The ninth episode of Japanese anime "Love and Lies" or "Koi to Uso," titled "So Bright It Doesn't Seem Real," will revolve around the class play that was being organized in episode 8.
The main protagonist of the anime, Yukari Nejima, was successful in his attempt at convincing his best friend Yusuke Nisaka to join the class play, despite the latter's reluctance to take part in it. Given Nisaka's rebellious demeanor, fans have speculated that he will come up with a clever idea to back out of the commitment.
However, in the preview of the next episode, it was revealed that Nisaka will be wearing a woman's outfit, as he is assigned to play the part of Juliet in William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." It would appear that Nisaka is making good on his promise. Could it be that his feelings for Nejima is the reason he agreed to do such a thing?
Playing the part of Romeo will be Misaki Takazaki, Nejima's childhood crush. At this point in the story, both Misaki and Nisaka are very confused about their individual issues. Misaki is also struggling to deal with the fact that Nejima is assigned to marry Lilina Sanada — who has become close to her. On the other hand, Nisaka has feelings for his best friend.
The next episode will also tackle Nisaka's past, which will reveal that he wasn't always the mysterious type of person that fans believe him to be. In fact, it will be revealed that when he was a little kid, he used to be the star player of his soccer team and was perceived to be popular and well-liked by his friends and classmates.
Could it be that Nisaka's isolation from the world stems from his realization of being gay? This is quite a sensitive social issue in Japan where gay men don't have the freedom to express themselves. There is much potential to shed some light on the issue, and Nisaka's predicament could be the best vehicle for this point to come across the audience.
The seemingly Nisaka-centric episode 9 will air on Monday, Aug. 28 at 12 a.m. JST on Tokyo MX. "Love and Lies" can be streamed on Anime Strike.
