I really did not like episode 8. It felt too creepy.
First of all, Nakamura is so weird, he is gay and shy, but he is already friends with Hirose, and his acting so strange around him does not fit the story as much in this phase. Also, both of them(Nakamura and the middle school guy) are super creepy. The incredibly pseudo parasocial relationships they are having with Hirose come off as odd. Now ik this is comedic absurd fiction, but still, this level is just off-putting; it goes away from a cute, innocent crush to something else. Imagine the gender of main interest reversed? Get the point? I hope this isn't overly critical of the show. I love this show, and it is a very good representation of homo males who have had crushes on their classmates and acquaintances, but still, the way it is written delves into problematic themes, which could generate harmful stereotypes regarding certain demographics, even if the story is clearly absurd comedy. Not to come off as sexist, I feel this is because the author is a woman, and she cannot quite grasp the relationships and minds of gay teens properly to write a proper comedy slice of life based on this. Love the art style tho.