13 February 2024: In re Yamada's friends in BokuYaba
They're leaving Bayashiko in the dark on purpose, right?
Midway through Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu 2nd Season (The Dangers in My Heart Season 2), three of Yamada Anna's friends should be familiar faces to the viewer. Anna does have other friends throughout the school, but three classmates in particular form a regular group—one that has increasingly integrated Ichikawa Kyoutarou into the circle over time. So who are these three?
I like that apron.
Sekine Moeko is the one who unabashedly claimed physical attractiveness was the most important quality she considered in prospective boyfriends. Kyoutarou took an immediate disliking to her. However, with Anna serving as their initial mutual "friend of a friend" nexus, Kyoutarou and Moeko have since advanced to the stage where they're also friends with each other, independent of Anna, even if Kyoutarou doesn't necessarily realize it himself.
It's fine, just roll with it.
Yoshida Serina gets the least amount of attention of the three as far as the story goes, but she's observant and insightful even though she doesn't always reveal what she knows. Serina is the one who was uncomfortable with Moeko's casual lie to Anna's mother. She's also the one who noticed Kyoutarou knew which elevator button to press, and where the bathroom was.
It's not easy being Bayashiko.
Kobayashi Chihiro is the focal point for a lot of Yamada-based antics and reaction gags. Of these three friends, Chihiro is the one who is slowest at realizing why Anna and Kyoutarou seem to spend so much time together. I'm not quite ready to call her the dumb one, but I'm certainly not going to characterize her as the smart one either. Also, it doesn't seem to come up often enough, but I'd like to acknowledge that "Bayashiko" is a fantastic nickname. Sure, people refer to Anna as "Dayama" too, but that doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
