Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu / First Impressions

「僕とのぞきと強化合宿っ！」 (Boku to Nozoki to Kyouka Gasshuku!)
“Me, Peeping, and Training Camp!”

I still can’t place my finger on what exactly was so good about this episode, but all the different points that I factor in while watching Baka Test was all there. Starting with some ridiculous problem that Akihisa and friends have to deal with, there apparently was a school festival between episode four and five. And during this festival, both Akihisa and Yuuji had to do things that they’d rather not remember and are getting blackmailed with it.

While that may not sound very funny, when you combine it with Class-F and Akihisa’s insane stupidity, little trifles like this can explode into scenarios where the humor flows out freely. From Minami bashing out Akihisa’s brains every time he fails to notice she’s a girl to Hideyoshi slowly accepting the idea that people will never stop making gender jokes about him, there’s more than enough material to give your abs a little work out. Now, if Himeji would actually taste a little bit of her own food…

Unlike last week’s episode, the summoned being aspect was clearly lacking. I thought it was pretty cool how the teacher’s actually summoned their own beings into play. Not only do they have a ridiculous amount of points in their respective subject (since they you know, teach it) but having corporeal summon just makes them ridiculously overpowered. It’s a shame that the battles were all cut short, since half the fun of the summons is watching them fight! I also wish that Tetsujin had summoned his being, since I’d love to see just how badass his summon would look. But if you stop to think about it, how is it possible for a teacher to lose all their points? Aren’t they the ones in control of the system? But wouldn’t that also mean that Tetsujin would have to give supplementary lessons to himself?

As the first day of training camp coming to an end, it looks like our male protagonists may have ended up worse than when they started. Accused of being dirty peeping toms and suffering the wrath of Tetsujin’s supplementary lessons, I’m willing to bet that they’re going to go out guns blazing next week — which hopefully involves some summoning battles!

 

Preview

30 Comments

  1. Episode 4 is still the best one because that’s the episode that most resembled the wackiness of 1st season. Baka test 2 seems to be lacking in the spontaneous department, It’s like they got a new director for the show, and they had no idea there was a 1st season.

    exia
    Reply

    1. This season might be a rare case where attempting to be faithful to the source isn’t a good idea. IIRC there’s that ban after losing a battle so that could explain the lack of summon battles so far. But if so the slow slice of life style episodes haven’t done enough to make up for that lack of action. Having watched the festival OVA I think that would have been a better place to start this second season. At least that would have given some sort of kick start to the season instead of starting with those rather flat beach episodes. I agree that the tone of this second season just seems to be lacking compared to first season.

      a42
      Reply

    2. Have to say that I agree. episode 1 was okay (second half was lame), 2 was pretty good, 3 was good (1st half was at least watchable, 2nd was good), 4 was awesome, and this one was just “fine”. First half was watchable and second half kinda sputtered out and died somewhere.

      What bothers me if that the abuse of the guys (especially Akihisa) seems to have been taken up one too many notches. Shoko and Yuuji are the same, but Minami and Himeji are just abusing the living hell out of Akihisa! Himeji in particular has taken a turn for the worse. In episodes 4 and 2 it was funny, the rest of this season, they get carried away a lot. Psychological abuse is pushing it, girls.

      Aex
      Reply

  7. yes, this is what I called back on track 🙂 humor (although a bit too much abusive style), tie together the story (OVA), and most of all, summon being and potentially battle for next week 🙂 hope they could deliver more next week! :3

    jrj
    Reply

  8. I don’t think I would’ve imagined myself saying this but I’m starting to get tired of the repeated antics. It’s not that it’s not funny but it’s like there isn’t any new material being brought in and the girls always seem to be bashing the guys every episode, more so than the first season.

    Dan
    Reply

  10. This episode just did nothing for me. The first half was okay aside from Minami being a grade-A b*tch on the train (verbally, which is kinda new for her on that level). Then when the girls busted into the room everything went to hell for five minutes. Shoko was her usual self, so that was fine, but the rest of the girls (including Himeji and Minami) just pissed me off!! I think it was that the abuse finally went just a little too far for no good reason. I expected Himeji to at least give the guys the benefit of the doubt, but NO, she was right there with the rest of the idiots, not listening to a thing the boys were saying.

    Worst part is that when the guys do prove their innocence the girls will just laugh it off and be like “well we might’ve believed you before if you weren’t such perverts!” then everything’s back to normal. Me, I want Himeji and Minami to spend an episode trying to get back on Akihisa’s good side after this BS!!

    Aex
    Reply

  14. More or less we gain some plot (the peeping tom) but we lost some laughs. That’s how I see this episode.

    Episode 4 second half has been the best until this point but I hope something better in the next episodes.

    bga
    Reply

  15. It was a fun episode I guess. But seriously the girls are becoming more and more like Shouko especially Himeji, its like her personality did a complete 180.

    Go watch the OVAs Takaii, its pretty enjoyable.

    Nhelraios
    Reply

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