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「似たものどうしのディスタンス」 (Nitamono Doushi no Disutansu)
“The Distance Between Similar People”
Sufficed to say, I definitely wasn’t expecting interesting character background and development in this series, but this episode pleasantly surprised me. Admittedly, I may have been a bit prejudice making the assumption that this would be a rather shallow psuedo-fanservice series going only off of the XEBEC label and staple moe-blob art style, but can you blame me for getting trolled? In hindsight, I suppose I should have expected this to at least make an effort to supply the characters with a certain amount of depth, as it’s based off of a light novel, but even if I had raised my expectations to that level I still would not have foreseen this series actually incorporating a compelling background to one of it’s characters and seriously running with the drama. Taking this into account now, this appears to be a series that takes its completely ridiculous premise on the surface and turns it on its head in the actual story (somewhat like Oreimo, as some of you will find out), and I’m not complaining. My expectations of this show becoming my second dose of ecchi for the season (TLR being my primary for it) may have been betrayed, but in return I’ve seemingly found a little golden egg. Rather than a pseudo-fanservice series, this is more like a pseudo-slice of life, with the crazy fetishes and disorders the characters possess on the surface masking the genuine insecurities and past plights they have underneath.
Obviously, the character in question who’s background I am referring to is Yuno Arashiko, the Androphobic classmate of Tarou who we caught a few glimpses of last episode. As I had speculated in my episode one post, it turns out Yuno has a fear of men, which is why she couldn’t stand Tarou coming into contact with her and always hit him as a result. As I mentioned, the thing that surprised me about this revelation is that, for the most part, it was not used for comedy and led to genuine, serious drama, with Yuno having developed her Androphobia from being abused by her middle school boyfriend and considering it a serious problem. The fact that Tarou actually crushed his soda cup in anger from hearing the story only added to the tense atmosphere. Actually, the execution of this episode is what really impressed me the most and made me rethink my opinion of this series. Everything from the build up to Yuno telling Tarou about her fear of men was played well, and I very much enjoyed watching it unfold. While I don’t personally know anyone suffering from Androphobia, I can imagine how painful it must be to develop the fear from a trauma such as being abused by a man you trust, and the fact that XEBEC decided to actually run with the serious side effects of it and not just toss it off for more comedy has earned them a couple points from me. To be honest, I had a very vague feeling that we would get serious moments in this series from the scene between Tarou and Tatsukichi, but I simply brushed it off as a gag, building up a pseudo-serious scene for comic relief, when in reality it has turned out to be the other way around.
Of course, we still had our fair share of comedy to go along with the serious business this episode, most of which came in the form of Yuno’s very much split personality. At one moment she’s a polite yet somewhat shy school girl, the next she’s a boxing champion, the next she’s a full on tsundere, and then the next she’s a cute-loving puppy. Seriously, I got mental whiplashes trying to keep up with her mood swings, would you almost think she’s on her period from the amount of personality shifts she has in this one episode. It’s quite obvious she’s an unbalanced character to say the least, which has me wondering if she has a personality disorder to go along with her Androphobia? Yuno’s 7 different personas aside, the biggest laugh for me came from Tatsukichi’s sudden transformation into a high class Ojou-sama bitch. Not since Hideyoshi has a trap been so tempting, so delicious. I was almost fooled into thinking Tatsukichi was an actual girl there for a moment.
So in a nutshell, this episode was just a pleasant shock all around. I must admit, after the initial airing, I was afraid that the brainless comedy would get stale and eventually I’d grow tired of this series, especially with there being no real “straight man” in the midst of this to offset all the craziness. Thankfully though, if this episode is any indication, the fetish fueled humor is not the only thing this show has going for it, and I’m looking forward to hearing about the characters and their backgrounds more. Some people criticized this show as having no potential based off of the first airing and dropped it immediately, and I must say that I pity their quick reactions if the true colors of this show begin to shine through the surface, such as what happened with Yuno and her past. This second episode has undoubtedly left a bigger and better initial impression on me than the first, and I give XEBEC credit for not only delivering comedy, but also keeping the serious element of this show in and executing it well. Let’s hope they keep it up.
Preview
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Nice episode!
This episode completely made me laugh. Especially Tatsukichi going all Ojou-sama on us. Biribiri on a boy FTW.
Good to know this show won’t be all for laughs.
https://randomc.net/image/MM/MM%20-%2002%20-%20Large%20Preview%2003.jpg he is injured but not in ecstasy… maybe more character development?
He only gets aroused when women hits him…that’s his face when being hit by guys…maybe…
i think the next episode is goanna deal with the main character fighting the guy that abused yuno
Its funny to look for character development and looking for clues of what kind of disorder they have, I’m curious about Mio Isurugi. Mio calling Tarou Sado a hentai champion had me rolling around.
Realistically though, I don’t think Yuno is suffering from any personality disorder (I’m guessing borderline is the one on everyone’s mind.) Just having a couple of the “symptoms” isn’t enough to say she has it. Not to mention a severe phobia can lead to violent mood swings.
Oh wow. Definitely picking this up.
Not to nitpick… but this sentence doesn’t make complete sense.
“And that’s really what impressed me the most and made me rethink my opinion of the this, the execution of this episode.”
Typo, fixed. Reworded the sentence a bit as well.
Definitely a surprising bit of serious development. Also ways of allowing the characters to bond as they showed and the fact that Yuno’s own androphobia that stemmed from that trauma is what “awakened” Tarou’s own masochism.
https://randomc.net/image/MM/MM%20-%2002%20-%20Large%20Preview%2002.jpg
is that yuri I’m looking?and between lolis?
damn, with this and the serious sides, this series has become a favorite of mine this season.
inb4 hordes of women raging about the PMS joke
best part of this episode comedy-wise was probably tatsukichi getting punched in the face. aaaaand it looks like next week we’re introduced to the yuri fetishist, yay!
From the looks of the preview, looks like Tarou will face off with Yuno’s ex, and get beaten badly. Hopefully it ends well for him and looking forward to the next episode.
Man his mother and sister really takes my attention… XD
I was a little wary going into this series, but this episode pretty much made me want to see the whole thing through. Yay pleasant surprises~
Trap has boobs, making it even worse (better?) Double-trap!
MAN their eyes are big. D:
Great episode. I was completely absorbed.
Shows that people are way too judgmental. Glad I usually stay with anime all the way to the end. Great and fantastic episode. I actually got pissed off that Yuno was abused like that. Would have kicked the shit out of that bastard. Hate to see sweet girls get hurt.
Their past shows that they were meant for eachother T_T so beautiful >.> random fetishes everywhere though like DAMN >.< I'd hit that trap tho…then id cry and do it again XD
Dude, the preview shows Tarou in the down and dirt/bruised. I want to see him beat the $^@^ out of that rapist/sexual abusive pretty boy.
We all know our masochistic hero can take more than a few hits in a fight–hell he might even enjoy it -snicker- :]
well, given XEBEC’s track record, I think you have a right to be surprised. I believe that Ladies vs Butlers (meh) and Kanokon (URGH) are both light novel series too. Frankly, i expected this show to follow the over the tope fanservice route too.
How can they jam us if they dont know… we’re coming?
EPIC TRAP IS EPIC
and I can completly understand anger at the news about the reasons of androphobia… some bastards deserve real beating, and then some
Amen to that. I feel bad for poor Yuno having gone through this major incident (and yet “funny” how she’s the one that turned Tarou into who he is today).
I like this episode, but i guess the best will be the next. 😀
My first time seeing yuri with affection, and I liked it. ‘Nuff said. >:D
Guys that would actually hit a girl hard have no balls and deserve to be castrated. That aside, this show is pretty great. I agree with the epic trap… Oh man, there’s been a recent influx of those lately haven’t there? Also, incest is anime is completely acceptable <_<, as long as it stays in anime. I wonder if he'll actually 'straighten out' in the end of the show? (Complete character development?!) Yuno ftw, do want moar eps now!
I hope Tarou destroys that pretty boy’s face, but judging from the preview it looks like Tarou is the one that’s gonna get a whoopin’. Anyways, great episode, it’s completely changed my view of the show.
I got into this show out of pure boredom and really didn’t have high expectations of it. But I have to agree, this episode redeemed it and I’ll probably watch until the end. It was painful to hear Yuno’s past, I certainly hope karma comes back at the guy who did this to her. Am I the only one cringing when I see Tarou’s relatives expressing love for him incestuously though?
I tried watching MM! out of the blue to see what it was like, and I’m also pleasantly surprised. Past the masochist jokes there’s a serious tone to the story which really stands out from the type of show everyone thinks this is. Plus, Tatsukichi is an epic trap (“…that’s a pretty pathetic rack you have there.” I DIED AT THIS SENTENCE) who actually has a bit of depth to him.
I think I’ll watch this until the end.
This show has at episode 02 already more plot development then the whole second season of K-ON!! lol
Wow reading all of these comments really reveals how sick everyone here is, especially Kyzel. Wow