Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Episode 10 Recap & Characters (Spoiler-Free)

Episode Summary

A Melody of Reminiscing and Support

The circle reviews the game's early scenes, and Utaha agrees to revise them after Eriri brings up her overdue novel. That night Tomoya runs into his same-age cousin Michiru fresh from a shower; she has left home after asking her father to fund her band and is staying with his family. When Megumi sees Michiru's message, Utaha grills Tomoya and dubs Michiru his primordial childhood friend, rattling Eriri.

Back home, Michiru has bagged Tomoya's otaku goods for the trash and tells him to think about his future. Fed up, he resolves to have her father take her home, but when he hears her play guitar, he is moved and asks her to make the ultimate dating game with him.

• Group work and the heroine scenario

  Tomoya proposes a second accidental encounter, Utaha objects that it is clichéd, and Eriri sides with him for cute, risqué scenes. Utaha agrees to reconsider the early events after Eriri raises her overdue novel.

• Cousin Michiru arrives

  Heading for a bath late at night, Tomoya runs into his same-age cousin Michiru fresh from the shower. She has left home after asking her father to fund her band, and his parents let her stay.

• Michiru's message and the 'original' childhood friend

  When Megumi accidentally sees a message from Michiru, Utaha grills Tomoya about the cousin born the same day at the same hospital, calls her his primordial childhood friend, and leaves Eriri shaken.

• Quarrel and the guitar

  Back home, Tomoya finds that Michiru has bagged his otaku goods for the trash, and she tells him to grow out of it and think about his future. He forbids her to plug in her amplifier and resolves to have her father take her home, but when he hears her play, he is moved and asks her to make the ultimate dating game with him.

Recent Timeline

• Izumi's return and Iori's challenge (Episode 7)

  Behind on her Summer Comiket manuscript, Eriri Sawamura asked Tomoya Aki to help work out its story. Around then Izumi Hashima, the junior Tomoya once got into games, returned to Tokyo drawing Little Love Rhapsody doujinshi and invited him to her Summer Comiket booth. Then her brother Iori Hashima, the best friend Tomoya had cut ties with, appeared and challenged him over Eriri's creative future, saying his circle rouge en rouge was also looking for an illustrator.

• Summer Comiket sellout and Eriri's tears (Episode 8)

  After finishing her manuscript, Eriri Sawamura pledged herself to Tomoya's circle until Winter Comiket and turned down Iori Hashima's offer. On the second day of Summer Comiket, Izumi Hashima's book sold out after Tomoya Aki hung a large poster of its unfinished page and Megumi Kato helped at the booth. Afterward Tomoya called out to Eriri, who had secretly bought Izumi's book; in tears she asked whether her work mattered as much to him, and he could not answer.

• Confrontation at the old school and blessing software (Episode 9)

  Utaha Kasumigaoka, called in by Megumi Kato, urged Tomoya Aki to win Eriri Sawamura back through their shared childhood. Following Utaha's plan modeled on Little Love Rhapsody, he led Eriri out of her family's fireworks-night party, and outside their old school he poured out eight years of resentment over her abandoning him. Eriri called it betrayal that he had shared Little Love Rhapsody with another girl, and when he said Izumi's book excited him more, she vowed to become his number one before she would apologize. Eriri then finished the circle cut, modeling its heroine on Megumi's figure, and the circle was named blessing software.

• Cousin Michiru and the 'original' childhood friend (Episode 10)

  Heading for a bath late at night, Tomoya Aki ran into his same-age cousin Michiru fresh from the shower. After her all-girl band's school-festival show drew an offer from a live venue, Michiru had asked her father to fund the band, fought with him, and left home, and Tomoya's parents let her stay with no set end date. Later, when Megumi Kato happened to see a message from Michiru, Utaha Kasumigaoka grilled Tomoya about the cousin born the same day at the same hospital, dubbed her his original childhood friend, and left Eriri Sawamura shaken.

• The otaku goods uproar and Michiru's guitar (Episode 10)

  Back home, Tomoya found that Michiru had cleared his room and bagged his otaku goods for the trash, and she told him to grow out of it and think about his future. He resolved to have her father take her home, but that night, hearing her play guitar, he was moved and asked her to make the ultimate dating game with him.

Character Graph

Keiichi Kato

Cousin of Megumi Kato who goes out to dinner with her.

• Megumi Kato (Family, Affinity)

  Her cousin; they go out to dinner together while their parents attend a play.

Sonoko Machida

Utaha Kasumigaoka's editor and a deputy editor at her publisher. She presses Utaha on deadlines and brought Tomoya Aki in to interview her.

• Utaha Kasumigaoka (Colleague, Mixed)

  Her editor; keeps pressing her on deadlines and arranged her interview with Tomoya.

Iori Hashima

Izumi Hashima's older brother and Tomoya Aki's former classmate and best friend, who now runs the top doujin circle rouge en rouge. Eriri Sawamura turned down his offer, and on the last day of Summer Comiket Tomoya came to ask for his help in bringing her back; afterward he told Izumi that Kashiwagi Eri had bought her book.

• Rival circle

  Says rouge en rouge is starting a game project like Tomoya's and needs an illustrator, framing it as a contest over Eriri's creative future.

• Break with Tomoya

  They once vowed to rise in the otaku world together, but Tomoya cut ties because Iori rides on popular works and creators to make himself look big.

• Plans for Izumi

  Complained that Tomoya had spoiled his plan to launch Izumi through his circle the following year.

• Tomoya Aki (Friend, Mixed)

  Former best friend turned rival; Tomoya cut ties over his habit of exploiting creators, yet still came to him for help in bringing Eriri back.

• Eriri Sawamura (Other, Neutral)

  Wanted her for his circle, but she turned him down, calling him a doujin hustler.

• Izumi Hashima (Family, Neutral)

  Older brother; Tomoya suggests he hides his doujin activities from her. After Summer Comiket he told her that Kashiwagi Eri had bought her book.

Izumi Hashima (Izumi)

doujin artist

Tomoya Aki's junior, two school years younger, who got into games and anime thanks to him and draws Little Love Rhapsody doujinshi. Her book sold out at Summer Comiket with Tomoya's help, and Iori later told her that the popular artist Kashiwagi Eri had lined up to buy it herself.

• Doujinshi activity

  Draws Little Love Rhapsody doujinshi as the circle Fancy Wave; last year was her first event.

• Origin of interest

  Tomoya gave her Little Love Rhapsody 2 and a console for her birthday, which opened up games and anime for her.

• Last-minute rewrite

  Scrapped finished pages for a new idea the day before the deadline, so the last part of her book was left in rough sketches.

• Tomoya Aki (Mentor, Colleague, Affinity)

  Calls him her senpai and credits him with the hobby that made her happy; at Summer Comiket he helped sell out her book.

• Eriri Sawamura (Other, Neutral)

  Knows of Eriri only by reputation; they have never really talked.

• Iori Hashima (Family, Neutral)

  Her older brother, who told her that Kashiwagi Eri had bought her book.

• Megumi Kato (Other, Affinity)

  Took Megumi for Tomoya's girlfriend at first, and accepted her offer to mind the booth so she could buy other circles' books.

Eriri Sawamura (Eriri)

student · illustrator · circle member

Tomoya Aki's childhood friend and blessing software's illustrator, who secretly draws as Kashiwagi Eri. Unusually motivated since Summer Comiket, she argues for cute, slightly risqué scenes, but was shaken when Utaha called Tomoya's cousin Michiru his childhood friend from birth and dismissed the others as knockoffs.

• Pen name

  Draws popular adult doujinshi as Kashiwagi Eri and keeps it secret at school.

• Circle commitment

  Turned down rouge en rouge and swore off other events and guest work until Winter Comiket.

• Vow

  Vowed to become Tomoya's number one as a creator and refuses to apologize until then.

• Childhood-friend rivalry

  Feels threatened by Tomoya's cousin Michiru, who has known him since birth.

• Tomoya Aki (Colleague, Friend, Mixed)

  Childhood friend and circle leader; they never formally made up, but she now works on the game with unusual drive.

• Utaha Kasumigaoka (Colleague, Hostility)

  Senior she needles about her overdue novel; Utaha in turn ignored her and rattled her over Michiru.

• Megumi Kato (Colleague, Neutral)

  Fellow circle member and the model whose expressions she draws for the heroine.

• Iori Hashima (Other, Hostility)

  Turned down his offer to join rouge en rouge, calling him a hustler who uses up creators.

• Izumi Hashima (Other, Mixed)

  Secretly lined up to buy Izumi's book and felt outdone by the excitement Tomoya showed for it.

• Michiru (Other, Mixed)

  Shaken when Utaha painted Tomoya's cousin as his childhood friend from birth and called the others knockoffs.

Megumi Kato (Megumi)

student · classmate · main heroine · circle member

Tomoya Aki's classmate and the model for blessing software's main heroine. She takes an interest in the scripting Tomoya is learning, and accidentally saw a message from his cousin Michiru, which set off Utaha's questioning.

• The girl on the hill

  Thanked Tomoya for picking up her white beret over spring break; she was the girl he had taken for his destined encounter.

• Circle name

  Reminded Tomoya to think of a circle name; he chose blessing software, which was teased as 'Megumi Soft'.

• Tomoya Aki (Colleague, Friend, Affinity)

  Classmate and circle leader whose scripting work she watches with interest.

• Eriri Sawamura (Colleague, Neutral)

  Fellow circle member who uses her as the model for the heroine's expressions.

• Keiichi Kato (Family, Affinity)

  Her cousin, with whom she went out to dinner.

• Izumi Hashima (Other, Affinity)

  Offered to mind the booth so Izumi could buy other circles' books, and praised her book.

Tomoya Aki (Tomoya)

student · otaku · circle leader

Leader of blessing software, learning scripting himself while the game's music is still unassigned. His same-age cousin Michiru has moved into his house and bagged his otaku goods for the trash, but on hearing her play guitar he was moved and asked her to make the ultimate dating game with him.

• Core ambition

  Wants to turn the girl he met on a hill in spring, his classmate Megumi, into a heroine who moves players.

• Game project

  Leads the circle as producer and director, with Eriri on art and Utaha on the scenario, and works part-time to fund the game.

• Resentment toward Eriri

  Has never forgiven Eriri for pretending to quit being an otaku eight years ago and leaving him for new friends.

• Cousin Michiru

  His same-age cousin Michiru is staying at his house after a fight with her father.

• Eriri Sawamura (Colleague, Friend, Mixed)

  Childhood friend and illustrator; they never formally made up, but she has thrown herself into the game since Summer Comiket.

• Utaha Kasumigaoka (Colleague, Affinity)

  Senior writer who is delaying her own novel to write the game's scenario; he refused to let her take over his work too.

• Megumi Kato (Colleague, Friend, Affinity)

  Classmate and heroine model who follows his scripting work and accidentally saw Michiru's message on his phone.

• Izumi Hashima (Mentor, Colleague, Affinity)

  Junior whose talent stunned him; he helped sell out her book at Summer Comiket.

• Iori Hashima (Friend, Mixed)

  Former best friend turned rival; he still went to Iori on the last day of Comiket to ask for help in bringing Eriri back.

• Michiru (Family, Mixed)

  His same-age cousin and lodger; furious when she bagged his collection for the trash, he planned to send her home, until her playing moved him to ask her to make the ultimate dating game with him.

Utaha Kasumigaoka (Utaha)

student · writer · circle member

A third-year senior who writes as Kasumi Utako and is blessing software's scenario writer, delaying her own overdue novel to finish the game script. When Megumi saw Michiru's message, she interrogated Tomoya and dubbed his cousin his primordial childhood friend, rattling Eriri.

• Pen name

  Publishes best-selling light novels as Kasumi Utako; Tomoya is a devoted fan.

• Game role

  Writes the scenario for Tomoya's dating game.

• Delayed novel

  Has let her own next novel fall behind to write the game's scenario.

• Tomoya Aki (Colleague, Mentor, Affinity)

  So eager to support him that she offered to take over his work; he declined, saying she is already delaying her novel for the game.

• Eriri Sawamura (Colleague, Hostility)

  Ignored her while doting on Tomoya, then rattled her by calling Michiru the original childhood friend.

• Megumi Kato (Colleague, Neutral)

  Wrote her lines and coached her performance as the heroine.

Michiru

cousin · band

Tomoya Aki's cousin, the same age and born on the same day at the same hospital. She left home after fighting with her father over support for her all-girl band and is staying at Tomoya's house, where she bagged his otaku goods for the trash; that night her guitar playing moved him to ask her to make his game with him.

• Band activity

  Started an all-girl band in high school a year ago; after its school-festival show a live venue scouted it.

• Reason for leaving home

  Asked her father to fund the band without telling him anything beforehand, and he got angry.

• Clash with Tomoya

  Cleared his room, bagged his otaku goods for the trash, and told him to grow out of being an otaku.

• Tomoya Aki (Family, Mixed)

  Same-age cousin since birth whom she treats like family, lounging around carelessly; she bagged his otaku goods for the trash, but her song moved him to invite her into his game.

World Memo

• Tomoya's game circle

  Otaku Tomoya Aki leads the doujin circle blessing software, which is making a dating game with his classmate Megumi Kato as the model for its main heroine. Eriri Sawamura handles the art and Utaha Kasumigaoka the scenario, and the goal is to finish in December and release it at Winter Comiket. Tomoya covers the production costs with part-time jobs. Tomoya is studying scripting to build the game himself, and no one has been found for the music yet.

• Eriri and Utaha's secret identities

  Tomoya's childhood friend Eriri Sawamura is the popular adult doujin artist Kashiwagi Eri, and his third-year senior Utaha Kasumigaoka is the popular light novelist Kasumi Utako. Both keep these identities hidden at school.

• Comiket and doujin circles

  Comiket is a huge event held in summer and winter where doujin circles sell their own doujinshi and doujin games at booths. It runs for three days, and each circle is assigned one of them; at Summer Comiket, Eriri's circle was placed on the final day and Izumi's on the second.

• Circle entry cutoff

  Participating circles enter the hall ahead of the general queue with circle tickets, but circle entry closes at a set time on the morning of the event.

• Large sellers versus small exhibitors

  There is an enormous gap in sales between major sellers and small exhibitors, and small exhibitors often struggle to sell alone and may carry unsold books home.

• The game's route structure

  Utaha Kasumigaoka's original plot centered on the heroine Meguri, bound by a past-life bond. After reworking it overnight with Tomoya Aki in Wago City, the game now pairs the past-life story route with an everyday-romance route.

• Michiru's band

  Tomoya's same-age cousin Michiru started an all-girl band in high school, and its school-festival show drew an offer from a live venue. After fighting with her father over support for the band, she left home and is now staying at Tomoya's house.

Clue Board

• Disputed childhood promise (Episode 1)

  A flashback presents a childhood promise that Tomoya would found a game company and hire Eriri as its artist; Eriri disputes that such an implausibly specific promise ever happened.

• An 'impossible' December schedule (Episode 4)

  Tomoya Aki plans to finish the game in December and debut it at Winter Comiket, but Eriri Sawamura protests that the schedule is impossible alongside her art club and her own circle. Tomoya must also raise the production costs, several hundred thousand to a million yen, alone through part-time work, so whether the schedule can hold is still unknown.

• Iori's concealment from Izumi (Episode 7)

  Tomoya suggests Iori hides his activities from Izumi out of shame. Iori does not confirm or deny the accusation, leaving the matter open.

• How Iori knows (Episode 7)

  Iori Hashima knows that Eriri Sawamura is the doujin artist Kashiwagi Eri, a secret she keeps at school, and he also knows about Tomoya's game project and its creative lineup. How he found out has not been revealed.

• Why Eriri turned away eight years ago (Episode 9)

  Tomoya accuses Eriri of pretending to quit being an otaku eight years ago and leaving him for new friends. Eriri insists she had no choice and says she cried over having to ignore him at school, but she has not said what forced her.

• Doubtful sprained ankle (Episode 9)

  Tomoya questions whether Eriri's claimed sprained ankle is genuine, while Eriri treats helping her as his responsibility for taking her away; the question is left open.

• Who will make the game's music (Episode 10)

  No one has taken on the game's music yet. Moved by his cousin Michiru's guitar, Tomoya Aki asked her to make the ultimate dating game with him, but it is unclear whether Michiru, who told him to quit being an otaku, will agree.

• Michiru's rift with her father (Episode 10)

  Tomoya's same-age cousin Michiru left home after fighting with her father over support for her band and is staying at Tomoya's house with no set end date. How things with her father will be resolved is still unknown.

Season Summary

Season 1 — Season 1

Episodes 1–10

Tomoya Aki, a devoted otaku, is making a dating game for Winter Comiket modeled on his unremarkable classmate Megumi Kato, the girl he met on a hill in spring, with his childhood friend Eriri Sawamura, secretly the doujin artist Kashiwagi Eri, on art and senior Utaha Kasumigaoka, the light novelist Kasumi Utako, on the scenario. A night in Wago City spent reworking the plot with Utaha set the game's direction.

Eriri turns down Tomoya's estranged friend Iori Hashima and pledges herself to Tomoya's circle, but at Summer Comiket Tomoya sells out the book of Iori's sister Izumi, a junior he once got into games, and Eriri is hurt. After they air eight years of grievances outside their old school, Eriri vows to become his number one, and the circle is named blessing software.

Then Tomoya's same-age cousin Michiru, who has left home after fighting with her father over her band, moves into his house and bags his otaku goods for the trash. But on hearing her play guitar, Tomoya is moved and asks her to make the game with him.

Music Releases

• Kimiiro Signal (OP)
• Colorful. (ED)