First Impressions / Gamers!

「エロゲーマーと観戦モード / ゲーマーズと半生ゲーム」 (Erogeemaa to Kansen Moudo / Geemaazu to Hansei Geemu)
“Erogamer and Watching Mode / Gamers and Half their Life Game”

Wow. One of Tasuku’s plans actually worked for once!

I’m going to go through the first part of the episode quickly, because it was jarring. I guess they decided they needed to fit it in somewhere, and the Game of Half-Life bit wouldn’t have taken the full episode, so from a pacing perspective that was quite possibly wise. It came in out of nowhere though, to the point that I didn’t know who was speaking in the opening scene, didn’t empathize with Hoshinomori Konoha (Kuwahara Yuuki) even when she was properly introduced, because it wasn’t earned. I laughed at the flagrant Seitokai no Ichizon reference, but other than that I mostly rolled my eyes at her giving a flip about the conversation between these two random boys, or her tearing up because Amano suggested a game she identified with. Also, are Chiaki and Konoha in the same grade? Because if she’s a year younger, that would make Karen her sempai, and it wouldn’t make sense for them to be compared. Strange.

The latter half of the episode, however, was turbo hilarious, and it did what this show is so good at, and what it definitely needed: it changed. First though, the entire game was absolutely great in how everything seemed sadistically calculated (and it was, because author) to dig at every open wound, scar, imagined slight, delusion, or anything else that would rile up or otherwise torture one of the characters. It was awesome! Keita and Aguri getting married was perhaps the best, though Karen getting unhappily rich and Tasuku cheating were great too. The pièce de résistance was clearly the square that both Chiaki and Keita landed on, talking about how their soulmate was someone else. Contrivance can be aggravating in fiction, but when it’s used to get characters into trouble? Heck yeah, that can work. And here it does. Bring it!

Perhaps my absolute favorite aspect was how, as soon as Chiaki left the room, everything got better. Karen and Keita talked with each other—even if Karen’s questioning jealousy would ultimately bring about the episode’s biggest event, to her possible future despair—and Tasuku and Aguri partially reconciled. I mean, did you see them? That was so cute! I’m undecided where I land on the Karen x Keita x Chiaki love triangle, but I was always fully behind Tasuku x Aguri after the end of episode two, i.e. the moment when Tasuku realized that he really did have feelings for Aguri after all, and thus became capable of treating her as well as she deserved. (Before that he was a bit of a douche, but he’s a teenager. All teenagers are doofuses.) So seeing them reconcile, realize (at least partially) that the other doesn’t romantically care about the third party they feared, and hold hands was sweet. Once again, a reward for us, the viewers, for all the turbulence we’ve gone through. And I guess the two of them too.

Too bad the happiness lasted for all of six seconds before Chiaki came back and heard Amono reveal his screennames and reference Mono-san and Nobe-san. Poor Chiaki was too dumbstruck to react, until later, at which point it was utter meltdown. In a way I’m sad that Gamers! appears to be entering the more well-trodden world of the love triangle, but as I said: it changed. The dynamic had to change, because the other was unstable, and while they can still poke at it, they couldn’t tell jokes about Tasuku being a (supposed) cheater for long without a Nice Boat scenario seeming likely and/or deserved. Ditto with similar concerns in Aguri. It needed to change, and it did before the old dynamic became stale. Hopefully they’ll do the same with this one when the time comes.

For now though, I can’t wait to see how Chiaki reacts to this news once her brain functions again. She’s the element of chaos who breathed strife into the relationships of those around her, through no fault of her own. What will happen if she decides to start doing so on purpose? The heavens quake, the seas shake, and the land shivers at the thought of Hoshinomori Chiaki on the warpath. None are safe.

Random thoughts:

  • I still can’t believe Tasuku’s plan mostly worked. Normally this smile heralds as much chaos as Chiaki’s presence does. I assume it’ll never last.
  • Even before Aguri vocalized it, the moment when Amano admitted he was enjoying the game with everyone was when I realized it: he truly is everyone’s derpy little brother. High-maintenance indeed, but not irredeemable. Even if he is a wholly unrealistic ladykiller.

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Full-length images: 08, 17, 38.

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49 Comments

    1. Huh. Though I have to say I like the anime’s designs a lot more. Assuming the personalities are the same, the designs in the anime work a lot better in channeling the characters.

      Anaxim
      Reply

      1. kind of disagree with you there (that’s not to imply that your opinion holds no validity). The art in the LN is a lot sharper and more crisp. I agree that the staff at Pinejam have translated the designs to animation very well. The character art in the anime pop as a result of bright color schemes and vivid expressions; however the character art in the LN has a striking detail and meticulousness (from how the shading in the characters hair to the detail in their physique) about it that sort of gets lost a bit going into animation (though that tends to usually be the case when moving between the two mediums).

        sonicsenryaku
        Reply

      2. I looked up other illustrations. I think I was biased because the one zztop chose wasn’t a good one to show off the differences. It’s a generic spread and that doesn’t show the characters in their element. The illustration of this precise game from the LN looks superior to what we were shown for sure.
        I still like tan Tasuku more, though.

        Anaxim
        Reply

      4. The second one you linked is that one I referred to as being superior.
        If I’m going to discuss my opinion, I better make sure it’s informed, so of course I went out of my way to get informed. There are few greater insults to the person/people you’re in a discussion with than to insist on a stand without seeing what the other side is talking about.

        Anaxim
        Reply

      5. While I do like tan Tasuku, I just know I’m going to read the LN’s at some point and it’s going to irk me that he looks different. I’ll get over it but I kind of wish they just kept it consistent.

        zprgmr
        Reply

      1. No doubt that the anime’s art style is very efficient. i for one like how the LN art style is reflection of the art in the end cards and boy is the art in the end cards crisp as fuck. If i had a choice between the anime having the art it has now versus those end cards, id choose the end cards easily. As i mentioned in a comment weeks ago; one thing i think the anime art style fails at conveying a bit is the attractiveness Chiaki is supposed to have undergone when cutting her hair. The anime excels at allowing the characters to have distinct expressions, bolsterous eyes, and vivid color schemes; these elements really make the content of the LN’s come to live in animation and i love it for that. But once again, there’s a certain penmanship in the LN art. It’s attention to the contours of the characters bodies, the scurling of a character’s hair, the sharp lines that punctuate their eyes and physical features. Look at Chiaki in the LN art style versus her anime counterpart; there’s more distinctiveness in her design there than in the anime. Her LN counterpart gives her the allure of a beautiful person. There is a resplendence to her features here that doesnt quite come off her anime design (she just looks cute with a plain face that could be slapped from any background character). But yea i understand liking the anime art style more

        sonicsenryaku
        Reply

  3. “Because if she’s a year younger, that would make Karen her sempai, and it wouldn’t make sense for them to be compared. Strange.”

    Not all that strange since we’re talking about the student council where if Karen had been in their school either one of them could have run for president regardless of year. Now if we were talking class rep or something where the year difference was an issue it’d be another thing, but this way it’s possible for them to be compared.

    qwert
    Reply

    2. I mean, yeah, you CAN compare them, but it also makes sense that the sempai would be more formidable. Doesn’t always work like that, but it wouldn’t be unfair to assume that Konoha is at a disadvantage against a popular sempai, even if she is/were popular herself.

      Stilts
      Reply

  10. I don’t really think the first part was terrible. We just have a higher expectation on this show. I’d rate it bellow average for romcoms. Agreed that it’s possibly a necessary evil. Kinda guessed she was Chiaki’s sister since she didn’t show up last week.

    As for the board game, I dread that it might be foreshadowing for the future. Might be okay with Tendou being alone and filthy rich in the future. But breaking up Tasuku x Aguri is a no-no. XD

    Luckly this doesn’t seem to be heading in that direction. But Tendou and Chiaki really need to tread carefully here. The words on some of those tiles they landed on might actually happen.

    theirs
    Reply

    2. Put me down for ‘terrible’, and out of place and unearned. At this point in the show, nobody — probably not even her sister — cares about Konoha’s trials and tribulations. I’m not sure I even care much about Chiaki yet. I’ll give Konoha credit though for her accurate perception of Amano while in the game store. As an aside, I thought Chiaki was out of character when she was chatting about the game her sister brought home. I felt it was a waste of a half-episode.

      For what it’s worth, while I found the board game to be a lot of fun, I thought Chiaki was out of character when trying to get Amano to play in the first place. Given everything else we know about her, and the way she came to ‘hate’ Amano, it didn’t really register for me.

      Mockman
      Reply

      1. It’s not out of character at all. Chiaki “hates” Keita but she still wants to have a social life. Firstly, the days she spent getting to know Keita is not something she can just toss aside. Whether they like it or not, those few days or weeks they spent bonding really stuck with them. This is why even considering their differences, Chiaki mentions that she doesnt want to see Keita unhappy. This is why considering their differences, they still call each other by their first names reflexively. They “hate” each other without actually hating each other; it’s childish arrogance that they dont accept each other more than it is contempt. But yea, when Chiaki was talking about the game, she didnt just have Keita in mind; she just understands that she needs a specific amount of people to be able to play this board game that she’s been itching to play. She was essentially talking to Tasuku as well; besides Chiaki even tries to go back on her offer to invite Keita by stating that she’s a bit ambivalent about inviting him over. But yea, bringing the game up demonstrates that she wants to play with others; that she wants to socialize and talk to people. Nothing out of character here as far as im concerned; the show gives you enough hints for you to read between the lines.

        sonicsenryaku
        Reply

      3. Wanting to have a social life isn’t having character. Any type of character can want that. As far as we can tell, she’s introverted, not misanthropic. (As an aside, do we even know whether Chiaki wants a social life.) In general, she rejects what opportunities come her way and more importantly, has never once taken initiative in the real world in her entire life. Those traits are part of her character. The way she ‘hates’ Amano is consistent with her character (although it sort of requires that both be idiots).

        She can still want a social life, she can be willing to hang out with Amano or Uehara, to play games… even a board game, she can want to do all the things you suggest and (probably) still be true to her character. But the actions she took were inconsistent as far as I’m concerned. And if these actions are in keeping with her character, surely there are other examples of them in her life. Surely.

        p.s. If you look again, you may see that ‘hate’ has quotes around it. It’s good practice to read the lines before reading between the lines.

        Mockman
        Reply

      4. I don’t get where Chiaki got out of character or acted inconsistently.

        Just as a reminder, the three of them gathered there to do their club activity (their newly formed club in case you forget it already). As for the form of the club activity itself, Tasuku had said it very clearly in the day the club was formed, to discuss or even debate about any and all kind of game. In this episode Chiaki simply brought the board game that her mom won in a lottery to the discussion table. It’s just that Tasuku proceeded to suggest playing the game together as another part of their club activity (which he said very clearly as well).

        Ryuutobi
        Reply

  11. Things are now starting to make sense for me. The first part of the episode got me so confused when they introduced Chiaki’s sister that I had to review the previous episode to make sure I was watching the right episode. Also, I thought Tendou and Amono were dating..

    lunascha
    Reply

    1. Keita did (accidentally) ask her out, but I don’t think it ever evolved (to everyone else at school anyway) to outright “dating” as in boyfriend/girlfriend style (though that’s clearly what Karen wants).

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      Reply

  13. https://randomc.net/image/Gamers/Gamers%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2038.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Gamers/Gamers%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2039.jpg
    Oh, now she gets it. *ding*

    Snarking aside (and despite the unexpected entry into the series), Konoha is kinda cute. Those twintails (bonus points for reminding me of School-Live / Gakkou Gurashi‘s Kurumi Ebisuzawa), her dual persona (serious student council president by day, yuri eroge fan by night), her covert perversion… (What can I say? Perverted girls are entertaining to watch! *cough*KonoSuba*cough*Darkness*cough*)

    And I couldn’t help but cheer to see (bland-name) CLANNAD (reminder: Got to pick that up on Steam one of these days…) being featured.

    Incognito
    Reply

  14. The four girls working with Konoha in the student council of their school aren’t the only Seitokai no Ichizon reference; their school IS the same school as the one in Seitokai no Ichizon, according to the piece of paper stuck on the door.

    Both works were also written by the same author, too.

    Hanabira.Kage
    Reply

    3. While they kept the whiteboard, complete with vague motivational messages (‘You’re the protagonist in your life.’) they changed pretty much everything else in the council room (although maybe that’s the same locker). And unfortunately, the current council is surprisingly more bland than the ‘ichizon’ crew. I didn’t make the connection and only read it here, but I quite enjoyed the earlier show.

      Mockman
      Reply

    4. I figured it had to be the same author since even Chiaki’s sister was acting just like Sugisaki Ken! hahaha At first I only recognized Minatsu’s twin but then the whole list of coincidences down to the uniform styles. Good memories from that anime. Too bad they couldn’t have acted a bit like them, too docile! At least some snark from the pink haired one. hehe

      Breedo
      Reply

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