The following contains spoilers for Tomodachi Game Episode 5, “Yuuichi-kun, You’re Pretty Dumb, Aren’t You?” now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The second event of Tomodachi Game‘s titular competition draws to a close with the most heart-pounding development yet. As Tenji attempts to ensnare Sawaragi by shattering her bond with the others, Yuuichi puts his strategy to incriminate the traitor into action.
While the balance of influence over the group continues to shift between the two, the obscured moderators seem to think that Yuuichi’s course may be more vicious than he lets on. But could the seemingly well-meaning Yuuichi really be hiding something wicked?
Picking up where Episode 4 left off, Shibe is left desperately clambering to defend himself after one of the participants submits a Bad Mouth slip accusing him of murder. Though it is unclear who might have made the allegation, Tenji seems certain it is a part of Yuuichi’s dark scheme to force him out of the shadows as the traitor. Nevertheless, it is hard to believe that a devoted friend like Yuuichi might be capable of tormenting Shibe so soon after finding out about his father’s caddish nature.
Still, whether or not he is responsible for the rumor, Yuuichi definitely uses it to sway the others to his side. Hurrying to support Shibe, Yuuichi tries to rally them together with a suggestion that everybody disparage themselves to even the score and finish the game together. In the face of this seemingly benign plea, Tenji shuts him down by taking advantage a loophole in the rules and submitting ten different secrets in one round.
Tomodachi Game has tried to hint at a darker side to Yuuichi, but this initial appeal seems like a far cry from the twisted mastermind the show’s animation implies him to be. Regardless of how calculated the move might be, Yuuichi seems to want to bring about a tie and give the traitor an opportunity to repair their friendship by making amends. This seems especially true if one assumes that he already knows Tenji’s true role as the instigator behind the games.
But while this preliminary idea appears to fall flat against Tenji, the spectators judging the games claim to see Yuuichi’s true colors. In the moments leading up to the Bad Mouth Board Game’s conclusion, the two administrators take a deeper look at the footage and Yuuichi’s profile to discover a seemingly shocking truth — as well as a trap aimed at Tenji. Neither of these are explained in detail in Episode 5, but the revelation disturbs them to the point of calling Yuuichi a “human monstrosity.”
As the final round of the game rolls into view, all hope seems lost with Sawaragi a single space away from losing — an outcome that would force her to play the rest of the Tomodachi Game on her own. However, Yuuichi takes the moment to put forth one final gambit. Making use of the rule that any verified lies submitted will bring about a penalty for the one who writes them, Yuuichi tells everybody to say that they are the one who applied for the Tomodachi Game. Doing so would supposedly result in a simultaneous loss for everybody — except the real traitor.
This places Tenji in a bind as such a resolution would not only reveal him as the traitor, but leave him out of all subsequent rounds. It would also remove Sawaragi from his sphere of manipulation, destroying his only chance to get what he deems his revenge over her. Deciding to bargain with a show of emotions, Tenji writes the reality of his betrayal and prepares a pity speech about being forced by someone else to take part in the game. Yet his expectations are dashed when he discovers he is the only one to have submitted anything, despite everyone’s agreement of cooperation.
It is at this point that Yuuichi unveils how terrifying he can truly be. Grabbing Tenji by his scalp after catching him red-handed and demanding an explanation, his savage demeanor is enough to inspire genuine tears from Tenji. Though Episode 5 closes without fully unpacking how Yuuichi encircled Tenji, or what this means for the consequences of the game, it is clear that Yuuichi has deftly puppeted things to arrive in his favor.
Just like in the first game — where Yuuichi’s somewhat appalling face-heel turn was rooted in his desire to defend Kokorogi — this latest ploy may be to save Sawaragi and the collective friendship of the others. Even so, it would seem the arbitrators are correct to see more in him than meets the eye. There is still much to be revealed about Yuuichi, but at the very least, it should now be obvious that he is the furthest thing from a victim in Tomodachi Game.
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