Dakaretai Otoko 1i Ni Odosarete Imasu Episode — 12 Better Fixed
Review: The Problem with Perfection – Analyzing Episode 12 of Dakaichi
Title: Dakaretai Otoko 1-i ni Odosarete Imasu (Dakaichi: I'm Being Harassed by the Sexiest Man of the Year) Episode: 12 (Finale) Focus: Narrative Climax, Animation Quality, and the "Better" Debate
When anime fans search for "Episode 12 better," they are usually hunting for one of two things: a version with improved animation quality (often hoping for Blu-ray fixes) or a resolution to a climax that felt rushed. For Dakaichi, Episode 12 serves as the conclusion to the "Valentine’s Arc" and the culmination of Junta and Takato’s rocky relationship. However, the episode remains a contentious topic among fans, split between those satisfied by the emotional resolution and those disappointed by the production execution.
Here is a breakdown of why Episode 12 is the pivot point of the series' reception.
Conclusion: A Diamond in the Rough
When fans use the word “better” to describe Dakaichi Episode 12, they don’t mean it’s better than the greatest BL anime (Given, Doukyuusei). They mean it’s better than the show deserves to be — a surprising, heartfelt, well-directed twenty-two minutes that somehow slipped into an otherwise flawed adaptation.
If you dropped Dakaichi early, give Episode 12 a chance. Watch episodes 11 and 12 back-to-back. Let the rain, the whispered confessions, and the trembling hands wash away your skepticism.
You might just find that, sometimes, the best part of a story is the ending that almost wasn’t.
Have you watched Episode 12? Do you agree it’s better than the rest? Share your thoughts in the comments below — and don’t forget to check out our deep dive on the Episode 12 vs manga differences.
Article last updated: October 2025
Here’s a rewritten and expanded full-text script for the final episode (Episode 12) of Dakaretai Otoko 1-i ni Odosarete Imasu (Dakaichi), designed to give it a more emotionally resonant and conclusive feel while staying faithful to the characters and original story beats.
Title: Beyond the Number One Spot – The One I Want to Hold
Scene 1: The Rooftop – After the Award Ceremony
The night air is cool. Takato Saijou stands alone on the rooftop of the agency building, holding his freshly won “Most Huggable Man” trophy for the fifth consecutive year. He stares at it, but his expression is hollow.
Takato (monologue):
Five years in a row. I should be happy. This is what I worked for. But...
Footsteps. Junta Azumaya walks onto the rooftop, breathing slightly hard from running up the stairs. He’s still in his suit from the ceremony.
Junta:
Saijou-san. Congratulations. Number one again.
Takato (without turning):
Azumaya. You were second. That’s not bad for a rookie.
Junta:
I wasn’t aiming for second. I was aiming to stand next to you. But maybe... that’s not what you want anymore.
Takato finally turns. Junta’s eyes are honest, but there’s a hint of pain.
Takato:
What are you talking about?
Junta:
You’ve been distant. Even after we said we’d be together. Every time I get close, you pull back. Is it because I’m still below you? Or... is it because you’re scared of what happens when I’m not? dakaretai otoko 1i ni odosarete imasu episode 12 better
Takato (quietly):
You don’t understand.
Junta:
Then make me understand.
Scene 2: Flashback / Takato’s Internal Conflict
Quick cuts of Takato’s memories: past relationships, the loneliness of always being adored but never truly seen, the way fans love the “image” of him, and how Junta was the first to see through it. Then, scenes of Junta rising in popularity—magazine covers, fan votes, talk show appearances.
Takato (V.O.):
For years, being number one was my armor. If I was on top, no one could hurt me. Then you came along—challenging me, holding me, telling me you loved the messy, imperfect me. And for a while, that was enough. But now... you’re catching up. And I’m terrified that once you surpass me, you won’t need me anymore. That you’ll see I’m not special.
Scene 3: The Rooftop – Confrontation
Junta steps closer. He doesn’t touch Takato—not yet.
Junta:
Do you know why I wanted to be number one? It was never about beating you. It was about being worthy of standing beside you. Not as a rival. As your partner.
Takato (voice breaking):
That’s the problem, Azumaya. I don’t know how to be someone’s partner. I only know how to win.
Junta:
Then lose.
Takato freezes.
Junta:
Not the ranking. The act. Stop acting like you have to be perfect for me. I fell in love with the guy who yelled at me for taking his orange juice, who cried during that drama rehearsal, who gets jealous over magazine shoots. That guy—he’s not number one in the rankings. He’s just number one to me.
Tears well in Takato’s eyes. He tries to turn away, but Junta gently catches his wrist.
Junta:
Let me hold you. Not because you won. Just because you’re you.
Scene 4: The Embrace
Takato drops the trophy. It clatters on the concrete—neither of them look at it. Junta pulls him into a slow, firm embrace. Takato resists for a second, then buries his face in Junta’s shoulder and finally cries—quiet, shaking sobs.
Takato (muffled):
I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to be loved without performing.
Junta (stroking his hair):
Then let me teach you. Every day. Even if it takes years.
They stay like that as the city lights flicker below. The camera pulls back to show them alone on the rooftop, no audience, no cameras. Review: The Problem with Perfection – Analyzing Episode
Scene 5: Next Morning – Agency Office
The next day, the agency president calls them in. Both are exhausted but softer around the edges.
President:
The rankings came in. Final tally. Junta Azumaya—first place. Takato Saijou—second.
Silence. Junta immediately looks at Takato in concern.
Junta:
I didn’t—
Takato (calm, cutting him off):
It’s fine.
Takato turns to the president with a small, genuine smile—the first real one in a long time.
Takato:
I’ve been number one for five years. Maybe it’s time I learned what comes after.
Junta reaches under the table and takes Takato’s hand. Takato squeezes back.
Scene 6: Final Scene – Their Apartment, That Evening
They’re home. No cameras, no scripts. Junta is making tea. Takato sits on the couch, looking at the second-place trophy the agency gave him.
Junta (handing him tea):
Does it hurt?
Takato:
Less than I thought. You know why?
Junta:
Why?
Takato:
Because when I lost, you didn’t leave. You held me tighter.
Junta smiles and sits beside him. Takato leans his head on Junta’s shoulder—fully, without hiding.
Takato:
Hey, Azumaya.
Junta:
Yeah?
Takato:
I still want to be number one.
Junta tenses slightly.
Takato:
But not in the rankings. I want to be the one you come home to. The one you hold when you’re tired. The one you choose—even when someone newer or brighter shows up.
Junta pulls him into a side hug.
Junta:
You already are. You’ve always been. You just couldn’t see it through the spotlight.
They kiss—soft, unhurried, real. The camera pans to the window, showing their reflections side by side.
Takato (V.O.):
They say the number one most huggable man in Japan is decided by votes. But the only vote that matters to me now... is his.
Final Title Card:
“The One I Want to Hold – Junta Azumaya”
End credits roll over scenes of them living ordinary life—grocery shopping, laughing at bad TV, fighting over the blanket, falling asleep together.
Post-credits scene:
A magazine headline flashes: “Junta Azumaya tops rankings! Saijou Takato comments, ‘I’ll be back next year—but for now, I’m busy.’”
Cut to Takato lying on Junta’s lap, reading a script. Junta plays with his hair.
Junta:
You’re not really going to try to take back number one next year, are you?
Takato (smirking):
Wouldn’t you like to know?
Junta (leaning down):
I’d rather know what you want for dinner.
Takato:
You. Always you.
Fade to black.
THE END
5. Sound Design and Voice Acting: The Unsung Heroes
Dakaichi has always had a strong voice cast — Wataru Hatano (Takato) and Takuma Terashima (Junta) are veterans — but Episode 12 gives them their best material. Have you watched Episode 12
3. The Superiority of "Quiet" Intimacy Over Fan Service
Many BL anime save their most explicit content for the finale. Episode 12 subverts this expectation. The famous love scene in this episode is notable for what it doesn’t show. The camera lingers on faces, on interlocked fingers, on tears, and on whispered affirmations. The dialogue—”I want to be the one who protects you, even if I’m weaker”—is a far cry from the power-play banter of earlier episodes.
This shift from physical dominance to emotional care is what makes the episode "better." The intimacy feels earned. Rather than gratifying the audience with spectacle, the episode gratifies the characters’ arc. Azumaya finally initiates a kiss, and Saijo asks him to say “I love you” only when he truly means it. This mutual consent is the thematic payoff of twelve episodes of turbulent relationship-building.