What’s better than four derpy guys?
That’s right — five derpy guys!
Teased at the end of Play It Cool, Guys volume 2, Igarashi is an author, and Mima’s company is doing promotion for his book’s movie adaptation. Mima became a fan of Igarashi’s after reading his book, and it’s purely a coincidence that Mima knew someone with the same name who wanted to be an author…and that Igarashi lived in Mima’s prefecture at one point…and knows which Pocket Monster Bread Monster Mima likes.
What, that isn’t a coincidence? Well, then Igarashi must be a fortune teller!
And if you thought that, I’m convinced you’re Mima isekai’d into our world.
Igarashi’s introduction is the major event of the volume. He instantly recognizes Mima, and while young-Igarashi made an impression on Mima, Mima’s encouragement directly led to Igarashi’s current success as a writer. Still, like the others, he is a goof. Igarashi is a bit like Shiki in that he doesn’t let his errors (like mistaking a shoehorn for an umbrella) bother him. Igarashi is invigorated by his reunion with Mima, and so he is moving to Tokyo. He briefly meets Shiki and the others, but that is just a basic introduction at the very end of the book.
Those three do have their own chapters involving love letters, umbrellas, and clothes shopping. I smiled a few times as Futami consulted everyone on how to respond to a love letter and Mima’s umbrella was unveiled, but I don’t know if I’ll recall what they did here in volume 3 by the time volume 4 comes out. Heck, I already had to go back to remember Ichikura’s section. Plus, and this is a problem with Mima’s storyline as well, the idea of these guys being goofs are becoming more like these guys are idiots. Forgetting where you left an umbrella is a silly mistake. Not realizing that a person inviting you out after school out back and then handing you an envelope while blushing is a love confession is more than just being a goof.
However, the main thing is the Mima/Igarashi interactions could be a great jumping off point for a BL story or subplot. Those undertones as they balance how to address each other and such just scream for a new shipping fandom to be born (if it hasn’t already). The others’ tales also seem frivolous when you want to see how Igarashi will be in a full-group setting — especially since Ichikura is a big fan of Igarashi’s.
However, while I’ve never been a fan of people who somehow turn every friendship into a relationship they obsess over (and it’s usually females with male x male couples), I’m all for the BL undertones in Mima and Igarashi’s reunion. They have great chemistry. Honestly, if the author leans heavily into teasing something more between the two, that probably would be the better reason to read Play It Cool, Guys over some of this forced comedy.