Official couple alert!! It has taken 33 episodes but we finally have our first pairing in Emika and Tupas. I¡¯m not counting Risako and Kenny because ol¡¯ Riri insisted they were still in the ¡°talking¡± phase of their relationship when they moved out of the house together. Yama-chan, the resident cynic in the studio, argues that Emika is only humoring Tupas because she wants to do some damage control for her reputation after getting bashed by ¡°Terrace House¡± fans on social media, but I see genuine chemistry between the two.

Then again, maybe I¡¯m just feeling generous since this is the first episode to air after Valentine¡¯s Day.

Regardless, it¡¯s fitting that the episode begins with Hana, Emika and Vivi taking stock of their current love lives. Vivi is still harboring feelings for Ryo, mentioning that she thinks she¡¯ll ¡°see him again at some point¡± and looking hopelessly smitten. Hana went out for dinner with Kai in the previous episode, and while she can talk to him with ease, she views him as just a friend.