Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible Ep 11: Bag Straps, Packed Subways & Coffee
This might be due to my lack of experience with romance anime, but some of the tropes that stood out to me in Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible episode 11 were subverted in a similar way as another HIDIVE series recently did. It’s possible that other series have done this before, but so far, I haven’t seen it. (If you have, please feel free to add them here in the comments.)
Aside from the fact that this latest episode of Kubo… is all one giant story instead of a collection of four, The Dangers In My Heart, also simulcasting this season on HIDIVE, featured an episode where the prospective couple Anna and Kyotaro keep themselves from getting separated during a date that wasn’t officially a date by holding onto the handles of the same bag. In that case, I deciphered it as one of the episode’s many examples of Anna adopting the role of the mother figure and Kyotaro of the young son. Also, the two of them hadn’t held hands yet, so it was just that series’ own take on the ubiquitous preamble to the act itself. In Kubo…, Kubo and Junta have held hands already, but Kubo decides to hold onto his bag’s strap to keep herself from falling while riding a packed subway car. (The fact she isn’t being more direct about what she wants from Junta should say something about how momentous the occasion is for her.)
In another example from The Dangers In My Heart, the series not only subverts a common trope but simultaneously flips gender roles where a packed elevator forces Anna, not Kyoraro, into adopting a well-known position. The position in question usually involves the guy voluntarily pushing a girl up against a nearby wall, except rather than pressing up against her, his outstretched arm is pinned to that same wall, keeping them physically separate, but close. Anna also didn’t do this on purpose. Someone knocked her into that position. In Kubo…, that same aforementioned subway ride gets so packed that Junta gets pushed into Kubo, forcing him into that same position accidentally. In The Dangers In My Heart, the scene was naturally much steamier because Anna is just that physically strong and in control. Kubo…’s was almost heartbreaking by comparison because of how much effort and pain Junta had to endure to keep them from touching. Knowing how much Kubo wants to connect with Junta, especially after the implications from the last episode, one can imagine how that must make her feel.
If holding onto a shared bag rather than holding hands and getting accidentally pushed into what is usually a stereotypical “guy power” move both are a common subversion of tried-and-true romance tropes, then it might not be that incredible that both instances occur in Kubo… and The Dangers In My Heart, but I still couldn’t help but notice the correlations especially since both shows are currently simulcasting.
But something I did find amusing was how Kubo… introduced yet another generic scene from most romance anime but then chose to completely skip it altogether. The “my lady friend just invited me to shop with her in a woman’s clothing store when I have never stepped in one before” scene is a rite of passage for most nascent series. The fact that Kubo and Junta are on a “date” in episode 11 almost demands that it should happen, and the fact that it does — but then doesn’t — is almost more innovating than just skipping it altogether. (Another anime from this season on Crunchyroll did something similar but for a completely different reason.)
You are the cream (and sugar) in my coffee
Although a completely different topic, I would be remiss if I didn’t even mention the coffee scene. It isn’t playing off a well-known trope or trying to innovate anything. It’s just a sweet gesture on Junta’s part. As those of us who have been watching Kubo… since the beginning know, the eponymous girl will go to great lengths to connect with her beloved Junta. In this case, she orders a black coffee because Junta got one (even though she’s never had coffee before let alone black). Spoiler alert: she doesn’t like it at all, and yet, she is determined to drink it because she wants to have the same thing as him. She can’t even add cream and sugar to her own coffee for the same reason because that would make their drinks different. In the end, Junta pretends that he changed his mind and grabs some cream and sugar for both of them. This is a simple gesture, and yet, shows that he’s understanding (a lot of guys would get confused and not know what to do) and willing to get something he doesn’t even want so that Kubo will be happy. For a guy who hasn’t had any friends before, he’s learning quick. Love works miracles, does it not?
