Junjo Romantica Season 1 Episode 5 Meeting Is the Beginning of Parting

Meeting Is the Beginning of Parting, the fifth episode of the first season of Junjo Romantica, follows the complex relationships of three different couples. The episode primarily centers around the main couple, Misaki Takahashi and Akihiko Usami, and their struggles to navigate their age-gap relationship.

Misaki, a struggling college student, has been living with Usami, a well-known novelist, for a few weeks now. As the two continue to spend more time together, it becomes increasingly clear that Misaki is developing feelings for Usami. However, Misaki is plagued with doubt and insecurity, feeling that their age difference and the fact that Usami is his brother's best friend are significant barriers to a potential relationship.

Meanwhile, Usami is also struggling with his feelings for Misaki. He is aware of Misaki's increasing affections towards him, but he is also hesitant to act on his own feelings due to their age difference and his fears about hurting Misaki in the long run.

The second couple, Hiroki Kamijou and Nowaki Kusama, also face their own challenges in this episode. Hiroki, a literature professor, is struggling to come to terms with his feelings for Nowaki, a much younger man who he met and fell in love with several years earlier. Hiroki is haunted by his fear of being hurt again, as he has previously experienced heartbreak and loss in a past relationship.

Finally, the third couple, Miyagi Yo and Shinobu Takatsuki, also make an appearance in this episode. Miyagi, a literature professor and Usami's childhood friend, has been in a relationship with Shinobu, a high school student, for several months. However, their relationship is fraught with problems due to their significant age difference and the fact that Shinobu is still in high school.

Overall, Meeting Is the Beginning of Parting is a complex and emotional episode that delves into the struggles of navigating relationships in the face of societal expectations and personal fears. Through the experiences of Misaki, Usami, Hiroki, Nowaki, Miyagi, and Shinobu, the episode explores the themes of love, age difference, and the fear of being hurt by those we care about.