Goose Bumps! I Am a Goose Now

Anzu is excited to look at her new cat photo book. However, she realizes it’s been about a month since Tsukasa moved in. She wonders if he has a new place to stay yet. She reflects on the message he received on his phone from the mysterious woman.

Anzu gets into an argument with a pedestrian. Arisa, a white-haired woman intervenes and tells the pedestrian to back off. The pedestrian leaves as Arisa asks Anzu if she’s okay. Tsukasa stumbles upon them, and we find out that Arisa is Anzu’s older sister. ..

At Anzu’s, Arisa thanks Anzu for allowing Tsukasa to stay with her for an entire month. While Anzu prepares some drinks for them, Tsukasa asks Anzu if anything terrible happened at the station. Anzu explains what happened between her and the pedestrian, and Tsukasa’s glad she’s safe. Anzu asks Tsukasa why he lives alone and attends her school.

Arisa and Tsukasa’s father is responsible for their situation and isn’t the most pleasant caregiver. Tsukasa receives a phone call from Makoto and exits the room. Anzu informs Arisa about Tsukasa’s popularity and reassures her that she and Tsukasa are just friends. Arisa discusses Tsukasa’s past with Anzu. Arisa says that Tsukasa used to like smiling and interacting with others.

However, an incident from his junior high days changed him. Arisa thanks Anzu for helping Tsukasa. Tsukasa returns and reports that Makoto wants to watch a movie with him. Tsukasa and Arisa go for a stroll, and Arisa compliments how strange it is for Tsukasa to be around girls. Tsukasa says he tried avoiding the situation but found out that Anzu is different from other females. ..

We flashback to their conversation with Anzu, and Arisa tells Tsukasa he should stay with Anzu longer. While he’s unsure, Anzu says she can if he wants to. In reality, she’s afraid Riri will set up a trap for her if she’s alone with Junta. In the present, Arisa realizes why Tsukasa didn’t want her to discover his affiliation with Anzu because he didn’t want her to see him smiling.

Tsukasa and Anzu are friends. Tsukasa is comfortable with it staying that way. Anzu admits that she takes her appearance more seriously since they went shopping together. Before Tsukasa can tell her why he lives alone, he backs out but promises to tell her another day.

When Tsukasa leaves the room, Riri arrives and says Anzu is starting to develop feelings for Tsukasa. However, Riri acknowledges her failed attempts to get Anzu involved in romantic developments. Riri asks Anzu to go on a mock date with her, so she can find out what love is like. Riri transforms into a boy, shocking Anzu. In spite of Anzu’s refusal, Riri offers to buy her the stellar cat pyjama outfit she wanted from Tsukasa’s mall date. ..

Anzu accepts the offer. They go on a date where Riri grabs Anzu’s hand and her disgusted by the scenario. Anzu tries fleeing the date, but Riri persuades her by offering her more cat items. Riri suggests going to a movie theater to kick things off. They go with a romance film to help Riri understand romance better. Tsukasa and Makoto exit the theater and spot Anzu holding Riri’s hand (in boy form).

Riri tells them he’s Anzu’s cousin, Rio Fushigi. Anzu drags Rio to a nearby corner while Tsukasa finds their closeness strange. Anzu questions if Rio’s planning anything shady and prepares herself for the worse. Rio notices other couples aren’t doing anything romantic as he criticizes the film in his head. He notices Anzu crying from the film and laughs. ..

Rio taunts Anzu for her crying, and Anzu’s shocked by his harsh words about illnesses. The two decide to get some boba drinks. While waiting at a traffic stop, Rio can’t stop making poop jokes. The two get into an argument over sharing and manners. Anzu and Rio bump into Tsuchiya and Hijiri and Anzu’s shocked that he’s not working.

Hijiri claims he doesn’t work until the evening. He’s spending his time observing convenience store workers for tips. Anzu’s surprised that he hasn’t quit working yet. Rio starts drama between himself and Hijiri by claiming Anzu is his girl. Anzu punches Rio and tells Hijiri that Rio’s her cousin. Hijiri doesn’t mind either way. Rio scolds Hijiri for his poor dating skills.

Rio tells Anzu that she needs to be more serious about pursuing Ikemen, as they will be more serious about pursuing her if she is more serious about pursuing him.

Rio and Anzu continue their date, and we get a montage of them doing things together. They sit at a nearby park and discuss their fun experience. Rio prattles on about romance, and Anzu notices he lacks knowledge about other things. As they’re walking home, Rio thanks Anzu for helping him out. He tells Anzu to prepare for his onslaught of plans, and Anzu responds by saying she’ll crush them all. ..

Anzu is disgusted when Rio pecks her on the cheek. At the same time, Junta crashes his bike into a bike rack. Anzu checks on Junta and asks if he saw Rio kiss her. Junta shakes his head and Anzu informs him that Rio is her cousin. The episode ends with Anzu comforting Anzu as Rio laughs. ..

The Episode Review

This episode of Romantic Killer had some intriguing elements. However, it’s the weakest of the bunch. Not much happens in this episode, and the concepts it introduces should’ve applied to other characters. In addition, the episode focuses on a romantic outing between Riri and Anzu, which many will find puzzling. It goes against some great character arcs established in previous episodes and damages Riri’s characterization. ..

Riri’s attempts to ask Anzu for help in romance felt off to many viewers. While some may argue that he only did it to start drama between her and the others, Anzu manages to thwart his attempts with zero issues. The potty humor was repetitive and annoying in this episode, and many may have had a similar desire to knock Riri out just as much as Anzu did. Arisa was tolerable, but she didn’t add much to the narrative. ..

Despite dropping some bombshells about Tsukasa’s life, it felt like Anzu’s only purpose was to egg Tsukasa on about his possible feelings toward her. This would have been better if the date centered around Tsukasa and Anzu again, as it would make the reveal about his father feel more dramatic. Aside from character issues, this episode had some fun content. ..

Riri’s jokes weren’t all that funny, but there were a few moments of slapstick and hilarious facial expressions that got a chuckle from me. Furthermore, it was great for the story to reveal more tidbits about Tsukasa’s trauma, as this could be a great way to build tension between him and Anzu. With five episodes left, let’s hope Romantic Killer will end decently. ..