「修学旅行というが、私たちは一体何を学び修めたのだろう」 (Shuugaku Ryokou to Iu ga, Watashi-tachi wa Ittai Nani wo Manabiosameta no Darou)
“It’s a School Trip, but Exactly What are We Supposed to Have Learned?”

Yuruyuri has always been a mildly amusing series, but this is the first time an episode had me laughing helplessly, stopping to catch my breath, and then laughing helplessly again. I mean come on, Chitose’s bleeding through her eyes! How is that not funny? I could probably just leave my impressions at that and I’d be completely happy with this post, but there were actually some other humorous moments throughout this Kyoto school trip episode.

For one, I just love how the episode introductions by Akari are widely understood as the character graveyard, so much that the series will take that ongoing gag and run with it. On the yuri side of things, there were plenty of Kyouko and Ayano moments to go around. Chitose was always nearby and constantly a victim of her own wild delusions and even some actual ones she had no chance against. What really surprised me is that Kyouko isn’t oblivious to Chitose’s lesbian fantasies, seeing as she went straight for the kill by putting thoughts in Chitose’s head during the pillow fight. I thought it was pretty funny when Yui told Chitose not to die in the bath, but knowing this, I really think that Kyouko could kill Chitose if she… uh… raped Ayano or something. At the very least, I’d expect to see more geyser-like explosions of blood a la Bakatest. I wouldn’t mind seeing Chizuru fall victim to some inadvertent Ayano x Chitose scenarios either, just so I can say I’ve seen a massive pool of drool in anime before. On that note, it’s kind of weird how she likes to ship her sister with Ayano, because it’s almost like she’s picturing Ayano doing this and that to herself — being twins and all. That’s kind of kinky in its own way now that I think about it.

As for Kyouko, she was an absolute riot this episode. She was like a hyper-active little kid, who would be bouncing off walls the second you took your eyes off them. From Yui’s standpoint, it’s little reconciliation knowing that Kyouko loves letting loose and playing the fool, but from mine, it’s all in good fun when she owns herself and tries to keep up the act. I also thought it was pretty funny when she and Ayano started busting out feminine Japanese during their pillow fight, especially when they went all out. It’s kind of interesting how that came about, since I didn’t anticipate Yui to be the one Ayano’s stipulation was targeted against. Kyouko is a pretty big tomboy after all. Anyway, this is easily one of my favorite episodes to date, reaffirming that the second-years are where all the comedy is at. The next episode looks interesting too, with glimpses of the girls during their childhood years.

* Only two full-length images this week, but this one is all that’s needed. The Kyouko one is kind of creepy.

 

Preview

31 Comments

  1. This was a massive treat to those of us who ship Ayano/Kyouko. And note that in the end, Ayano’s the only one who was able to keep up with Kyouko the entire time!

    And yes, Chitose bleeding from her eyes was way, way funnier than it had any real right to be.

    Fencedude
  2. This episode really cemented in my mind that there isn’t a main character of this series. Seriously, they take out half the main cast and you still get a hilarious episode. They’ve really done a great job making every character loveable

  3. For me, watching Yui and Kyouko is like watching a mother trying to contain her wild daughter…

    Too bad Himawari doesn’t get much screentime in the show, I really like her and her sister.

    Serapita
  4. Best episode so far. This show simply works best when they pile on the humor at a hyperactive pace. I find it odd that the show is more endearing when they play up the running gags where as other comedy animes just make it stale (R-15). I suppose it’s because they find new, creative and insane ways to make it hilarious. Bleeding eyeballs is just pure genius.

    PockyG
  5. I was laughing all the way, first randomly, then maniacally, and at the end hysterically… from Kyoko being hypergenki to Ayano being excited (and insincere) to massive bloodbath courtesy of Chitose this was the most fun episode so far. Encore!

    ewok40k
  6. Sorry for my ignorance, but could some explain to me “feminine-Japanese”? That joke went way over my head, didn’t sound much different to me, nor the the sub I watch change up the wording/phrasing.

    Tez
    1. Feminine Japanese includes addressing oneself as “atashi” instead of “watashi” and ending sentences with “wa” (compared to guys who use “zo” or “ze”). It’s also more feminine to use the polite form of verbs instead of their plain forms. e.g. “desu” instead of “da”, “ikimasu” instead of “iku”, “tabemasen” instead of “tabenai”.

      Another example is using “kashira” instead of “kana” for “I wonder”. This kind of subtle distinction is usually lost in translation.

      Kyouko and Ayano went pretty crazy with the “wa”.

      1. I took about a year and a half of introductory Japanese during high school. They were paid classes outside of high school since mine didn’t offer Japanese at the time. After that, it was all self-study. However, I still didn’t know much outside of everyday conversation back then.

        When I started blogging on RandomC back in 2008, I had only started watching raws regularly the year prior. Fully understanding what I was watching so that I could blog about it properly prompted me to study more. That’s when my understanding of the language increased a lot. (I’d say ten-fold or more.) I guess you could say that my interest in anime drove me to learn Japanese.

        I’m still far from fluent, but my listening comprehension is pretty good — enough to watch anime while looking up the odd word here and there anyway. My vocab is lacking, but if you give me a dictionary, I can translate just about anything because I learned all the grammar first.

  7. And here I thought the cast just knew Chitose was just getting random nosebleeds,I was surprised too that they were actually aware of what causes her nosebleeds lol.

    “I mean come on, Chitose’s bleeding through her eyes! How is that not funny?”

    Really? I thought it was more of a creepy rather than funny moment. D:

    Nhelraios
  8. Awww, when I heared the next ep was going to show the girl’s childhood days I was hoping we would get to see more Azunyan-twintail style Yui. Hopefully we’ll see tiny Akarin with her onee-chan.

    Monketh
  9. actually, I think its more like chizuru is eating up their screentime. note that the eps where they used up their screentime always had chizuru in the ep.

    while I did not laugh hysterically like you guys, I did find this ep breathtaking with its fast paced comedy. also when yui kept on saying calm down 3 times to the girls and kyouko misinterpreting what the girls meant with touching that statue(the head and chest part).

    amado
    1. The anime definitely favors the second-years (all of them, not just Chizuru). So far almost all the anime-original sequences are dedicated to the second-years (this episode was another example for it) whereas the first-years are often being ignored (I remember several chapters with Himawari and Sakurako in the manga, often together with Akari and Chinatsu). I don’t think that’s a good thing because it turns Kyoko into the uber-protagonist (because let’s face it, all 2nd characters are revolving around her and would lose their identity if it weren’t for their personal attitude towards Kyoko) in a show that’s supposed to have FOUR main characters. Of course the fans love idiot/hyper characters but her behaviour in this episode made me pity Yui for getting stuck with Kyoko everyday (just imagine having a person like Kyoko as your 3D real life friend). Anyway. I’m hoping for a first-years-only episode. But it doesn’t look like we’ll get it.

      blub
      1. I think Kyouko is a genius. A bit mad perhaps but she’s young. Yui gives her an anchor to rely upon, and to keep her from going too far, or suffering negative consequences when she does anyways. Yui provides enough of a solid environment for Kyouko to go wild without worry. In an of itself, I think Yui gets satisfaction from this role.

        But I think Kyouko gives just as much to Yui. She brings excitement to everyone’s life. She persuaded Chinatsu to join the Amusement Club, and then after taking on Ayano’s challenge, her and Chitose. Remember, when they started the club, they had nothing to do. She was the one who got everyone to visit Ayano, providing plenty of nosebleed opportunities to the grateful Chitose. As she knows that Yui has a lonely home life, she gets people coming over to Yui’s apartment. She drags everyone off to Surprise Comiket.

        She’s a great character although I think her infatuation with Chinatsu is unlikely to be reciprocated. She may bring Chizuru around before the season is over.

        While the show is thick with relationship opportunities, the most important one is between Yui and Kyouko.

        Mockman
  10. in the second paragraph “I wouldn’t mind seeing Chizuru fall victim to some inadvertent Ayano x Chizuru scenarios either” do you mean Ayano X Chitose.. :D?

    i myself like the feeding scene, Ayano and kyouko just too fun to watch >:(

    n0216332

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