Wakaranai

Rating:    

Another passable episode of the latest Otaku-genre anime. The show is so far detached from reality it’s hard to take seriously a lot of the time, and surprisingly it’s focused very little on comedy. Fortunately the romantic aspect does prop it up a lot, and the characters aren’t too bad. I become more of a Mika fan each episode. She’s not quite loli but she makes up for it with her playfulness.

◆ Anyone who mistakenly thought anime were accurate abstractions of reality might be lead to believe, through the prevailing cliché of cosplay cafés in school cultural festival episodes, that it was pretty much inevitable that a Japanese class group hold one (unless there is immense bloodshed ala School Rumble). It does seem fitting for this show though. I’m looking forward to seeing all the cosplaying action next episode.

◆ Once again I wonder if Haruka’s sister and maids actually have time to do anything but obsess over her love life and make covert visits to hardware stores.

◆ I smell a harem brewing. Although Mika’s intentions are, ironically most pure for Yuuto and Haruka, she appears to be ever so slightly infatuated with her sister’s catch. Moreover, Shiina is most clearly interested in Yuuto. Still, for a potential love triangle, I’m glad we’ve had a focus on the single, more conventional romance. I really enjoy seeing their relationship develop (Haruka’s and Yuuto’s). More to the point, does anyone really care about Shiina? She was better when she was getting knocked over.

◆ Yes, Yuuto’s teacher should genuinely shut the fuck up. I’m not sure if she’s supposed to be funny or annoying, but if she was supposed to be annoying the creators ought to win an award or something. The same prestigious award given to the Mahoromatic producers for the hideous teacher character perhaps.

◆ The scene in the costume shop was nice and intimate. I like the way they almost kiss, it actually seemed quite natural.

◆ Tea Shop BeLoved described the last scene well as a ‘kashimashi’ scene. Oh how I miss the blatant pseudo-yuri of that show. The final scene screams cliché in that we just know it was a silly misunderstanding. It would be way too annoying if drama came from this only to have it finally resolved upon explanation. Please don’t.