Ayumu (boy) and Urushi (girl) awkwardly flirt while playing shogi. That’s the episode. Oh, I guess sometimes for variety they awkwardly flirt during breaks between classes or while walking home. In a typical-for-the-genre arbitrary and irrational teenage decision that somehow still feels kind of realistic, Ayumu has decided not to confess his feelings to Urushi until he defeats her in shogi. Unfortunately, his cute senpai is actually a lot better at the game than he is, so that might take a while.
Well, the title is punny (playing off the difference between “making one’s move” romantically versus within a game), so that’s a good sign in my book. Based on the opening episode, this anime seems to be a cute, funny, lighthearted high school romcom. You’ve definitely seen shows like this before; for example, I was reminded a bit of Kaguya-sama: Love Is War from how the two leads stubbornly resist admitting they like each other, and also sensed a bit of the playful teasing found in Teasing Master Takagi-san, which shares the same mangaka. If you like those kinds of shows, there’s a good chance you may enjoy When Will Ayumu Make His Move? as well. I quite enjoyed watching, so as long as the combination of sweetness and humor holds up, I’ll keep coming back.
When Will Ayumu Make His Move? is streaming on HIDIVE.
It feels like Teasing Master Takagi-san with the roles reversed. I’ll be checking it out.
With how often Shogi shows up in anime, it would be nice to actually know how to play it.
“Reading the Song of Songs” – Man, I’m dying! 🤣
“Your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead.” 😀