The following contains spoilers for Tomodachi Game Episode 8, "It's a Game Where You Wait, and Wait, and Wait... and Keep Waiting," now streaming on Crunchyroll.
As the third round of the psychological thriller anime's titular Tomodachi Game begins in earnest in Episode 8, Yuuichi and Tenji start by presenting what seems to be a mutual show of support. Despite their disadvantage in the contest's first truly competitive stage, their collective talents seem to be just what they need to come back out on top.
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But with possible opponents on both sides of the field, it may be difficult to secure an easy conclusion. This, along with Yuuichi's somewhat sadistic streak, raises a potentially sinister question: when confronted with a potential loss, would Yuuichi be willing to subject his teammates to perilous situations to secure a win?
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The rules of the Friendly Hide-and-Seek game, as laid out by the consistently eerie mascot Manabu, are fairly simple. Each participating team in the Tomodachi Game picks one individual to hide somewhere, fixed in place in the massive forest of a playing field. The remaining members must seize victory by sussing out their opponent's hiding member, while providing for their own in terms of food and water. While communication is allowed via approved cell phones, use of force to wrest information from the other team is forbidden.
Yuuichi and Tenji begin the game on uncertain terms, having just come off the heels of the betrayal-filled Bad Mouth Board Game. Nevertheless, they are both empowered by their respective goals to destroy the Tomodachi Game and seem willing to rely on each other. Tenji opts to be the hider for the group, though it is clear that the three days of confinement and food depravation prior to this game have been taxing on him.
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Two days into the match, this decision proves to be a near fatal mistake as Yuuichi leaves him alone without nourishment or supplies the entire time. In a fit of panic, Tenji begins to ponder the logical idea that Yuuichi may have abandoned him as revenge for his earlier manipulation. Though he ultimately decides to keep trusting in Yuuichi, things get so bad that he ends up hallucinating out of starvation.
This worst case scenario seems to hold true when one of Group K's members speaks to Tenji over Yuuichi's phone, claiming the latter has not even attempted to leave the rest area. The accusation does appear true initially, but a quick cut to the base camp reveals how difficult it would be for Yuuichi to break away, as both he and the mysterious Maria are constantly under surveillance by Group K's larger numbers.
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Even setting aside the possibility of deceit among friends, Yuuichi clearly has a challenge laid out before him in Episode 8. Not only have the members of Group K made it through the first two rounds of the Tomodachi Game with their tightknit posse intact, but the administration explains that they owe their unity and collaborative prowess to their history as the aces of their high school's basketball team. Coupling this with the strategic intelligence of their team captain, Juuzou Kadokura, makes them more than a match for anybody in such a high-stakes game.
Yuuichi and Tenji also have to worry about the addition of the suspicious Maria Mizuse to their Group. Since the Friendly Hide-and-Seek game allows switching teams for alleviation of debt, any participant lacking real bonds with their teammates could be a real threat to stability and success. Truthfully, this distrust in not unfounded, as Maria is actually a plant by the administration to keep an eye on Yuuichi's actions. This suspicion was part of why Tenji was chosen to be the hider -- the only role with the power to forfeit the game.
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But the most terrifying part of the game's events is that Group K's report of Yuuichi has been accurate. Not only has he not attempted to find the opposing hider -- as of the end of the third day, he has not tried to bring Tenji any essentials for living. On top of this, Episode 7 of Tomodachi Game ends with Yuuichi putting forth a request to switch over to Group K's side, which certainly makes it seem like he intends to betray Tenji.
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Yuuichi's ability to leave Tenji in the lurch is disturbing, especially since he knows how long it has been since the latter has eaten or drunk anything. Such supposed disregard for someone he previously claimed to be one of his best friends seems to reinforce the judges' claims that Yuuichi is a monster who has no issue manipulating others. Even so, this would be a new low, as it would mean he is perfectly fine with placing Tenji in mortal danger.
Still, Yuuichi's history in the Kokkuri-san Ouija Board and Bad Mouth Board Game proved him capable of trapping his opponents by manipulating their perceptions and expectations. Considering that losing the Friendly Hide-and-Seek would result in a game over for him, Yuuichi's show of apathy for Tenji's life and survival is likely some ploy to trick the members of Group K into handing him the win. Regardless, though his plan may bring victory him and Tenji, the price it may cost remains unclear.