supporting cast. I liked seeing everyone's personalities, so they felt less like background characters and more like actual friends.

This episode introduces two new factions: Team Reiko Aokiyama, Queen of the Occult Horror Club and Team Arandou Tamura, King of the Drama & A/V Club. A war has started between Aokiyama vs Tamura. Whose side are you on? I'm Team Aokiyama all the way. Like, I'm ready to put on a cloak and perform a spooky seance with her. Sign me up! Do I have any actual interest in superstitions or occult stuff? No… But look at this girl. Her charisma! Her uniqueness! Her nerve and talent! Reiko Aokiyama is an ICON. Of course, I'd join her cult and follow this queen to the depths of the spiritual underworld.

Now that I know all the supporting characters better, I have enough information to form my AU pairings. Here's my official roster:

• Nakamura x Hirose BL (obviously the main ship)
• Mukai x Takeuchi BL (sarcastic bastard x noisy twerp ship)
• Masako x Yuuki GL (when Hifumi's friends discover GL, they'll never look back)
• Hifumi x Reiko GL (when Hifumi stars in the GL spinoff and we root for her to confess to the occult queen)
• Tamura x Oomori BL (two A/V club nerds falling in love)
• Otogiri x Niou BL (when the gay homeroom teacher seduces the bicurious PE teacher omg!)

Episode 8

Episode 8 Review

OMG. Why did Nakamura smell Hirose's stinky gym clothes!? Ewwwww. What did he even expect? Best case scenario, Hirose washed the uniform and it smells like fresh detergent. Worst case scenario, you just inhaled teenage sweat and body odour. This isn't even Nakamura's first offence. Back in Episode 3, he took a suspicious whiff of Hirose. DUDE!!! At this point, it's a pattern. Somebody confiscate this boy's nose! The funniest part is Nakamura's instant guilt spiral. In his head, he gets arrested and serves jail time for sniffing a PE uniform. 😆

This episode introduces Matsumura, the middle-school friend who's just as obsessed with Hirose as Nakamura is. Yay, twinsies! Matsumura is the first gay kid Nakamura has ever met. You'd think this would be the start of a beautiful LGBTQ+ alliance or whatever. Instead, these two HATE each other's guts from the moment they met lmaoooo. They get jealous, act super catty, and compete over who deserves to be crowned The Biggest Hirose Truther. I'm cracking up at their feud. Friendship and solidarity? Pfft. Boring! Two dramatic gays fighting over the same guy? Yeah, that's way more entertaining!

Nakamura and Matsumura are collecting photos of Hirose like he's an idol! Pictures from his childhood… Pictures from school events… Nakamura acts like Matsumura is a creep for carrying Hirose's pictures around with him. Okay, valid. But aren't you also carrying The Sunset Photo of Hirose everywhere you go? Let's not throw stones from inside glass houses. Matsumura also keeps mementos, including Hirose's unwashed middle-school sports clothes. OMG. What's wrong with him!? Between the two of them, they have enough stuff to open a Hirose museum!

Episode 9

Episode 9 Review

I thought this episode was slightly boring. The jokes didn't seem as funny as before. Another issue is that the story starts to feel like pointless filler. Uh oh. I've watched enough anime to recognize the warning signs. The plot is stretching for time because they ran out of manga material. Ever since The Sunset Episode, we've gotten basic high school tropes like the courage test and now the school play. What's next? The Beach Episode? The Fireworks Festival? I'm still enjoying the series, but it's slowly turning into a generic high school anime.

"Am I bi now!?" Hehehe, that's a cute moment~ Nakamura's sexuality doesn't have to be locked in stone at sixteen years old. It's natural to question who you're attracted to. Over time, you'll explore your options and discover your taste. The story alludes to this idea in the last scene when Nakamura picks one soft drink over the other. It's just his taste. That's what he likes. At this point in time, his sexual orientation seems to be Gay Unless the Lady Looks Like Hirose. We love that flexibility for him. But I'll be honest… If Nakamura ends up with Hirose's sister instead of Hirose in the endgame? Sorry, that would be an issue!

Aww, this episode's closing credits are so cute! I love seeing Nakamura in his room, playing with his pet octopus. He's so excited to show off his beads and artwork. I love Icchan waving its fins in the air and cheering him on, hehe~ My favourite moment is when Nakamura looks at Hirose's picture, brings it closer to his face, and almost kisses it… OMG! Beyond this episode, I really love how the series designs the closing credits. Each episode has a new song, new visuals, and tiny details that allude to what happened earlier in the story. That's so charming!

Episode 10

Episode 10 Review

That group meal scene was my teenage social anxiety nightmare. Sitting there and listening to a bunch of boys yap about stuff I don't care about? Please free me from this table. I was just like Nakamura, nervously sipping my drink and giving one-word answers to everything. Notice how Namakura relaxes once he's alone with Hirose. Suddenly, he can speak in full sentences again! He's better at one-on-one chats without Hirose's noisy friends around. I liked how Hirose checked in with him and made sure he felt comfortable. That's really sweet!

In a perfect world, Nakamura would be besties with Hifumi. They share the same interests, have similar personalities, and would get along easily. He could become the 4th member of the Hifumi-Masako-Yuuki group. Instead of sitting with the boys and pretending to understand them, he could join the girls and talk about BL manga. But real life is tricky, especially when you're an insecure teenager. Being the only guy in a group of girls (or the only girl in a group of guys) can make you self-conscious. Many boys stick with boys. Many girls stick with girls. It takes growing up before you realize there's room for you in either group.

I love Nakamura's exchange with the creator of his favourite manga. He went into that autograph signing as a nervous fanboy and received such a warm response. The mangaka created a safe space, where Nakamura didn't have to hide his feelings for another guy. I also like how Hifumi wrote a letter and bought a gift for the mangaka. She's always so thoughtful and pays attention to other people's feelings. Hifumi knows about Nakamura's secret crush, but she never gossips or gets nosy about his love life. Like the mangaka, she creates a safe space. Queen behaviour!

Episode 11

Episode 11 Review

Alright, controversial opinion time… I ship Nakamura and Matsumura so badly. If the romance doesn't work out with Hirose, can we promote Matsumura to replacement love interest? They already have a great foundation for their enemies-to-lovers arc. While I like Hirose, Nakamura is always so timid and nervous around him. In contrast, he's comfortable enough to get feisty with Matsumura and speak his mind. The chemistry is there, even if they're bickering right now. This couple has potential! They could be interesting together!

The homeroom teacher is meant to be the adult version of Nakamura, right? Last episode, we saw them both drinking coffee. This episode, they're both getting haircuts. The series clearly wants us to see similarities between these two characters. Plus, Otogiri gets a lot of random screen time, so he seems to be relevant to the story. So, who is Otogiri? He's a teacher. He's a smoker. In this episode, we learn that he's a single guy who lives alone in a messy apartment. Otogiri receives a letter from someone with a wife and kids, almost like a tiny reminder that he hasn't settled down. Hmm, very gay-coded!

Otogiri has an ambiguous relationship with Niou, the PE teacher. There was an awkward scene where he comments on Niou's "jacked" body. Oops! Was that a slip-up? Did he admit to checking out Niou? Gayyyy. He might have a one-sided crush, just like Nakamura with Hirose. I like to think of Otogiri as the older and more cynical version of Nakamura. Maybe this is what happens when the shy gay kid grows up and starts smoking. I can picture a scene in the future where Otigiri takes a puff from his cigarette and tells Nakamura, "You remind me of my younger self…"

Episode 12

Episode 12 Review

"Girlfriend… Girlfriend… Girlfriend… Hirose has a girlfriend." Oh, this is so heartbreaking! 😭 The image of Nakamura crying into his pillow is enough to destroy me. His inner monologue is even more devastating. Nakamura says he always knew his heart would get broken. He never expected Hirose to like him back. He had already accepted the worst outcome before anything even happened. Oof. These are the kinds of thoughts you internalize when you're a boy who loves another boy. You tell yourself not to hope for too much. Every word is so painful! 😭

As Nakamura walks home, he passes all these happy straight couples. Here's a boyfriend and girlfriend getting lovey-dovey! Here's a husband, a wife, and their adorable little kid! It mirrors an annoying LGBTQ+ experience. When everyone else seems to fall in love so easily, your heartbreak feels even heavier. I can really relate to the part where Nakamura comforts himself by reading BL manga. When I was younger and processing my feelings, these stories were such a source of comfort for me. They helped me forget reality for a little while. I wish I had a Hifumi in my life who could draw me personalized manga too!

The closing credits make me sad! Nakamura is out there having a full emotional meltdown. But for his family, it's just a regular night at home. The scene highlights how alone Nakamura feels. His mother seems concerned, but she has no idea what's wrong. His sister thinks he's going through some teenage melodrama phase. The final lines are heartbreaking: "I'm sure he has a lot going on. Not that I would know." PLEASE TALK TO HIM. 😭 Nakamura might feel more comfortable opening up to his loved ones if they simply asked more questions or checked in with him.

Episode 13

Ending Review

OMG. Hirose's girlfriend is GONE. Yessssss!!! Remember all that nonsense Nakamura said about supporting their relationship? As long as he's happy, I'm happy, blah blah blah. Cute concession speech. Very classy. Now, toss it in the garbage where it belongs. Hirose is single now, so Nakamura doesn't have to pretend he's Miss Congeniality anymore. FINDERS KEEPERS, LOSERS WEEPERS!!! Go get your man, Nakamura! Give him a shoulder to cry on. Tell him, "You can talk to me about anything!" If you play your cards right, THAT BOY IS YOURS!!!

For most of the series, Hirose gave off purely "platonic friend" vibes. He was open-minded and very kind to Nakamura, but in a "you're my bro" kind of way. If Hirose suddenly confessed his love in the finale, I wouldn't complain. Obviously, I would be throwing confetti. But I would also side-eye the story and think the happy ending feels tacked-on. That said, the finale is the first time I felt romantic energy from Hirose. The movie screening… The keychain gift… It was practically a soft-launch first date. Am I imagining it? Maybe! But it finally seems like we're leaving the friend zone and moving toward boyfriend territory.

Some BL fans might be disappointed that Nakamura and Hirose didn't end up together. However, I still see this finale as a happy ending. The story sends a hopeful message about not giving up on yourself. For many LGBTQ+ youths, it's easy to feel defeated. But we can learn from Nakamura, stay optimistic, and believe life can get better. My favourite quote of the finale is when Nakamura says, "But I can't get rid of these feelings." Damn right! Don't reject how you feel. You're allowed to have that crush. You're allowed to fall in love. Let's be more like Nakamura and go for it!