The third episode of the new anime “A Galaxy Next Door” brings a playful adventure into Ichiro and Goshiki’s lives as they goof around with the marital pact. Things get interesting when Ichiro’s old friend comes to meet him on a surprise visit.
Spoilers Ahead
Episode 3: Drama Bomb With The Princess
In the previous episode, Ichiro made up his mind to learn the rules of engagement for living with Princess Goshiki. This episode begins with the Princess waking up after having read the entire volume of the manga titled “Master of the Lion’s Fist.” She greets Ichiro and tells him about her love for that manga. Having discussed the pact, Ichiro casually raises the topic of the effect that the marital pact has on his health. They both agree to first figure out the distance Ichiro can bear between himself and Goshiki.
Goshiki leaves the house and begins to travel while Ichiro clocks her distance while staying at home, noting the signs of arising ailments. It turns out that Ichiro’s health is adversely affected even by Goshiki’s distressing environment. As she gets uncomfortable in a crowded metro, Ichiro begins getting distressed. She returns, and they realize this absurd consequence along with the distance traveled. Ichiro estimates that Goshiki and he can have as much distance between them as the distance between two metro stations. Goshiki registers the fact that crossing this mark will prove harmful for Ichiro.
Having done away with the “distance” part of their arrangement, Goshiki inquires about the incident when Ichiro forcefully pulled her away from the delinquents who were pestering her. The embarrassed Ichiro justifies his action, but Goshiki plans something entirely novel, even for Ichiro. Her proposal to Ichiro is that he engages in scenarios, ones picked from her favorite mangas, act them out, and find out together whether those actions brought him any ramifications.
Ichiro, hesitant at first, agrees. Anxious to know about the myriad ways he might fall ill, his first scenario is picked from the romantic manga “Prom,” where a man puts his hand on a girl’s eyes from behind (a usual gesture for surprising close friends but totally unacceptable if done by a stranger). Ichiro loses his composure but takes refuge in the fact that it’s just an experiment. He completes the action and becomes confused about his own feelings regarding the Princess.
Goshiki, on the other hand, seems to be out on a mission, handpicking scenarios one after another. As soon as they are done with one, she brings forth another. They leave their work aside completely and begin role-playing the characters from “Prom,” the manga. Ichiro, nervous and self-conscious, forgets about his two younger siblings altogether. His embarrassment knows no limit when he is caught acting out a racy scenario from the manga by Fumio and Machi. The calm and composed Goshiki makes the young siblings understand that the actions were only a part of an experiment and nothing more.
Ichiro, left with nothing to say, suggests they focus on their work. He gets a call from his superior, who asks him to change the plot of one of his manga. Having no new ideas, he is unable to work and starts procrastinating. Meanwhile, Goshiki decides to plan her actions for the future. She comes to Ichiro, describing her desire to greet the neighbors, but all of them are out of work. He suggests she make customized packages for each of the tenants and leave a personalized note in them, making them know it’s from her.
Excited at this prospect, Goshiki coincidentally meets Chihiro, who makes this task even more fun for Goshiki. Chihiro helps her out by detailing the likes and dislikes of each tenant so that Goshiki can customize the box according to the preferences of the tenants. She finds her gesture much appreciated by tenants after they return from their respective jobs.
Ichiro suffers from creative block, unable to come up with something new. The drudgery is broken by the arrival of an old friend and former tenant, Momoka Morikuni. It turns out Momoka is Ichiro’s boss’s wife and was once Ichiro’s mentor. Goshiki asks for her autograph when she finds out she is the artist of “Master of the Lion’s Fist,” the manga she passionately read the previous night.
After their dinner, they bid Momoka goodbye and thanked her for the visit. During the night, something strange happens. Princess Goshiki grows restless and realizes something profound.
Episode 3: Ending: What Does Princess Goshiki Realize?
After Momoka’s departure, Ichiro gains a newfound enthusiasm, having just met his mentor, and begins working on his manga. Meanwhile, Goshiki retires to bed but finds herself restless. She calls Ichiro and begins telling her about her feelings regarding Momoka. Ichiro tries to comfort her and tells her that there is no romantic angle between him and Momoka if that is the disturbing factor in Goshiki’s mind. She travels the path of this feeling in her mind, trying to reach its rational source. She realizes that what she is feeling is irrational jealousy, which could only be if she has fallen in love with Ichiro. This realization shocks Goshiki in a way she never intended, and she runs away.
Episode 3: Review
This new episode nicely depicts the differences between the two characters. Ichiro, the ordinary young man, sees the relationship very practically but gets nervous at the most pragmatic approaches to finding the cause of her ailments. Goshiki, on the other hand, sees role-playing as trivial but acts as if struck by lightning when realizing the truth about her emotions. This contrast is brought forth beautifully, and it makes the episode extremely fun to watch. The fresh perspective of the “meet-cute” that’s so prevalent in different narratives makes the series quite enjoyable. This episode was no exception, and we can expect the series to only go uphill from here, raising the stakes of this magical pact.