Suzuka continues to improve, IMO.

Longish Summary (a lot happens in this episode):
Today is the first day of school for the crew. Suzuka, Yamato, and Yasunobu end up in the same class, along with the mystery girl from last episode. Before class, Asahina asks Yamato to go shopping with her, as she needs help picking up sports drinks for the track team. Later, Yamato realizes that he doesn't know anyone in the school other than Yasu and Asahina. However, the mystery girl comes over to talk to him, introducing herself as Honoka Sakurai. She seems surprised that he doesn't remember her. As their conversation goes on, Suzuka enters the classroom and sees her talking to Yamato. Yasu mentions to her that Honoka must like him. After class, Yamato plans to wait for Asahina, but when she sees Honoka behind him, she gets mad and says he doesn't need to wait to help her out. After she leaves, Honoka explains how she knows of Yamato - apparently when they were children, Yamato would come to the shrine to pray and eat. One day, she dented the shrine bell, but Yamato helped her to repair it and they agreed to keep it a secret. Yamato remembers and says he still goes there on occasion (which Honoka knows, because she sees him all the time, but she keeps silent). Honoka then asks Yamato to go eat with her, and Yamato thinks it would be stupid to wait on Suzuka. Suzuka finishes practice, planning to get the drinks on her own, when she notices Yamato is waiting outside for her. In waiting on her though, Yamato catches a cold which makes him miss school the next day. After class, Yasu beings Honoka over to check on Yamato. Honoka decides to make dinner for Yamato. However, Yasu and Saotome end up eating the meal, leaving nothing for Yamato. Later that evening though after everyone leaves, Suzuka ends up bringing honey and lemon juice (without the honey!) and boiled eggs (done in the microwave, so they end up exploding on him!).

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This episode has a lot going on in it. It's another background ep for another character, but it also gives the beginnings of where the plot will go.

This week reveals the identity of the mystery girl, and gives a bit of her background. She obviously has a crush on Yamato, and it'll be interesting to see how they develop that. I think she'll end up being the quiet, shy alternative to Suzuka's confrontational reactions to Yamato, which means she'll likely be a foil for that relationship for a while. They seems to be polar opposites at this stage: Honoka worships the ground Yamato walks on and is fawning over him, while Suzuka seems to have the antagonism down pat: one minute she's depending on him to help her after school, the next she's upset that he's talking to someone, then she's surprised he still stays to help, then she gets upset at him staying and seems indifferent to his cold, until finally, she brings him stuff to help take care of him. It's an odd relationship, but one similar to one of my own, so I'm intrigued.

I'm not sure why people complain about the animation for this show. I haven't noticed any real differences from other popular anime - can it honestly be said that the animation is worse than say, Gatekeepers? I'm not sure which studio makes it, but the character design is very familiar.

Next episode seems to have some sort of athletic competition or tryouts. I guess this will lead to what is hinted at in the closing credits - that most of the characters will be on the track team. Not sure how that's going to work out though... no one but Suzuka has given me any indication they have any athletic talents or tendancies.