The following contains spoilers for Anyway, I’m Falling In Love With You Season 2, Episode 2, currently streaming on Crunchyroll this Winter 2026 anime season.
One thing I love about Anyway I’m Falling In Love With You is how each bond in this group of childhood friends gets attention. Sure, things center around Mizuho, for the most part. Even still, there are very real explorations of everyone’s situation. Through these moments, it helps define Mizuho’s character even more. And in many ways, it makes sense of the reasons all four of these boys are obsessed with her.
After Airu’s surprising confession to Kizuki at the end of Episode 2 last week, I’ve been waiting to see how this all turns out. That alone has brought me to one simple conclusion. I need to find this manga and start reading it because I NEED to know things. And I need to know them now.
The Whale Park Is Anyway I’m Falling In Love With You’s Sweetest Destination
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The friendships between everyone in Anyway I’m Falling In Love With You are one of its best parts. Even amid all the awkward romantic potential stirring between everyone, all five of them really care about each other’s well-being. As Airu calls Mizuho from their secret spot to apologize for not coming to the fireworks, he is regretful when he hears Kizuki showed up. He’s genuinely concerned about her being all right.
Airu’s worry is testament enough to the close bond they share. As the episode takes a look back at the most troubling time in Airu’s life, it quickly becomes clear why they are so close. During the darkest time in his life, she showed up, and she saw him. Mizuho truly saw him for who he was, and she didn’t turn away. She embraced him.
In a time of crisis, when you’re questioning your own identity, having someone see you is like a life line. Mizuho supporting Airu and making him stay true to himself probably saved his life. That’s something he’s never going to forget.
Airu Fighting His Truth Hurt Physically and Emotionally
It’s not hard to imagine how difficult it was for Airu to confess his feelings to Kizuki. Waiting to find out Kizuki’s reaction was rough, because they’ve been friends so long. To see their friendship in ruins over something like Airu coming out would be devastating. Fortunately, Kizuki doesn’t shut him out or push him away. He admits he can’t because he’s so in love with Mizuho.
At the same time, Kizuki doesn’t want their friendship to end, simply because they want different things. He still wants to be there for Airu, to stand by him and be friends as close as they’ve always been. They just can’t have a romantic relationship.
It may sting a little, hearing the object of his heart isn’t interested. Kizuki’s acceptance of Airu’s sexuality, on the other hand, is a soothing balm. Coming out is one of the hardest things for a person to do. Coming out to the person you’re in love with when you’re certain they are straight, is even harder. The possibility of losing everything holds a lot of people back from speaking their truth, and we get to see firsthand what hiding from himself does to Airu.
Anyway I’m Falling In Love With You Exploring Airu’s Battle With Himself Is Heartrending
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Coming to terms with his sexuality is Airu’s biggest battle in this episode of Anyway I’m Falling In Love With You. He doesn’t want to be gay because he’s terrified the people he loves will reject him, so he rejects himself first. He feels estranged and left out when other boys are talking about girls, which only serves to further the isolation he already feels. When he runs away, skipping school and ignoring everyone’s calls, he’s on a self-destructive path.
Airu becomes a bully, beating on everyone and anyone he can to make himself feel like a man. When he encounters an actual street gang run by an older high school boy named Toya, he feels accepted. Toya takes him in, tends to his wounds, and gives him a place to stay.
For a little while, Airu feels seen and accepted. Unfortunately, the other members of Toya’s gang don’t like him hanging around. They don’t like the way he acts because Toya accepts him, so they beat him up to try and get rid of him.
Outward Acceptance Can Heal a Broken Soul
He calls Mizuho, and they meet up at the Whale Park. He’s so confused and hurting, and he wants to go home, but he doesn’t know how. He hates himself so much. He asks her to be his girlfriend, believing he could fall in love with her and change who he really is. But she can’t do that because she knows he doesn’t love her romantically. Her promise to always be there by his side is an acceptance he desperately needs, but he still isn’t ready to go home.
When trouble rears its head, Airu finds himself caught in the middle of a police search. Toya shields him from it, forcing him to face his life and the people who care about him. He reminds him that he doesn’t belong on the streets because he has people who care, and it’s eye opening. Toya’s been abandoned by his own mother, and his father is never around, so he has reasons to hang out on the streets. But the people who love Airu want him around.
Airu is a far cry different in this episode than we’ve seen him so far. Who he is by the time he confesses his feelings to Kizuki says a lot about how far he’s come in accepting his truth. But now I need to know what happens with Toya. Seriously, that better not be the last time we see him. So… yeah, I need to read the manga now.
Anyway I’m Falling In Love With You Season 2, Episode 3 On a Scale of 1 to 10
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Handling a coming out in any fictional setting can be delicate. I have to say, Anyway I’m Falling In Love With You did a decent job exploring the difficult path to self-acceptance that many LGBTQIA people face. It’s impossible to be yourself before you accept yourself, and Airu’s journey toward self-acceptance is handled well.
My only real complaint is that I wish it could have gone even deeper. I wish there’d been a little more time to explore Airu’s dynamic with Toya and the gang before he was pushed out to go home. Dedicating a single episode to such an epic journey of self-discovery and acceptance isn’t near enough time, so I hope we see more of this storyline in the future. I’d give this episode an 11 out of 10 if my rating scale went that high, simply because I respect the way it tactfully handled a subject that is all-too-often mishandled.
