Returning for a second season in the Spring 2022 anime lineup, Science Fell in Love, So I Tried to Prove It is a charming rom-com series where the two main lovers use the power of real-life science to determine if they are truly in love or not. Himuro Ayame and Yukimura Shinya have gotten in too deep to stop the experiment -- even if they're making fools of themselves. They have to find conclusive evidence, or else.
It's clear Ayame is deeply infatuated with the aloof Shinya, who is starting to return her feelings more and more. But some fans may not be clear on why she was drawn to him of all people in the first place. Ayame isn't just testing the scientific method for fun -- her feelings are genuine and it all started years in the past, when they first met.
When Shinya Empowered Ayame To Pursue Science
Ayame's strong feelings for Shinya are not a recent development. Neither of them realize it yet, but they have actually crossed paths in their childhood. It was a moment straight out of any slice-of-life anime, but with a science-oriented twist. In their younger days, both Shinya and Ayame were mocked and ostracized for their fixation on science and research, to the point other kids would doodle hurtful remarks on their backpacks.
The difference is that the young Shinya took it in stride and had self-confidence, while the unassertive Ayame felt terrible about her weak social life and external shame as an unpopular geek girl. Ayame suffered low self-esteem until she and Shinya met by chance in a sunlit forest, where they recognized each other as kindred spirits. Most importantly, Shinya, as an aloof kuudere, gave Ayame a pep talk to empower her without being overly affectionate about it.
He set a good example for Ayame as a self-assured and hardworking young scientist who put his work first, making it clear that he derives his self-worth and motivation from making scientific discoveries -- similar to Dr. Stone's Senku. The young Ayame, dazzled by Shinya's example, was soon motivated to resume her work and make something of herself, no matter how much she was teased. Even if Shinya was teased too, he held his head high and pursued what he loved, which left a lasting impression on Ayame. Now she has met that inspiring boy scientist once again, but amusingly, neither recognizes the other from that shared memory. But other forces are at work in Science Fell in Love.
What Ayame's Amorous Feelings Say About Her
The relationship between Ayame and Shinya says a lot about both of them but more so about Ayame, whose romantic feelings were largely one-sided at first. In her childhood, she found Shinya inspiring not because he showed off and acted like a tough guy, but because he dived right into Ayame's heart and sought to soothe her insecurities.
The young Shinya told Ayame exactly what she needed to hear with gentle, reassuring words, establishing him as a caring kuudere who cares little for flamboyant displays of masculinity. True, he is secure with his own manhood, but he's not the type who tries to pick up women or vainly show off his athletic prowess. Some girls like a bad boy such as that, but not Ayame. She would consider such things superficial, and so would Shinya for that matter.
Instead, just like Horimiya's Miyamura Izumi, Shinya exudes a comforting and nurturing type of masculinity. That says much about Ayame's refined taste in men, as she evidently prefers partners who have those qualities rather than a star athlete build or a high alcohol tolerance in bars. Perhaps she always felt this way, or her first meeting with Shinya made such an impression that it redefined her taste in boys for years to come.
Either way, Ayame's romantic preferences are set in stone by now, and Shinya would never impress her by acting like a boastful star athlete or by driving a muscle car. Not that he would try all that, anyway -- like Ayame, he is devoted to discovery, not vanity. That's an attractive trait in any partner, and it'll be fascinating to see how their relationship evolves as Season 2 of Science Fell in Love gets under way.