Episode 5 is clearly the show hitting its “monster-of-the-week / invention-of-the-week” mode. After the more interconnected early episodes, this one zooms in on Kihachi’s latest device — an electric machine that’s supposed to detect mutual romantic feelings — and builds an entire episode around testing it on various pairs (with predictably chaotic and shipping-heavy results). The comedy lands for a good portion of the audience. Inako’s over-the-top expressions, the awkward confessions, and the side-character reactions (particularly involving Yosuke’s circle and the guards) provide consistent laughs. The episode also gives a bit more personality to Kate and Suzu, and the soft ending between them is genuinely cute. At the same time, this is where the show’s formula starts to show some strain. The main mystery around the Catalog and Seiroku takes a back seat, and the romantic premise (especially the adult student fixating on a much younger character) left some viewers uncomfortable or frustrated. It can feel like the series is stalling rather than building momentum.