「マイディアヘーロー」 (Mai Deia Heeroo)
“My Dear Hero”

This week’s episode left me feeling a little confused. Confused in the sense that I never thought I’d build a somewhat negative opinion about Karen — the most energetic and carefree character in the show.

Ojou-sama

With hints being dropped every few episodes about just how rich Karen really is, I’ve always been a fan of how she’s never flaunted that wealth of hers. Sometime she’ll slip and talk about money or some other valuable item in a way that only a rich person can, but I’ve always chalked it up to her just going with the flow or being the airhead we love. A recent example would be that ring that Alice (or ultimately Asami) got from her during her trading escapades. Valuing roughly ¥10,000 or $85, you could feel the rich girl side peeking out with how she nonchalantly threw out such a large sum of money for a high school girl.

Fast forward to this week where the rich girl side took over and you had me growing more weary of Karen as the seconds ticked by. Being punished by having delicious cake eaten in front of her? Running away from home because her dad couldn’t get her an expensive necklace and fibbed in hopes of not getting Karen disappointed? Maybe I’m missing something important here but I couldn’t help but feel like Karen was behaving just like a whining spoiled kid. I mean, the show has done such a good job not highlighting this aspect of her personality (nor have they ever suggested she behaves like this except when it comes to being an airhead) which is why I was so surprised to see such a stark contrast to how Karen normally is.

Little Karen

On the other hand, the episode managed to salvage Karen right at the end with that little flashback of her and Alice. By reminding us that Karen is actually the super-genki girl we all know and love, I think the show managed to ease some of the disapproval I had built up previously. That and who doesnt love seeing an even tinier Alice ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).

Looking Ahead

After a really good episode last week, this week’s didn’t hit as high a note but still made it pretty far. Even with Karen showing off a side I didn’t necessarily appreciate, it was still fun to see our two kinpatsu-shoujos do what they do best. What was a nice surprise though was the immense amount of engrish we were subjected to. Not as cringe worthy as most other shows, everyone who attempts to English seems to do a pretty good job (for an anime at leas

Catch you guys next week!

 

Omake

18 Comments

  1. So I’m not the only one who felt Karen behaved out of character this week.

    I wish they would have changed the circumstances about her fight with her dad, maybe making it so that her dad promised to spend time with her but ended up being busy with work. That would have been more in line with the innocent but attention-craving Karen that we know and love.

    https://randomc.net/image/Kiniro%20Mosaic/Hello%20Kiniro%20Mosaic%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2018.jpg

    On another note, Aya is really cute with her hair down. ^^

    MasterDragonKnight
  2. As I understood it (and inbetween the inescapable inaccuracy of translations and my own stupidity I might well have gotten it wrong), it wasn’t that he didn’t get the necklace, but that he lied and said that he had gotten the necklace when he actually hadn’t that upset Karen. Which I think is fair enough, it’s one thing to be told: “Sorry I couldn’t get it” and another to be told “I got it” then “Actually I haven’t, I just didn’t want to upset you.” (If perhaps not so upsetting that you’d run away from home).

    tutiluren
  3. This may be a gag slice-of-life show, but that was really a scary fall Karen had. Good thing she only had a few bruises and a sprained ankle. It’s kind of sad there wasn’t much Honoka in this episode but at least…

    https://randomc.net/image/Kiniro%20Mosaic/Hello%20Kiniro%20Mosaic%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
    Our two favorite teachers had some screentime. Karasuma-sensei seriously has some fast dressing up skills. And yes Kusshi-sensei in Summer clothes please!

    On the episode itself, it was also a treat to see how close Alice and Karen really are and in a way the episode is a good reminder why Alice considers herself the big sister of the relationship, despite the height difference. It was especially interesting to find out they played games that are more boys oriented when they were younger. My most favorite scene of the episode is Alice falling asleep herself after trying to wake Shino and Karen up.

    Also…

    https://randomc.net/image/Kiniro%20Mosaic/Hello%20Kiniro%20Mosaic%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2013.jpg
    I think this episode just revealed who Shino got her blonde hair fascination from.

    Zhinvu
    1. Kusshi needs to at least take off her coat. It looks like it’ll be unbearably hot in summer temperatures.

      And yeah, that scene was just hilarious. “I’ll give you ten seconds. One… *SNOREEEEEE*”

      Hanabira.Kage
    2. Cool and unusual punishment.

      “This may be a gag slice-of-life show, but that was really a scary fall Karen had. Good thing she only had a few bruises and a sprained ankle.”

      I know this bit was made to look funny, but a fall like that is definitely not something to joke about. Besides the bruises and sprained ankle, the previous scene indicates that Karen probably hit her head on the ground and got knocked unconscious.

      I don’t want to imagine what would happen had she hit her head on the stone wall she was walking on (which is why you normally do not do that), or a rock on the ground… Lucky for her, the ground was grassy and full of shrubs, cushioning her fall. (Well, this is a light-hearted show, after all.)

      Incognito
      1. Exactly! Luckily it IS a gag slice-of-life show that Karen got away with only those. When Alice noticed that Karen wasn’t back I was just expecting Karen to be just back home finding something else to do. The accident scene came outta nowhere.

        Zhinvu
  4. … I think this is a character analysis on Karen this week. She visits her friends and has a sleepover that’s just as cute and cheery as the rest of the show… yet it’s also because of a fight she had with her dad over a NECKLACE. …. that she got ANYWAY. 😛 “Spreading happiness to others” don’t really come from items you can just buy, and I think all that wealth is spoiling her.

    Her story really made me love her more though. For some reason, I felt like CRYING when I saw that. I don’t know. I doubt Karen was in any real trouble, she could just shout out to ANYONE for help if she wanted to, but as out-going as she is, she’s not totally an independent person. Plus, she has some issues with Shino coming into her life with Alice. I’m happy they were able to put some closure on this by Alice and Karen both reunited with Shino in Japan.

    starss
  5. It’s never the crime, it’s the cover-up.

    The object in question isn’t the issue, it’s the lying. Don’t focus it being a necklace. It IS perfectly normal to want a necklace if you’re a fashion-conscious teenage girl.

    It only seems weird to some of you because you don’t want a necklace.

    But it’s not about the necklace. It’s about lying to someone.

    So imagine it’s about something else. Should be pretty easy to grok why she’s upset.

    s_w
    1. I wasn’t so bothered by why she was upset. I get it was more because her dad lied then the actual necklace. What bothered me is how they made up. I was really hoping her dad would apologize for lying and that would be it. The fact that Karen completely turned around and was happy because her dad caved and bought her the necklace just felt way to much like a spoiled and materialistic rich girl thing and I never saw Karen like that. It just felt way out of character.

      Skizzit
      1. She called him and apologized.

        But yeah, she got happy when her father kept his promise and gave her what she had been waiting excitedly for.

        Then she immediately said that she was going to share her happiness with everyone.

        Terrible characterization… *rolls eyes*

        Keaton
  6. I dont think Karen flaunts her rich girl so much yes she said she has a huge mansion etc > Her mom eating the cake was to make her behave more in school especially around her homeroom teacher! Right then I went noooooo dont calm Karen down she more fun all wound up !

    But she didnt care about the necklace so much that he broke the promise ! Even when she got to Shinobu’s house she was upset that had a fight! It was watching stay overnite there!

    My take what child isnt upset when they dont get what was promised to them regardless of cost! I think that is true at any level!

    But that actually set up Alice / Karen backstory. They were such good friends ! Sprained ankle then and now Alice held hands like the close dear friends they were!

  7. That scene where Alice counts to ten then sleeps again at the first count Seriously made me laugh no matter how many times I played that scene again. That was seriously a very effective joke.

    The Last Idiot
  8. I’ve read that acting a bit spoiled is considered a cute trait for girls in Japan so maybe Karen’s behaviour in this episode went over rather differently over there.

    Also, on the English/Engrish: in this show the English is usually ‘correct’ in the broad sense, but sometimes just not phrased in the everyday way English people would use it. The accents and some of the idiom are slanted more towards American English as well. However as the article author said it’s of a higher standard than average for anime, especially considering that Alice and Karen’s VAs have to do it themselves rather than bring in English actresses just for that.

    Occulon

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