These plots never ever work unless you obey three simple rules:
1 - Do not have the person leaving be of the main cast.
2 - Do not do this plot in shows with the theme of a True Everlasting Bond.
3 - If you choose to disregard the above rules, then at least wait until the last two or three episodes before dropping this bomb.
We all know Honoka is going to stay, because of course she is.
And because stupid “Coming of Age“ stories have polluted our entertainment industrie, in which a common theme is the loss of a person with a deep bond near the end, it would be absolutely believable that Honoka might leave if you did this stuff in the last couple of episodes.
As is, it isn’t very interesting. Drama is great. It needs to be good drama though.
I’ll say this much: If Honoka actually decides to leave in this episode, and they deal with it here appropiately (and maybe deal with Nagisa’s reaction in the next one), and end the show with her actually going away, i will be very very surprised.
I would not like that outcome, but i would have no choice but to at least respect it because they stuck to their guns.
Wow Nagisa. Remember the episode where you thought you were moving away, and you were devestated because you didn’t want to leave Honoka and Hikari? Keeping the above in mind, this feels a tad out of character. Not that she’d accept Honoka’s decision, because she absolutely would, but doing it that nonchalantly? I don’t know.
Oh nevermind, Nagisa was just being an idiot. Disregard my above ramblings. The fact that we are actually dealing with that makes me happy.
“I did a Nagisa. Please forgive me and let’s talk about this leaving stuff again.“
Do you really hink they in particular would know what Honoka would like to hear? Granted, you don’t really have a lot of options, but still......