***SPOILERS AHEAD***

I started watching Say I Love You / Sukitte Ii na yo on Hulu. I just finished episode three. I may change my mind later, but my first impression of Yamato Kurosawa is not a good one. I can appreciate he wanted to know Mei Tachibana despite her being the school pariah, and not caring what other people think. I also appreciate that he saved her when she had that stalker from work. It’s a horrible, uneasy, and unsafe feeling having someone follow you or stalk you online. Having experienced degrees of this myself, I can imagine how Mei felt, so I’m glad Yamato came to her aid. That aside, Yamato’s character as a whole, is disingenuous to me. Even before he mentioned it himself in the anime’s third episode, it was obvious he goes with the crowd, adjusts himself to other people’s expectations, and caters to the whims and fancies of others. It feels like he’s always “on.” And I hate that he does things because “I just felt like it.” It dismisses the feelings of others, and it doesn’t give weight to the repercussions of his actions. He seems oblivious to the consequences of his behavior. The girls he strings along, who chase after him, who pine after him, he never right out refuses them. Thus they carry on thinking they have a chance to win his heart. Tachibana’s distrust of him is understandable. I like that she is direct with him, that is refreshing. I’m hoping as they enter this relationship together that they will both grow as people. But at the moment, I find Yamato to be careless in his interactions with others, and he doesn’t consider how his actions affect others, especially the girls he strings along.