"Everyone wears masks at some point or another. People act in their relationships all the time. Sometimes, that's how you keep the person happy. However, if the two of you are always having to act, you should ask yourself if the mask is a good fit. Think about it."
—Washimi, to Retsuko
Original Air Date: April 20, 2018
"How long are you going to keep half-assing your own numbers?"
Is Retsuko's relationship with Resasuke ruining her life? Red flags are flying up as Retsuko discovers that a future life with Resasuke may not be the dream she thought it might be, and it begins to intrude upon her work as well as a budgeting deadline looms.
This episode contains examples of the following tropes:
- Anguished Declaration of Love: Haida's one-on-one with Retsuko in the hospital starts this way, but he changes it to a realization that he was Loving a Shadow, and that he would instead like to really get to know her.Haida: It's just, I know you way better than that guy ever could. Five years now, right? So, how did I lose to him? Heh, that's what I wanted to say. But the truth is, I don't know you. The Retsuko I know is the idealized one in my head.
- Beneath the Mask: After the budget deadline, Retsuko takes Resasuke to the Karaoke bar, and shows him the truth while also calling him out for being bland and insensitive to her feelings. The relationship ends that night.
- Bookends: The first scene of season 1 has Retsuko jumping victoriously into the air, then accidentally landing on the side of her foot, causing great pain. In the second to last scene of this episode, she does the same leap and sticks the landing, showing how far she's come.
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Ton complains that three members of their staff are out of commission right before a big deadline: Haida's out with pneumonia, Tsubone's out with a broken wrist, and Kabae's out because she somehow got arrested for espionage.
- Catch Your Death of Cold: Haida gets pneumonia after his Despair Event Horizon, leaving him out of commission for the budget deadline.
- Cold Open: The episode opens with Gori and Washimi at the Karaoke bar by themselves.
- Despair Event Horizon: Haida has one on the street, kicking a coffee can, then slipping and falling in the rain. He lays there for a while, and ends up catching pneumonia.Haida: Could I be more pathetic?
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Tsubone was also out of commission for the budget deadline. Why? She fractured her wrist trying to open her jar of preserves.
- I Need to Go Iron My Dog: When Retsuko and Fenneko visit Haida in the hospital, Fenneko grabs the flower pot left for him to change out its water, leaving Retsuko and Haida alone to talk.Fenneko: See ya! You kids have fun! *thumbs up*
- And the Japanese version:Fenneko (sing-songy): See ya! Take your time! *thumbs up*
- And the Japanese version:
- Maybe Ever After: The audience doesn't get to know what exactly Haida and Retsuko were talking about in his hospital room. We eventually find out in the Christmas special that they don't get together.
- Mood Whiplash: When Retsuko's dealing with Resasuke's indifference in the mall. She's trying to impress him with an outfit, but Resasuke just won't respond appropriately. Retsuko heads off to the restroom and her foot bothers her, and she starts going into rage mode. You'd expect her to start singing in the bathroom, but instead she slaps the "RAGE" symbol on her forehead to mute it... before heading into the bathroom and starting up a Madness Mantra.Retsuko: By the time I count to 10, I'll be a happy girlfriend... by the time I count to 10, I'll be a happy girlfriend... by the time I count to 10, I'll be a happy girlfriend...
- Pet the Dog: Ton has a heart-to-heart of sorts with Retsuko in the Tea Room, realizing she is not getting back what she gives in her relationship. Naturally, he expresses this sentiment in accounting terms.Retsuko: Ya know, you're really a good person.
Ton: You tell yourself that. Yeah, I'm just a bastard who's willing to give it to you straight. - She's Back: After Ton's pep talk in the Tea Room, Retsuko is ready to jump in on the budget deadline.Retsuko: Please, Mr. Ton! I want to help out, too!
Ton: Come on then. That's why we go to work: to kick more ass together than we could by ourselves! - Rage Breaking Point: At the end, Ton gets on Retsuko's case simply for stapling something wrong. She's prepared to go Death Metal on him, but instead it cuts to the credits.
- Suspiciously Specific Denial: Kabae asks Retsuko at the end if she wanted to hear about her vacation that definitely was not espionage. This was after she was arrested on suspicion of espionage, leaving her out of commission for the budget deadline.
- Time-Compression Montage: The work on the budget deadline.
- Haida: I guess what I'm trying to say is... uhh... You know where I'm going with this!?
Retsuko: I do. But if you don't say it for real, I can't give you an answer.
Haida: Okay. That seems fair, I guess. Uhh... here goes!
