Split Screen readers, I won’t beat around the bush: we’ve got a wild ride here for you this week. Coffee Prince is positively off-the-rails, and My Hero Academia finally introduces us to the star of both credit sequences, so safe to say, we’ve got some good, good content queued up. Let’s dive in!
(New Split Screen reader? You can catch up on the entire series here!)
Coffee Prince Sixth Cup (from minute 29)
M: This was possibly the greatest thirty minutes of television of all time.
E: The hits just kept coming.
M: I totally forgot that the mom and the poor man in his comic strip button-down and butterfly bow tie went to the movies at the beginning.
E: I wonder if they also saw Shrek the Third.
M: One can only hope. The ultimate date night movie.
E: Like, do you think Shrek paid them to be featured, or did they pay Shrek for the rights to use clips of Shrek the Third?
M: It’s a coin-flip, for me.
E: Man, is that where the episode started? There were so many good things that I can’t remember the order in which they happened.
M: Yeah, a half episode made of excellent five minute vignettes, starting with Eun-chan’s mom. The most forgettable of the bunch, through no fault of their own. Strong fashion choices, bad poetry, normally this would have been good stuff.
E: Was still good stuff, just not transcendent stuff.
M: Next up: the crossover no one saw coming.
E: Eun-sae would like Boys Over Flowers though. She would make that reference.
M: “Forget about F4! Here’s two men and their princes! Handsome Man, Hunky Chef, Farty, The Poser, and The Other One! Plus Mister Hong!”
E: “At least he looks cool with a guitar!”
M: The music choice, the annotations, the gratuitous shirtless pics…it’s the perfect advertisement for Coffee Prince
E: And it seems to have been extremely effective! At least on a temporary basis.
M: Yeah, the neighborhood chicks are flooding in now.
E: Mostly to snap photos extremely close to the boys’ faces.
M: You take what you can get in this economy.
E: I was surprised Farty was so popular.
M: There were some good muscle shots of Farty in the video. Poor Min-yup though.
E: Min-yup’s such a nice guy.
M: That was vignette two. Next up, a peek into Sun-ki’s backstory!
E: Dang, I almost forgot about that. That was a slightly weird placement for that fifteen second scene.
M: Love that they didn’t reveal the gender of the ex he’s searching for. Keep us guessing a little while longer.
E: Speaking of confusion…Han-gyul is having a rough time.
M: I was so proud of him for seeking therapy until I realized it was to get the gay out.
E: I was surprised you didn’t realize that. It went straight from him staring intently at a photo of Eun-chan on his awesome wall-desk, and then calling the therapist.
M: I thought he just wanted someone to process his feelings with, not to be scared straight!
E: It’s okay, he likes hugging Yoo-joo still, so clearly he’s not gay.
M: Which brings us to perhaps the strangest part of the episode…I can’t remember if this was before or after Mr. Hong’s apartment, but we’re here. We’ll come back to that.
E: Oh, we’ll come back to Mr. Hong’s apartment alright.
M: I thought it was so funny when I saw the cardboard pop-up for Shrek the Third in the movie lobby. Like, “Haha, Shrek’s a meme, so funny that’s there.” AND THEN THEY SAW IT.
E: I couldn’t process the first minute they were showing the animation on screen. And then the Gingerbread Man talked, and it was all real.
M: It was even better spliced with highlights of Han-gyul and Eun-chan’s relationship.
E: Even Shrek the Third, the most heterosexual of movies, could not chase the gay away. I know practically nothing about Shrek the Third, I should mention.
M: Tried to skim the Wikipedia summary, but it’s incomprehensible.
E: Well, I mean, you gotta watch the other two to fully understand the lore.
M: I think most recently I’ve watched “Shrek but every time they say Donkey it gets faster.” But also, for the record, we owned the Shrek soundtrack on CD.
E: Was disappointed by the lack of All Star.
M: Coffee Prince can’t afford that.
E: They got that sweet Shrek money, they can afford anything.
M: Speaking of being able to afford things, let’s talk Mr. Hong’s apartment.
E: Mr. Hong’s apartment is a hellscape.
M: It’s a public health risk.
E: I liked the detail that he turned the lights on with the thread attached to his toe.
M: I liked that Sun-ki had his own anti-mosquito system and didn’t share with Ha-rim. At least Ha-rim respected Sun-ki for it.
E: It took a non-zero effort for Sun-ki to set up his DIY mosquito-repellent net. He deserves the respect.
M: He’s the man.
E: Anyway, Ha-rim was driven out to have an existential crisis, interrupting Eun-chan and Min-yup’s nice little dinner. I like that they’re just bros. Even if Min-yup needs prompting to use the right terminology.
M: I feel pretty confident he’s not going to betray her on purpose, which I didn’t a few episodes ago.
E: Oh yeah, I definitely think that if he lets it slip, it’ll just be because he’s a little dumb.
M: I don’t think it’s going to come from him, that would be too obvious. Especially now that Yoo-joo knows.
E: Not for Han-gyul, but I could see it for either of the other guys.
M: Fair enough. We’ll see how the cookie crumbles.
E: Was there anything else, or is it hug time?
M: You forgot about Sweeper!
E: OH. I just pushed that whole uncomfortable situation out of my head. Out of there like Han-sung was out of there.
M: The playground scene was nice. The more they keep Han-sung interacting with just Eun-chan and the less time he spends with Yoo-joo, the more likable he is.
E: Well, he clearly feels more comfortable with Eun-chan at the moment. That’s probably a bad sign for his relationship, but it does make him more likable in those moments. Especially when he’s helping Sweeper go down a slide.
M: That was a beautiful moment.
E: The fact that he has a guilty reaction when Yoo-joo shows up is also probably a bad sign. If he was entirely viewing Eun-chan as a friend, he wouldn’t necessarily have that gut reaction.
M: I did enjoy his little joke about the bathroom lock.
E: I really thought they were setting up for Yoo-joo to walk in on Eun-chan in the shower, so he got me.
M: That’s still basically how it happened.
E: That kind of makes it funnier.
M: They’re setting Yoo-joo up to be the series bitch. She’s definitely going to ruin this for Eun-chan.
E: She’s not a bad person though. So, like with Boys Over Flowers last time, I will remain hopeful until they crush me.
M: I hope it won’t go down that way, but she has a lot of power now, and she’s the only one with motivation to use it.
E: We’ll just have to see!
M: Finally, the hug.
E: Oh boy, I was feeling that secondhand embarrassment in that scene.
M: Han-gyul needs some sexual harassment training.
E: Well, you know, he did ask first. But she sort of gave him a soft no that he ignored though, so. That’s not great.
M: Good thing she liked it!
E: Plus, as a boss, I think it’s just a straight “don’t do this” regardless of consent.
M: What an episode, man.
E: It really was an episode.
M: For Romance Tracker, the plot thickens! Everywhere! So much romance!
E: Well, Han-gyul has recognized that he’s feeling emotions for Eun-chan, so that’s some sort of step forward there. Yoo-joo is not super jazzed about Han-sung’s reactions to Eun-chan, so that’s some sort of step backwards there. Lots of stuff going on.
M: That’s a good summary for this edition’s episode. Lotsa stuff.
E: The most stuff.
My Hero Academia S4E4: “Fighting Fate”
M: Someone get Deku into an acting class.
E: It must be somewhere in the curriculum, because Mirio appears to have taken one.
M: Mirio might just be a natural, or he took middle school drama.
E: I could see Mirio being a part of an improv troupe, to be honest.
M: Write me that fan-fic.
E: Anyway, we got two opposing opinions here, which both have their merits and drawbacks. You’ve got your target there, you don’t want to make him suspicious, but you’ve also got a clearly scared girl holding on to you. What do you do?
M: I don’t think Mirio came across well here as a former potential All Might successor. I understand his desire to get the heck out of there, but he was pretty dismissive of an abused child.
E: I think it goes to illustrate the difference in style of Nighteye versus All Might. Nighteye is a very much “watch and wait” kind of guy, whereas All Might’s just gonna dive in there, regardless of consequence. And that reflects itself on their students.
M: But Nighteye can just tap Bubble Girl and see how things go for the next couple days anytime he wants.
E: But he can’t change what happens.
M: Fair, but he knows he has the luxury to watch and wait.
E: I’m just saying, you see that reaction in Mirio, regardless of whether you agree with it or not, likely because that’s what Nighteye’s taught him to do.
M: Totally. What I’m saying is that’s a nice heroic strategy for Fortune Teller the hero, but is a little slimy from anyone else.
E: Deku, meanwhile, pushes way way too far in the other direction, in my opinion. There’s a difference between asking questions and basically just being like “are you abusing your daughter?”
M: One hundred percent agreed. I just think that even if you want to get out of there, you don’t have to joke with the obvious abuser about how hard parenting is.
E: Sure.
M: But yeah, Deku needs to pull it back a notch and half.
E: I mean, I think what I would do (with the benefit of having lots of time to think about this versus making a split second decision in the moment), is insist on taking Eri somewhere to treat her injuries.
M: That’s an interesting idea that I hadn’t thought of at all. I don’t know how much authority heroes have to force people to go to hospitals. Feels like they should have some? But I think Mirio would have popped a blood vessel if Deku had tried that.
E: But at least that way, you don’t have to put suspicion on Overhaul. You’re not saying “what are you doing to this girl?” You’re just observing that she’s hurt and that she needs treatment. Also you don’t follow him into a dark alley. Although they didn’t have much choice at that point.
M: I’m interested to see where this is going, since Overhaul apparently has a healing quirk. That would track with the whole plague doctor aesthetic.
E: He can also make people explode. To bear that in mind.
M: Gotta be a blood manipulation thing.
E: He also appears to have an allergic reaction to touching people. Or exploding them, it’s unclear at this point.
M: So he’s allergic to blood too. Funky power.
E: Anyway, Nighteye is right that rushing in after they’ve already had Eri go back is not the best idea. I do like the line about how Deku is a little bit arrogant about his ability to help people- in a traditionally All Might kind of way. Deku’s just not quite to the point where he can entirely back it up.
M: Agreed, although has Deku ever failed to save someone, ultimately? I know Bakugo got away that one time, but they did get him back.
E: That’s a good point, but I would say that he’s been extremely lucky in a lot of these situations. It’s come down less to his innate skill and more to opportunity. But that’s probably where the slight arrogance comes from in the first place.
M: For sure! He’s definitely arrogant. I just wonder how many people Mirio has saved. Too bad his costume isn’t a countdown.
E: That is actually another nice point of comparison between them. Deku wants to always save everyone- as unrealistic and idealistic a goal as that is, that’s his stated purpose. Mirio, meanwhile, acknowledges that he can’t save everyone, and chooses a- still unrealistic!- number, but a finite number all the same.
M: Who let him put that on his costume? Someone at UA should have been like, “this is arrogant, kid. This is a toolish costume.” Fortunately he’s only going to wear it for five seconds in every fight.
E: Hmmmm. Seems like a waste to have a costume that falls off
M: Why can’t he wear it in class then? Why can’t they make one that looks like his school uniform?
E: You’ll just have to wait and see.
M: They’re enabling his flashing!
E: The last part of this episode puts together the last pieces on why All Might and Nighteye don’t talk to each other much anymore.
M: I had already read between the lines on this. Deku should have too.
E: I mean, the One for All thing is part of it, but it’s not the main reason.
M: I guess so, but they split up right around the time of All Might’s injury. Deku could have put that together since he’s such a super fan.
E: That’s true, I suppose.
M: And after interacting with Nighteye and seeing how much he loves All Might, it felt pretty obvious to me that the break was over All Might being reckless. I know I can’t prove I thought that, but I did!
E: I believe you. There is also that looming prophecy of All Might’s death around the corner as well. Which, fair play to Nighteye, I wouldn’t really want to support a friend down a path to death either.
M: Nighteye should know better than to try to change the future.
E: Nighteye, no! That’s a nature taboo!
M: There’s a high price to pay for all of this.
E: Nighteye. Your time! In this world! Is-!
M: Who knew that All Might would be the Kairi of this show.
E: Listen, kinda works, tbh. Kinda fits.
M: Let me play as All Might. Good thing he won’t die for another six seasons, given that he probably has at least six months, maybe a year and a half left.
E: Yeah, I think it’s like September-ish as this point in the season? And their school year started around episode four of season one, and that was April. So it’s been almost six months in three seasons. So, season 6 maybe.
M: I feel pretty comfortable predicting that the first half of this season will take four weeks, since that’s the length of the work studies. So we’re still on pace to get through two months each season. All Might’s never going to die.
E: That is about as long as I remember high school feeling, so, it’s just accurate.
M: All Might needs to start taking some responsibility for his choices. “I didn’t think it was my place.” Who the hell’s place was it?
E: I mean, he clearly just never wanted Deku to know. He didn’t even want to introduce Deku to Nighteye in the first place.
M: Why was Nezu with All Might in the flashback? That just occurred to me.
E: Why not? He’s very smart, you know.
M: Surely there are other heroes with high IQ quirks. We’ve already seen one on the show! Can’t be that uncommon.
E: Yeah, but Nezu also happens to be super important in hero society. As the principal of UA.
M: He also happens to be super tiny, which was so weird. All Might, Nighteye, and three itty bitty heroes.
E: They were very small.
M: Well, as for Lawsuit Watch, I think I give it to Coffee Prince.
E: Yeah, there wasn’t much lawsuit material on My Hero.
M: Any time a villain shows up there’s a criminal case, but that doesn’t count.
E: Are you ready for the next episode title?
M: I mean, it goes without saying that Coffee Prince was the most caffeinated, so yes.
E: Oh yeah, no discussion needed. Anyway, Season 4 Episode 5 is called “Let’s Go, Gutsy Red Riot”
M: Excellent, some Kirishima content. Unless someone else is work-studying with Red Riot which would be hysterical. Not a prediction, by the way.
E: Mmhmm. Predictions, predictions, let’s go.
M: Prediction one: Crimson Riot has some kind of funky ritual he does to get psyched up for hero training that at first freaks Kirishima out, but then he gets into it. Like Dwight listening to metal in the car before a sale on The Office. I thought Red Riot was the hero, so this is throwing me for a bit of a loop, but yeah, let’s say he’s with Crimson Riot, why not.
E: Red Riot is Kirishima’s hero name. But I understand the confusion. Anyway:
M: Prediction two: We’ll also find out where Froppy and Uraraka have work studies. Uraraka’s will be terrible. She had a great internship, so she’s going to face some sexism in the workplace or something.
E:
M: Prediction three: Bakugo and Todoroki won’t intern with Endeavor. It’s been brought to my attention that I predicted this twice for Bakugo. Instead, they’ll become a dynamic duo. But each one will tell everyone else the other is the sidekick.
E: VS
M: That’s evocative.
E: Thank you.
M: Prediction four: a few more kiddos will get work studies. Momo will probably be able to buy one, Iida won’t get one because everyone knows what happened last time, and surprising everyone, Tailman will get one at a top twenty agency.
E: Ahem.
M: Prediction five: I forgot about Overhaul.
E: Is that your prediction?
M: No, just a preface! Prediction five: Shigaraki has some kind of outrageous demand that he will never expect to be granted, but will receive. Like he wants ten billion yen, or his own unicorn child or something. He’s going in with that demand as a pretense for saying no and declaring war, but when Overhaul gives it him with no questions asked, he’s stuck. Have you seen the unicorn puppy? Like that. He wants that.
E: Call Endeavor. This unicorn puppy needs a loving home.
M: Where’s your emoji, coward?
E:
–
Hello everyone, Emma here! As always, thanks for watching Shrek 3 with us! Uh, that is, Coffee Prince and My Hero Academia. If you want to catch up, My Hero is on Funimation and Coffee Prince is on Tubi!
Next time! We get to the fall out of the hug in Coffee Prince and Kirishima runs into some troubles on his internship.