One can definitely feel the different vibe in this season compared with season 1. Gone were the Uehara security girls that irritated me for being so cliche. The scenes and character outfits were also brighter compared with the muted and darker tones of the previous season. It shows a more vibrant university life. I would have wanted Issei to also be here even as a cameo but he was absent T_T. One improvement in the story was Nao's involvement in an arts club, since it show that she was now interested in things other than being focused on just Uehara. One of my problems was that I did not know what exactly the careers the characters were pursuing, unlike in other university dramas. Maybe their departments or courses were mentioned but I may have missed it.

Another plus for the story is that Daichi, the second male lead in Season 1 who I really liked (yes, I had a case of 2ls for him), finally had his own loveline. However I felt that the resolution of his arc of finally letting go of Nao, felt kind of forced. I didn't feel his chemistry with his new partner while it was still palpable in his few scenes with Nao. Even when characters were saying he now likes Nanase, I felt like his expressions and actions still showed he liked Nao. They should have cast a younger looking actress, because the way she portrayed Nanase was as a vindictive rival. Even for scenes designed to reform and make her charming, the acting felt flat, unapologetic and just plain annoying. I think it's safe to say I did not like her.

The introduction of Saeko and Natsume into the story was also good since it showed that Uehara and Nao had better options than each other. Natsume was a sweet, hero-type character that could sweep you of your feet, given a chance. He was a loving older brother, silent protector, a hard worker and a charming helper to the people that he meets which makes him a very viable choice for Nao. Saeko was smart and a fighter that Uehara can really admire as a colleague. And because of them, my support for the OTP lessened and had gone to the camp that if they hadn't lived together then they wouldn't have fallen in love. The scenes of the OTP together usually led to self-doubts and misunderstandings. I still felt that Nao was the one who was trying to keep the relationship and Uehara kept being a jerk by not sharing his true feelings, he was really just lucky that she did not have a serious thump in the head to wake her up. I also sensed that Nao was genuinely happy when with other characters than with Uehara. In scenes with him, all I can sense was that she felt she was lucky this guy was interested in her. This really is one of those series where I just can't support the OTP because there is unequal balance in the relationship which can be toxic in the long run. Nao is too submissive while Uehara was too dismissive. Yes, there are scenes that show that Uehara really appreciates Nao but the problem is that this is with other people instead of his partner which could have made Nao feel more secure and made the relationship stronger. Would probably rewatch cute scenes only, maybe the heart fluttering ones with Natsume.