Shuuji saying that he outright loved Machu while she's trying to decapitate his mobile suit felt so abrupt that it made me think of Dank Dubs' "Guess Who" video instead. It felt like he was trying to weasel out of the situation rather than actually being genuine. It even fits with Shuuji being a stoner part of the time and Machu being a gremlin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mT5x8kt3Gs