Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta… X – 08

「お見合いしてしまった…」 (Omiai Shite Shimatta…)
“I Had an Arranged Marriage Meeting…”

Was it the episode we knew we needed? Probably not, but I have to admit a whole week of Nicol shenanigans hit all the right notes. Arranged marriage; death by deadpan looks; relatable introspection: I dare say we got some full-bodied development for our time – and the hint of later fun. Best lock that future bride down soon Geordo, you’ve got some serious competition.

Although Hamefura’s reverse (mostly) harem is well-established and already into the throes of competition run amok, this episode highlights just how little all the potential suitors have actually been developed to date. Outside of initial attachments leading to Katarina being head baka among the aho crowd, we haven’t really received any deep dive into just what keeps the majority of the cast wanting to get with Katarina. Nicol after all has barely been touched on to date so getting his perspective here was quite surprising. It’s nothing particularly stupendous in the end mind you – i.e. attraction through Bakarina shenanigans – however it shows just how strong her impact has been. When you live in the cream of the class crop, the rigid barriers and well-established protocols can often be suffocating, enough so that someone like Katarina breaking across boundaries becomes a true breath of fresh air. Nicol, like the others, didn’t fall for her so much out of dorky cuteness as the whole package just breaking with expectations in all the right ways. When your main suitors are content with a life of quiet subservience, no shock you’ll instead go for the one who’s up for a little adventure.

That of course builds into the new girl duo of Frey and Ginger this week who as well showcase the overall impact of Bakarina. Frey for example could’ve easily been Katarina under other circumstances, as her mindset is fully in line with the dork’s outside of some missing hyperactivity and scatterbrained thought patterns. It’s the reason Nicol spilled his feelings so easily – Frey has the same confidence and determination which helped spark Nicol’s own romantic conundrum! I was a little disappointed the entire thing didn’t turn into a nascent relationship between the two in the end, but hey, cannot have the harem suddenly lose a member this quickly. Well, at least until Ginger winds up entering Katarina’s inner orbit, since no way in hell does that situation remain at the level of happy embarrassment.

We’ll just have to wait and see how things develop from here, right after finding out which dark magic scheme the Bakarina finds herself caught up in next.