Sit back and get ready for some quality family bonding in this episode ofUzaki-Chan Wants to Hang Out!All the Uzaki children are done with exams and what better way to relax than with a family trip to a hot spring? Fuji heard about a good one from one of his gym’s members, so they decide to head there. Kiri flashes back to his encounter witha nude Sakurai at the gym, and it’s enough for him to count himself out of this trip, so the rest of the family goes without him. On the drive, Yanagi teases Uzaki, saying she’d rather be alone with her senpai at this hot spring. Fuji catches it in the mirror andstarts to get a little road rage. He thinks about how his daughter has been coming home later, but any time he tries to ask about it she just dances around it. He flashes back to Uzaki’s youth when he taught her Kansai dialect, and they got along well.
Once they get to the hot spring,they see the mascotand take pictures of it. There’s an odd moment with the hot spring mascot and the random cat that’s been popping up in the background of scenes throughout the whole anime. Let’s cut to the chase. Cats are cute, as many a cat person would agree, but that cat is the leastcute animal to appear on-screensince theTucker Family pet, Alexander, from Fullmetal Alchemistand everyone knows how that turned out. That being said, this isn’t the last time the cat will make an appearance in this episode.
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The Lion’s Den
After they get inside, Yanagi and Uzaki enjoy the hot spring as Fuji and Tsuki watch from the sidelines. The family spends time in various baths, from the wine bath to the coffee bath and at this point there’s no way viewers aren’t feeling at least a tinge of hot spring envy. For viewers who haven’t experienced the relaxing joy of a sauna, they’ll want to throw that on the bucket list for sure. Fuji is really glad the family is enjoying the hot spring, but Uzaki, Yanagi, and Tsuki make more noise in the “doctor fish” bath than Fuji is comfortable with, and he tries to quiet them down. Once he slips into the bath, the tables turn and his moans of pleasure make Tsuki the uncomfortable one.
As Yanagi and Uzaki consider where to go next after leaving their parents alone, two random guys approach them to talk and Yanagi is quick to shut them down. The guys invite them to grab a drink and Yanagi mentions that they’re there with family. The guys arepretty thirsty and they can’t take a hint, so they ask for their contact info. Yanagi points out it’d be a crime since she and Uzaki are in middle school. Uzaki catches it and finds herself shocked that the guys actually believed it about both of them. As the guys are creepily saying they’ll touch base again in a few years, Fuji looms behind them and scares them off.
Then, Fuji thinks he can’t let his daughters roam around in their cute swimsuits and likens it to tossing raw meat into a safari park full of lions. That’s some pretty colorful imagery. He apologizes for leaving them alone. The two daughters mention that he’s never too far away, and he’ll always protect them, which brings tears to his eyes. Then, he overhears the same two guys hitting on Tsuki, so he scares them away again. These guys just won’t quit.
As Fuji overhears some other guys chattering about a gorgeous body, he starts rearing up again in anticipation, but when he confronts them, it turns out they were just impressed by his physique. They win him overpretty quickly, and he poses for pictures. The rest of the Uzakifamily watch as he posesfor pictures and Tsuki points out how Fuji loves it when people compliment his body. He starts giving out workout advice. Even the catmascot of the series is getting into itand doing pushups over on the side.
Uzaki leaves to explore the sauna herself. She finds a cave bath area. Of all the people, she runs into Sakurai and Sakaki. They start to wonder if Sakaki planned it, but this time it’s 100% coincidence, or so he says. Sakurai thinks about how he can talk to her normally after swimming his heart out the other day. Sakurai and Uzaki chat normally.
Just Coincidence? Maybe So
After Sakaki watches them in amusement, he spouts some real facts and points out how Uzaki spends so much time with Sakurai that the only time he gets to hang around with him is when she’s not around. He even says that she has higher priority. The two of them can’t deny it. Uzaki mentions that if Sakurai was that lonely, she’s sorry she couldn’t hang out with him today and offers to join them. Sakurai tells her to enjoy spending time with her family today instead, and they can hang out some other time. Uzaki thinks back about the time she’s spent with her family so far today, and she agrees with Sakurai.
Before she heads off, she asks if he’ll say the same thing he always says, and he hesitantly compliments her swimsuit. Even now, Asai’s advice about complimenting Uzaki has really been making a difference and improving her relationship with Sakurai. Uzaki returns to her family,grinning ear to ear.
There’s arandom scene with the catand the mascot where it seems the cat has finished its training. Gotta say, didn’t need this scene or the one a few moments later where the cat scares other cats off of the Uzaki family roof.
The Weakest Link is Back
Back at the Uzaki home, everyone sits in the living room, waiting for dinner to be finished. They tell Kiri about their time at the sauna. Kiri feels a little jealous about not going and after his father suggests he come next time, Kiri starts to really regret not going and enthusiastically agrees to go next time. He realizes that since even “runts” like his sisters get hit on at the sauna, he could maybe get hit on by a college girl.The two sisters smack him hardon the back of the head. Tsuki watches her family argue and thinks warmly about her family’s zaniness.
This episode ofUzaki-Chan Wants to Hang Out!was more enjoyable than the previous one, partially due to including more of the Uzaki family instead of just one of the less enjoyable members. It’s like the show creators knew Kiri was the weakest link of the Uzaki clan. Still, the episode was still weak compared to some other more resonant episodes of the current season. This episode hinted at more of the relationship between Fuji and Tsuki which was nice, considering it gave them more characterization as a result, but it’d be great to see even more of it. Sure those two are side characters, but being able to see that their relationship exists outside their interactions with Uzaki, Sakurai or the other Uzaki children is definitely a step in the right direction.
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