Sometime in the obscure past, Kouichi and Kazuki are watching Mao-oneesan on the swings. They’re entranced by her bravery as she stands on the swing, going higher and higher. Almost! Just a little higher and I can see up her skirt!

Oh, wrong show.

Chibi Mao jumps off the swing, flying through the air like a bokusatsu tenshi, landing gracefully in what appears to be several dozen yards away. Oneechan… sugeeeee

Years later, that same graceful chick shows up fashionably late for her first date with some gorilla who has a two word vocabulary consisting of “uh” and “ah.” Why Mao, why! And to think she got all dressed up for him too.

Kai & Mao
He takes her to a jazz club, and she spends the whole time covering her ears and wondering what she sees in this brute. Afterwards, at some outdoor café, she spends the whole time trying to speak his language by saying she listened to Billy Joel, etc etc. Either she’s really desperate or this guy is using some crazy move that has girls hanging all over him with no exerted effort at all.
Outlook: Going just fine it seems like, no matter how big of a slouch he is she keeps tagging along

Kouichi & Mao
After living under the same roof for several weeks, all the sexual tension has dissipated. Which is exactly the opposite of what you’d expect to happen in anime, but hey, some things were never meant to happen.
Outlook: Slim to none. Both sides are too busy doing their own thing.

Iwao & Juliet
Yea, this is what it’s come down to… weekly updates on the ugly-ass frogs. They’ve gotten pretty close since we last saw them, frequently smooching (even in public!) and otherwise doing things that fairy tale lovers do. Like sit around and talk all day. In other news, Kazuki is getting pissed off that the frogs are getting more action than he is.
Outlook: Smooching is as far as these frogs are going – their “masters” probably don’t know anything past first base.

Kouichi & Yuumi
Kouichi consults his favorite library waif on some stories that could be used for the new drama club play. Needless to say, he’s just there to smell Hoshino’s perfume and overwhelming pheromones. Still, she recommends him some “interesting” stories – which sends her into a state of perpetual blush as a stumped Kouichi looks through them.
Outlook: Hey, they’re almost able to hold a normal conversation now. Maybe by ep 439 we’ll get to see some fondling!

Kazuki & Asuka
Things are rough as she’s pissed at him and he’s got his head too far in the clouds to do anything about it. Not that he really wants to do anything about it – maybe he’s keeping her around in case the other chick doesn’t work out. Ah hell, he’s still got his sister. I just think for a guy of Kazuki’s… testicular fortitude… he’s probably too intimidated by the prospect of hanging out with a girl who is physically superior to him. All these hot chicks around him and zero action!
Outlook: I actually like the chances on this one. Eriko will probably treat him like crap, and Asuka will swoop in for the kill.

Kazuki & Mao
I put this here because the two have a conversation that actually does some character development – Mao sees him pouting on the roof so goes to cheer him up. Kazuki stands there talking about the time on the swings where Mao jumped way far, then Kouichi jumped way far, and he just… “Oh, I remember that, you jumped the furthest!” Mao interjects. Wait, what? I did? This little talk somehow gives Kazuki the courage to go speak to…

Kazuki & Eriko
Putting his fears of… I dunno, juvenile rejection from a ice cold hottie who’s obviously out of his league, Kazuki walks into the room where Eriko is, and with her cold, piercing eyes looking right into his, he whimpers…”L-l-let’s start the experiment again.” Oh Kazuki, you’re so brave.
Outlook: This plotline would be a lot more interesting if Eriko was in her room eating pizza hut

Preview

The worst date in anime history, chibi-Kazuki won’t jump off a swing, Hoshino makes her face another 47 times, and Kazuki picks his balls up from the floor and goes to see the ice queen again. Is it weird I know the name of every guy in this show EXCEPT for the main dude?


Thoughts

It’d be pretty funny if Eriko tells Kazuki to go screw himself. But this isn’t really that kind of show :\

So it seems like our three main characters are all getting their love life on. Granted that the situation and the speed of progression is pretty different, they all have one thing in common – IT FEELS TOO NORMAL! Too generic! Too predictable! I’m expecting some huge twist to come that sends the whole show into wacked out hyperdrive, but it just doesn’t seem to be coming. And it probably never will, because, well, it just doesn’t seem to be that kind of show. If anything, the “big twist” will be the moment two of these plotlines intersect, which adds some confused feelings and misunderstandings, but I just don’t see it going farther than that.

And for some, that’s perfectly ok. At any rate, I’m going to stop bagging on the show and just focus my attention on dissing the three guys. Well, just Kazuki and Kai, cuz at least Kouichi… likes his girl. Kazuki is just obsessing over the girl who gave him his first kiss, and Kai is getting a free freakin pass cuz Mao just happened to grow up with two loser guys who make Kai look like a total stud in comparison.

Captions up

29 Comments

  1. I don’t know if I should be glad that its just 5 episodes in so there’s still time for it to pick up, or that it’s already been 5 episodes and the we’ve gone virtually nowhere.
    And seriously gtfo jazz dude. The whole brooding sax player who sucks at school and is so misunderstood/emo etc etc is just mind numbingly dull. Every time he appears my eyelids get 10 pounds heavier.

    soon
  2. It’s funny how we all curse the show for it’s slow development and the characters but it’s even funnier knowing how craptastic it is, there always this urge to watch the next episode.

    seek
  3. Seriously, I don’t see why Mao is so attracted to Kai.
    Guess I just don’t dig male characters with the I-am-so-cool-because-I-say-little-and-act-very-distant-with-a-tough-guy-exterior-but-am-
    forgiven-because-I-am-quite-hot attitude very much. Gah, I hope either his attitude changes within the next few episodes or Mao just forgets about him >:(

    Breadcrumbs
  4. “Seriously, I don’t see why Mao is so attracted to Kai.”

    Maybe because he’s more mature than all the other guys she hangs out with. You’ve got to respect a guy who knows what he wants to do with his life and does not just go with the flow. I don’t see why so many people on this board seem to hate him, since he is obviously different than the weak-willed indecisive harem male archetype. I guess male characters in romance shows will always be hated (unless they are characters of a KyoAni show…sigh).

    Darklord
  5. @Sailor Enlil
    lol. The comment was hilarious. (laughing out loud during 4.11am midnigh! XD)

    @Jaalin
    Yes, i agree with you that this show is too “normal”. I am also watching this show because i am expecting some twist and hopefully one will come.

    For some reason, i get the feeling from the very beginning that Kouichi should end up with Mao. I always get the hints that these two get along too well for not ending up together. But then and again, they always divert the focus making me confused of whether those where hits are real or not.

    After this episode i got a more solid evidence of Kouichi & Mao ending possibility. The Kai and Mao’s date went bad and in the other hand Kouichi and Mao playing video games was indicating these two are the perfect couple? Also Kouichi and Yuumi in the library showed that Yuumi had really weird preferences too. Maybe the same for Kazuki? He will first be with Erico and then end up with the other soccer girl?

    P.S. Trying to lie out the possibilities.

    The next episode preview seems fun though. Kouichi visiting Mao and she seems happy. Will Kai get the wrong idea? Or will my guess turn out to be right?

    banzemanga
  6. @SkyLark
    After i read your comment i started downloading the manga too. I am currently reading them. I didn’t know they already started scanlating them.

    P.S. For some reason, i think i prefer the anime after reading the manga. Mao is too aggressive in the manga for my taste. But they sure changed the story a lot. Nana was supposed to be Koichi’s sister, not Kazuki’s.

    banzemanga
  7. I said it right at the start. The problem with this show is that it’s going to be 24 or 26eps when it should’ve been 12 or 13 AT THE MOST. Now we’re going to get super slow pacing just to fill up eps with nothing happening until ep18 and up if we’re lucky and it’s not in the last 4eps or so.

    Kei, I hate this guy, stupid tall loser who’s just in the show to throw us all off of any Mao and Koichi pairing which will still probably happen but after 20eps heh.

    Kazuki, what can I say, loser. Hung up and the crazy smart chick when he’s got the cool and hawt soccer chick right next to him. A loser AND and idiot.

    Koichi, well, he’s not stupid or a loser, just a bit on the shy side at the start. But it seems like he’s getting out of that and going after the girl he likes, FOR NOW! Bwwahahaha, Just wait for the Mao twist to come AT EPISODE 20! =P

    Anyways, there are better shows if you want some love/romance and drama, like EF or Myself; Yourself. And notice how both of those are 12 or 13eps total, not this super long slow-mo stuff.

    GP
  8. Hmmm, I don’t consider Kai a “main” guy, more like he is the love interest of the “MAIN” girl. Mao is more of the main character in my opinion and Kai is her love interest. So please don’t bundle the guy with the likes of Kazuki and Kouichi. If you notice, Kai only have scenes when tagged to Mao. He doesn’t interact with anybody else, unlike Mao, Kai and Kouichi. That doesn’t give Kai Main character status.

    I still have my hopes up for Kouichi and Mao, but can they overcome the “childhood friend” syndrome. There is only one show this season that might overcome that, though I am not sure anymore if Decapo2 can do it. So this season will be a big zero again for the childhood friend.

    golthin
  9. Do I REALLY need to point out this is based on a dating sim?

    True Mao is “the main girl” since they decided for a shoujo angle and part of the reason why this is not working, the source material is not shoujo, it would be the same as if I”s was done from Iori perspective.

    Drakron
  10. you know, i was hoping this show would be something like suzuka or i’s where there was some hard-hitting omghotgirl drama, but apparently nobody wants to do that in a season where da capo is airing. shame.

    need my shounen romance! bring back sexy!!

    jaalin
  11. Yeah, we all know Kei isn’t a main character. I pretty much said so in my post. He’s there to give you doubt about a Mao and Koichi pairing. They’ll use him to dick around for 20eps until some “twist” that will bring Mao and Koichi together. That’s why Kei is pretty much meh and a loser.

    GP

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