A Couple of Cuckoos is a charming new rom-com anime series of the Spring 2022 season that stars the humble but hardworking high school student Umino Nagi and the many wonderful girls in his life. Like the protagonists of Nisekoi, Nagi and his new friend Amano Erika must marry to unite their families, but Nagi has his mind on another girl -- Segawa Hiro.

Nagi can get along just fine with Erika, but Hiro is the one who has captured his heart, and he knows just how to impress her. If he can get better test scores than the ace student Hiro, he could become her boyfriend. However, Hiro won't make it easy, and she has a competitive spirit that burns even brighter than his. The race is on.

RELATED: Kotaro Lives Alone: Why Shin is the Best Audience Stand-In

The Academic & Personal Stakes For Nagi & Hiro's Potential Romance

Nagi Hiro on the floor

Already, Nagi has his hands full with the somewhat spoiled deredere Amano Erika and vice versa, but Nagi sees little reason to impress Erika beyond being a tolerable friend. Nagi focuses most of his efforts not on Erika but on his classmate Segawa Hiro, a violet-haired girl who somehow studies even harder than he does. Nagi gets excellent test scores, but Hiro never fails to place first in their grade -- until this time. Nagi finally claimed the #1 slot in Episode 5, and he made his move. He and Hiro met on their high school's roof to talk things out.

Hiro admitted that Nagi's score was impressive, but in her eyes, it was a fluke. The competitive, driven Hiro told Nagi that he must consistently beat her score at least 10 times -- otherwise, he hasn't proven anything to her. After accepting that challenge, Nagi raced back to the classroom, and Hiro followed him, claiming she would do everything before Nagi could. Then they collapsed on the floor, where Nagi claimed victory and Hiro admitted she was having fun. She also told Nagi about her engagement, but that didn't discourage Nagi at all. He has a serious stake in all this, and that should drive him to new heights in future episodes of A Couple of Cuckoos. What Hiro thinks of this remains to be seen.

RELATED: Trapped in a Dating Sim: Angelica Struggles to Find Her Place in the World

Where Segawa Hiro's Character Arc Might Go From Here

Hiro talking

Episode 5 makes it clear that a tough barrier exists between Nagi and his love interest Hiro, and neither of them will back down. Nagi even plans to crash Hiro's future wedding and steal her away, and he thinks that's what Hiro wants him to do. It's unlikely A Couple of Cuckoos will go that far, but it does show how determined -- and how dense -- Nagi can be about this. No doubt he will go to ludicrous lengths to win over Hiro, which puts the ball squarely in her court.

Hiro should expect Nagi to keep this up, meaning she must decide whether to humor him and have fun with their competition-based friendship or break it off for the sake of her engagement. It's not clear what Hiro thinks of her own engagement, but given how traditional the Segawa household appears to be, Hiro won't have the nerve to question or protest against her arranged marriage.

If Hiro puts her family's needs first, she will most likely end things with Nagi, give him a final "stop going after me" lecture, then show some compassion and help Nagi get closer to Erika, Nagi's own fiancée. If so, Hiro might volunteer to be the third wheel in the Nagi-Erika relationship, and that might be what's best for everyone involved. Still, given how goofy and whimsical A Couple of Cuckoos is, anything could happen, and things probably won't turn out so neatly for Hiro. She can still try, however.